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1. The following information was
obtained from two reliable citizens of
Ocotal who have just returned from
Honduras, having been in DANLI, PARAISO
and vicinity. One of them spent two
months in that locality:
(a) That there is no doubt about the
fact that Ortez is dead; that he was
wounded by a rifle grenade in the
stomach during the PALACAGUINA fight of
May 15th, 1931, and died a few hours
later; that he is buried in same place
in the CUJE or LIMON areas.
(b) That Sandino personally is about
done and is rapidly losing his influence
and hold over his forces; that several
Jefes have refused to obey his orders
and are operating independently with
their local groups; that Sandino
appointed Juan Gregorio Colindres of
MURRA jefe of Ortez group and ordered
him to attack JALAPA about two weeks
after Ortez’ death, but that Colindres
refused saying JALAPA was too strongly
held.
(c) That the Honduranians as a whole
have lost respect for Sandino and
consider him a menace.
(d) That Sandino is still in hiding in
his camp some place in the mountains of
eastern Segovia with his own group and
that he is afraid to come out or make
his whereabouts known to anyone.
(e) That the revolution in Honduras is
completely over and the country is
settling down; that there was no
connection whatever between General
Ferrera, the late Honduranian rebel
leader, and Sandino.
(f) That there are still bandit groups
some place along the COCO RIVER west of
PUERTO CABEZAS and that they intend to
work west up the COCO RIVER as soon as
the new crops are in Segovia and operate
therein.
(g) That a Honduranian revolutionist
named Abram Lopez with a very few armed
men crossed into Nicaragua after the
collapse of the Honduran revolution.
(h) That ammunition is purchased in
considerable quantities in the various
stores, particularly pistol ammunition,
powder, primers and lead for recharging
empty rifle cartridge cases.
(i) That quite a few former members of
Nicaraguan bandit groups are living in
Honduras saying they are tired of
playing a losing game and have quit;
that these ex-bandits, plus many
Honduranians, have a very wholesome
respect for the fighting qualities and
general efficiency of the Guardia
Nacional.
(j) That Juan Marin (Nicaraguan now
living in Danli), and Gregorio Salgado
(Nicaraguan, still living in ZOPOTILLAL
area near scene of crash), are the two
men who actually killed Lieutenant
Thomas, Marine aviator and his mechanic,
after their forced landing about two
years ago.
(k) That the general impression of the
Honduranian people, with whom these two
citizens talked, is that conditions as a
whole, both in Nicaragua and Honduras,
have vastly improved and that Nicaragua
in particular, is well on the road to
recovery due mostly to the excellent
work of the Guardia.
/ s / LeRoy P. Hunt
M31.07.22
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