Guatemala

Guatemala is a country in Central America that was deeply involved in Contra-related operations during the 1980s and has a history of political instability, military coups, and U.S. involvement in the region.¹³

Political History

General Rios Montt became president of Guatemala in an army coup in March 1982. He was supported by the Ronald Reagan administration and aided by Full Gospel businessman John Carrette. Montt's military regime (1982–1983) was involved in severe atrocities during Guatemala's 36-year civil war. Despite this, the Reagan administration continued its support, with Reagan praising Montt's integrity and commitment. In January 1983, Reagan agreed to sell Guatemala millions of dollars worth of helicopter spare parts without Congressional approval.¹

Montt's extreme Christian fundamentalism eventually led to his ousting in another coup in August 1983 by General Oscar Mejia Victores. However, Reagan later pressured Congress to approve $300,000 in military training for the Guatemalan army.¹

Jimmy Hughes' mother was a Christian missionary in Guatemala. Hughes also moved to Guatemala after leaving Los Angeles and before joining FGBMFI in Honduras.¹

DEA and CIA Operations

The DEA maintained a regional office in Guatemala City, from which Celerino Castillo III covered both Guatemala and El Salvador. Castillo discovered Contra cocaine trafficking at Ilopango and was subjected to internal DEA investigations. Craig Chretien, later involved in the Dark Alliance story, was sent to Guatemala to conduct the internal investigation of Castillo.⁴

Contra Connections

Guatemala served as one of the countries through which the Central Intelligence Agency moved weapons and supplies to the Contras. Oliver North used fraudulent end-user certificates from the Guatemalan and Honduran governments to divert weapons to the Contras. Nicaraguan National Guard general Edmundo Meneses, brother of Norwin Meneses, was assassinated in Guatemala City by guerrillas in 1978. Horacio Pereira, a top Meneses cocaine dealer, was reportedly murdered in Guatemala in the early 1990s. The Legion of September 15, an early Contra group of ex-National Guardsmen, was based in Guatemala.²⁵