Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, American Republics; Cuba 1961–1962; Cuban Missile Crisis and Aftermath, Volumes X/XI/XII, Microfiche Supplement

63. Memorandum of conversation, September 27, between President Kennedy and Ambassador Sanz de Santamaría¹

September 27, 1962

SUBJECT

• Farewell call on the President by the Ambassador of Colombia

PARTICIPANTS

• The President
• Ambassador Carlos Sanz de Santamaría of Colombia
• Mr. Ralph Dungan, Special Assistant to the President
• Mr. Herbert B. Thompson, Acting Director, Office of West Coast Affairs, ARA

Ambassador Sanz paid a farewell call on the President this morning. He began by expressing his thanks for all the kindness and assistance shown him during his assignment by the President, the Department of State and other Government agencies.

The Ambassador said he had been pleased to hear on the radio the President’s remarks about the effect on Colombia of the drop in coffee prices. The President said he had made use of Ambassador Sanz’ previous remarks to him in speaking to the White House Conference of Business Magazine Editors and Publishers. In this connection, the Ambassador said he wished to leave with the President a memorandum describing the deterioration in the terms of trade for Latin American countries. He said that improvement in the terms of trade would be the most important thing the United States could do for Latin America. This would be more important than any kind of aid.

Ambassador Sanz noted that he would be signing the Coffee Agreement in New York on September 28. He remarked that it was unfortunate that U.S. Congressional ratification of the agreement could not be obtained in the current session since it would then be delayed until at least February 1963. The Ambassador was given assurances of our intention to submit the agreement to the Senate immediately in the belief that this would have good psychological effects.

The Ambassador said he was returning to Colombia with the intention of explaining the Alliance for Progress to his countrymen who, he feared, did not understand it very well. He said he intended to point out that it is a Latin American idea which the President is supporting and which fully merits Latin American support. The President said he would always welcome any views Ambassador Sanz might care to express to Ambassador Freeman in Bogata as to what we ought to be doing under the Alliance.

The Ambassador concluded his call with a reference to his Foreign Minister’s attendance at the forthcoming Informal Meeting of Foreign Ministers. Ambassador Sanz said he believed it was important to obtain wider support for any positions which might emerge from this meeting than existed at the last Punta del Este Conference, even if this required some concessions. He noted that, in his opinion, even Mexico was now in a better position to lend support than at Punta del Este. The President observed that we might think in terms of a very broad statement which could achieve the widest possible support and then proceed to more specific proposals with the Caribbean countries.

1. Farewell call of Ambassador; Coffee Agreement; Alliance for Progress. Confidential. 2 pp. Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Colombia, July–September 1962.