La enfermedad conocida como “marchitez letal” se presenta en plantaciones de la zona baja del rio Upia, en palmas de siete anos de sembradas. No se conoce el posible agente causal o factores que predisponen a las palmas a la enfermedad, y no se ha registrado hasta la fecha en otras zonas palmeras del pais. Se analizo el metabolismo de carbohidratos en palmas de aceite con sintomas iniciales de la enfermedad, palmas sospechosas de presentar la enfermedad y palmas sanas dentro y fuera de un foco. Se tomaron muestras de hojas, raices y estipite para determinar las concentraciones de almidon, azucares reductores, no reductores y totales. La concentracion de azucares reductores tuvo un incremento en las palmas con sintomas iniciales y sospechosos; los azucares totales presentaron mayor concentracion en las palmas sospechosas de tener la enfermedad con respecto a las palmas con sintomas iniciales. Los azucares no reductores en los diferentes organos evaluados tuvieron una concentracion muy baja. Los resultados observados en la alteracion del metabolismo de los carbohidratos en las palmas enfermas probablemente sugieren que los fitoplasmas esten asociados a la enfermedad. The palm disease known as “Lethal Wilt” is present in planta tions of the area of the first floor of the Upia River, in seven yearold palms of having sowed. It is not known the possible causal agent or factors that predispose the palms to the disease and it has not registered so far in other areas palms of the country. The carbohydrate metabolism was analyzed in oil palms with initial symptoms of disease, suspicious palms of presenting the disease, and healthy palms inside and outside of a disease focus. Samples of leaves, roots and trunks was analyzed to determine the concentrations of starch, sugars reducers, sugars non reducers and total sugars. The concentration of sugars reducers increased in palms with initial symptoms and suspects; the total sugars concentration in the suspicious palms increased compared with concentrations in palms with initial symptoms. The sugars non reducers in the different evaluated organs had very low concentrations. This results has been observe on al teration of the metabolism of the carbohydrates in the palms with “Lethal Wilt” probably suggest that the phytoplasmas are associated to the disease.