[Editor’s note: This document was released both as a State Department cable as part of its 1981 FOIA release, and as the unnumbered document after Serial 2231 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/1979GEORGE02136_e.html.]
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ACTION ARA-15
INFO OCT-01 ADS-00 FBIE-00 JUSE-00 L-03 CIAE-00 INR-10 NSAE-00 PA-01 ICA-11 NSC-05 H-01 SS-15 /062 W
——————061262 170336Z /70
R 151645Z MAY 79
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9649
INFO AMEMBASSY CARACAS
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CARACAS FOR LEGATT
E.O. 12065: NA
TAGS: PDIP, GY
SUBJ: OPPOSITION PARTY ALLEGES GOG ATTEMPTING EXTRADITE CORRUPTION SCANDAL FIGURES FROM U.S.
1. (U) ACCORDING TO THE MOSCOW ORIENTED OPPOSITION PEOPLES PROGRESSIVE PARTY (PPP) NEWSPAPER, THE “MIRROR,” OF MAY 11, THE GUYANESE GOVERNMENT “IS SEEKING TO EXTRADITE CERTAIN GUYANESE CITIZENS FROM THE USA TO FACE TRIAL ON CORRUPTION CHARGES.” THE ARTICLE ALLEGES THAT THE FBI WISHES TO UNDERTAKE A “SWAP,” WHEREBY FUGITIVES FROM AMERICAN JUSTICE ALLEGED TO BE IN GUYANA WOULD BE EXCHANGED FOR THOSE GUYANESE IN THE US WANTED BY THE GOG [GOVERNMENT OF GUYANA]. THE “MIRROR” ALLEGES THAT THE GOG IS UNWILLING TO CONSIDER A SWAP AS ONE PERSON WANTED BY THE FBI IS “ONE OF THE MAIN PROPS OF THE PNC GOVERNMENT.” THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES BY SAYING THAT ACCORDING TO ITS SOURCE “WARRANTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THE WANTED GUYANESE HIDING OUT IN THE USA, AND ALTHOUGH THEIR WHEREABOUTS ARE KNOWN, THERE IS NO COOPERATION FROM THE USA IN THIS RESPECT.”
2. (LOU) PRESUMABLY THE INDIVIDUAL REFERRED TO IN THE “MIRROR” ARTICLE IS EDWARD HILL, KNOWN LOCALLY AS “RABBI
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WASHINGTON.”
3. (LOU) COMMENT: THE “MIRROR” IS ANYTHING BUT A RELIABLE SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON MATTERS AFFECTING THE U.S. THE EMBASSY WOULD APPRECIATE BEING INFORMED PROMPTLY, HOWEVER, IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY FORMAL OR INFORMAL APPROACHES TO US AUTHORITIES ON THIS SUBJECT. THE ABOVE COULD WELL BE RELEVANT TO OFFICIAL CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE POSSIBILITY AND DESIRABILITY OF UNDERTAKING EXTRADION PREOCEEDINGS [EXTRADITION PROCEEDINGS] AGAINST LARRY LAYTON, CURRENTLY JAILED IN GUYANA CHARGED WITH THE MURDER OF CONGRESSMAN LEO RYAN AND ATTEMPTED MURDERS OF OTHER AMERICANS WHO HAD FLED JONESTOWN.
BURKE [JOHN BURKE, AMERICAN AMBASSADOR TO GUYANA]
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