Office of the Historian

CO–33. Memorandum of Conversation, by the Director of the Office of West Coast Affairs (Coerr)1

Washington, April 7, 1960

SUBJECT

  • Conversation Between the Secretary and President Lleras of Colombia: Role of the Military.

PARTICIPANTS

  • President Alberto Lleras Camargo
  • Ambassador Sanz de Santamaría of Colombia
  • Secretary Herter
  • Mr. Rubottom, ARA
  • Mr. Mann, E
  • Ambassador McIntosh
  • Mr. Bell, U/MSC
  • Mr. Mau, S/S-RO
  • Mr. Coerr, ARA/WST

President Lleras said that the Cuban revolution was fanning Colombian peasants “turbulent unrest”, not only by the allure of its land reform but also by its defeat of the Batista uniformed forces. The Colombian people know that after ten years of civil war the Colombian uniformed forces put down the guerillas, but that in Cuba the guerillas won quickly. The next ten years, he predicted, would see a “widespread flourishing of guerrilla forces in Colombia among the peasants—65 percent of the population—who have nothing to lose”.

President Lleras said it was imperative that the United States re-orient its military missions in Latin America by instructing them to teach the Latin American military to concentrate on the new internal danger of guerrillas, rather than on the outdated external danger of aggression. The United States with its missiles will defend Latin American countries against extra-continental attack. The Latin American countries’ internal security is in far greater danger than their territorial integrity, but the Latin American military, inspired by the United States military, are “so classic”. Ambassador Sanz commented that Latin American officers find it repugnant to think of their role as anything but international war and are reluctant to think of themselves as policemen.

Mr. Rubottom agreed in the desirability of adjusting the United States military program in Latin America to give priority to internal security. He pointed out, however, that such an adjustment would possibly encounter [Facsimile Page 2] opposition within the United States defense establishment and very probably in Congress.

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President Lleras added that Latin American naval departments are able to pressure the civilian officials to purchase ships, by alleging that the United States naval missions say the ships are necessary for hemispheric defense. It was pointed out to President Lleras that we do consider that Latin American navies have roles in hemispheric defense, such as anti-submarine warfare, but that many Latin American nations have ships far in excess of these needs. Mr. Rubottom confessed he had been set back a little by President Lleras’ remark on the previous evening, to Senator Fulbright at the White House, that President Lleras had had no personal knowledge that Colombia was about to receive a ship loan destroyer from the United States, especially since interest in the ship had been expressed several times by the President’s regime.

Mr. Rubottom observed that in Congress the idea is strong that the Latin American military serves primarily to support dictatorships. He said he thought it important that there be more recognition of the important role of the military in supporting, with proper guidance, constitutional governments and in making possible the orderly transition from dictatorship to democracy. Ambassador Sanz said that Colombia furnished an example of the military’s playing such a role.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 721.11/4–760. Confidential. Approved in the Office of the Secretary of State on April 13.↩