Home/ Resources / Projects / CIA Cryptonyms / bigram: CA / cryptonym: CALLIGERIS

Cryptonym: CALLIGERIS

Return to Main Crypts Page

Definition:
Carlos Castillo Armas, the titular leader of the overthrow of President Arbenz of Guatemala in 1954.
Status:
Documented
Discussion:
This should be reclassified as a pseudonym, not a cryptonym.
Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Castillo_Armas

Calligeris is identified as the codename for Carlos Castillo Armas.

National Security Archive, "CIA and Assassinations: The Guatemala 1954, Documents" - Edited by Kate Doyle and Peter Kornbluh: https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB4/

1952-1954: "These documents, including an instructional guide on assassination found among the training files of the CIA's covert "Operation PBSUCCESS," were among several hundred records released by the Agency on May 23, 1997 on its involvement in the infamous 1954 coup in Guatemala. After years of answering Freedom of Information Act requests with its standard "we can neither confirm nor deny that such records exist," the CIA has finally declassified some 1400 pages of over 100,000 estimated to be in its secret archives on the Guatemalan destabilization program. (The Agency's press release stated that more records would be released before the end of the year.) An excerpt from the assassination manual appears on the Op-Ed page of The New York Times on Saturday, May 31, 1997...The first CIA effort to overthrow the Guatemalan president--a CIA collaboration with Nicaraguan dictator Anastacio Somoza to support a disgruntled general named Carlos Castillo Armas and codenamed Operation PBFORTUNE--was authorized by President Truman in 1952...also see https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB4/docs/doc04.pdf - a version of the assassination lists compiled by the CIA and Carlos Castillo Armas (code-named "Calligeris") in the course of preparing for the 1954 coup."

Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952-1954: Guatemala Current Section: 148. 5/14/54-Memorandum for the Record

5/14/54, Memorandum for the Record: "Calligeris, initially an unknown, undistinguished Lt. Colonel in the Guatemalan army, became involved in the Junta when REDACTED the military leader of the anti-Communist Guatemalan forces in exile...prior to this time Calligeris' most overt act against the regime had been an abortive revolutionary movement which was triggered by the assassination of Col. Arana, a close friend of Calligeris. Calligeris' coup against the government became known before any action could be taken and resulted in his imprisonment. His subsequent 'heroic' escape from prison was arranged entirely REDACTED...the undersigned believes that Calligeris has the mentality and sufficient personal ambition to aspire to the job of being the new Guatemalan strongman...He should be confronted as soon as possible, with the outline of the temporary government which will outline his limited authority."

Contributors:
Bill Simpich

© Mary Ferrell Foundation. All Rights Reserved. |Site Map |MFF Policies |Contact Us