REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES DECLASSIFIED Authority Stateletter Mhz 81 ME, NARA Date 24981 Duo to a somewhat disreputable personal life, he has never been anxious to step into the political arena.
His conditions have been so rigorous that he has never accepted a compromiso candidacy.
Otilio Ulato: Editor owner OL DIARIO DE COSTA RICA. Early 508.
Itanoophile and never considered especially friendly to the United States, although his paper has given xoollent support to the United Nation cause. Said to be personally ambitious to be President and has some following.
Has carried on a bitter grudge fight with President Calderón Guardia.
Roberto Brenos Mesén: Strong Cortés supporter who has written some soorohing attaoks on the Calderón Guardia administration and is about the President No. personal enemy. teacher of Spanish and Latin American literature in United States colleges for many years; now said to be pensioned by Northwestern. Personally somewhat effeminate and he discredited himself here by double crossing Alfredo Gonzalez Flores when Tinoco came in.
Colonel Manuel (Manolo) Rodriguez Torra; Born of Cuban parents in Key West, Florida in 1899.
After his parents became naturalized, he opted Costa Rican citizenship. His career has been exclusively military and until the Calderón Guardia administration ho avoided politics. He was Chief of Detectives from about 1924 to 1940 at which time he was also named Chief of Police (the Costa Rican national police are in affect the Army)
and chief clerk of the Ministry of Public Seourity. In 1943 he was made Under Seoretary of the Ministry. Because of the frequent illnesses of Francisco Calderón Guardia, Rodriguez has had an unusually large degree of control over the Ministry.
While he has been accused of pro Axis sympathies in the past his cooperation with the Embassy should discount such acousations. He is, however, striotly an opportunist, and has a forceful personality. He is an able administrator, although acoused of grafting on an extensive goale. Because of his influence with the Calderón Guardias he may well be classed as the strong man of the present administration. Due to this, it is widely stated that in the event Cortés were to be elected Rodriguez would be forced to flee the country.
Rodriguez is in some respects a key figure in the present situation in view of his control over military and police elements; a shift in his loyalties (which is not expected) could have important effects.