831.01/12–748
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Secretary of State
| Participants: | The Acting Secretary of State |
| Ambassador Gonzalo Carnevali of Venezuela | |
| Mr. Paul C. Daniels, Director for ARA | |
| Mr. William L. Krieg, NWC |
Ambassador Gonzalo Carnevali called upon me this afternoon at his request and inquired regarding the Department’s position on continuing relations with the new Government in Venezuela. Mr. Daniels stated that the Department viewed with regret the overthrow of a democratic constitutional government and said that we were still observing the course of events and that no decision had been arrived at yet.
Ambassador Carnevali then explained that he had studied Resolution 35 of the Inter-American Conference at Bogotá and that he found nothing which would compel the United States to continue relations with the Caracas military junta. He said as far as he could tell the question of recognition of de facto governments had been referred to the Inter-American Council of Jurists at Rio de Janeiro for further study. I pointed out that there were three factors involved in Resolution [Page 140] 35: (1) That recognition should not be used as a political weapon; (2) That continuity of diplomatic relations among the American States is desirable.… At that point Ambassador Carnevali interrupted and said there were many things in life which were desirable but that it was not always practical or possible to have them.
Ambassador Carnevali then painted a very black view regarding conditions in Venezuela. He said that the cabinet ministers, the leaders of Acción Democrática party, most of the leading members of Congress and the most prominent labor leaders, were all imprisoned, and that Dr. Lander, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, had been tortured. He said he had ascertained this last fact in a telephone conversation with President Gallegos.
I inquired whether any political party was taking part in the new Government, and Ambassador Carnevali said that no political party was involved. He went on to say a democratic government was impossible because the vast majority of votes had been cast in the last election for Acción Democrática but that other parties had also participated in the elections which had been completely free and fair.
I inquired how it had been possible for a small military group to take over the Government against the will of so large a majority. He said it had been done by force of arms and intimidation, but he prophesied that as soon as the present restrictive measures are removed, there would be trouble in Caracas. He added that the activity of the labor unions had been rendered ineffective by the confiscation of their funds and the imprisonment of their leaders.
Ambassador Carnevali strongly urged that the United States delay resuming relations with the new Venezuelan Government. He said that President Gallegos was known in every home throughout Latin America and that his prestige with the common people everywhere was enormous. He pointed out that the Mexican Government had withdrawn its Ambassador from Caracas and that the Cuban Government had offered to permit Gallegos to set up a government in exile in Habana.
On the other hand, the only nations which have recognized so far were Argentina, Paraguay and Peru. He intimated that Argentine influences were responsible for the revolutions in Peru and Venezuela as well as for the unsuccessful plot in Chile, and said that he interpreted President Gallegos’ statement about the Military Attaché of a large power having been present in a barracks on the day of the coup as referring to the Argentine Military Attaché. In answer to a direct question, he said that he did not think that President Gallegos had referred to the U.S. Military Attaché in this connection.
He went on to say that United States recognition would precipitate a series of military revolutions in Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and [Page 141] Cuba, and in conclusion he presented me with two documents1 setting forth his own views and those of the former Foreign Minister, Dr. Blanco, on the Venezuelan revolution.
- Not printed.↩