OUSTED HONDURAN RIPS U.S.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73-00475R000300820001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 24, 2014
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: September 13, 1964
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

HERAM
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/03/24 : CIA-RDP73-00475R000300820001-4
v?? v
S
I Ousted
"
onduran
Ps U.
, Charges Coup
? Was Encouraged
? Want Nereld-Cooloy News Seri/Igo
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico
?
. Honduras' exiled former Presi-
dent Ramon Villeda Morales
? blames the U.S. for the military
coup that ousted him Last ?De-
e tober.
!! ? Villeda insists that he is "a
friend and admirer" of the U.S.
but hints hat U.S. policy is
; responsible for coups in Latin
America. ?
In an exclusive interview, the
dapper doctor turned politician
Laid "the United States needs to
,change its view toward interna-
tional politics, especially in the
Western Hemisphere."
By NAT CARNES ?
Villeda Morales
STAT:
lie suggested that some
hidividttais and groups In the
U.S. State Department, Pen-
agou mid Central Intent.
gene? Agency have been en-
couraging military coupsilike
the one that sent him Into
exile in Costa Rica.
Villeda says that "this U.S.
element" acts without the
knowledge or approval of Ulf,
whole U.S. government.
Villeda's outburst came as
shock: It is recalled that the
U.S. immediately suspended its
relations with the military jun.
,ta that took power in Honduras
after Villeda's ouster and halted
its miliary tand economic assist.
ance to the impoverished Cen?
tral American country. Rela.
itions were reestablished 10
weeks later.
What is more, It is generally
agreed in Honduras that the
. military pulled off its coup pri-
marily to block the probable
? election of Modesto Rodas Av.
arado, presidential candidate
of the governing Liberal party.
B,odas had delcared that, If
elected,. as appeared likely as
long as the government coun-
ted the votos, he would eta
the budget of the Honduran.
regular .army sharply and
strengthen the Liberal party's
!, own private army, known as
i the Civil Guard.
p Villeda, now, however, seems
anxious to set up the US. as a
' Whipping boy. .?
? - exTresuient
? He came here' to join othez
?
Latin Americans' in in "Inter:.
national Study. Group' on Demo-
cratic Development," . .
,Most of the participants in
the study group, like Villeda,
seem to feel that the U.S.
should limit its role In the henii.
sphere to that of banker and
should not attempt to guide the
other American republics
cally or ideologically.
A It h ough they consider !.
themselves intellectuals and
profess admiration for the
U.S., they often voice distor-
tions of their own and Latin
' history In apparent attempts
to discredit the U.S.
? Pressed for specific recom.,
inendations as to improvement
in U.S. policy toward Latin.
A m eric a, Villeda declared,
"First, you need to understand
Latin America. It is Impossible
to use the same approach for all
of our nations. VVhat is logical
in Honduras may not work at
all in Chile or Brazil.",
' He called for a single orga-
nization to represent all orLat-,
In America and the U.S.. Pre-
sumably he was referring to the
inter-American parliament that
Latin 'American "democratic
'leftists" hope to organize later
this year.
? ? In what seemed an effort to
take the edge off his com-
plain ts,? declared that
"all I say is in the form of
constructive criticism. I consid-
er the,, United States to be aa
decisive factor In the develop-,
ment of 'Latin America." ?
.?
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/03/24: CIA-RDP73-00475R000300820001-4
'??