Office of the Historian

PE–8. Memorandum of Conversation, by the Ambassador in Peru (Achilles)1

Lima, May 8, 1958

SUBJECT

  • Anti-Nixon Demonstrations, Boundary Dispute and Armaments

PARTICIPANTS

  • Sr. Raúl PORRAS Barrenechea, Foreign Minister
  • Dr. Augusto THORNDIKE, Finance Minister
  • Vice President Nixon
  • Assistant Secretary Rubottom
  • T. C. Achilles
  • Col. Walters (Interpreter)

Contrary to his established custom of not making calls on Foreign Ministers, the Vice President called on Sr. Porras this afternoon on the advice of the Embassy and at the insistence of the Finance Minister, in view of the delicate psychological situation arising from the anti-American demonstrations this morning.2 The Foreign Minister opened the conversation by advising the Vice President of the Peruvian Government’s regret at this morning’s incidents and of his action in ordering that the floral tribute containing the American and Peruvian flags be reproduced and replaced at the statue of San Martin. The Vice President expressed appreciation and understanding that the incidents in no way reflected the true feelings of Peru. He hoped that they would serve to alert Peru to the extent and immediacy of the danger.

The Foreign Minister then discussed the Ecuadoran frontier problem along the lines he had taken with me on May 6,3 namely that it was both important to settle the problem quickly as this matter of demarcating a few kilometers was poisoning the atmosphere of the whole continent and promoting a chain reaction of armament increases. The Vice President and Mr. Rubottom reiterated the interest of the United [Typeset Page 1036] States Government, as one of the Guarantors of the Bio Protocol,4 in a permanent and mutually satisfactory settlement of the dispute and the interest of the United States Government in seeing arms expenditures throughout Latin America minimized and expenditures for constructive development maximized.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.1100-NI/5–1558. Official Use Only. Text sent to the Department of State under cover of despatch 858 from Lima, May 15.↩
  2. For a report on these demonstrations, see Document PE–7.↩
  3. According to his memorandum of the May 6th conversation, Ambassador Achilles suggested to Foreign Minister Porras that Peru offer “practical economic and psychological benefits which would make a boundary settlement acceptable in Ecuador.” Foreign Minister Porras replied expansively to this suggestion; “Certainly, anything of that nature.” (723.13/5–658)↩
  4. Reference is to the Protocol of Peace, Friendship, and Boundaries between Peru and Ecuador, signed at Rio de Jeneiro, January 29, 1942, and entered into force February 26, 1942. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and the United States also signed the Protocol as guarantors. For text, see 3 Bevans 700.↩