14 December 1964, the following information, provided by the FBI, is furnished:
From CIA Prague, Czechoslovakia (Reliability Scale Five).
SUBJECT arrived Prague 1650 GMT 1 February 1966 aboard Aeroflot Flight 9003 from Dar es Salaam, Tanganyika via Cairo. SUBJECT is using Cuban Diplomatic passports in name of Ramón Benítez. SUBJECT was met by Cuban ambassador and Czech officials and was taken by car to residence of Cuban ambassador.
Howard W. O’Connor
HOWARD W. O’CONNOR
SECRET
[ THREE ]
TOP SECRET
1520 GREENWICH 26 MAY 1966
FROM STATION CHIEF, BUENOS AIRES
TO DIRECTOR, CIA, LANGLEY
COPIES TO SOUTH AMERICAN DESK
MR SANFORD T. FELTER, COUNSELOR
TO THE PRESIDENT
THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON
A RIOT FOLLOWED A BEFORE-DAWN POLICE ATTEMPT TO BREAKUP A DISORDERLY STUDENT MEETING AT THE SCHOOL OF ECONOMIC SCIENCES ON AVENIDA CÓRDOBA IN DOWNTOWN BUENOS AIRES TODAY.
RIOTING STUDENTS, SOME CARRYING PLACARDS WITH PHOTOGRAPHS OF ERNESTO “CHE” GUEVARA, AND OTHERS RED FLAGS, PROTESTING A SHORTAGE OF UNIVERSITY FUNDS, OVERTURNED AND BURNED A CAR, SMASHED SHOP WINDOWS AND STREET-LAMPS AND THREW COBBLESTONES AT POLICE FOR MORE THAN TWO HOURS.
IN A PRIVATE LUNCHEON CONVERSATION TODAY AT THE CIRCULO MILITAR WITH MAJOR G. W. LUNSFORD, LIEUTENANT GENERAL PASCUAL PISTARINI, COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARGENTINE ARMY, SAID “THE COMMUNIST SITUATION IS GETTING OUT OF CONTROL AND SOMETHING MUST BE DONE.”
C.B. TAYLOR
STATION CHIEF BUENOS AIRES
TOP SECRET
[ FOUR ]
SECRET
1710 GREENWICH 31 MAY 1966
FROM STATION CHIEF, BUENOS AIRES
TO DIRECTOR, CIA, LANGLEY
COPIES TO SOUTH AMERICAN DESK
MR SANFORD T. FELTER, COUNSELOR
TO THE PRESIDENT
THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON
Following are what are considered significant extracts from the speech given yesterday by lieutenant general pascual pistarini, commander-in-chief of the argentine army at ceremonies marking the 156th anniversary of the founding of the argentine army: “the army is an inseparable part of the national community, legally invested with the responsibility of assuring the domestic peace, and it must fulfill all of its obligations. THE ARMY DOES NOT ONLY REPRESENT A PHILOSOPHY, BUT IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE AUTHORITY WITHOUT WHICH THERE CAN BE NO FREEDOM.”
C.B. TAYLOR
STATION CHIEF BUENOS AIRES
SECRET
[ FIVE ]
SECRET
1305 GREENWICH 29 JUNE 1966
FROM STATION CHIEF, BUENOS AIRES
TO DIRECTOR, CIA, LANGLEY
COPIES TO SOUTH AMERICAN DESK
MR SANFORD T. FELTER, COUNSELOR
TO THE PRESIDENT
THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON
1. AT APPROXIMATELY 0100 GMT (2100 BUENOS AIRES TIME) 28 JUNE 1966 TROOPS SEIZED RADIO STATIONS AND COMMUNICATION CENTERS IN BUENOS AIRES, AND THE PUBLIC WAS INFORMED THAT LIEUTENANT GENERAL PASCUAL PISTARINI, COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARGENTINE ARMY HAD “WITHDRAWN THE ARMY’S RECOGNITION OF THE MINISTER FOR WAR.”
2. AT 0440 GMT PRESIDENT ARTURO ILLIA, SPEAKING FROM THE CASA ROSADA, WHICH WAS GUARDED BY TROOPS OF THE SAN MARTIN REGIMENT OF GRENADIERS, ANNOUNCED THAT PISTARINI HAD BEEN DISMISSED AND HE WAS ASSUMING THE DUTIES OF COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMY.
3. AT 1105 GMT AIR SECRETARY BRIGADIER MARIO ROMANELLI ANNOUNCED THAT A JUNTA CONSISTING OF PISTARINI, ADMIRAL BENINO VARELA (CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS), AND BRIGADIER ADOLFO T. ALVAREZ (COMMANDER IN CHIEF, AIR FORCE) WERE EXERCISING “NATIONAL AUTHORITY” PENDING THE SWEARING IN OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL JUAN CARLOS ONGANIA AT NOON TODAY. ONGANIA WAS FORMERLY CINC OF THE ARMY.
4. DEPOSED PRESIDENT ILLIA IS BELIEVED TO BE UNDER HOUSE ARREST. IT IS BELIEVED THE COUP WAS ENTIRELY BLOODLESS.
C.B. TAYLOR
STATION CHIEF BUENOS AIRES
SECRET
[ SIX ]
SECRET
2205 GREENWICH 7 JULY 1966
FROM STATION CHIEF, BUENOS AIRES
TO DIRECTOR, CIA, LANGLEY
COPIES TO SOUTH AMERICAN DESK
MR SANFORD T. FELTER, COUNSELOR
TO THE PRESIDENT
THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON
1. ON 4 JULY AT THE INDEPENDENCE DAY PARTY AT THE AMERICAN CLUB OF BUENOS AIRES, LIEUTENANT GEOFFREY CRAIG WAS APPROACHED BY LIEUTENANT COLONEL RICARDO FOSTERWOOD, AIDE-DE -CAMP TO LIEUTENANT GENERAL PISTARINI, AND INFORMED THAT PISTARINI HAD ARRANGED FOR A MEMBERSHIP FOR HIM IN THE SAN JORGE POLO CLUB AND THAT HE HOPED HE WOULD ACCEPT.
2. ON 6 JULY FOSTERWOOD TELEPHONED CRAIG AND INVITED HIM TO PLAY IN “AN INFORMAL POLO MATCH” AT THE SAN JORGE CLUB AT 1300 LOCAL TIME 7 JULY 1966. ON ARRIVAL AT THE CLUB, CRAIG LEARNED THAT HE WOULD BE PLAYING WITH PRESIDENT ONGANIA, GENERAL PISTARINI, AND LIEUTENANT COLONEL GUILLERMO RANGIO, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF S.I.D.E.
3. FOLLOWING THE POLO MATCH, PISTARINI TOLD CRAIG THAT HE SHOULD TELL HIS UNCLE (OBVIOUSLY REFERRING TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL CRAIG W. LOWELL) THAT THE NEW ARGENTINE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO HONOR ALL ASPECTS OF THE ARRANGEMENT HE HAD STRUCK WITH LOWELL WITH REGARD TO GUEVARA.
4. FOLLOWING THE CRAIG/PISTARINI CONVERSATION, RANGIO GAVE CRAIG AN ENVELOPE WHICH CONTAINED THE MATERIAL QUOTED BELOW, AND “SUGGESTED” THAT CRAIG MAKE A HABIT OF TAKING A COCKTAIL EVERY MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, AND FRIDAY AT 1700 LOCAL TIME AT THE JOCKEY CLUB. CRAIG INFERS THIS IS BECAUSE THIS WOULD PROVIDE RANGIO AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH HIM IN WHAT WOULD