In 1992, American embassies in Latin America received a “threat advisory” warning that “The US intelligence community assesses that there is an increased potential for terrorist violence in selected Latin American countries in conjunction with the October 12 observance of the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ arrival in the New World.”
The “threat advisory” explained that, “several groups reportedly equate [Columbus Day] with the onset of Spanish imperialism, and the destruction of indigenous culture. The groups generally view the US as the heir to Spain’s role in Latin America.”
State Department workers were warned of “marches, roadblocks, sit-ins, and hostile [possibly violent] demonstrations at government offices and foreign embassies.”
The “threat advisory” also shared the specific threats that the CIA, NSA, and DIA intelligence picked up, including: (more…)
