55. Memorandum of conversation, October 6, between Ambassador Sanz de Santamaría and Coerr1
SUBJECT
- Colombian Request for Additional Internal Security Aid
PARTICIPANTS
- Mr. Carlos Sanz de Santamaría, Ambassador of Colombia
- ARA—Mr. Coerr
- ARA/EST—Mr. Lancaster
Ambassador Sanz stated that he had come in under renewed personal instructions from President Lleras to reiterate Colombia’s need [Typeset Page 139] for additional military aid for internal security purposes. He referred to his conversation on this subject with Mr. Woodward on September 20 and stated that President Lleras continued to attach a high priority to this problem.
In his response to a question from Mr. Coerr, the Ambassador stated that he was not prepared to specify individual items of equipment needed, although it was clear that light transport aircraft had to be obtained to cope with outbreaks of banditry in isolated regions such as that now troubling the Colombian Government in the Vichada area. He indicated that the various types of equipment the Colombian Government desired were listed in a memorandum which he had given to the Secretary last spring (this memorandum was enclosed with the Department’s A–146 to Bogota of April 24).
(On October 9 Ambassador Sanz telephoned Mr. Lancaster to say that he had received the following list of items on which the Colombian Government placed highest priorities in equipping its forces for internal security operations:
Infantry small arms:
4048 M1 rifles
888 M1 carbines
270 30 caliber machine guns
432 45 caliber sub-machine guns
[Facsimile Page 2]Transport aircraft:
6 SA–16 Amphibians
4 C–47
3 C–54
The Ambassador stated that the Colombian Army Chief of Staff, General Alberto Ruiz Novoa, would be discussing these and other priority problems facing the Colombian Armed Forces in the Department of Defense on October 10 and 11.)
- Colombian request for additional internal security aid. Confidential. 2 pp. DOS, CF, 721.5–MSP/10–661.↩