Ask the Scholar

{
    "localId": "4662783",
    "label": "Guatemala - Earthquake (1)",
    "core": "doc",
    "dtoType": "document",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4662783"
}

{
    "id": "4662783",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4662783",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Guatemala - Earthquake (1)",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4662783",
    "collections": [
        "National Security Council Latin American Affairs Staff Files (Ford Administration)",
        "Latin American Affairs Staff Country Files"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Guatemala",
        "Earthquakes",
        "Disaster relief"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0342/646669/4662783.pdf",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0342/646669/4662783.pdf",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0342/646669/4662783.pdf",
    "imageCount": 1,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}

{
    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4662783",
    "naId": 4662783,
    "coverageEndDate": {
        "logicalDate": "1976-02-29",
        "month": 2,
        "year": 1976
    },
    "coverageStartDate": {
        "logicalDate": "1976-02-01",
        "month": 2,
        "year": 1976
    },
    "levelOfDescription": "fileUnit",
    "recordType": "description",
    "ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}

{
    "seq": 1,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0342/646669/4662783.pdf",
    "mediaId": "13bbf85aa32d9896",
    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box 3, folder \"Guatemala - Earthquake (1)\" of the\nNational Security Adviser. NSC Latin American Affairs Staff: Files for Latin America at\nthe Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald R. Ford donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\na\nGUATEMALA EARTHQUAKE\nEVENT\nA major earthquake occurred about 80 miles northeast of Guatemala\nCity at 3:02 a.m. (local time) February 4, 1976. The U.S. National\nEarthquake Center reported the magnitude registered 7.5 on the\nRichter scale.\nCASUALTIES\nAs of 8:00 p.m. local Washington time, there were still no official\nreports on casualties in Guatemala City, although reports of deaths\nin outlying areas are now 1,100 dead and 200 injured in five com-\nmunities. These are clearly fragmentary reports.\nASSISTANCE REQUESTED AND ACTION TAKEN\nThe following help has been requested:\n(a) 500 family tents\n(b) 500 pints of blood plasma\n(c) Tetracycline and penicillin for 5000 people\n(d) Tetanus anti-toxin\n(e) One 100-bed military hospital\n(f) One 15 KW generator\n(g) Laboratory for the 200-bed packaged disaster hospital (PDH)\npreviously sent to Guatemala (unrelated to this disaster)\n(h) Operating room sterilizer\n(i) Water pump and tank for the PDH\n(j) Supplies for first aid stations\n(k) Specialist personnel: a seven-man Disaster Area Survey\nTeam, an epidemiologist, a disaster emergency water advisor,\nand two disaster relief officers from AID/FDRC\n(1) Twelve 3000 gallon rubber water storage tanks\nOf the above items, the tents, medicine, generator, water tanks\nand water pump are being airlifted - we expect today - from the\nAID/FDRC relief stockpile in Panama. DOD has been requested to\nprovide the blood plasma, anti-toxin and operating room sterilizer\nfrom their stocks in Panama. Airlift of the 100-bed hospital\n(with a staff of 200) will commence beginning today probably from\nFt. Sill, Oklahoma. The Embassy has withdrawn the request for a\nlaboratory; they will use one of the existing Guatemalan hospital\nlabs to service the PDH as it becomes operational. The supplies\nFORD\n?\nGERALD\nLIBRARY\n- 2 -\nfor first aid stations are awaiting specific selection from Guatemala\nas medical people arrive and can identify priority needs. All of the\npersonnel except the water specialist are either in country or enroute.\nThe disaster water specialist, who has experience in previous earth-\nquake disasters, has been requested from DOD and, when approved,\nwill arrive later today.\nFUNDING\n$525,000 have been obligated from foreign disaster relief funds so\nfar, but this will not fully pay for all costs expected. Deployment\nand return of the military hospital, for example, may reach one\nmillion dollars.