[Editor’s note: This document was released both as a State Department cable as part of its 1981 FOIA release, and as Serial 1913 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/1979CARACA01331_e.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
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ACTION L-03
INFO OCT-01 ARA-11 ISO-00 JUSE-00 CA-01 FBIE-00 SS-15 /031 W
——————020248 140324Z /65
R 131345Z FEB 79
FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5739
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PASS JUSTICE, JIM HIRGIN [Hergen]
EO 12065 NA
TAGS: CASC VE GY (PEOPLES TEMPLE)
SUBJ: PROTECTION OF US INTERESTS VIS-A-VIS PEOPLES TEMPLE ASSETS IN VENEZUELA
REF: STATE 16431
1. ON FEBRUARY 9 EMBASSY RECEIVED A FIRST PERSON NOTE DATED FEB 9, FROM THE VENEZUELAN FOREIGN MINISTRY REGARDING THE ASSETS OF THE PEOPLE’S TEMPLE IN VENEZUELA. THE NOTE, WHICH RESPONDS TO THE EMBASSY’S NOTE SENT AS INSTRUCTED IN THE REF, STATES THAT UNDER VENEZUELAN LAW, THERE IS NO PROCEDURE FOR IMMOBILIZING THE ASSETS OF PEOPLE’S TEMPLE UNTIL GIVEN AUTHORITY TO DO SO BY THE COURTS. THE NOTE THEN STATES, HOWEVER, THAT THE GOV [Government of Venezuela] IS ALSO INTERESTED IN THE MATTER AND THAT THE FOREIGN MINISTRY HAS RELAYED OUR REQUEST TO OTHER AGENCIES WHICH MIGHT BE COMPETENT FOR THEIR OPINION. THE NOTE CLOSES BY SAYING THE FOREIGN MINISTER WILL BE IN FURTHER TOUCH WITH AMBASSADOR TO PASS ON THE RESULTS OF THESE INTER-GOV CONSULTATIONS.
2. THE EMBASSY IS POUCHING A COPY OF THE FOREIGN MINISTRY’S NOTE TO ARA/AND/V – SEGEANT.
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LUES [William Luers, American Ambassador to Venezuela]
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