D-2-M-2
Sharon Amos report on meeting with Alfreido Ferrera, Cuban Embassy, October 13, 1978
Sharon Amos
CUBAN EMBASSY 13/10/78 (Jimmy Jr and Sharon)
(APPT WITH ALFREIDO FERRERA)
– Daniel Salas who we usually see is still in Cuba on vacation/ alfreido is the administrator of the Embassy and we have mostly met with him on a social basis
– I filled him on Mark Lane’s trip, the conspirator [Joe Mazor] that came to JT and admitted he was going to use rocket mortors to blow out the generators and radio station and that we had what he said on tape. Told him about Mark Lane’s feelings about us and Don Freed’s/ the press charter that came out to JT and generally about the good publicity, the radio TV/ the two now conspirators that admit they lied against us/ Mohammed Ali and Dick Gregory coming etc.
– asked him if he had any answers to our questions/ he said he’s waiting on the answers on J’s medical care/ he said it wouldn’t be possible for doctors to come from Cuba/ also about a delegation and about the answer about Christa [Amos] (or Martin [Amos] going to Cuba for medical care – as I submitted months and months ago a request for her to have surgery and they were checking out free transportation and medical care and I got no answer and JJ said to find out if it could be arranged with us paying airplane and he said he’d find out) – the medical care of course is free once she or he get there as one or both may need the care
– he said it was a very great shame we didn’t send a delegation to the Cuban Youth Festival as we would have become known not only to Cuba but to the whole socialist world/ it would have been terrific publicity. (I had asked him if they still were unaware about us in Cuba as he had just been there and he said they didn’t know much about us and that we should have been to the Youth Festival for that reason – I wondered if we should have gone at the time but there’s always such a problem about sending people places, but it is a question that should be deliberated because if we don’t get known internationally, and only appeal to people for help when we are in trouble, it doesn’t give a socialist enough image I don’t think) – maybe if it is decided that we shouldn’t be represented some time at some conference, we should ask to be notified when there is a conference that would be significant
– I mentioned some excuse about the cost at the time (which sounded kind of feeble I think) – I said first tho well you didn’t invite us/ he said he can’t do that but we should have let him know
– Jimmy talked a little about his trip to Cuba/ his tour of certain places and how beautiful it was and I mentioned that Jimmy was slated to go with the Vinceramos [Venceremos] Brigade but we moved to Guyana at that time and he couldn’t make it
– I told him that Mark Lane had a major press conference in Town with all the media/ that we had invited the Prinsa Latina rep and he didn’t hear about it in time but that Mark had made himself available any time of the day or nite but was told by the rep that he didn’t have the time. I said this nicely but did say that Mark Lane was a bit hurt and surprised as he has been very close to Cuba and I thought he had traveled there.
– I told him Mark had thought JJ was a saint (and then recalling how the feel about personality cultism) – I told him JJ is training leadership and stepping down more and more (this was a message over the radio) – and because of his health wants to develop leadership. He said that was good
– however, I told him that you in Cuba have the monetary and other support of the Soviet Union and we have to manage to keep a movement together on our own/ also we are a little newer in some ways and you’ve had more time to develop (in terms of establishing a full society). I said that at first people had to make a transition to JJ and then finally to socialism/ he said that at first people followed Castro and not socialism but there are dangers in worshipping leaders. I told him that’s true and JJ understands this and we all do
– I mentioned proof now that Tim Stoen was a CIA agent and all the research being done into this. He said there is a agent now that is in Uroquay that has admitted being an agent and he gave us newspapers about it
Rev. [Andrew] Morrison: I had told him that a couple of people in Guyana interrogated us on several things/ said maybe Mark Lane was fooled by the project, and maybe it was a set-up. How Mark had told him he was an investigator for 15 years and you couldn’t fool him that easy and he’d see thru it/
– I said Morrison gave us a hard time/ he sia
[End of document]
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D-2-P-11A
Mike Prokes meeting North Koreans, April 20, 1978
From: Prokes
April 20th: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Cultural Exhibition:
