51. Telegram 3 to Bogota, July 31
Verbatim Text. Rptd Info: USUN, New York; By Pouch to all other American Diplomatic Posts in other American Republics; POLAD CINCARIB; Amconsul Ciudad Trujillo.
Please orally transmit to President Lleras following message from Secretary:
QUOTE After consultation with Ambassador Stevenson and upon examination of your memoranda Nos. 2 and 3 on the Cuban problem, I wish to express my personal gratification for your initiative and to inform you of our essential agreement with your objectives and general program for achieving them. We look forward to further consultation with you on the precise means for achieving our common objectives, particularly in the light of discussions which your Foreign Minister is now holding with other governments. We would wish to be helpful in consultations with other American Republics and would appreciate any suggestions you might have in this respect. In the meantime [Facsimile Page 2] I have taken steps to inform our Ambassadors in other American capitals of your program and of the trip of your Foreign Minister.
With regard to the IA ECOSOC meeting at Montevideo in August, I look forward to a successful beginning of a massive planning effort which is so essential to the effective realization of the objectives of the Alliance for Progress. The preparatory work thus far completed by the expert groups for the meeting has been of high quality and should provide an excellent basis for action. I am most hopeful that working together we will be able to develop practical methods for dealing with the Hemisphere’s social and economic problems. UNQUOTE
- Letter from Rusk to President Lleras expressing gratification for President’s initiative on the Cuban problem. Confidential. 2 pp. Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Colombia, 1961.↩