[Editor’s note: This document was released both as a State Department cable as part of its 1981 FOIA release, and as Serial 409 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/1978GEORGE03952_d.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
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GEORGE 03952 262218Z
ACTION ARA-15
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 SCS-06 CA-01 L-03 H-01 FBIE-00 JUSE-00 SY-05 USSS-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 INR-10 NSAE-00 PA-01 SP-02 NSCE-00 SSO-00 ICAE-00 INRE-00 /045 W
——————090609 262223Z /73
O 262140Z NOV 78
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8222
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE GEORGETOWN 3952
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: CASC OREP (RYAN, LEO) GY
SUBJECT: PRESS INQUIRIES ON PEOPLES TEMPLE
REF: STATE 299148
1. Ambassador [John] Burke never met Reverend Jim Jones either officially or socially. As far as is known, Jones was never in Georgetown during the period since ambassador’s arrival in September 1977. As indicated in para one reftel, Mrs. [Marceline] Jones paid a courtesy call on ambassador at 3 pm Monday, June 26. This was their only meeting.
2. Embassy has no record of ever having received the Blakey affidavit of June 15, 1978 from the department. Embassy did, however, receive a copy of the affidavit directly from one of the “Concerned Relatives” group in a communication postmarked August 11. Same individual is also know to have addressed a letter to Prime Minister [Forbes Burnham] regarding conditions in Jonestown. The affidavit was not discussed with the GOG [Government of Guyana].
Burke [John Burke, U.S. Ambassador to Guyana]
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