\nDISASTER OPERATIONS\nThe Disaster Relief Coordination Center has been activated and staff\nhave been continuously on duty since shortly after the disaster was\nfirst reported. Telephone traffic has been heavy, particularly\nwith requests to special consular services staff for information\non family and friends in Guatemala.\nGERALD a LIBRARY FORD\nMEMORANDUM\nSUBJECT: Conversation with Amembassy Guatemala\nTIME:\nApproximately 1:00 a.m., Thursday, February 5, 1976\nI spoke with Ambassador Meloy, DCM George Andrews and Political Officer\nRobert Snyder. Ambassador Meloy said that the Government of Guatemala\nhas now informed our Embassy that the most pressing and severe problem\nis the destruction of the water system in Guatemala City. The GOG\nhas asked for our help on an immediate basis. Water purification\nequipment and some means of distributing palatable drinking water is\nwhat is being requested.\nColonel Waller of the military group was at the airport this morning\nwhen President Laugerud landed from his inspection tour. The President\nwanted to speak with the Colonel, but had to leave before he could do\nso. The President asked Minister of Defense Lucas to speak with\nColonel Waller on behalf of the President. General Lucas asked for\nour help with water purification equipment and tank trucks to deliver\nthe water.\nAmbassador Meloy has asked the mayor of the city, who has told the\nEmbassy independently that it will take about a year before the water\ndelivery system can be repaired.\nAmbassador Meloy asked for a sanitary engineer to be located and sent\nto Guatemala immediately. He must be capable of surveying the situation\nquickly and accurately and providing immediate recommendations as to\nhow the water supply problem can be alleviated.\nWe told Ambassador Meloy that we had just such a person in mind, a\nCaptain Wehman, who is in the U.S. Army, stationed in Texas. This\nwas acceptable to Ambassador Meloy, and we have since asked the\nDepartment of Defense to make him available to us.\nAmbassador Meloy is taking General Lucas's request for water purification\nand delivery equipment as an official request of the Government, and\nrecommends that we do everything possible to accede to it. He\nemphasized that the need is immediate and could become desperate. He\nis seeing the President today at 10:00 a.m.\nWe suggested to Ambassador Meloy that 55 gallon drums with large\nplastic bags as liners have been used successfully to transport\ndrinking water in other emergency situations. We suggested he\nbegin to look around for drums and heavy plastic bags immediately.\nFORD\nWe told him that we would immediately begin to investigate the\npossibility of providing water purification and delivery equipment.\nA.\nWe needed to know as soon as possible the extent of the damage to\nBERALD\nthe water system; was it the city delivery pipes that were broken,\nthe pumping stations themselves, the purification system, the\nreservoirs or sisterns, or the equipment for channeling water into\n- 2 -\nthe reservoirs and sisterns. The answers to these questions would\ndetermine what type of equipment would be needed. The Embassy\nindicated it would try to obtain this information as quickly as\npossible.\nI also spoke with Colonel Waller who told me that there was water\nin some of the sisterns, but he had no idea as to how much water\nwas available and the extent of damage to the whole system. He\nsaid the Guatemalan military has approximately 6 600-gallon, two-\nwheel trailers in Guatemala City that could be used to deliver\nwater. These are to be attached to a jeep or truck. Colonel\nWaller thought there were an additional 20 of these trailers in\nPanama.\nWe told the Embassy that we would immediately begin to staff out\nthis request and would treat it as a matter of the highest priority.\nLOK-\nMark J. Platt\nARA/CEN\nFORD\nGERALD ?\nLIBRARY\nMEMORANDUM OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATION\nSUBJECT: Situation Report on Guatemala\nPARTICIPANTS: Ambassador Meloy, AmEmbassy Guatemala\nMark Platt, ARA/CEN\nJames Lockard, LA/CEN\nGeorge Beauchamp, FDRC\nDate and Time: February 4, 1976, 7:00 p.m.\nWe contacted the Embassy at 7:00 p.m. and spoke with Ambassador Meloy,\nDCM George Andrews, USAID Mission Director Edward Coy, and Chief of\nPolitical Section George Jones.\nThe Embassy stated that as of the time of the conversation, they had had\nno information on any Americans injured or killed in the earthquake.