LATIN AMERICAN TERRORISM - THE CUBAN CONNECTION

• NCJ Number: 64312
• Journal: BACKGROUNDER Issue: 104 Dated: (NOVEMBER 9, 1979) Pages: 1-23
• Author(s): S T FRANCIS
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 23 pages
• Corporate Author: Heritage Foundation
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS PAPER RELATES EVENTS OF TERRORISM IN ISOLATED LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES, AND REVOLUTIONS IN SOME OF THESE COUNTRIES, TO ACTIVITIES OF TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS WORLDWIDE AND SPECULATES ON THE CUBAN INFLUENCE.

Abstract

THE FALL OF THE SOMOZA GOVERNMENT IN NICARAGUA TO THE SANDINISTA GUERRILLA FORCES IN 1979 SHOULD ALERT THE UNITED STATES TO THE VULNERABLILITY OF OTHER GOVERNMENTS IN SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA TO REBELLIONS THAT ARE BACKED BY CUBA (AND SUBSEQUENTLY BY THE SOVIET UNION) AND BY TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION. A NUMBER OF LATIN AMERICAN STATES ARE EXAMINED INDIVIDUALLY (ARGENTINA, BOLIVIA, BRAZIL, CHILE, COLOMBIA, PERU, URUGUAY, COSTA RICA, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, MEXICO, AND PUERTO RICO) IN REGARD TO TERRORIST INCIDENTS IN THE 1960'S AND 1970'S, EXISTENCE OF LEFTIST ORGANIZATIONS WITH VIOLENT TENDENCIES, AND POSSIBLE TIES OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS WITH INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS. FINALLY, LINKS BETWEEN LATIN AMERICAN TERRORISM AND THE LOOSELY ORGANIZED NETWORK OF TERRORIST GROUPS KNOWN AS THE 'TERRORIST INTERNATIONAL' ARE DISCUSSED, AS IS THE LINK BETWEEN LATIN AMERICAN TERRORISM AND THE COMMUNIST STATES. A NUMBER OF COMMON FEATURES ARE WIDELY SHARED BY LATIN AMERICAN TERRORIST GROUPS THAT APPEAR TO FORM A PATTERN FROM WHICH THE STRATEGY OF TERRORISM CAN BE INFERRED; I.E., WIDESPREAD DEGREE OF MUTUAL SUPPORT AND SUPPORT FROM THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT AND INTELLIGENCE APPARATUS REGARDLESS OF IDEOLOGY; MARXIST IDEOLOGICAL ORIENTATION; A RHETORIC THAT IS SPECIFICALLY ANTI-AMERICAN; AND CONCENTRATION OF ATTACKS ON TARGETS ASSOCIATED WITH U.S. CAPITALISM. THE PAPER CONCLUDES THAT A STRATEGIC MATRIX OF SOVIET-CUBAN SUPPORT FOR LATIN AMERICAN TERRORISM MUST BE UNDERSTOOD, AND THAT AMERICAN REACTIONS TO TERRORISM AND GUERILLA WARFARE IN LATIN AMERICA MUST BE BASED ON THIS UNDERSTANDING. TABLES, FOOTNOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DAG)