Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XXII, Panama, 1973–1976

132. Telegram From the Embassy in Panama to the Department of State¹

Panama City, September 20, 1976, 2245Z.

6535. Subject: Text of Proposed Embassy Diplomatic Note.

1. Text follows of our proposed diplomatic note responding to and protesting the Foreign Minister’s note to Ambassador of September 17. (Text of Panamanian note sent by Panama 6492).² We propose to deliver this text at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow, September 21, unless Department has objections.³

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2. Excellency:

I have the honor to refer to Your Excellency’s Note of September 17, 1976. My Government rejects the assertion made therein that the United States Government or its Armed Forces or any other agency of the United States Government was involved in any way in the disturbances which took place in Panama City September 10, 13, 14 and 15 or in any “destabilization plan”.⁴

As Your Excellency is well aware, the United States Government, far from being “interested in provoking a general crisis” in Panama, has cooperated and continues to cooperate with Your Excellency’s Government for the economic and social development of the people of Panama and continues to seek an equitable solution to the principal problem between our countries through the negotiation of a new Panama Canal Treaty.

I am sure that Your Excellency’s Government by now will have learned the true details of the employment, nationality and activities of the three persons who were mentioned by name in Your Excellency’s Note of September 17. Nevertheless, in view of the seriousness of the allegations in that Note, I take this opportunity officially to give Your Excellency certain information on those persons:

1. Hector L. Downs, 20 years of age, is a Panamanian national. He once lived in the Canal Zone as the dependent step-son of a civilian employee of the United States Government, but insofar as my Government has been able to determine, he has for some months lived in Panama City. He has never been employed by the United States Armed Forces in any capacity whatsoever.

2. Pvt. [name not declassified], whose military identification number is [number not declassified] is a private in the United States Army. He is 18 years old, joined the United States Army on February 13, 1976 and arrived at his duty station on June 24, 1976 where he is employed as a finance clerk in Company C, Headquarters Command of the 193rd Infantry Brigade. He was not on duty at the time of his arrest and was in Panama City against the advice of the U.S. military authorities.

3. Rogelio Antolin Garcia Garcia, 29 years of age, is employed at the Howard Air Force Base Post Exchange as a check-out clerk, and has been in that employ since June 1, 1973. Mr. Garcia was born in San Jose, Costa Rica, and is a naturalized Panamanian citizen. Cedula Number PE–1–242. He is not and never has been a member of the Canal Zone police, as stated in Your Excellency’s Note.

As Your Excellency may ascertain from the above, only one of the persons named in Your Excellency’s Note was a member of the Armed Forces of the United States and a United States citizen. One other was a Panamanian citizen employee of the United States Government. None was in any way associated with any intelligence agency of the United States Government. None was authorized by the United States Government to participate in any disturbances.

I trust that Your Excellency will recognize that this does not constitute an intrusion into the affairs of Your Excellency’s country by the Armed Forces of the United States. I am happy to note that Vice President Gonzalez stated in a message carried on Panamanian radio Saturday, September 18, that the Government of Panama was not saying that any agency or any government was involved in the recent disturbances, because it has no proof.

I have already discussed orally with Your Excellency the incidents concerning the Southern Command News (SCN) radio mentioned in the note under reference and explained them.⁵ I will therefore, limit my remarks on this subject to noting that Your Excellency’s Government, from its careful monitoring of the SCN radio, should be aware of the lengths to which military authorities in the Canal Zone went in order to discourage persons under their authority from going to troubled areas where they might become caught up in the disturbances.

I take this opportunity to protest in the name of my Government, those portions of the official report issued by the Office of Information of the Chief of Government the evening of September 16,⁶ and quoted at length in the Note under reference, which allege or imply the participation of the United States Government or of any of its agencies in any conspiracy directed towards Your Excellency’s Government or in any of the disturbances already referred to. My Government, through this Embassy, has publicly denied all such allegations and hereby reiterates that denial officially.