\nThe Embassy added that preliminary estimates are that some 10,000 Guatemalans\nwere injured in the quake and in the after_shocks. Many of the injured have\nalready been treated but there is a need for additional facilities.\nThe Embassy reported that as of the time of the conversation the city's\nwater system was inoperable. Electricity is functioning in Zones 9, 13 and 14.\nMedical Equipment\nThe Embassy has received a series of questions about the type of medical\nequipment needed that we had phoned down to our Embassy in Honduras. Our\nEmbassy in Honduras passed this information to Guatemala through their high\nfrequency radio network. This was done as we were unable to reach the Embassy\nin Guatemala by phone.\nThe Embassy said that what they need are two 100-bed hospitals complete with\nmilitary personnel, water supply, generating equipment and medicine. They want\nthese hospitals delivered as quickly as possible and did not want to wait\nuntil the disaster team from Panama arrived. The Embassy said the Mil Group\nhad been told through their own channels that two such hospitals were available\nat Fort Sill in Oklahoma.\nThe Embassy said that the four hospitals in Guatemala were all full and were\ntreating most of the injured on an out-patient basis. The Embassy estimated\nthat they would need the 100-bed units for one to two months. The Embassy\nalso said that it may be necessary to break up the hospitals into 50-bed\nunits to send to outlaying areas such as Chimaltenanego. Also, they might\nhave to send one of the 100-bed units out to the provinces as a complete unit.\nFORD\nPackage Disaster Hospitals (PDHs)\n&\nWe advised the Embassy that the State of Alabama and the Pan American\nGERALD\nLIBRARY\nDevelopment Foundation (PADF) are each trying to get another PDH.\n2\nsaid\nThe Embassy /did not appear interested in obtaining these units at this\ntime because they anticipate difficulties in assembling and staffing\nand in providing fuel, water, and so forth, on such short notice.\nThe PDH that had already been delivered to Guatemala (by PADF in November)\nhas been brought up to Guatemala City. The generating equipment, medicines,\ncots, pumps, water storage, and drugs and X-ray film are all lacking. The\nEmbassy asked for this equipment to be sent to Guatemala as quickly as possible.\nFirst-Aid Stations\nWe asked the Embassy whether or not First-Aid Stations and teams were needed.\nThe Embassy replied that for the time being it would be best to stick to\nhospitals, as flooding the country with too many men and too much equipment\nwould only complicate matters.\nShelter\nAmbassador Meloy emphasized that what is most needed are shelters for the\nhomeless people. He added that food is not a problem as there seems to be\nenough.\nTiming of Assistance\nWe discussed with the Embassy the feasibility of sending in one of the 100-bed\nhospitals as quickly as possible and begining to process the second hospital upon\nreceiving a bit more information as to the actual extent of damages and\ninjuries. Ambassador Meloy agreed to an initial shipment of one 100-bed hospital.\nHotels\nThe Embassy added that the E1 Camino Real Hotel and the Biltmore Hotel, both\nnear the Embassy, were severely damaged. The Camino Real was closed. The\nBiltmore will remain open tonight only. None of the other major hotels were\nbadly damaged.\nMedicines\nThe supply of plasma is critically short. With the loss of electricity, the\nsupply available in the local blood banks will soon spoil. Anti-biotics are\nalso necessary, including penicillin.\nCondition of Airport\nThe Embassy stated that, contrary to earlier reports, the head of Pan Am's\nGuatemala operation has told them that Pan Am was able to move everyone out\nof the city who wanted to go. We suggested to the Embassy that they inform\nthe GOG that it will be necessary to augment their airport personnel to\nhandle the influx of traffic for the relief effort. The Embassy said that\nFORD\na Colonel Fuentes will be in charge at the airport and they will pass on\n&\nLIBRARY\nthis information to him. The US Mil Group personnel have all moved their\noffices to the airport. We told the Embassy that if additional US personnel\nGERALD\nto help operate the airport were needed, they could be made available.\n3\nThe Embassy added that the control tower is operating on emergency power\nand has limited range of communication.