THE TRUCK IS REGISTERED TO LAURA GUTIERREZ BAUER IN LA PAZ, AND SHE AND FRENCH JOURNALIST REGIS DEBRAY HAVE BEEN POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED BY PHOTOS AS PASSENGERS IN PICKUP TRUCK.
G. W. LUNSFORD, MAJ INF
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[ FIFTEEN ]
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ARG 0044 2300 ZULU 20 MARCH 1967
VIA WHITE HOUSE SIGNAL AGENCY
FROM: POLO SIX
TO: EARNEST SIX
AFTER-ACTION REPORT #35
REFERENCE US ARMY MAP SERVICE MAP 4774 BOLIVIA
1. WOJG WILLIAM THOMAS REPORTED 19 MARCH 1967 THAT GUEVARA-LED TRAINING MARCH, “HAVING FINALLY FOUND ITS WAY HOME,” WAS ONE DAY’S MARCH FROM ÑANCAHAZÚ FARM. GUEVARA STILL ALIVE BUT SICK.
2. AT 1135 ZULU 20 MARCH 1967 RENDEVOUS WAS EFFECTED WITH RECONNAISSANCE PATROL. THOMAS, WHO LOST APPROXIMATELY TWENTY-FIVE POUNDS DURING PATROL, WAS FLOWN TO BUENOS AIRES IN L-23 BY 1LT CRAIG AND WOJG DE LA SANTIAGO. FOLLOWING DISCREET PHYSICAL EXAMINATION IN ARGENTINE CENTRAL MILITARY HOSPITAL BUENOS AIRES ARRANGED BY LT COL RANGIO, THOMAS WILL BEGIN SEVEN-DAY RECUPERATIVE LEAVE, NOT CHARGEABLE AS ORDINARY LEAVE.
G. W. LUNSFORD, MAJ INF
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[ SIXTEEN ]
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ARG 0044 2025 ZULU 23 MARCH 1967
VIA WHITE HOUSE SIGNAL AGENCY
FROM: POLO SIX
TO: EARNEST SIX
SITUATION REPORT #42
REFERENCE US ARMY MAP SERVICE MAP 4774 BOLIVIA
1. AT APPROXIMATELY 1615 ZULU 23 MARCH 1967, A PATROL OF CAMIRI-BASED BOLIVIAN SOLDIERS WAS AMBUSHED APPROXIMATELY 15 KILOMETERS FROM ÑANCAHAZÚ FARM. ONE (1) KIA; THREE (3) WIA; TWO (2) MISSING.
2. UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES LTCOL CUPULL MUST NOW FULLY REPORT ON HIS AND MAJOR ZAMMORO’S ACTIVITIES IN AREA.
3. CUPULL’S OBSERVER ON ALGARANAZ FARM REPORTED “TANIA” AND REGIS DEBRAY PASSING AS THEY LEFT ÑANCAHAZÚ FARM.
4. CUPULL BELIEVES AMBUSH WILL RESULT IN FAR GREATER BOLIVIAN ARMY REACTION AGAINST CUBANS, OVER WHICH HE WILL HAVE LESS CONTROL.
G. W. LUNSFORD, MAJ INF
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[ SEVENTEEN ]
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1820 GREENWICH 27 MARCH 1967
FROM STATION CHIEF, LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
TO DIRECTOR, CIA, LANGLEY
COPIES TO STATION CHIEF, BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
MR SANFORD T. FELTER, COUNSELOR
TO THE PRESIDENT,
THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON
1. GENERAL RENÉ BARRIENTOS BECAME PRESIDENT OF BOLIVIA AS OF 2815 GREENWICH 27 MARCH 1967.
2. THE UNDERSIGNED CONSIDERS IT GERMANE TO REPEAT THE EXTRACT OF THE PRIVATE CONVERSATION BETWEEN BARRIENTOS AND THE UNDERSIGNED OF 24 MARCH 1967, FOLLOWING THE AMBUSH BY CUBANS OF BOLIVIAN ARMY UNIT, PREVIOUSLY FURNISHED.