The appropriate authorities in the Canal Zone have been investigating the charges made in the official report and the Note under reference that meetings of a conspiratorial nature took place in the homes of Panamanian citizens living in the Canal Zone. In view of the charges in the official report and in the Note under reference, however, I would like to inform Your Excellency that despite extensive investigation by Canal Zone authorities no evidence has been uncovered which would indicate either that a conspiracy was planned or that aid and comfort was given to provocateurs in the residences in the Canal Zone with the addresses 9–17, La Boca (home of Sr. Luis Archuleta) and 934 Amador Street, Balboa (home of Sr. Virgilio Ramirez). The Canal Zone authorities on September 17 issued a statement making precisely this point.⁷

I take this opportunity to express to Your Excellency the assurances of my highest consideration.⁸

END TEXT.

Embassy does not plan to release text of note to press. We will refer any queries to the Foreign Ministry.

Jorden

1. Source: National Archives, RG 84, American Embassy, Panama, Classified and Unclassified Political and Economic Files 1976–78, Lot 80F162, POL 23.7, Subversion, Sabotage, Espionage 1976. Limited Official Use; Immediate. Repeated to PANCANAL and USCINCSO.
2. Telegram 6492 from Panama City, September 17, contains the Spanish text of the note given to Jorden by Foreign Minister Boyd. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760352–0363) In telegram 230831 to Panama City, September 17, the Department transmitted the English text of the message as sent from Gonzalez-Revilla to Bell: “I am authorized to say that the Government of Panama has uncovered a serious plot involving American citizens and members of the armed forces of the United States aimed at the overthrow of the Government of Panama. This unwarranted involvement in the internal affairs of Panama, at this time, could only lead us to believe that the United States does not have good intentions toward our country and that the recent events in Panama are closely related to the sudden refusal by the United States to negotiate seriously on the Panama Canal issue.” (National Archives, RG 84, American Embassy, Panama, Classified and Unclassified Political and Economic Files 1976–78, Lot 80F162, POL 23.7, Subversion, Sabotage, Espionage 1976)
3. In telegram 233804 to Panama City, September 21, the Department expressed no objection to the note, but requested that the text “not be made public.” (Ibid.)
4. Violent student protests took place from September 10 to 15 in Panama City. In message PNA 717 from the Canal Zone, September 18, Parfitt wrote: “As anticipated, the Government of Panama has adopted its usual diversionary tactics of attempting to blame the United States for internal problems and attendant unrest.” (National Archives, RG 185, Subject Files of 1979 Panama Canal Treaty Planning Group, Box 1, RC2399 [withdrawal folder]) Telegram 6516 from Panama City, September 20, contains the Embassy’s analysis of the student unrest. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files, D760356–0040)
5. An “official report” released by Torrijos’ information adviser alleged that Southern Command News “gave out false information during the street violence.” (Telegram 6465 from Panama City, September 17; National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760351–1078)
6. The Embassy transmitted a FBIS translation of the full text of the “official report” in telegram 6485 from Panama City, September 17. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760352–0352)
7. In telegram 6474 from Panama City, September 17, the Embassy reported that Canal Zone officials released an announcement that stated: “Furthermore, there is no factual information that would support the allegation that individuals in the Canal Zone are conspiring against the Government of Panama or that Canal Zone residences have been used as bases of operation for such a conspiracy.” (National Archives, RG 84, American Embassy, Panama, Classified and Unclassified Political and Economic Files 1976–78, Lot 80F162, POL 23.7, Subversion, Sabotage, Espionage 1976)
8. In telegram 6559 from Panama City, September 21, Jorden reported on his meeting with Boyd to deliver the note. Jorden reiterated that there was not “one iota” of evidence that Zone employees were engaged in a conspiracy or “any overt anti-government moves.” Boyd admitted he was wrong “to focus on things like radio broadcasts” and said “the most important thing was to get the negotiations revived.” He hoped he would have an opportunity in his forthcoming trip to the United States to talk with U.S. officials “who could be helpful in this situation,” including Vice President Rockefeller, General Brown, and George Bush. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files, D760356–1025) In a September 21 note to Jorden, Boyd rejected the assertion that the United States Government was behind the September disturbances, but reiterated that several individuals under the employ of the United States were involved. Boyd also expressed a wish to speak with Director of Central Intelligence Bush. (National Archives, RG 84, American Embassy, Panama, Classified and Unclassified Political and Economic Files 1976–78, Lot 80F162, POL 23.7, Subversion, Sabotage, Espionage 1976)