[Editor’s note: This document was released both as a State Department cable as part of its 1981 FOIA release, and as Serial 61 of the FBI’s RYMUR release.
[The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1978GEORGE03861_d.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01
GEORGE 03861 221417Z
ACTION ARA-15
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 SS-15 SP-02 NSCE-00 FBIE-00 JUSE-00
L-03 H-01 CA-01 INR-10 SSO-00 INRE-00 /048 W
——————012209 221439Z /44 S
O 221415Z NOV 78
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC NIACT IMMEDIATE 8135
C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 3861
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: CASC, OREP (RYAN LEO) GY
SUBJECT: FBI PRESENCE IN GUYANA.
REF: A. GEORGETOWN 3850 B. STATE 295263
1. At 0830 a.m. November 22 Ambassador [John Burke, U.S. Ambassador to Guyana] took Legal Attache [Robert] Oglesby to call on Police Commissioner [Lloyd] Barker. Barker welcomed Oglesby’s offer of assistance in the investigation in the Jonestown incident as well as the assassination of Congressman Ryan and others at Port Kaituma on Nov 18. He did note, however, that it would be politically sensitive for the GOG [Government of Guyana] were the FBI to launch a direct investigation incountry. After a brief discussion between Commissioner Barker, the Ambassador and Legatt, the commissioner called in three of his senior aides to join with the Legatt in a more detailed discussion of the problem.
2. Ambassador thereupon left Mr. Oglesby with police officials and returned to the Embassy.
Burke [John Burke, U.S. Ambassador to Guyana]
NOTE BY OC/T: DISTRIBUTION CO-ORDINATED WITH S/S-O MR. RAPOPORT.
CONFIDENTIAL