FBI Facsimile
Date 12/22/79
CONFIDENTIAL
TO: DIRECTOR, FBI (89-4286)
FROM: SAC, SAN FRANCISCO (89-250) (P) (SQ. 14)
SUBJECT: RYMUR
Re Bureau airtel to San Francisco, dated 3/27/79, Bureau teletype to San Francisco, DTG #232048Z, December, 1978.
Enclosed for the Bureau are five (5) copies of an LHM entitled, “People’s Temple Members – Contacts with the Cuban Embassy in Guyana.”
[One line paragraph deleted under b1 and b3 exemptions]
In order to further conceal [name deleted] regarding the information on referenced teletype, San Francisco paraphrased the information.
[Page 2]
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
San Francisco, California
December 22, 1979
SECRET
PEOPLE’S TEMPLE MEMBERS (PTM) CONTACTS WITH THE CUBAN EMBASSY IN GUYANA
A cursory review of the People’s Temple Members File revealed that the Russian Embassy, as well as the Cuban Embassy, apparently did not want to establish solid contacts with the People’s Temple members.
The following paragraphs, extracted from different communications, lead to conclude the above:
From a letter addressed to “Dear Charles (Charles Garry, PTM Attorney),” the following was extracted:
“One time when Jim (Jim Jones) was projecting what would happen should his health fail, that all his people might go to Russia. Russia was not sure she could help in that situation. The thought was communicated to Moscow that PT (People’s Temple) might help any way we could – and the response was, ‘Why don’t you give your help to the United Nations?’, and that disturbed a lot of our people. But Russia is still very friendly and helpful, but
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PEOPLE’S TEMPLE MEMBERS (PTM) CONTACTS WITH THE CUBAN EMBASSY IN GUYANA
Russia said she could not help – but Cuba was willing to talk further with us. Some cannot understand why Russia, being so powerful, could not help, when Cuba, despite her own hardship and precarious position, was willing to be of help.”
The above was not dated or signed; however, it read, “Jim sends his dear friend his love.”
Excerpts of a letter by Sharon Amos, entitled, “Visit of Alfriedo Ferreria, 14/8/78 [August 14, 1978] (Tony W., Sharon A.), Administrator of the Cuban Embassy,” are as follows:
“I told him when he came about the idea of sending in a medical team and equipment from Cuba and he said he doubted if that would be possible. The first thought I had asked because they were going to refuse to have JJ (Jim Jones) go to Cuba and he said that they had not refused for JJ to go tho [though] they didn’t yet have the answer about that.
“He didn’t think it would be possible, but he would ask.
“He said that the team in Guyana was perfectly capable of giving JJ full medical tests and could have all the equipment necessary at Georgetown Hospital.”
Another paragraph from the same letter reads as follows:
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PEOPLE’S TEMPLE MEMBERS (PTM) CONTACTS WITH THE CUBAN EMBASSY IN GUYANA
“Regarding even some of the Cuban doctors here going to Jonestown, he said he didn’t think that could be done/they strictly work for the Govt. and are on contract and wouldn’t have the equipment to take out there.”
In the same letter, different paragraphs read as follows:
“Alfriedo of the Cuban Embassy came by our home and we talked to him about J’s health and Cuban doctors coming into Jonestown at our expense.
“He said no way because their Govt. sends them to a certain area and they have to stay here.
“We asked if we could get them from Cuba and he said he would check, but he doubted it.
“Wants JJ to come to town because the GT (Georgetown) Hospital has everything that the drs. need to test JJ.
“Sharon asked if JJ could be treated at another hosp. like Ershads because GT Hosp. a problem of unsterility.
“He understood this and said that would be fine, but they will only put the dr. there and we have to make the arrangements with the hosp.”
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PEOPLE’S TEMPLE MEMBERS (PTM) CONTACTS WITH THE CUBAN EMBASSY IN GUYANA
Excerpts of a letter by Sharon Amos, entitled, “Cuban Embassy: /8/78 (Sharon and Tony),” are as follows:
“I asked if any of the Cuban doctors could come up to Jonestown and he (Alfriedo) said that a new batch had come in two weeks ago and they were just accommodating themselves to Guyana and being trained so they can’t/I asked what about the old doctors/the old Cuban doctors, and he said no they couldn’t come because if JJ comes to town, he’d see which one of them could handle the situation medically.”
Excerpts of a letter, dated May 15, 1978, by Deborah Touchette and Terri Jones, entitled, “Daniel Sallis, Cuban Embassy; With Terri Jones, Tim Carter, and Deborah Touchette,” are as follows:
“Daniel said frankly he didn’t think that we had more than 50% chance that we would get asylum, he said maybe I shouldn’t tell you this, but I think that I will anyway. He said as far as I’m concerned, I like you, said he understood us better, but in Cuba they are lacking three things: (a) Lack of knowledge in Cuba about PT (Peoples Temple); (b) Solidarity (don’t know of our solidarity with Cuba). Then he said, well, just basically there are two things. We reinvited him to the project. I asked him how they would come to the conclusion that we were a true Socialist community if they did not come out and see how we lived and what we were doing? He said he would do that, but frankly he was just waiting for clearance from Cuba to go there.”
A review of the files revealed the following two photographs:
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PEOPLE’S TEMPLE MEMBERS (PTM) CONTACTS WITH THE CUBAN EMBASSY IN GUYANA
(a) A photograph of Jim Jones and Huey Newton, the reverse side of which bears the following notation:
“Jim Jones and Huey P. Newton in Havana, February 19, 1976.”
(b) One black-and-white photograph of a group of individuals departing a Cuban Airline plane, one of whom is Jim Jones.
[Paragraph deleted]