EC–16. Memorandum of Conversation, by the Consul General at Guayaquil (Allen)1
SUBJECT
- Ambassador Ravndal calls on President-Elect
- Dr. José María VELASCO Ibarra
PARTICIPANTS
- Ambassador Ravndal
- Dr. José María VELASCO Ibarra
[Here follows two introductory paragraphs about President-elect Velasco’s residence where this conversation took place and the presence of photographers.]
[Typeset Page 547]The Ambassador remarked that he had presented his credentials to Dr. Velasco in 1956. Dr. Velasco acknowledged in a very friendly manner. The Ambassador mentioned Ecuador’s “oriente” region, and mentioned the “trocha’’ (a path made by cutting down jungle) between Brazil and Ecuador, and the possibilities of opening a permanent road connecting Ecuador with Brazil. Dr. Velasco replied that he had been aware of the Ambassador’s interest in the “oriente”, and said that he would be most willing to cooperate with Brazil in such a venture because it would be of very great benefit for both Brazil and Ecuador.
The Ambassador expressed the desire to read the transition of the felicitations from the Secretary of State to Dr. Velasco on the occasion of Dr. Velasco’s electoral triumph, to which Dr. Velasco assented most cordially. He thanked the Ambassador and said that on this same day he would reply to the Secretary of State by telegram.
The Ambassador suggested to Dr. Velasco that the U.S. Government was anxious to know of Dr. Velasco’s thinking regarding Point IV and the military and other U.S. missions in Ecuador, and expressed the hope that Dr. Velasco would collaborate with the programs of these missions. Dr. Velasco replied that he was well informed of the benefits which Ecuador had received and was receiving from Point IV programs in Ecuador. He said that he would most certainly cooperate with the United States, but that there must be an end [Facsimile Page 2] to the “papeleo” (red tape) which bottled-up the launching of any program. Dr. Velasco made it clear that the red tape bottleneck was not the fault of Point IV, but rather of the Ecuadorean Government which took forever to sign necessary agreements.
The Ambassador suggested that perhaps these administrative bottlenecks could be abolished by means of agreement between the two governments. Dr. Velasco reiterated his conviction that these delays were entirely the fault of the Ecuadorean Government; that these shortcomings had to be corrected, and said that reciprocity and mutual respect should result in the realization of mutual achievements.
The Ambassador said that we sought his views and advice on how to help our friends in Latin America; that we would appreciate Dr. Velasco’s ideas and advice with the view of improving our relations with the Latin American people. Dr. Velasco thanked the Ambassador for this tribute. Velasco reiterated his sincere desire to cooperate with the U.S. Government, and mentioned a Secretary of State in President Roosevelt’s last administration, with whom Velasco said he conferred with the hope of attaining mutual benefits. He said, however, that conferring with this Secretary did not produce any results. Dr. Velasco again mentioned his desire to cooperate with the United States.
The Ambassador said that the U.S. Government was anxious to help Ecuador in launching a low cost housing program, and that we [Typeset Page 548] needed Dr. Velasco’s advice concerning such a program. Dr. Velasco said that the poor class in Ecuador was suffering from a deplorable economic situation, unemployment and little government initiative to alleviate this situation. He said that he had to do something to calm his people, because his people were restless. He continued by saying that the United States had the technicians, and that these technicians could help him in fomenting a low cost housing project. He mentioned the township of Babahoyo which was in a very great need for a low cost housing project, and said that such a project for Babahoyo would calm the people of that community.
The Ambassador said that through the Embassy in Quito the U.S. Government has been thinking about presenting a low cost housing program to Dr. Velasco, and that we needed Dr. Velasco’s advice and Dr. Velasco’s support for such a program. Dr. Velasco replied he needed such a program, and asked that the presentation and the help for such a program be urgent.
The Ambassador mentioned to Dr. Velasco that the United States and Ecuador had common interests in the United Nations in combating totalitarianism; that the Russians were making efforts to penetrate Latin America and sabotage our solidarity; and that we prayed that the collaboration he gave us before in combating this menace, would continue during his forthcoming administration.
[Facsimile Page 3]Dr. Velasco replied that he understood, and said that he would not cease to awaken the Latin American conscience to this peril; that in so doing he would be giving the United States great help. He continued by saying that we could not allow the Russians to overrun our institutions; that the United States has been the equilibrium between the democracies and the Russian menace; that the democracies must be strengthened because it was our obligation to humanity.
The Ambassador brought up the Cuban situation; the political unrest which Cuba was exporting to many Latin American countries, and told Dr. Velasco that he would like to exchange ideas regarding this problem with someone in Dr. Velasco’s government. The Ambassador asked if he could leave with Dr. Velasco a memorandum which he had on this subject,2 and Dr. Velasco was pleased to accept it. The Ambassador said that the memorandum could be amplified with the view of coordinating ideas concerning the Cuban menace in Latin America. Dr. Velasco said that soon he would inform the Ambassador about the person he would designate to collaborate with the Ambassador on this matter.
[Typeset Page 549]The Ambassador proceeded to make his departure, thanking Dr. Velasco for granting him the interview, and Dr. Velasco thanked the Ambassador for having called on him and for personally conveying to him the congratulations of the Secretary of State.