\nEmbassy\nThe Embassy said that they are also on emergency power and have some 40 hours\nof fuel left for the generator. They hoped to replenish their supply in the\nmorning. If more fuel is needed, they will let us know.\nAmbassador's Residence\nun-\nThe Ambassador's Residence has been severely damaged and is inhabitable.\nThe Ambassador is staying with the DCM for the time being.\nVisit of FDRC Staff and US Geological Survey Team\nThe Ambassador gave permission for two members of the FDRC staff -- Carson\nCrocker and Brian Moss -- to come to Guatemala tomorrow. He also gave\npermission for the team of technicians from the US Geological Survey to\ncome to monitor their equipment.\nHighway Infrastructure\nWe inquired about the need for Bailey bridges to restore major highways.\nWe reminded the Embassy that it had taken quite a considerable effort and\ntime to send a Bailey bridge to Guatemala several years ago when the Pan\nAmerican Highway was made inoperable at the time of another disaster.\nIt is believed that the unit provided several years ago is still in the\ncountry and might be useable. The Embassy reported that until the assessment\nteam completes its analysis of the highway network, they cannot report on\nwhether additional bridges might be needed.\nDrafted:ARA/CEN:MJPlatt;JPLockard\nFORD\n?\nGERALD\nLIBRARY\n2\nNATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL\nFebruary 5, 1976\nTO:\nMARGIE VANDERHYE\nFROM: MARY BROWNELL YAGB\nPlease run these by Brent. The letter to\nPresident Laugerud has been coordinated with\nDoug Smith. When approved, we will ask\nState to transmit it by cable.\nFORD LIBRARY & OERALD\nPRESS STATEMENT\nGUATEMALA EARTHQUAKE\nThe President today sent the following message to\nPresident Laugerud of Guatemala:\nDear President Laugerud:\nOn behalf of the people and Government of the\nUnited States I extend to you and the brave people of\nGuatemala our deepest sympathy over the loss of life\nand suffering caused by yesterday's disastrous earth-\nquake. The close bonds of friendship between our two\ncountries makes your loss the more deeply felt.\nYou may be assured of our commitment to cooperate\nwith you to bring prompt relief and assistance to the\nareas affected so that human suffering may be eased and\nrecovery from the devastation speeded.\nSincerely,\nGerald R. Ford\nThe President was informed promptly of the earthquake\nwhich hit the Guatemala area yesterday. In order to assist\nthe Guatemalan effort of relief and rehabilitation in stricken\nareas, a Disaster Area S urvey Team was dispatched to\nGERAND a FORD LIBRARY\n2\nGuatemala yesterday and other specialists will be arriving from\nthe U.S. today to help with the relief effort. Temporary\nhousing, medicines, and water purification equipment are being\nairlifted from the disaster relief stockpile in Panama. An Army\nhospital including its equipment and staff will be airlifted today\nfrom the U.S. and is expected to be in operation tomorrow\nmorning. A half million dollars has been obligated from\ndisaster relief funds, though more will probably be necessary.\nThe Disaster Relief Coordination Center at the Department of\nState has been in operation continually since first reports of\nthe disaster were received.\nThe President has asked to be kept informed of develop-\nments and continues to follow the situation closely.\na FORD LIBRARY\nBACKGROUND\nGUATEMALA EARTHQUAKE\nA major earthquake occurred about 80 miles northeast of\nGuatemala City at 3:02 a.m. (local time) February 4. The U.S.\nNational Earthquake Center reported the magnitude registered 7.5 on\nthe Richter Scale. Reported numbers of deaths and injuries are\nvarying widely and official figures are not yet available, but enough\nis known to indicate that the tragedy is of significant proportions.\nU.S. Government Assistance\nA seven-man Disaster Area Survey team has been sent to\nGuatemala from Panama to help assess the relief needs. An\nepidemiologist is en route and a disaster emergency water advisor\nis expected to arrive in Guatemala later today to help assess the\ndamage to the water system. Two Disaster Relief officers from the\nAID Federal Disaster Relief Center also will be arriving in Guatemala\ntoday to help with the emergency relief effort.\nFive hundred family tents, tetracycline and penicillin for 5,000\npeople, a 15 kilowatt generator, 12 3,000-gallon rubber storage\ntanks and a water pump are being airlifted from the Disaster Relief\nstockpile in Panama.