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

DR–23. Memorandum from the Acting Secretary of State to the President¹

Washington, May 20, 1960

SUBJECT

• Report on Dominican Republic by Inter-American Peace Committee

In February 1960, Venezuela requested the Inter-American Peace Committee to investigate the alleged flagrant violations of human rights in the Dominican Republic that have contributed to international tensions. The Committee, in acting on this request under the authority granted it by the Meeting of American Foreign Ministers in Santiago last August, was unable to obtain the permission of the Dominican Government to visit that country, but gathered information from other sources, including Dominican exiles who had recently left the country.

The Chairmanship of this Committee rotates annually and it happens that the United States has the Chairmanship this year. The Committee has now decided to issue a report on this matter, with the Chairman, Ambassador Dreier, given the responsibility of having the first draft prepared for the Committee’s consideration. In accordance with the general sentiment of the Committee members, it is anticipated that the report, after reviewing the Committee’s action in the case, would conclude that flagrant violations of human rights have taken place and continue to take place in the Dominican Republic, involving imprisonment for political views, inhuman treatment of prisoners, and suppression of basic rights such as free speech and assembly. The report would state that this situation has in fact contributed to international tensions in the Caribbean area through aroused public opinion, stimulation of activity by Dominican exiles, and retaliatory maneuvers by the Dominican authorities.

It is unlikely that the members of the Peace Committee would agree to a less forthright presentation than that outlined above, in view of the notorious practices of the Trujillo regime and the present state of opinion in the Latin American countries. Furthermore, a frank facing up to the Dominican situation by a Committee in which the United States plays a prominent part would, in the Department’s opinion, be favorable to our general political position in the Hemisphere and helpful to our subsequent efforts to have the Peace Committee face up similarly to the Cuban problem.

I am attaching a brief description of the functions of the Inter-American Peace Committee.²

Douglas Dillon
Acting Secretary

1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles-Herter Series. Confidential. The source text bears the initials “D.E.”
2. Not printed. In a note to Dillon dated May 24, 1960, Goodpaster stated, “As I indicated by telephone, the President, after considering your memorandum of May twentieth concerning a ‘Report on Dominican Republic by Inter-American Peace Committee,’ expressed agreement to the course of action proposed, stating that the report should be forthright, but not caustic or violent.” (Eisenhower Library, Project Clean Up, “Dominican Republic”)