Significant contacts: A man who writes for the New Nation (PNC official paper) asked me about my background. After I told him he said he was suspicious whenever he hears of people (I think he meant white people) who leave the States to come here, then he said even moreso when they worked in Journalism. He was obviously saying that he suspected I was CIA. As I was explaining why I came and trying to put things into perspective, another guy came up who New knew the New Nation guy. The guy who came up second was with the Ministry of Education and Culture and worked with the Museum. He began asking about our religious beliefs. After I explained, he spent about 45 minutes lecturing me on how to “progress spiritually.” The man was Hindu. He said for me not to get caught up in the things he heard JJ saying on the radio, i.e., interracial community, agricultural production, medical services etc. He explained that I shouldn’t be concerned about doing things because I thought they were right; he said it was more important to believe – but he said I could reach the point of “believing” by continueing my present work with the project, only I must be aware of my thoughts and actions. It was a real bunch of shit which I presume is Hindu philosophy. I couldn’t stand listening to this guy and I missed a lot of what he was trying to impress upon me. I acted as if I appreciated the information and asked how I could get ahold of him. He told me and I thanked him once again. SHOULD I GET BACK TO THIS GUY AND TELL HIM THAT I SPOKE WITH JJ AND HE BASICALLY AGREES WITH HIM, IT’S JUST THAT JJ MUST FOLLOW CERTAIN GUIDELINES IN MAKING THE RADIO BROADCASTS? The man’s name is Patrick Dial. While I was talking with Dial, the other guy ended up talking with Dick Tropp about Jews and Israel. Both of them seemed very friendly when we left.
April 22: Meeting with School board members. We met with only 5 board members this time, including Armstrong and Cde. Jarvis, the Deputy CEO who chaired the meeting in Cde. Low’s absence. (He had to attend some other meeting.) First we were asked for our reactions to the three day seminar. Everyone made positive comments about it. Cde. Jarvis then asked for any differences we had. She said she wanted to pinpoint any differences so that any problems could be resolved. She said “What is suitable in your area (interior) may not be suitable in another area (urban). So we’ll have to adopt a flexible approach.”
Dick said that the curricula guidelines were very helpful but we needed examination syllabuses. They agreed to get them to us.
Jarvis brought up the matter of exchanging teachers. She said a few words to introduce it then referred it for details to Armstrong who said the idea came from the CEO Low. The proposal was to attach three specialists at each level (Nursery, primary and secondary) to our staff. We, in turn, would send three persons to Kaituma in exchange. They wanted to know if we could provide teachers in the areas of music & dance, and business education. We said we had a very good person in business education but she was presently involved in tax work. Apparently, their plan was not well organized or thought out yet because they mentioned only the above two areas when they were asking for three teachers. They said this would be on a daily basis but the teachers would not be live-ins. They then asked us about transportation possibilities and we said all our vehicles were very much tied up in agriculture. They had no present solution which led me to believe that they were relying on us for transportation. They said they would discuss the matter with their Permanent Secretary to see what could be worked out. We suggested the possibility of sending a teacher in on Thursdays when we go to PNC and have the teacher hold a class for a block of three hours. We suggested this as an alternative. It wasn’t rejected or accepted – it will depend on whether they come up with transportation. They wanted to begin the exchange as soon as possible
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D-2-P-11B
using teachers who are now teaching in Kaituma. We told them we would have to take the matter to the full community since it was something that hadn’t been seriously considered in detail. We did say that our work schedules are quite intensive and others might not be used to it. We gave them an example of the hours our teachers work in various capacities (on paper) to prove our point.
For all practical purposes our school has been approved. It becomes official when it is printed in the Gazette. The wording has been submitted but the Gazette has a backlog of notices due to the blackouts. They said they would let us know when it gets published or will be published. They gave us texts, and papers for record keeping which would indicate that approval has been finalized. The meeting was friendly and one of the officials, Cde. London, drove Carolyn and I home even though it was out of his way. London had been over to the house after our initial meeting before our educational people came in. He came with Cde. Armstrong and they came in for refreshments. Overall, I would say the educational board is impressed with our school and what we have to offer, and the seminar and meetings seemed come off without a hitch as far as blunders on our part.