\nA 100-bed Army hospital with a staff of 200 will be airlifted\nFORD\ntoday from the U.S. and is expected to be in operation tomorrow\n\"\nGERALD\nLIBRARY\nmorning.\n2\nThe Department of Defense has been requested to provide 500\npints of blood plasma, tetanus antitoxin, and an operating room\nsterilizer from their stocks in Panama.\n$525,000 has been obligated from foreign disaster relief funds\nthus far, but this will not fully pay for all relief costs expected\n(deployment and return of the military hospital, for example, may\ncost $1 million).\nThe Disaster Relief Coordination Center has been in operation\ncontinuously since shortly after first reports of the disaster were\nreceived.\nThere have been no reports of injured U.S. citizens in\nGuatemala.\nGERALD ? LIBRARY FORD\n3\nMEMORANDUM\n745\nTHE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN\n-\nLOW =\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nINFORMATION\nFebruary 6, 1976\nof\nMEMORANDUM FOR:\nTHE PRESIDENT\nFROM:\nBRENT SCOWCROFT M\nSUBJECT:\nNew Guatemala Earthquake\nWe have just been informed that a new earthquake shook Guatemala\nat 1:00 this afternoon. Its strength has been registered as between\n5.7 and 6 on the Richter Scale, so it is somewhat less severe than\nthe first quake of 7.5 but nevertheless of major proportions.\nThe Embassy premises were evacuated by the staff but we understand\nall personnel are safe.\nGERALD ? LIBRARY june\nCONFIDENTIAL - GDS\n745\nTHE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nMEETING ON GUATEMALAN EARTHQUAKE ASSISTANCE EFFORT\nFriday, February 6, 1976\n3:15 p.m. (10 minutes)\nThe Oval Office\nCD\nFrom: Brent Scowcroft\nI.\nPURPOSE\nTo underline your personal concern over the tragic loss of life and\nserious damage in Guatemala and to emphasize your personal interest\nand involvement in the U.S. Government relief effort.\nII.\nBACKGROUND, PARTICIPANTS & PRESS ARRANGEMENTS\nA.\nBackground: A majorearthquake struck in the early hours\nWednesday, February 4, in Guatemala and the neighboring\ncountries of Honduras, El Salvador and southern Mexico.\nA message was sent Thursday from you to Guatemalan President\nLaugerud expressing our sympathy to the Guatemalan people and\nassuring him of our commitment to help bring prompt relief and\nassistance to the affected areas. Ron Nessen made a statement\non your continuing interest in the relief effort at this morning's\npress briefing.\nThe epicenter of the quake was in Guatemala near Guatemala\nCity. While damage in neighboring countries has occurred, it is\nsubstantially less serious than that in Guatemala and no loss of\nlife has yet been reported outside of that country. In Guatemala\ndeaths are now being estimated at figures as high as 6,000.\nOver 40,000 are believed injured. Guatemala City was hard hit,\nwith the lower-income residential areas suffering particularly\nheavy damage and high incidence of injury and death. Outside\nthe city, casualty figures are much higher, with whole villages\nhaving been destroyed and as many as 2,000 persons killed in a\nsingle location. Communications and transportation have been\ndisrupted and reports from the outlying areas are still\nfragmentary.\nFOHD\nA\nGERALD\nLIBRARY\nCONFIDENTIAL - GDS\nlab 7/19/2002\nCONFIDENTIAL - GDS\n2\nImmediate relief needs are for medical facilities, water and\ntemporary housing. Over the longer term, the critical need\nwill be for more permanent housing and reconstruction\nassistance.\nThe U.S. Government reacted rapidly to early reports of the\ndisaster, and substantial assistance has already been provided\nor is en route. $1 million has thus far been obligated from\nforeign disaster relief funds for the effort, but more will\nprobably be needed. A seven-man Disaster Area Survey Team\nwas sent to Guatemala from Panama on Wednesday to help\nassess the relief needs. Additionally we have sent an\nepidemiologist to help with potential health problems and a\ndisaster emergency water adviser has been examining damage to\nthe water system in Guatemala City.\nA 100-bed Army hospital with a staff of 200 is being airlifted by\n16 C-141 flights from the U.S. and should be able to begin\nfunctioning in Guatemala today. We have also airlifted from the\nDisaster Relief stockpile in Panama temporary housing in the form\nof family tents, medicine, an electrical generator, water storage\ntanks and a water pump. Additionally, we have sent blood plasma\nand other medical equipment and supplies.