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Statement of schoolmaster on death of
Dionisio Arteta, Colón Valley
.jpg)
Dionisio
Arteta, whose violent death is
described here, was probably not Sandinista.
Instead he appears to have been chief of a
criminal gang
—
an actual bandit
—
active in the Colón Valley just south of Yalí.
In the two decades prior to 1930, the Colón
Valley and adjacent hinterlands in the Yalí
district had seen rapid coffee expansion and the
formation of a rural wage labor force. It was a
zone populated by many poor, propertyless,
socially discontented men. The rebellion
spawned not only local groups allied with
Sandino and committed to the cause of national
liberation (or at least local liberation) from
the US occupation. It also spawned gangs
of robbers and criminals. (Photo of
apparent mock combat between a US Marine and a
local, n.d., probably the Somoto district ca.
1927, US National Archives)
The
manner of Arteta's death, described by
the local schoolmaster, suggests some of the
dangers commonly facing both types of local
jefes, Sandinista and criminal. Criminal
jefes suffered a huge disadvantage: they did not
enjoy the support of the broad swath of the
rural populace. The Sandinistas did.
Here we see that Arteta's limited support was
based mainly on his kinship relations in the
Colón-Rinconada area.
Liquor, music,
dance, guns, robberies, loot, betrayal
—
in these times of war and rebellion, Las
Segovias had become a very dangerous world.
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STATEMENT OF SENOR J. SALOME HERRERA re DEATH OF
DION ARTETA [DIONISIO ARTETA]:
I am the Director and Professor in the Casa
Local de La Escuela Local in the Valley of El
Carrizo, and the owner of the school house is
senor Silverio Arteta. At about ten p.m. on the
night of January 1, 1930, there came to my
school house a group of 20 bandits, the jefe of
whom was Dionicio Arteta. They sang and danced
and played guitars until about 4:30 a.m. on the
morning of January 2, 1930.
The Jefe of the bandit group was sleeping on a
table during all this time, but about 4:30 a.m.
one of the bandits took the pistol away from
Dionicio Arteta and placed it in his own
holster, while Arteta was still sleeping.
Shortly after this, Arteta woke up and gave the
order to march, but the rest of the bandit group
all stated that they would not go any further,
or belong to his group any longer. During an
argument which followed, the bandits fired five
shots at their jefe, three of which entered his
body, killing him instantly. The argument was
over the division of some articles which the
group had stolen, but I do not know what it was.
I only know three of the group, the dead jefe,
one Quintero Tiburcio, and a man named
Rodriguez. Tiburcio lives at Quilali, but
Rodriguez has no home. The Guardia arrived and
took the body to Esteli. That is all that I
know. ...
IR30.01.31: 20.
RG127/43A/4
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Ancillary Documents: Additional
References to Dionisio Arteta
1.
B-2 Report, Managua, 11 November 1929 (IR 29.11.11)
... A small band under Domingo Arteta passed one-half
league South of Concordia on the 3rd [of November 1929]
... [ p. 2 ]
... From Guardia Jinotega: "Lieutenant Krebbs thirty
nine reports ten bandits robbed Santiago and Unico
Gutierrez at Sabeli three leagues south of San Rafael at
five p.m. 1st [November] stop they cleared in the
direction of Trinidad at five a.m. of the 2nd stop
Stevens at Concordia reports eight bandits under Domingo
Arteta [Dionisio Arteta] with Pablo Valdora [Pablo
Valdivia] and one other as prisoners passed half league
south of Concordia at one thousand (10 a.m.) on the
third stop they were armed with rifles and pistols stop
Erskine 18203 Nov. 29." [ p. 6 ]
2.
R-2 Report,
Managua, 12 December 1929 (IR 29.12.17)
... From CO Esteli 4 December: Lt. Farrar and four men
cleared for Limay. Donico Arteta [Dionisio Arteta] is
jefe of small group of twelve reported to be in vicinity
of San Vicente. Names of people forming this group are:
Jose Dolores Blandon, Angel Arteta, Secundino Hernandez,
Bernardo Quintero, Pablo Valdivia, Pedro Rodriguez,
Felix Rodriguez, Juan Gutierrez Rodriguez. These men
live around Colon and the Rio Negro. Have no property
and hide around Zapote near Concordia and Miraflores
Mountains. They are part-time bandits. Have made many
efforts to get these people but they are all related to
people around Rinconada and Colon who hide them. ... [
p. 4 ]
3.
R-2 Report, Managua, 18 January 1930 (IR 30.01.18)
... From Intelligence Report Ocotal 4 January: Dionisio
Aciona Arteta, jefe of a small group operating in the
vicinity of Colon, was killed by his bandit group on the
night of the 1st of January. Several people, including
the Administrator of Rents of Esteli, identified the
body. His death occurred during a fight over the
distribution of money and other articles which the group
had stolen.
From CO Esteli 3 January: The body of Dionisio Arteta,
jefe of a small bandit group which has been operating
recently in vicinity of Colon and who was reported to
have been killed by his bandit group at El Carrizo on
night of 1 January to this office, arrived Esteli at
0700 with Guardia patrol sent to investigate reported
death of the bandit jefe. Dionisio Arteta was killed at
the house of Luciano Arteta, at Carrizo over
distribution of money and other articles which the group
had stolen. He was shot three times; once through the
neck and twice through the heart. Arteta was identified
by Simon Rodriguez, Administrator de Rentas of Esteli;
Julian Moreno; Fito Mairena; Manuel Montoya; and
Guseleio Arteta and identified positively as the bandit
Dionisio Arteta. In addition to bullet wounds, had two
large machete cuts over left side of face and one on
each side of stomach. ... [ p. 13 ]
RG127/209/1
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