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D-2-P-12A
Sharon Amos report on Korean Cultural Program, April 21, 1978
Sharon Amos 21/4/78
Korean Cultural Program (20/4/78)
(several of us from the house attended it) – it was officially declared open by Shirley Field Ridley who was standing in for another minister. A delegation from the DPRK was there
– The Koreans in their usual way made a very nice program/ they always serve sodas Pepsi and Orange and they served beer
– they were very warm to us/ there were two Korean women there whom I introduced myself to and then later found out that one of them was the wife of the Ambassador [handwritten notation] [Ge He Ok] and one of them was the wife of the first secretary [handwritten notation] [Gim Song Wal]
– they only spoke a little bit of English but seemed interested in trying to converse
– the Ambassador’s wife had a teenage son who Carolyn [Layton] and I noticed was not the least bit cowed by her
– the women seemed very natural and not represented although they didn’t take a main role in the program. Carolyn and I liked them very much. The Ambassador’s wife had a very strong face not repressed looking but with a lot of dignity. But neither were arrogant or snobby
– there were a few Russians there too/ the wife of one was friendly to us but they haven’t been introduced to us these particular ones and they didn’t speak
– the Yugoslavian 1st secretary was there and he came over and said hello but didn t get involved in a big discussion (I called him this week and he said that his Ambassador is out of town and they can’t visit right now but I could call back)
(I notice that the No. Koreans are more accepting of the PNC and the PNC more openly accepting of the No. Koreans than the Russians are which may not be such a good sign unless they like us do it like a strategy. We haven’t gotten that familiar with the No. Koreans yet that we have discussed the contradictions of Guyanese political life)
– but they asked what we thought of the photographs and exhibits of the show and I told him we were very impressed with the dedication of their leader (I said he must be very dedicated to be able to develop such an advanced society that is so industrialized and that I was particularly impressed with the children in the pictures, how healthy and happy they looked)
– while we were talking to the 2nd secretary and the two Korean women, they were asking how we distribute goods and we told them we did this by need/ they complimen ted us and said that we were communists and not socialists/ this kind of nerdy (pukey) man walked up and I asked him his name. He said “hoyte”/ I asked if he was any relationship to Min. Hoyte and he said he was a cousin (or Carolyn thought he was the nephew)
– I told him that we appreciated what Min. Hoyte and his Ministry has done in Guyana and that they had been helpful to us (?) -he commented on what it means that we were communists and I just said that we were communal but he was kind of dumb
– he talked about how great it was that more countries were going socialist and a bunch of rhetoric
– his name is Rudolph Hoyte [handwritten notation: “He was sort of friendly 65846”] and he works for the Guyana Marketing Corp.
[handwritten notation: “Mr Grearat”] – a reporter from New Nation was there and said he found it objectionable, the hero worship that the people had for Kim II Sung (the leader of DPRK), (I found him very objectionable since he would think it was better to starve people and have all the corruption that Guyana has – and that he obviously didn’t understand about the D of P but I changed the subject because the No. Koreans were around and I didn’t want the m to hear this man spouting off to us) Shortly after Comrade Lee of the First Sect. came over and talked to him with us
– A.J.. Seymour came over and introduced himself to us. He is a prolific writer (according to Dick Tropp) and a Methodist Minister/ works for the Ministry of Culture as a lecturer etc. He was very friendly. I didn’t know at first he was a Minister and he was saying that he believes man is redeemable and I said that sounded Marxist/ he said he was not a marxist but a Christian and I said I was a Christian too. Told him we’d like to hear him preach/ he said he preaches every other Sunday. When he left he came by to talk to me and invited me to come into his office and see him/ said “we’re known to the police” which I guess was supposed to be a joke (he looks like he is mixed black and Portuguess??? very
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D-2-P-12B
light-skinned
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D-2-P-13
Sharon Amos meeting with Soviet Embassy official Feodor Timofeyev, April 21, 1978
Sharon Amos
(this was said by Timofeyev shortly before the Tass man came out to visit us) USSR (left out of the last writeup)
– when he came over to talk to us one evening, he said that JJ would have to go if he was served papers to appear, he would have to go thru the procedures or else he would be in opposition to the govt.
– when we told him about the infiltrator who later came forward and told us he was sickened by what the plans were to use John/ he seemed incredulous and said it sounded like an “adventure” because he didn’t think anyone could get to us where we were and then qo out thru Venezuela
– when we told him several people in the govt. were in opposition to the PM going to Moscow, he was irritated and defensive/ we then said “it wasn’t us that opposed us, it was people in the govt.” (he seemed irritated that people would be in opposition)
USSR program 21/4/78
– when we went to the program Alex (the Tass reporter) was very friendly, said he finished the article about us. It is 2 pages long and he will bring it over Monday
– said he has to tra nslate it for us and it has to “cook” till then (since it is fresh he has to take a but more time for it)
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D-2-Q-2A
Undated meeting with Soviet Embassy official Feodor Timofeyev, likely late summer 1978
Meeting with [Feodor] Timofeyev and Kramerengo and the 1st. Sectary (don’t remember name.