BEGIN QUOTE
KEEP HIM ALIVE? WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS BEHEAD THE COMMUNIST (OBSCENITY) AND STICK HIS HEAD ON A POLE ON THE BOULEVARD PRADO.
END QUOTE
3-THE UNDERSIGNED AGAIN RECOMMENDS IN THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE TERMS THAT DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIONS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL BE MADE VIS-À-VIS U.S. GOVERNMENT POLICY RELATIVE TO ERNESTO GUEVARA.
DONALD J. MACNAMARA
STATION CHIEF BUENOS AIRES
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[ EIGHTEEN ]
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EARN0225 WASH DC 1405 ZULU 29 MARCH 1967
VIA WHITE HOUSE SIGNAL AGENCY
FROM: EARNEST SIX
TO: POLO SIX
STATION CHIEF BUENOS AIRES
1. PRESIDENT BARRIENTOS WILL SHORTLY NAME LIEUTENANT COLONEL ANDRÉS SELICH, DEPUTY COMMANDER OF THE PANDO REGIMENT OF MILITARY ENGINEERS STATIONED AT VILLEGRANDE, TO OVERALL COMMAND ANTI-GUEVARAN ACTIVITIES IN BOLIVIA.
2. PRESIDENT BARRIENTOS HAS REQUESTED, AND US GOVERNMENT WILL FURNISH ASAP, A SPECIAL FORCES UNIT TO TRAIN A BATTALION OF BOLIVIAN RANGERS. CAPT JOHN S. OLIVER, WHO HAS BEEN KEPT ABREAST OF ALL DEVELOPMENTS, WILL COMMAND.
3. SELICH, OF YUGOSLAVIAN BACKGROUND, IS WELL KNOWN TO OUR FRIEND IN GERMANY. HE HAS AGREED WITH OUR GERMAN FRIEND THAT GUEVARA SHOULD BE KEPT ALIVE, AND WILL DO WHATEVER HE CAN IN THIS REGARD. SELICH HAS BEEN INFORMED OF ACTIVITIES OF CUPULL (OF WHICH HE WAS AWARE) AND ZAMORRO/THOMAS (OF WHICH HE WAS NOT) AND BELIEVES INFORMING BARRIENTOS AND OTHERS OF CUPULL/ZAMMORO/THOMAS ACTIVITIES WOULD BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.
4. SELICH WILL INITIATE CONTACT WITH LUNSFORD, BUT NOT, REPEAT NOT, WITH CIA STATION CHIEF LA PAZ. LUNSFORD IS AUTHORIZED RELAY BETWEEN CIA AND SELICH AND TO PROVIDE SELICH WITH WHATEVER ASSETS HE CONTROLS, TO INCLUDE USE OF THE L-23 TO TAKE GUEVARA, IF CAPTURED, TO ARGENTINA FOR FURTHER SHIPMENT.
5. YOU ARE DIRECTED TO MAKE THIS ORDER KNOWN TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL CUPULL AND LIEUTENANT COLONEL RANGIO.
6. DIRECTOR CIA CONCURS.
SANFORD T. FELTER, COLONEL, GSC
COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
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[ NINETEEN ]
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1650 GREENWICH 21 APRIL 1967
FROM STATION CHIEF, LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
TO DIRECTOR, CIA, LANGLEY
COPIES TO STATION CHIEF, BUENOS AIRES ANGENTINA
MR SANFORD T. FELTER, COUNSELOR
TO THE PRESIDENT, THE EXECUTIVE
OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON
1. FRENCH JOURNALIST REGIS DEBRAY WAS ARRESTED BY BOLIVIAN ARMY NEAR MUYUPAMPA EARLY LAST NIGHT.
2. DEBRAY WAS IN COMPANY OF KNOWN BOLIVIAN COMMUNIST BUSTOS WHO WAS ON WANTED LIST. THEY WERE APPARENTLY TRYING TO LEAVE GUEVARAN FORCES FOR LA PAZ. DEBRAY WAS IN POSSESSION OF COUNTERFEIT IDENTIFICATION AND OTHER INCRIMINATING MATERIAL AND WILL PROBABLY BE COURT-MARTIALED.