667. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to Secretary of State Rogers and Secretary of Defense Laird1 2
SUBJECT:
- Military Equipment for Venezuela
President Caldera of Venezuela raised with the President the question of US help to Venezuela’s armed forces to acquire new equipment. He suggested help in terms of facilitating acquisition of arms, sale of surplus equipment and possibly credit. The President replied that we wished to be helpful where we could and that the appropriate agencies of the US Government would undertake to discuss the problem with the Venezuelan Government to see what could be done.
The President asks that State and Defense initiate promptly through normal channels bilateral discussions with the Venezuelan Government to determine the extent of Venezuela’s needs, and what we might be able to do to assist within existing legislative authority. He has asked for a status report of what has been done by August 15.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 796, Country Files, Latin America, Venezuela, Vol. 1, 1969–1971. Confidential; Limdis. A copy was sent to the Chairman of the JCS. The status report, dated August 14, is published as Document 670.↩
- Kissinger passed on President Nixon’s directive to the Departments of State and Defense to discuss with the Venezuelans their military needs and determine what the U.S. Government could to fulfill them. President Nixon asked for a status report by August 15.↩