\nThe State/AID Disaster Relief Coordination Center organized a\nTask Force which has been operating continuously since first\nreports of the disaster were received. The Task Force is\ncoordinating the U.S. assistance effort and is maintaining\ncontact with private voluntary organizations which also are\nproviding assistance. Private organizations involved in the\nassistance effort include the Red Cross, Catholic Relief Services,\nCARE, and Church World Services.\nThere have been no reports of injured U.S. citizens in\nGuatemala City or elsewhere in the country to date.\nB.. Participants: Daniel Parker, Administrator of AID and\nSpecial Coordinator for International Disaster Assistance;\nHerman Kleine, Deputy AID Administrator for\nLatin America;\nGeorgiana Sheldon, Deputy Special Coordinator for\nInternational Disaster Assistance; and\nBrent Scowcroft\nCONFIDENTIAL - GDS\nGERALD\nLIBRARY\nCONFIDENTIAL - GDS\n3\nC. Press Arrangements:\nPress photo session. Meeting to be\nannounced.\nIII.\nTALKING POINTS\n(At opening of meeting)\n1.\nI am concerned over reports I have been reading about the\nsituation in Guatemala following the earthquake there\nWednesday. So I asked you to come over to give me a more\ndetailed briefing about the situation and the steps we are\ntaking to help.\n(At end of meeting)\n2.\nI am pleased with our prompt and vigorous response to this\ntragedy. Please keep me informed on the situation and the\nprogress of our efforts to help. We should continue to give\nfull support to the Guatemalans' efforts to relieve the human\nsuffering involved. Then after there has been an opportunity\nto survey the damage more completely, we can review with\nthe Government of Guatemala and others the longer-range\nreconstruction measures which are required.\nAttachment\nTab A: Message to President Laugerud\nFORD\nA\nGERALD\nLIBRARY\nCONFIDENTIAL - GDS\nDear President Laugerud:\nOn behalf of the people and Government of the United\nStates I extend to you and the brave people of Guatemala\nour deepest sympathy over the loss of life and suffering\ncaused by yesterday's disastrous earthquake. The close\nbonds of friendship between our two countries makes your\nloss the more deeply felt.\nYou may be assured of our commitment to cooperate\nwith you to bring prompt relief and assistance to the areas\naffected so that human suffering may be eased and recovery\nfrom the devastation speeded.\nSincerely,\nHis Excellency\nKjell Laugerud Garcia\nPresident of Guatemala\nGuatemala City, Guatemala\nGERALD a FORD\n745 Sudto T.\n2/6 1400\nMEMORANDUM\nNATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL\nACTION\nFebruary 6, 1976\nMEMORANDUM FOR: BRENT SCOWCROFT\nFROM:\nSTEPHEN LOW\nSUBJECT:\nTalker for President's Meeting\non the Guatemalan Earthquake\nAttached is a talker for the President's meeting at 3:15 on the\nGuatemalan earthquake.\nRECOMMENDATION:\nThat you initial the talker at Tab A.\nGERALO \" LERRARY juno\n4\nMEMORANDUM\nNATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL\nCONFIDENTIAL\nINFORMA TION\nFebruary 9, 1976\nMEMORANDUM FOR:\nBOB HORMATS\nSTEVE LOW\nCLINT GRANGER\nFROM:\nBARBARA BOWIE\nSUBJECT:\nGuatemalan President Laugerud's\nRequest for US Army Engineer Battalion\nGuatemalan President Kjell Laugerud has requested that the US send\nto Guatemala a US Army Engineer battalion for the purpose of rebuild-\ning the highway from Guatemala City to Puerto Barrios (302 kilometers).\nThe highway, which is the only link for the capital and for the coffee\nproducing region with any port capable of handling major ships, has\nbeen severely damaged by the earthquake and succeeding tremors.\nThe Embassy's Sit Rep number 6 of February 8 estimates that it would\nrequire two months to reconstruct the highway. Until such time as the\nhighway is again operable, travel from the coast to the capital can be\naccomplished only by the use of secondary roads over a circuitous\nroute which more than doubles the distance. Many of these secondary\nroads are unpaved and will not be useable during the rainy season\nwhich begins in May.\nPersonnel at the Foreign Disaster Relief Center at State on Sunday\nwere discussing referring the Guatemalan President's request to the\nNSC. Some considerations which should enter into our evaluation\nfollow.