Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Volume V, Microfiche Supplement, American Republics

CO–17. Letter from the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Rubottom) to the Ambassador in Colombia (Cabot)¹

Washington, December 22, 1958

Dear Jack:

I have received and read with interest your letter of December 12² and I agree with you that the overthrow of the new National Union government would have had serious consequences not only for Colombia but for our relations with their country as well. We are, as you know, hopeful that this effort to restore democracy in Colombia will have every chance for success. We were, therefore, concerned when Rojas was permitted to return and were relieved when Lleras acted firmly and decisively. The action you took, which apparently-contributed to this good end, was of course a delicate one. I am sure you weighed all the possibilities and will do so in any future situations of this kind.

You are in close touch with the religious situation, and I am confident you will decide what might best be indicated. I certainly agree that the initiative should come from the Protestants, as you have suggested. From here it looks as though the religious situation greatly improved during 1958. We rarely get any complaints now regarding this problem.

You will be interested to know that recently we were told confidentially that the National Council of Churches plans to accept the offer of the Roman Catholic press and is going to appoint Dr. Stewart Herman of the Lutheran World Council as its member of a fact-finding mission to Colombia to report on the situation as it now exists. We tried to discourage this by pointing out the religious situation is relatively quiescent for the first time in ten years, and it seemed risky to disturb it by any inquiry now. Nevertheless, we were told that the Protestants feel obligated to go ahead with these plans, since in the past they have criticized the Catholics for failing to carry out their promise to do just what is now contemplated. If these plans go through, Mr. Seamons of SEV (our liaison man with religious organizations), will know of it, and we will inform you, we hope with sufficient anticipation.³

In closing I should like to express to you and Mrs. Cabot our best wishes for the holiday season.

Sincerely,

R. R. Rubottom, Jr.

1. Source: Department of State, Rubottom Files, Lot 60 D 553, “Colombia 1958.” Secret; Official-Informal. Co-drafted by Ernest V. Siracusa, Director of the Office of West Coast Affairs, and Gerberich on December 19. The source text is a carbon copy bearing Rubottom’s typed name.
2. Document CO–16.
3. In despatch 493 from Bogotá, January 23, 1959, the Embassy reported remarks made by Ricardo Samper, Secretary of Information in the Presidential Palace, to a reporter concerning the question of reopening Protestant churches in Colombia. According to the despatch, Samper indicated that the Colombian Government did not intend to alter the status quo regarding restrictions against Protestants in Colombia, or to rescind orders issued under the Rojas regime which resulted in the closing of Protestant churches and schools in Mission Territories, because it did not want to exacerbate difficulties with opposition groups or incur the antagonism of the Catholic Church. A portion of the despatch read as follows: “When asked how long he thought it would be before some move [by the Government] were made, particularly in the Mission Territory situation, he guessed it might be a year and a half, explaining that this was purely a personal estimate.” (821.413/1–2359)
   The Embassy reported in despatch 513 from Bogotá, January 30, 1959, that it had learned “that a number of additional Protestant Churches have been able to reopen in Mission Territories with the permission or acquiescence of the local authorities and apparently without creating incidents of any magnitude.” (821.413/1–3059)