(Tony [Walker], Tim [Carter], Debbie [Touchette], Terry [Carter Jones])
Kramerengo was a cold fish as always, on occasion, before Maria [Katsaris]. Terry, myself and Debbie had to talk to the first sec. and 2nd sec back when DB [Debbie Blakey] had left ahd we weren’t quite sure what we were goin to do. At that time Timofeyv was gone and these people had not much of any background on us. The appt. was really bad.
Today though the 1st. Sec was very friendly he and Cde. Kramerengo read the paper very intently and they both read it twice. We asked them for their comments and they said they would have to think and discuss it in a group. They talked between themselves and Timoveyfv kept nodding his head. The 1st sec then asked (he can’t speak English very well) what about the problem with Guyana we explained to him everything that was instruted the day before to say to Timovefy (I wasn’t there for that one) Timofeyev then mentioned that maybe we still had the conditioning of the Americans that money could buy anything, that the assets left behind for the Govt wouldn’t be as much as the embarrassment of 1200 American getting up and leaving. We assured him that it could be handled diplomatically and with no hostile feelings.
We then started relaying everything we were supposed to say, Timofeyev did all the talking to us but the other 2 were listening very intently. Timofeyv said I don’t doubt that everything you said about Jonestown is true I take your word for it. The first sec. said that he found a little about what Alexander had said about J/town and he told everyone how good it was, and Timofeyv said that everyone there had seen the pictures he took and were very impressed. When we mentioned about building collective that they would be proud he said he knew we would and that is why he wanted us to stay together he also said that he felt Cde. Jones should stay with us, that we need him and that he understood how we had all become his children. He said children seed the strength of the family. (Or something like this) He certainly stressed that he wanted us to stay together and cde. Jones should stay with us. When we told him about learning the language he said he knew it was much easier for children to learn they seemed to adapt to language but Seniors would have a harder time. He is enthused that we are learning and told us the tapes should help alot. (We must get them back within a month undamaged) He said something avout compromise. (Tim and he were talking about Andrew Young and what he did and Tim said that if it were Jim we would never compromise his beliefs, what is the purpose of living if not to live for the principle you know is right. etc. I didnt catch all of what tim had all said) But then Timofeyv agreed and said you can’t compromise yoor principles too much, and then mentioned Spain and how their Communist Party had compromised too much and also the Italian Communist party and it showed in what their results were..
He then said he would be coming with the Dr. and that if we wanted to give a lecture Culture, or the language or anything we like, we asked him to maybe discuss some politics he said would but he would not discuss China, he could not discuss China the Guyanese Govt. had absolutely told them not to here. It wasn’t even a matter of wanting to. We said we would like for him to speak very much he said well discuss it and let me know, and I’ll also bring some more films.
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D-2-Q-2B
[Editor’s note: Inventory paper. Not transcribed.]
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D-2-Q-3
Russians Continued:
He said they do not know when the Dr. is to be in, they have expected him at any time, he said even his wife is wondering what the embassy has done with him, (this was meant to be funny) He
He said they would discuss this and then send it one with their opinions to the Soviet Union and then they would let us know the results. they would be waiting with us. We asked if the others had any questions. and did they understand our reason fro wanting to do this. He said oh yes and they nodded their heads. I think they can understand us but can’t speak that well the 1st sec. was friendly which was relief because the first time he met us it was very confusing and we didn’t really leave feeling good about it. Kramerengo was a cold fish. I think he is still bothered because we were told to talk to only the ambassador about something, and we refused to talk to him I think he still takes this personally.
We invited the other 2 to come along with the Dr. and Timofeyv and Timofeyv mentioned that 2 days after Alexander went up, the American Embassy called asking what they found so interesting in the North West making it a plural question to see if any others had gone up. They were fishing, Timofeyv said they didn’ say anything about it, but it wuld be quite noticeable if unofficially so many went up at the same time.