\n1. Economic Importance of the Highway\nCoffee prices on the world market jumped 15 percent within 24 hours\nafter the earthquake, not because of any known damage to the antici-\npated coffee crop but because of the knowledge that Puerto Barrios\nhad been damaged. This jump in coffee prices occurred before any\nknowledge was available of the highway destruction. All of Guatemala's\nFORD\nforeign exchange producing exports must be shipped from Puerto\nR\nLIBRARY\nBarrios. Given the devastating economic effects of the quake, Guate-\nmala will be hard pressed to withstand the further impact of an inability\nGERALD\nto earn foreign exchange.\nDECLASSIFIED\nCONFIDENTIAL\nE.O. 12958, SEC. 3.5\nNSC MEMO, 11/24/98, STATE DEPT. GUIDELINES\nBY GG\n, NARA, DATE 7/19/2002\nCONFIDENTIAL\n-2-\n2. Guerrilla Activity in the Izabal-Zacapa Area\nMany of the small communities along the Atlantic highway in the\nDepartments of Izabal and Zacapa have been centers of guerrilla\nactivity for many years. Several commanding officers of the Puerto\nBarrios district of the Guatemalan Army have been assassinated by\nterrorist groups over a period of years -- one of them two years after\nhis return to duty in Guatemala City. A current assessment of\nguerrilla activity and strength in this area should be obtained before\nfurther evaluation of the Guatemalan President's request.\n3. Geologic Assessment of the Present Highway Route\nThe US Earthquake Center in Colorado has pinpointed the epicenter\nof the quake on the south side of Lake Izabal along the highway route,\nalthough Mexican and Nicaraguan seismologists differ in their opinions\nof the location of the epicenter. Measurements in Guatemala indicated\nthat effects on the northeast side of the city occurred five seconds prior\nto those measured on the south side of the city. Now that it has been\npossible to assess the areas of severe damage and of total destruction\nfrom the air, the pattern appears to substantiate the Lake Izabal epi-\ncenter location.\nAlthough the Motagua Valley route is the most direct and is the site\nof the existing road bed, the alignment of the valley with the Cayman\ntrough (which runs between Jamaica and Haiti on the south and Cuba\non the north) and the apparent tectonic movements along the valley\nroute suggest that geologic analysis of the present road bed would be\nadvisable prior to any reconstruction effort.\n4. Response to President Laugerud\nThe Guatemalan President's request has been reiterated several times\nthroughout the weekend. He has been informed that the US Government\nis giving serious consideration to his request. It would seem advisable\nto offer some further response to Laugerud before an apparent turn-off\nof his request has the opportunity to create any problem in our relation\nwith the Guatemalan's in attempting to assist them. I would think that\nthe Guatemalan President should be advised that we thoroughly under-\nstand the economic importance of the Atlantic highway to Guatemala and\nconcur in his placing priority on its repair. We should suggest to him\nCONFIDENTIAL\nFORD\n&\nGERALD\nLIBRARY\nCONFIDENTIAL\n- -3-\nat this point, however, that we would prefer as a preliminary to any\ndecision on the provision of the scale of assistance he has requested,\nto send a team from the US Geological Survey to evaluate the advis-\nability of rebuilding along the same route or of relocating if a fault\nline is indicated. The telephone operators at the Disaster Center were\nbeing advised to respond to inquiries of the public on the possibility of\nsending our engineers by saying that we were studying the cost of such\nan operation in order to reach a decision. While this may be an ade-\nquate PR response within the US, President Laugerud deserves a more\nsubstantive answer soon.\nFORD\n&\nCONFIDENTIAL\nGERALD\nLEGRARY\nCONFIDENTIAL\npem\nMEMORANDUM\nNATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL\nACTION\nFebruary 10, 1976\nMEMORANDUM FOR: BRENT SCOWCROFT\nOBE\nFROM:\nSTEPHEN LOW\nSUBJECT:\nPresidential involvement in Guatemalan\nEarthquake Disaster Relief\nAs it becomes apparent that the Guatemalan earthquake is one of\nthe major natural disasters of the decade, we want to be certain\nthat the President is personally associated with the substantial U.S.