CO–16. Letter from the Ambassador in Colombia (Cabot) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Rubottom)1
I am writing to pass on to you a couple of items which I think you may find of interest.
The first is that exactly a week before President Lleras announced the Government’s drastic measures to forestall a coup, I had privately [Typeset Page 343] warned Foreign Minister Turbay of what we knew from several sources was impending. Two nights ago Turbay told me that our information had been very useful. You will recall that I did the same thing with Santamaria in the case of the May 2nd coup but, unfortunately, they did not pay adequate attention to what I told them. I suppose that this is interference in their internal affairs, but my impression is that both Santamaria and Turbay were very appreciative. In any case, it would have been a major disaster for Colombia and for our relations with Colombia if either coup had succeeded, so I feel that it was wise to pass the information along. I believe that you agreed with this thought in the first instance.
The other matter which I wish to mention is that we are beginning to move very quietly again on the religious front. I have just suggested to Lazear of the Presbyterian Colegio Americano, Executive Secretary of the Evangelical Confederation of Colombia, that, in my opinion, it would be a good move to send one of the Colombian Protestant leaders to see Amaya Ramíres, Minister of Government, and find out whether the present Government would be willing to relax further the restrictions on Protestant activities in Colombia. My reasons for feeling that the time to move has come are: (1) violence is very much diminished, thereby striking out the pretext which has been given heretofore for doing nothing; (2) while the state of siege has temporarily been restored, I think it will be raised within a few days; (3) with all of the talk about human freedoms in Colombia, it is certainly an anomaly that freedom of worship should still be restrictioned; and (4) the Government has removed restrictions against Communists, and it is therefore strange that they should be maintained against Protestants. [Facsimile Page 2] Moreover, we have intimations that both the Liberals and Laureanistas view the Protestant situation as anomalous, and that there may be a more or less spontaneous protest against the maintenance of restrictions against Protestants. If we can possibly get the Government to move on a basis of pressure from Colombians, I think we shall be very much better off than if we bring the pressure ourselves, so I want to see what this will produce. We may of course find the water icy, and would then have to decide what, if anything, we should do further; but then again the water may turn out to be tepid to warm. We shall of course let you know if anything develops.
With all good wishes of the Season,
Very sincerely yours,
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 721.00/12–1253. Secret; Official-Informal.↩