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

VE–31. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, August 23, 1959¹

Washington, August 23, 1959

SUBJECT

• Extradition of Pérez Jiménez

PARTICIPANTS

• Minister Counselor Armando Rojas, Chargé d’ Affaires of the Venezuelan Embassy
• Mr. José Gil-Borges, Counselor, Venezuelan Embassy
• Assistant Secretary R. R. Rubottom, Jr.
• Mr. William T. Briggs, EST

Messrs. Rojas and Gil-Borges called on Sunday, August 23, at 3:30 p.m. at Mr. Rubottom’s office to present a note requesting the provisional arrest of General (retired) Marcos Peréz Jiménez,² in view of the formal request for extradition of General Pérez Jiménez which the Venezuelan Government was preparing and planned to present on August 24 or 25. Minister Rojas said that his Government had asked him to present this note immediately and that he had desired to make the presentation to Mr. Rubottom personally in order to ensure that his Government’s request would receive prompt consideration with a view to eliminating the possibility that Pérez Jiménez might leave the United States before extradition proceedings could get under way.

Mr. Rubottom replied that the Department had been informed by Embassy Caracas that a request for extradition by the Venezuelan Government was imminent and that Embassy Caracas had already authenticated the documents connected with this request. Consequently, and also in view of Minister Rojas’ earlier telephone call requesting the appointment, the Department’s Legal Advisers had already been looking into the matter and if Messrs. Rojas and Gil-Borges could wait, an answer to their note could be drafted and given them within the hour. Minister Rojas said that he and his colleague would wait.

Mr. Rubottom then instructed Mr. Neidle of L/ARA to proceed with the preparation of the reply, and he gave the original of the Venezuelan Embassy note to Mr. Neidle. Mr. Rubottom also instructed Mr. Briggs to remain and to give whatever assistance might be necessary to Mr. Neidle and to Messrs. Rojas and Gil-Borges, inasmuch as his presence was required elsewhere because of a previous engagement. Mr. Rubottom departed after an exchange of pleasantries and the Venezuelan representatives accompanied Mr. Briggs to his office.

There was some general discussion of the case by the Venezuelan Embassy representatives and Mr. Briggs, the gist of which was as follows:

1. The Venezuelan Government would proceed rapidly with the formal request for extradition of General Pérez Jiménez, and it was estimated that the documents necessary to sustain this formal request would arrive in Washington the following day.

2. Meanwhile, the Venezuelan Government, in view of the possibility that General Pérez Jiménez, learning of the Venezuelan Government’s plans, might attempt to escape, desired that he be arrested and detained pending initiation of the extradition process.

3. The U.S. attorneys for the GOV were prepared, immediately upon receiving the Department’s note, to initiate proceedings toward this end in the appropriate court in Miami, Florida, where General Pérez Jiménez is at present.

Although the Embassy had not received the pertinent documents, Messrs. Rojas and Gil-Borges understood that the charge of murder contemplated in the extradition request may well have referred to the assassination of Colonel Delgado Chalbaud, who at the time of his assassination was head of the Venezuelan junta of government and therefore the Chief of the Venezuelan State. The two Venezuelan representatives gave an account of the circumstances surrounding this assassination. They commented that as far as they knew the “Intellectual authorship” of the crime had not been proved up to now. They said, however, that should this be the murder charge which is being lodged against Pérez Jiménez, he would not be able to avoid extradition proceedings on political grounds, inasmuch as the treaty exempts the assassination of heads of state from the list of political crimes. They added that at the time of his assassination Colonel Delgado Chalbaud was head of the military junta which governed Venezuela and was therefore the Chief of the Venezuelan State.

After some further desultory conversation Mr. Neidle came in and presented the Department’s note to Minister Rojas,³ whereupon he and Mr. Gil-Borges took their leave.

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 731.00/8–2359. Confidential. Drafted by Briggs.
2. Not printed, 731.00/ 8–2359.
3. The note, which was attached to the source text, is not printed.