GUATEMALAN FOREIGN MINISTER'S CALL ON THE SECRETARY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85-00664R000200020012-5
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 4, 2012
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: March 22, 1961
• Content Type: MEMO

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Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/06/20: CIA-RDP85-00664R000200020012-5
DEPARTMENT OF STATE ~-' 4945
Approved in S
3/31/61. Memorandum of (Conversation
DATE: March 22, 1961
SUBJECT: m& Foreign M ,njsterle Call on the Secretary.
T.he Secretary
His , :xceUency Jesus UNDA nwillo, Minister of Foreirn Relations
PARTICIPANTS: of Guatemala
His E eLUnr..y Carlon Alejoe, Ar .assador of Qaxate laa ,
ARA - WmberUy Coerr,, Deputy Assistant Secretary
OAF/a - Richard A. Godfrey, MC C atemal Affairs
L/S - Donald Barnes, Interpreter
S/S RPA
G CMA
S/P INR/C - 2
ARA P
OAP SOV.
OAP/G Amembassy GUATEMALA
The Foreign 11nister explained that he had coi a to see the Secretary mainly
to get acquainted and to oxtend greetings personally and behalf of President
Ydigoras. The Foreign tester had been under the ii reseion that he had met the
Secretary in 1957 or 198 in Chile when he was the Guatemalan Ambassador there and
the Secretary with the Rockefeller Foundation. It was agreed that it had been a
x r sake of the Secretary whom the Minister had eat.
The Secretary expressed appreciation for the message of greetings and re-
quested the F+ iga I mater to inform President I'digoras that both he and Presi-
dent Kennedy have a special personal interest in the problems affecting our rela-
tions with Latin America. This interest was entirely apart from the issues of
the "cold war" and was based on a desire to convert into a mutually fruitful
reality the friendship bet n the United States and Latin .erica. Also, the
upsurge of interest being shown by Americans, especially by our young people, was
quite apart from matters connected with the Cuban problem.
The Foreign lit ter thanked the Secretary and stated that Guatemala shared
this desire for closer and more cordial relations. Guatemala also shared the deep
concern of the United States over current world problems_. especially those af-
fecting the Caribbean area. The Central Amrican countries, and especially
Guatennla, appeared to be a special target for Communist infiltration. Guatemla,
had already been subjected to a Cotmraalist government and "Che" Guevara himself
bad resided for a time in Guatemala during that period. The establishment
of a Castro type government in Central America vou]d help Castro stay In power,.
since his popularity throughout Latin Ameri , even in Cuba, is declininge
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Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/06/20: CIA-RDP85-00664R000200020012-5
 Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/06/20: CIA-RDP85-00664R000200020012-5
Wateial% rally supported UrLttod States pokey in than; r tteraa.
T Becr^etaz then meted he rIhed to express ecru view the Feign
3 eter, since he would not want a c?il.1ea a hie to feel any Uatc rtaiaxty as
to the United States v ',alts world affairs. I public- ex S btcon
tlt ,ted Stee and the oaiet B ,.on viace the i of uration of the pee
AdaLrdsttratioai a period of civlUti had preva d. .ln spite of the the
Seczetnr r watt under no il3maion that the baante ivime head disappeared or been
rceoi , as caul! be soon by t h* s?tiawtion in Lmosa, Cuba, the Co o$ Berlin,
elsewhere in the 'so'ld. '.CbO ;r;:3 o "~crict filcc contin zes its at efforts
to le.lltratc the le o-d loped areas of MA worlds, sunk az Latin k rice,
ria a .aria. The wan ne i.:zd icati cnra that in nv io l C s r inm we
prepared to etabillw ? the v tu4tion eo ord to the i e e of the united tions
Charter.# for exatoa* The Secretary said than United Stec was ceornod bocau
a nud*r of Latin &mriean entries I a s the threat from Cyr m as
cle4rly as did the 'owoun f 3x4 r, or ele thews comtrI felt certain rat
aatraiaxts in deat'lix with it, Mille we ur rotood the cir wte.n e* affe~,tia
th gamrn rxst thl a United States le vary diaturbed oar the prascnt lack of
unity ref the American etes with respocrt to the nature of the threat to +t-
The re i dater acid t(,at .he std the via-as a preeced by the
cretary, a he capeeta.lly heartened by the firma position the United
states " nra adopted. If unity cord be achieved .in the Latin Anri n b3 4c)
and if, by h r cir .tralstancesa tel. pros r; t Cuban to a could be eluted,
the e heavy b l-.;? h, I dealt w iv'.,e t a Co r4.s . !1matare
has continaus prassmed for firm action a eint the Castro teat arxl had felt
that the wen 3oe labeti s chould have taken drastic: asp a to te+ t n this
mnace. The Foreign nicter felt that thhp irWke Icivo attitude of t Foreign
Mni&U s at Jose had been influa d the fact that the United States was
also Indecisive that xtter. a eaid that the F n fiinieters had asked him
' he expand theca to adopt a .firm position. if the United states had not do
so? He said, that now., hove r, public gate: errts by Premic nt X'ennedy and the
Sectary had had a . d offset on Latin Ai.,rican prablic opinion ant had
ssrcc ee4ed in mart' ng it.
The F ign I ini r again ox ret ed his p a at the o rtunity to
mat aI axchaoge was with t Secretary and regotssted the Secs' tary to
trs mit to Fraeid nt Tar= 4 r the cordial sti.a of PxeoS xt Ydigoras.
CO FIDEFt'rIAI
INFORMATION COPY
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/06/20: CIA-RDP85-00664R000200020012-5