810.00/6–949

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Assistant Chief of the Division of Central America and Panama Affairs (Bennett)

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At the Cuban Embassy at a reception yesterday I took occasion to say to Ambassador Esquivel1 that the Department was concerned over the numerous rumors being received in recent days relative to renewed activity in Costa Rica by elements of the Caribbean Legion, The Ambassador indicated surprise at my comments and denied knowledge of any such activities. I mentioned in general outline the various reports of recent date concerning military plane flights back and forth between Costa Rica and Guatemala with presumed arms cargoes and the movements of such well known Legionnaires as Miguel Angel Ramirez.

I said that since the Department considered the Ambassador to be opposed to the promotion and support of this kind of international [Page 447] activity on the part of Costa Rica, I thought he would want to know of these reports if he was not already aware of them. I suggested that the carrying on of such activities in Costa Rica could only be expected to invite counter measures on the part of Nicaragua with a consequent resurgence of the unsettled political conditions which had existed last year in Central America. I offered the opinion that such conditions are not in the best interests of Costa Rica. The Ambassador professed agreement with these views and indicated that he would take the reports up with his Government.

While Ambassador Esquivel continued to deny any knowledge of renewed Legion activity in Costa Rica or cooperation with Guatemala in that field, he did state later on in the conversation that certain arms were being “exchanged” with Cuba. He explained this latter transaction by saying that the Costa Rican Government was in possession of a considerable number of rifles which were too short range for its purpose and was carrying on an exchange with the Cuban Government. He said that he was not sure of the make or the quantities involved but it was his impression that the Costa Ricans are transferring 500 Springfields to Cuba in exchange for 200 Riesings. (The Costa Ricans in their attempts to purchase arms last year showed a strong partiality for Riesings.)

Several times during the conversation Ambassador Esquivel inquired as to whether I had any late news concerning possible trouble in Central America and specifically some event yesterday. He finally came out with the statement that he had had a report that afternoon, which I gathered had come direct by telephone from San José, although he stressed repeatedly that it was informal and might be incorrect, that a Cuban military plane had been forced down in Nicaragua while en route to Costa Rica and was being held by the Nicaraguans. According to his report, the Cuban Government had given Nicaragua a 12-hour ultimatum to release the plane. I told the Ambassador that I was not aware of any such report having been received in the Department. He said that he had mentioned the matter to the Cuban Ambassador2 who was also uninformed on the matter. We agreed to communicate with each other should any further information be received.3

  1. Mario Esquivel, Costa Rican Ambassador in the United States.
  2. Oscar Gans.
  3. Airgram 294, July 25, from Managua, not printed, reported that negotiations between the Cuban and Nicaraguan Governments had resulted in the release of the plane on July 23 and its return to Cuba on the following day (810.00/7–2549).