264. Memorandum From William J. Jorden of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)1 2
SUBJECT:
- Continued Incarceration of Captain Villa
You are familiar with the case of Capt. Jose Villa, chief officer of the Johnny Express who has been held in jail in Cuba since last December. The President, in a meeting with Mrs. Villa and her daughter, promised to do all we could to secure Villa’s release.
Mrs. Villa and her children have written a new letter to the President (copy attached at Tab A) asking for support in gaining Villa’s release. The heart of the letter is the claim that they believe Castro will release Villa if Panamanian leader, General Torrijos, “seriously asks him to do so.” They point out that Torrijos will certainly want “a certain amount of dollars” to do this. And Castro, in turn, will want some money to cover expenses.
The Villas profess to have learned that this course is viable through Panamanian authorities and a private negotiator. The latter is undoubtedly a Cuban named Pujol who has been involved in such exercises before and is regarded by our people who know him to be “slippery.”
The disturbing element in the Villas’ letter is the third paragraph on Page 2 threatening to hold a press conference in which they would point out that “despite your promise, the United States Government has neglected us, and that your promise has proven to lack sincerity.”
The current state of play is as follows:
—A Panamanian delegation recently visited Cuba. They secured Castro’s promise to release the two ships (Johnny Express and Layla Express) on condition that the Panamanians guarantee that they would never be used “against” Cuba in future. That would meant hat the Panamanians would have to retain custody of the ships rather than returning them to the owners, the Babun brothers. Once the ship matter is settled, the Cubans are alleged to be willing to consider the Villa matter—possibly with some arrangement that would have him face trial in Panama and spend a short time in jail there before his release.
[Page 2]In view of the above, I consider it urgent that we take steps to reassure the Villa family that their problem is under urgent consideration and to discourage them from holding a press conference or making any public statements. The family has been in touch with Mr. Rebozo on this matter (see next-to-last paragraph of the letter) and perhaps he could be asked to convey a message that will placate them. Second, I do not know the circumstances of the President’s meeting with Mrs. Villa and her daughter in Florida, but if it was arranged through an intermediary that person could be used. If necessary, I could go to Florida to do this. Or we could arrange for the State Department to handle.
On the matter of securing release, we need to determine if we can support an effort with funds, and if so how much.
We also need to explore various ways of working out some reliable contact that will let us know whether this course is viable. [text not declassified]
You should know that State thinks that using Torrijos in this exercise would not be wise. They are afraid he will demand heavy concessions on a new Canal treaty as a quid pro quo. It would also seem to put us in a position of encouraging closer Panama-Cuba ties.
I will submit a recommended course of action when a scenario has been developed. Meantime, on the matter of turning the Villa family off from holding press conferences or making public statements, we need a decision.
1) Is Mr. Rebozo the appropriate person to handle this?
Yes
No
2) If so, who should contact him for this purpose?
3) If not, should Jorden contact the Villas?
Yes
No
4) State Department should handle.
Yes
No
5) Should be handled in another way, namely:
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 781, Country Files, Latin America, Cuba, Vol. IV, 1972. Secret; Sensitive. Sent for action; Outside the System. Under option 5, Kissinger wrote, “Bill do memo from me to Haldeman. Emphasize what we’ve done and how they state objections. Ask about Rebozo.” Attached but not published at Tab A is the September 25 letter to President Nixon from Isabel Villa, Isabel Cristina Villa, Mary Pily Villa, and José Antonio Villa. In a November 1 memorandum to Haig, Jorden reported that he had traveled to Miami to meet with José Villa’s wife, whom he told that “we were hopeful we could get her husband released from Cuba in the not-too-distant future, but of course could make no promises.” (Ibid.)↩
- Jorden reported on the status of José Villa, captain of the Johnny Express, who had been held in jail in Cuba since December 1971 and whose family received a promise from the President that the U.S. Government would do all it could to secure his release.↩