\nrelief effort. The following are some means by which this\nassociation can be demonstrated:\n1. Secretary's trip to South America\nThe Secretary will be stopping in Costa Rica on\nFebruary 23. If Guatemalan President Laugerud attends the Chiefs\nof State meeting with him, the Secretary could fly Laugerud back\nto Guatemala City and visit there for a few hours. If Laugerud is\nunable to attend the meeting, then the Secretary could stop over\nin Guatemala City on his return. In either case he would express\nthe President's personal concern with the situation and desire that\nthe U.S. provide effective assistance.\n2. Other Presidential emissary\nWe should send Dan Parker to Guatemala as a Presidential\nemissary designated to survey the situation and determine how the\nU.S. can most effectively assist the Guatemalan rehabilitation effort.\nThe President might appoint one or two members of the appropriate\nCongressional committee to accompany Dan. On their return they\ncould meet with the President to report their conclusions.\n3. Involvement by Mrs. Ford\na) We can consider a trip to Guatemala by Mrs. Ford at a\nlater date after the rehabilitation program has been established\nand funded. She could convey the U.S. commitment to help and\nFORD\nperhaps the first installment of voluntary assistance.\n?\nDECLASSIFIED\nE.O. 12958, SEC. 3.5\nCONFIDENTIAL\nGERALD\nLIBRARY\nNSC MEMO, 11/24/98, STATE DEPT. GUIDELINES\nBY GG\n, NARA. DATE 7/19/2002\nCONFIDENTIAL\n2\nb) We could establish a body to coordinate voluntary\norganization contributions with a nationally known figure to\nhead it and Mrs. Ford as Honorary Chairman. (In the case of\nPeru, Charles Taft was put in charge of the effort.)\n4. Parker - White House press briefing\nreport again to qhe President and\nHave Dan Parker come over to, do a press briefing with Ron\nNessen summarizing our assessment of the disaster and the record of\nU.S. assistance to date.\nSuggestions (1), (2) and (4) seem to me to be the most immediately\nappropriate, and I believe should be implemented. They should be\nadequate for the moment. At a later date we can consider again the\nother suggestion. We would have to keep in mind, of course, that\na trip to Guatemala by Mrs. Ford could be seen as a replay of\nMrs. Nixon's trip to Peru with its attendant advantages and\ndisadvantages.\nRECOMMENDATION\nThat you approve my setting in motion suggestion number (2) to have\nDan Parker go down to Guatemala as Presidential emissary.\nApprove\nDisapprove\nIncluding Congressional representatives (Les Janka supports).\nApprove\nDisapprove\nAlternatively, that you do so.\nApprove\nDisapprove\n-\nThat you approve a Nessen-Parker press briefing in the White House today\nto be arranged by Margie Vanderhye and Ron Nessen.\nApprove\nDisapprove\nR FORD LIBRARY\nCONFIDENTIAL\n884\nMEMORANDUM\nNATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL\nACTION\nFebruary 12, 1976\nMEMORANDUM FOR: BRENT SCOWCROFT\nFROM:\nSTEPHEN LOW SC\nSUBJECT:\nSchedule Proposal for Meeting with\nDan Parker\nAttached is a Schedule Proposal recommending the President meet\nwith Dan Parker on the latter's return from Guatemala in order to\nreceive his report and discuss follow-on actions.\nRECOMMENDATION:\nThat you initial the Schedule Proposal at Tab A.\nGERALD a LIGARAY FURD\nSCHEDULE PROPOSAL\nDATE:\nFROM:\nBrent Scowcroft\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nVIA:\nWilliam Nicholson\nWASHINGTON\nMEETING:\nWith Dan Parker on Guatemala earthquake situation and US\nrelief efforts.\nDATE:\nMonday, February 16.\nPURPOSE:\nTo receive Dan Parker's report following his trip to\nGuatemala as your personal emissary and discuss with\nhim further assistance.\nFORMAT:\n- Oval Office\n- Dan Parker\nHerman Kleine, Deputy Administrator, AID,\nfor Latin America\nBrent Scowcroft\n- Fifteen minutes\nCABINET\nNone\nPARTICIPATION:\nSPEECH\nTalking points to be provided by NSC.\nMATERIAL:\nPRESS\nMeeting to be announced; press photo session.\nCOVERAGE:\nSTAFF:\nBrent Scowcroft\nRECOMMEND:\nBrent Scowcroft\nOPPOSED:\nNone\nPREVIOUS\nDan Parker briefed you on the Guatemala earthquake\nPARTICIPATION:\nsituation Friday, February 6.\nBACKGROUND:\nOn February 11 you asked that Parker go to Guatemala\nto study the situation and report to you. He left early\nThursday morning and is due to return late Friday\nevening. As a result, he should be able to give you\nhis first-hand impressions and a clearer idea of what\nwill be required in terms of the longer term rehabilitation\nGERALD 4 LEBRARY , URD\nand reconstruction effort.\nAPPROVE\nDISAPPROVE"
}