47. Memorandum of conversation, February 17, among Rusk, Ambassador Sanz de Santamaría, and U.S. and Colombian officials1

[Facsimile Page 1]

SUBJECT

  • Various matters of mutual interest to Colombia and the United States

PARTICIPANTS

  • The Secretary
  • Dr. Carlos Sanz de Santamaría, Ambassador of Colombia
  • José Camacho Lorenzana, Minister of Colombia
  • Mr. Mann, Assistant Secretary, ARA
  • Mr. Moskowitz, WST/CO

1. Military Assistance.

By appointment, under instructions from his President, Ambassador Sanz de Santamaría, accompanied by Minister Camacho, called on the Secretary to discuss matters of mutual interest. The Ambassador first mentioned the desire of his Government to have the military assistance it was receiving from the United States reoriented to place greater emphasis on internal security training, as the most effective contribution Colombia could make to hemispheric defense would be in the form of maintaining internal peace and stability within Colombia. The Colombian military and police should be trained to cope with internal violence, banditry, and guerrilla warfare. Colombia was interested in a revision of the existing military assistance agreements with the United States. President Lleras felt that the contemplated assistance (the proposed $1,670,000 “special package” plan) would fall short of Colombia’s needs.

The Secretary replied that the Department had been studying the matter of internal security assistance to friendly Latin American Governments and mentioned that the United States was at the point of implementing our assistance to Colombia in connection with eradicating the violence problem there. It was pointed out that implementation of the proposed assistance to Colombia would best determine what additional assistance, if any, was needed.

[Typeset Page 123]

2. Problem of Coffee.

The Ambassador suggested that the United States could make a significant [Facsimile Page 2] contribution toward easing the coffee problem by using 10 percent of its contemplated $500 million Social Development Fund to set up a coffee buffer stock to help stabilize coffee prices.

The Secretary replied that the suggested use of $50 million for such a purpose would be very difficult. He mentioned the problems the United States Government had with our own agricultural commodity surpluses, and said it would not be possible to justify our subsidization of surplus agricultural commodities of other countries.

3. Problem of Sugar.

The Ambassador said that Colombia was not a major sugar exporter and did not expect to become one in the future; but wanted to diversify its economy somewhat by expanding its sugar production and hoped to be able to supply the United States market with 50 thousand tons annually. The Ambassador mentioned that at his recent luncheon conference with United States Congressmen of the House Agriculture Committee he had stressed the unfavorable impact on Latin American opinion of the United States continuing to import sugar from the dictatorial Dominican Republic while democratic countries friendly to the United States did not have quotas under United States sugar legislation.

The Secretary referred to the difficulties involved in changing sugar legislation and mentioned the fact that President Eisenhower had asked Congress to eliminate the Dominican windfall but had been turned down. He mentioned the need to take into account future purchases from Cuba, when a democratic regime is restored in that country, and the growing demand by United States domestic sugar producers against expanding imports.

4. Prospect of Loans to Colombia for Low Cost Housing.

The Ambassador said that President Lleras felt that one of the most important and urgent social development needs of Colombia was that of low cost housing in the major cities. President Lleras has hoped for credit assistance for housing from the United States, but the DLF line of credit to Colombia is predicated on the formation of new financial institutions in Colombia which would require legislative action by the Colombian Congress, thus further delaying the badly needed housing program. He said Colombia has existing housing institutions which are functioning well and President Lleras feels an immediate start should be made in low cost housing through these institutions.

The Secretary indicated his awareness of the importance of the housing problem in Colombia. Mr. Mann remarked that a joint DLF/Exim Bank mission was in Colombia at the present time looking into the matter.

[Typeset Page 124]

5. Cuban Problem.

The Ambassador brought up this subject, indicating his Government’s awareness of the hemispheric proportions of the Cuban problem. He mentioned [Facsimile Page 3] the Ecuadoran Foreign Minister’s attempted mediation efforts and the Colombian Foreign Minister’s reply to the Ecuadoran gesture. He said his Government feels that an attempt should be made to ask the Cuban Government to submit itself to the discipline of the Inter-American system and that, failing in this, multilateral measures might be adopted to deal with this problem. He emphasized the importance of considering the position of the two key major Latin American countries, Mexico and Brazil.

The Secretary stated that we were not so much concerned by the Cuban revolution as an internal phenomenon as we were by its extra-continental implications. While we deplore the dictatorial methods of the Castro regime, what really disturbs us is its alliance with international Communism, its past efforts to overthrow other governments in the Caribbean and the professed aspirations of its leaders to foment subversive revolutions against those governments it considers unfriendly.

  1. Exchange of views on matters of mutual interest. Confidential. 3 pp. DOS, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 65 D 330.