109. Editorial Note
On April 23, 1961, in circular telegram 1661, the Department of State instructed all U.S. Embassies in Latin America to discuss with the highest available authorities the problems flowing from the situation in Cuba. The telegram stated that the United States considered that the situation was that of “intrusion of extra-continental power into Hemisphere menacing Hemisphere peace and security and calling for measures of Hemispheric defense, defense of neighboring countries threatened and conceivably of self-defense of US.” It stated that although hemispheric defense was a matter for consideration under the Rio Treaty and other inter-American procedures, the defense of threatened countries might be the subject of unilateral or bilateral action or group agreement; if the Organization of American States failed to take multilateral action or authorize action by one or more powers, those governments, which were threatened or prepared to assume responsibility to oppose extra-continental aggression, might act singly or in concert. It drew a distinction between “‘intervention’ in the internal affairs of another state” and “defense against widening area of domination by extra-hemispheric powers”.
The telegram instructed the recipients to “obtain and report views of government to which accredited and get feeling regarding either (1) meetings of Foreign Ministers or (2) special session OAS or (3) organization consultation Rio Treaty under Article 6 on ground capture and use of Castro government by bloc threatens security of American states and peace of Americas.” It stated that the Department would carry on parallel conversations with Ambassadors in Washington. (Department of State, Central Files, 737.00/4-2361) The complete text of the telegram is printed in Foreign Relations, 1961–1963, volume X, Document 171.
The text of the Rio Treaty, or Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, done at Rio de Janeiro, September 2, 1947, is in 4 Bevans 559.