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Statement of schoolmaster on death of Dionisio Arteta, Colón Valley

     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.

 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

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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