García and the Armed Forces: Reason for International Support
Secretary of State John C. Whitehead sends guidance to U.S. embassies in Latin America on how to address the current crisis in Peru. The cable highlights growing tensions between President García and the armed forces during the Lurigancho prison riots and the subsequent investigation. Whitehead asks the Embassy to intervene with García, his ministers, and other influential Peruvians to ensure a course of action that identifies those responsible for the horrific abuses in the prisons, but avoids attacking the Armed Forces in light of the growing terrorist threat.