[Editor’s note: This document was released both as a State Department cable as part of its 1981 FOIA release, and as Serial 1614 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/1979GEORGE00063_e.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01
GEORGE 00063 091155Z
ACTION SCS-06
INFO OCT-01 ARA-11 ISO-00 CA-01 FBIE-00 L-03 H-01 USSS-00 /023 W
——————104787 092242Z /73
R 081837Z JAN 79
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN
SECSTATE WASHDC 8664
C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 0063
E.O. 12065: GDS 1/8/84 (DWYER, RICHARD A.) OR-M
TAGS: CASC (TOUCHETTE, MICHAEL)
SUBJ: TRAVEL OF PEOPLE’S TEMPLE MEMBER MICHAEL TOUCHETTE
REF: PORT OF SPAIN 03697
1. (UNC) MICHAEL TOUCHETTE, ACCORDING TO LOCAL POLICE OFFICIAL, HAD BEEN GIVEN PERMISSION TRAVEL TO TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO TO SEE HIS FATHER. POLICE HAVE DECIDED THAT THEY CAN NO LONGER REQUIRE TEMPLE MEMBERS TO REMAIN IN GUYANA WITHOUT CHARGES BEING BROUGHT BUT HAVE URGED THOSE WHO HAVE ENQUIRED TO REMAIN THROUGH THE HEARINGS.
2. (UNC) AIR FRANCE OFFICIAL INFORMED EMBASSY THAT AIR FRANCE OFFICE IN PORT OF SPAIN ASKED TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS IF TOUCHETTE COULD ENTER COUNTRY. THEY REPLIED NO, GEORGETOWN OFFICE OF AIR FRANCE THEREFORE REFUSED TO CARRY HIM. TOUCHETTE HAD PREVIOUSLY TOLD CONSULAR OFFICER THAT GUYANA AIRWAYS HAD ALSO REFUSED TO SELL HIM TICKET.
3. POLICE HAVE SAID THAT ALBATROSS HAS BEEN GIVEN PERMISSION TO RETURN TO GEORGETOWN. DOES PORT OF SPAIN CONSIDER THIS LIKELY?
4. (CONFIDENTIAL) EMBASSY HAS WORKED OUT PROCEDURES WITH
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GOG [GOVERNMENT OF GUYANA] AUTHORITIES (SPECIAL BRANCH, NATIONAL POLICE) WHEREBY IT WILL BE NOTIFIED OF IMPENDING DEPARTURE OF TEMPLE MEMBERS IN WHOM USG [U.S. GOVERNMENT] AGENCIES INTERESTED. HOWEVER, BECAUSE MANY SUCH INDIVIDUALS HAVE FINANCIAL MEANS TO PURCHASE TICKETS AND ARRANGE THEIR OWN DEPARTURES, SUCH NOTICE MAY BE “SHORT FUSE” (I.E., ONLY A MATTER OF HOURS) IN SOME CASES.
BURKE [JOHN BURKE, AMERICAN AMBASSADOR TO GUYANA]