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The article reports on the move of Brigadier General Jose Efrain Rios Montt in Guatemala to fire two members of the junta. Montt has requested the resignation of Brigadier General Horacio Egberto Maldonado Schaad and Colonel Francisco Luis Gordillo Martinez. He called a ceremonial session to proclaim himself President and dispatched tanks to the country's principal air force base. It also discusses the approach of Montt in addressing the country's problems.

The article focuses on the politics and economic conditions of Guatemala in 1982. According to the authors, the country used to be the richest country in South America until government and Marxist guerrilla forces destroyed its industries, especially the tourism sector. It states that President Fernando Romeo Lucas Garcia did not exert effort in curbing the country's extrajudicial killings, which appalled the U.S. government.

The article reports that Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas has returned to Guatemala after the pro-Communist government was overthrown. Armas is not yet the official head of the country, as Colonel Elfego Monzon was selected the president of the ruling junta. It is speculated that U.S. ambassador John E. Peurifoy played a role in the change of government when the revolt started.

The article focuses on the implication of a 30-day state of emergency suspending all civil liberties decreed by Guatemala President Jacobo Arbenz in June 1954. The opposition press was significantly affected by the decree. Among the rumors that emerged due to the lack of legitimate news are the decision of the air force to join exiled Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas in Honduras and a battle between 8,000 soldiers and the U.S. Marines. Concern over a possible civil war was said to be reflected in the rumors.

The article reports on the assassination of John Gordon Mein, a career foreign-service officer and U.S. Ambassador for Guatemala. It says that the murder of Mein shocked the U.S. government although Guatemalan citizens were not surprised by the news, since 2000 people were already killed in the crossfire between the Communist and right-wing terrorists after the establishment of a rigid military regime in 1966. Meanwhile, the killing of Mein affected Guatemala's hope for new political stability.