216. Memorandum from Battle to
Swank, October 161
[Facsimile Page 1]
Memoranda of Conversation Between the
Secretaryand Venezuelan Foreign Minister Falcon-Briceño
The following memoranda of conversation, dated October 6, between the
Venezuelan Foreign Minister and the Secretary are referred for approval
prior to distribution:
Tab A—Perez Jimenez Extradition Case;
Tab B—The Cuban Problem; and
Tab C—U.S. Congressman Rousselot’s Verbal Attack on President
Betancourt.
These memoranda were drafted by Mr. Moskowitz, the Venezuelan Desk
Officer. The Secretary’s remarks are sidelined in red. These memoranda
are considered suitable for distribution to CIA.
Tab A
[Facsimile Page 2]
SUBJECT
- Pérez Jiménez Extradition Case
PARTICIPANTS
- Dr. Marcos Falcón-Briceño, Foreign Minister of
Venezuela
- Dr. Jose Antonio Mayobre, Ambassador of Venezuela
- The Secretary
- ABA—Mr. Coerr
- EST—Mr. Moskowitz
The Venezuelan Foreign Minister had requested an appointment with the
Secretary to discuss several matters of mutual interest.
Dr. Falcón-Briceño brought up the subject of the Marcos Pérez Jiménez
extradition case. He touched briefly on the legal developments to
date and then expressed the concern of the Venezuelan Government
that Pérez Jiménez may attempt to flee the country as the time
approaches for a verdict by the Appellate Court. He said that he did
not believe there was a great likelihood that Pérez Jiménez might
flee [Typeset Page 516] before
such a moment. However, he mentioned that Mr. Westwood, of the law
firm representing the Venezuelan Government in the case, had
expressed his fear to the Venezuelan Government and to United States
authorities that Pérez Jiménez might take advantage of the absence
of surveillance to make good his escape.
The Secretary referred to the legal limitations confronting the
United States executive authorities in this particular matter. He
pointed out that the Department had expressed its concern to the
Justice Department and asked that the necessary measures be
undertaken to prevent Pérez Jiménez from fleeing illegally. He also
stated that when the case was resumed the Department of Justice
might undertake to approach the Court about Pérez Jiménez’s
bail.
[Facsimile Page 3]
Tab B
SUBJECT
PARTICIPANTS
- Dr. Marcos Falcón-Briceño, Foreign Minister of
Venezuela
- Dr. Jose Antonio Mayobre, Ambassador of Venezuela
- The Secretary
- ARA—Mr. Coerr
- EST—Mr. Moskowitz
The Venezuelan Foreign Minister had requested an appointment with the
Secretary to discuss several matters of mutual interest.
The Secretary asked the Foreign Minister for his opinion of the Cuban
problem.
The Foreign Minister immediately referred to a recent speech by
President Betancourt in which the latter had stated publicly that
only humanitarian reasons were preventing a break in diplomatic
relations between Venezuela and Cuba. The Minister pointed out that
there were still close to 70 asylees in the Venezuelan Embassy in
Habana for whom the Cuban Government had thus far refused to issue
safe conduct passes. Among these were former Cuban President Urrutia
and his young daughter (granddaughter?). The latter was suffering
from a serious illness and the Minister thought that it was possible
that she might die in the Venezuelan Embassy if permission were not
granted for her to leave to receive medical treatment. He said also
that the Venezuelan Chargé had recently returned to Habana with
orders to do everything possible to get the Cuban Government to
issue safe conduct passes for the asylees remaining in the Embassy.
In response to a question he answered that about 70% of the asylees
in the Venezuelan Embassy, who had numbered more than 200 a few
weeks ago, had [Typeset Page 517] been given safe conduct passes and had
departed with the assistance of a Venezuelan sponsored airlift.
[Facsimile Page 4]
The Foreign Minister mentioned that there were numerous Cubans living
in Venezuela who were divided into pro- and anti-Castro groups. They
were creating problems for the Venezuelan Government by engaging not
only in polemics but also in what amounted to terrorist activities
against one another.
The Foreign Minister stated that Venezuela’s position on Cuba was
well known to the Department and alluded again to President
Betancourt’s recent speech, mentioned above, as being indicative of
the Venezuelan Government’s antipathy for the Castro regime. The
Minister stated that he had heard the rumor that there might be some
early action from the Inter-American Peace Committee on the Cuban
problem and asked whether we had any information on this.
Mr. Coerr stated that we were
interested in possible action by the Inter-American Peace Committee
as were a number of Latin American states.