1982 12 28 2249 CHANNEL n a ce Printed 12 11 1997 Si C RE'f PAGE 01 ACTION SS-25 GUATEM 09670 282250Z COPY-01 ADS-00 SSO-00 026 W ------------------015145 282257Z 73 0 282249Z DEC 82 FM AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2624 INFO OCT-00 SEC RE GUATEMALA 09670 FOR ARA CEN C JOHNSTONE FROM CHARGE DECAPTIONi B E O 12356 DECL OADR TAGS GT PINR SHUM PINT SUBJECT ALLEGED MASSACRE OF 200 AT VILLAGE OF DOS R'S PETEN 1 S - ENTIRE TEXT lf 2 SUMMARY RELIABLE EMBASSY SOURCE RELAYED SECOND- AND THIRD-HAND INFORMATION ON POSSIBLE GOG ARMY MASSACRE OF 200 VILLAGERS OF LOS DOS R'S PETEN DEPARTMENT SUPPOSED TO HAVE TAKEN PLACE DECEMBER 12 EMBASSY OFFICER WILL · INVESTIGATE ON THE SCENE ON DECEMBER 3 0 END SUMMARY g j g i i 3 LOS DOS R'S IS A VILLAGE OF 200 PEOPLE LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 12 KILOMETERS FROM THE TOWN OF LAS CRUCES IN THE PETEN DEPARTMENT IT IS A BRAND NEW VILLAGE O s ESTABLISHED NO MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO ITS VILLAGERS ARE HOMESTEADERS BUYING THEIR FARMLAND FROM THE GOVERNMENT AGENCY FYDEP t v 4 ACCORDING TO SOURCE PEOPLE IN LAS CRUCES TOLD HIM THAT ON THE EVENING OF DECEMBER 12 AN ARMY UNIT DISGUISED i i AS GUERRILLAS ENTERED LOS DOS R'S THEY GATHERED THE VILLAGERS TOGETHER TOLD THEM THEY WERE GUERRILLAS AND - I -SECRE'l' ffi11or- I AIA '-' S' C U T PAGE 02 GUATEM 09670 282250Z DEMANDED FOOD THEY WARNED THE VILLAGERS THAT THEY HAD BETTER SUPPORT THE INSURGENCY OR THERE WOULD BE REPRISALS THEY SINGLED OUT ONE MAN AND ASKED HIM WHOM HE SUPPORTED Page - 1 CHANNEL n a te Printed 12 11 1997 HE SAID THE ARMY THEY THEN BEAT HIM THEY ASKED HIM THE SAME QUESTION HE GAVE THEM THE SAME ANSWER THEY BEAT HIM AGAIN AND FINALLY LET HIM GO HE IS SAID TO HAVE ESCAPED AND RECOUNTED THIS STORY HOW HE KNEW THAT THE ARMED MEN WERE ARMY DISGUISED AS GUERRILLAS IS NOT CLEAR SAID THE SOURCE NOR IS IT CLEAR WHAT HAPPENED IN THE VILLAGE THEREAFTER 5 WITNESSES WHO TOLD OTHERS WHO TOLD SOURCE SAY THE VILLAGE NOW IS COMPLETELY DESERTED THEY CLAIM TO HAVE FOUND BURNT CEDULAS ID CARDS IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH THE HOUSES ARE EMPTY THEY CLAIM THE ARMY CAME IN AGAIN AFTER DECEMBER 12 AND TOOK ROOFING AND FURNITURE TO THE ARMY BASE AT LAS CRUCES NO ONE HOWEVER HAS CLAIMED TO HAVE SEEN ANY BODIES 6 SOURCE SAID THERE HAVE BEEN THREE THEORIES ALL RUMORS CONCERNING THE INCIDENT IN DOS R'S 1 THE ARMY ARRESTED ALL THE INHABITANTS AND TOOK THEM INTO THE JUNGLE 2 THE ARMY TOOK THE MEN TO THE ARMY BASE IN POPTUN AND THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN TO THE ARMY BASE IN SAN BENITO 3 THE ARMY KILLED EVERYONE IN THE VILLAGE DUMPED THEM INTO THE WELL AND COVERED THE WELL OVER THE LAST RUMOR IS BASED ON THE WORD OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE GONE INTO THE VILLAGE AND SEEN THAT THE WELL IS COVERED OVER THEY HAVE BEEN AFRAID TO LOOK INTO IT THOUGH NO BODIES HAVE BEEN FOUND ALL THE PEOPLE HAVE DISAPPEARED 7 SOURCE RECOUNTED THAT THE LOCAL MILITARY COMMISSIONER SAID THAT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE LAS CRUCES AREA WAS SAD BECAUSE IT AFFECTED CHILDREN HE THOUGHT THE AREA HAD BEEN ECRE'P - SECRE4' PAGE 03 GUATEM 09670 282250Z CLEANED OUT SOURCE SAID RUMORS HAVE IT THAT THE ARMY HAS BEEN SUSPICIOUS OF THE PEOPLE OF DOS R'S EVER SINCE GUERRILLAS ATTACKED THE ARMY AT PALESTINA SOME SIX MONTHS AGO IT SEEMS THE GUERRILLAS CUT THROUGH DOS R'S EN ROUTE TO MAKING THEIR ATTACK THE VILLAGERS FEARING THEY MIGHT BE LABELED GUERRILLA SUPPORTERS ASKED THE ARMY TO CHECK THEM OUT THE ARMY DID SO AND THE VILLAGERS THEN THOUGHT THEY HAD BEEN CLEARED OF SUSPICION 8 BECAUSE OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE ALLEGATION THAT THE ARMY MASSACRED 200 PEOPLE AND BECAUSE OF THE RELIABILITY OF THIS SOURCE'S INFORMATION IN THE PAST EMBASSY OFFICER WILL FLY TO THE AREA ON DECEMBER 30 TO INVESTIGATE - ·· · Page - 2 NClASSIFIED 89 CHANNEL n a te Printed 12 11 1997 TAY LOR @IJH' NNN Current Handling Restrictions Current Classification Page - 3 UICllSS HED 89