NI–2. Memorandum of Conversation, by the Officer in Charge of Nicaraguan Affair (Taylor)1
PARTICIPANTS
- Dr. Guillermo Sevilla-Sacasa, Ambassador of Nicaragua
- Dr. Alfonso Ortega-Urbina, Counselor of Embassy of Nicaragua
- ARA - Assistant Secretary Rubottom
- MID - Mr. Taylor
Ambassador Sevilla-Sacasa called to discuss President Somoza’s fear of an invasion against his Government from Nicaraguan exiles residing in Honduras and Costa Rica. The Ambassador said that he had had a recent conversation with President Somoza in which Somoza asked him to discuss this matter with the Department. He said the revolutionary Nicaraguan exile leaders were Pedro Vivas and Gomez Flores in Honduras, and General Cuadro Pasos in Costa Rica.
The Ambassador said that in Honduras, according to Nicaraguan intelligence reports, Nicaraguan exiles were organizing near the border for an attack. He said that although Honduran President Villeda Morales had given assurances to President Somoza that he would not permit the exiles to launch such an attack, it was feared that Villeda was not completely informed of the present activities of the Nicaraguan exiles. He indicated that although President Somoza had confidence in the good intentions of Villeda, there was doubt in his mind as to whether such key figures in his government as Oscar Flores, Villa Bermudas, and Alvarado Puerto were of the same mind. Sevilla-Sacasa stressed that Pedro Vivas was the brother-in-law of Alvarado Puerto, the new Honduran Foreign Minister, and that because of this relationship it was feared any attempt of Vivas to organize the exiles for an attack in Nicaragua would not be effectively discouraged by the Foreign Minister.
Sevilla-Sacasa stated his Government felt sure that in Costa Rica, when Echandi assumed the Presidency, he would not permit the exiles to remain in the country such as Figueres has done. He said the Nicaraguan exiles were aware of this and that fear of not being permitted to remain in Costa Rica would force them to make a move against the Nicaraguan Government within the next two months. The Ambassador said that the activities of the exiles in Costa Rica were [Typeset Page 839] being correlated with those of the [Facsimile Page 2] Honduran exiles and the plan of attack called for the two groups to move simultaneously against the Government of Nicaragua.
The Ambassador also stated he had information that three airplanes would fly shortly from Mexico to Costa Rica with armaments for the Nicaraguan exiles. He said that two of the planes would leave from Miami proceeding first to Mexico to meet the third plane and then all three would fly to Costa Rica. Mr. Rubottom asked the Ambassador if he could give the Department any information concerning the reported two planes scheduled to leave from Miami in order that the Department could check into the matter. The Ambassador said he would give the information he had to Mr. Taylor.
The Ambassador said his Government was concerned over the threat of a movement of exiles against it. He said his Government had expected the exiles to move on February 21, but thought perhaps they had delayed knowing that President Somoza was on the alert for such a move. He deplored the bloodshed and difficulties which would ensue if the exiles were permitted to launch an attack against Nicaragua. He then asked Mr. Rubottom if our respective Ambassadors in Honduras and Costa Rica could draw the respective Presidents’ attention to the dangers of permitting the exiles to prepare for an attack against the Nicaraguan Government. Mr. Rubottom agreed to inform our two Ambassadors, but said he would leave the action taken to their discretion.
Mr. Rubottom informed the Ambassador that he appreciated the information he had given him. He said that we would continue to remain alert to such possibilities outlined by the Ambassador of an attack on his Government from Nicaraguan exiles. However, he pointed out to the Ambassador that the revolutionary exiles lived on such rumors and deliberately generated them without foundation in hopes of keeping Governments in a state of agitation. The Ambassador agreed that the Nicaraguan exiles had been generating like rumors for years.
In closing, the Ambassador said he had heard it was the intention of the new Honduran Foreign Minister to renounce the agreement to have the Nicaraguan-Honduran border dispute settled in the International Court of Justice. However, he did not believe this could be true.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 717.00/2–2158. Confidential.↩