Tim asked about going on the boat, and he shook his head no and said you would have the American Navy on sea immediately to attack he didn’t think this was a good idea at he said the only way would be to fly, we said we would have to do it all at onece he ddint make any comment.
One other thing I forgot to mention was that when it mentioned taking all of us leaving none behind he said he understood this about us, that is what he expected from us.
We have another appt with him this coming Monday. I am sorry for this completely horrible typing and structure, I’m not to good at this.
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D-2-Q-12A
Deb Touchette report on meeting Soviet embassy, August 30, 1978
August 30, 1978
Appt. W/USSR Embassy
Marceline J, Terri J, Deb. T.
– Marceline told Cde. Timofeyv [Feodor Timofeyev] that she did visit [Cheddi] Jagan following the two girls that had visited his home during the night.
– she told him that the wife was hostil, and the inference that was made was, well, were legal, letting us know we could visit them during the day.
– she asked about their doctor and told him we had submitted somethings to the Georgetown hosp. but they weren’t able to do all the test.
– He said their specialist was not in the country yet, but he mentioned a Cuban doctor, he didn’t know his name.
– Marceline asked if their local doctor would know his name?
– Timofeyve thought he might.
– he said their doctor was due in, but he was late and even his wife was trying to call and find out what the hold up was because they didn’t know the reason.
– we showed him the statment about their visit
WHILE HE READ IT he kept shaking his head in agreement, he said the last two paragraphs he would like to have in writing. He said he would to keep the paper a couple of days and go over it he said he had trouble translating some of the English. If you prefer to show it to me and take it, I understand.
– We told him we preferred to take it now, Marceline said it wasn’t that we didn’t trust him, but it could get into the wrong hands.
– he said o.k., but the two paragraphs giving Jim’s perspective of the community situation, (where you live), its another to have a perspective of the world situation. he said they need to give Moscow more feedback then [than] just the amount of people living in the area and that sort of thing.
– Marceline told him we would take it today, and that she would be going into Jones town, but that we could probably re-type the last two paragraphs and deliver it to him.
– He told us Jagan had approched him and asked him about Peoples Temple., He said he had not broched the subject at all, but they did make their position clear (USSR with Peoples Temple) and said they were surprised, but he thought it helpd put things into more a perspective. He said when people hear of a U.S. organization they tend to stay away (in so many words automatically associated as pro U.S.)
– He said he felt Jagan had a better understanding now.
– Marceline said she didn’t think he did, or he wouldn’t have made inference that they were legal to visit in the day time.
– Timofeyev told us to be careful how we talk over the radio. He said they have been told that the U.S. Embassy monitors all radio communications and not to mention them by name.
– Marceline told them him we were careful, very careful and aware, and that we did not mention names on the radio.
– by the way, he turned on the radio after he read the notes regarding Jagen, before he began to talk.
– Terri told him that out in the middle of the jungle, Jonestown, people were more informed then the average person.
– I mentioned that our seniors as well as our children could tell him what was happening in Angola and Mozambique ect.
Marceline told him we were teaching Russian to all, and that she and Jim had both taken classes in Russian in college, but that Jim had done much better then she
– We told him that Jim was the instructure [instructor] of that calss.
– he said that they had some tapes and instructions on Russian language and he would get them for us if we wanted them.
– We told him we would like that very much.
– He said he would have it ready for us when we dropped off the paragraphs from the
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D-2-Q-12B
– note he read today.
– He mentioned that Jagen had wanted to know about a bill passed in parliament in regards to Peoples Temple, a bill that made our position clear with the govt. of Guyana.
– He said Sharon had mentioned this to him once and he didn’t really understand, and when he mentioned this to Jagen, he wanted to know about it, he wasn’t aware either, he said of course Jagen is a busy man, it could have been a time when he was out to other business, or before he was in parliament, said something about him not being in until the last four years.
– Marceline said that could have been the case, because we have been in Guyana for about five years now, and this was something that would have happened at the inception of our comming to Guyana.
– He said he would like to know more about this,
– Marceline said she thought Paula [Adams] would know more about this since she was here in the beginning, and that she would talk to her when she went to Jonestown.
– I thanked him for talking to Jagen about us, and told him Jim would appreciate what they had done.
– Timofeyeve said well I didn’t approach him at all, he came to me.
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