[Editor’s note: The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1976GEORGE02637_b.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
PAGE 01
GEORGE 02637 292009Z
ACTION ARA-10
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 USIE-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 PM-04 H-01 INR-07 L-03 NSAE-00 NSC-05 PA-01 PRS-01 SP-02 SS-15 AID-05 EB-07 CIEP-01 TRSE-00 STR-04 OMB-01 CEA-01 COME-00 AGRE-00 /069 W
——————292013Z 024189 /41 P
R 291940Z DEC 76
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3949
INFO AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
AMEMBASSY CARACAS
AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
AMEMBASSY NASSAU
AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE GEORGETOWN 2637
STATE PASS TO USIA/ILA
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: PFOR, SOPN, GY, US
SUBJECT: DYMALLY VISIT TO GUYANA
1. LT. GOV. DYMALLY DURING HIS VISIT TO GUYANA HELD A SHORT PRESS CONFERENCE ON DEC. 28, REPORTED IN DAILY CHRONICLE ON DEC. 29 DYMALLY ANNOUNCED TO PRESS THAT HE PLANS TO URGE DEPARTMENT TO WORK TOWARDS GOOD RELATIONS WITH CARIBBENA COUNTRIES. ARTICLE REPORTED THAT DYMALLY INTENDS TO MEET WITH THE QUOTE STATE DEPARTMENT CARIBBEAN DESK UNQUOTE SOMETIME AFTER CARTER INAUGURATION.
2. DYMALLY WAS ALSO QUOTED AS SAYING THERE WAS BASIC GOODWILL IN THE CARIBBEAN TOWARD U.S. AND THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THE U.S. WANTS TO PURSUE A POLICY REFLECTING THIS GOODWILL. DYMALLY CONTINUED THAT THERE WAS GREAT MISUNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
PAGE 02 GEORGE 02637 292009Z
CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES AND THE U.S. CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES FEAR DESTABILIZATION IN THIS REGION AND WHAT WAS NOW NEEDED WAS THE USHERING IN OF A NEW ERA OF UNDERSTANDING. BYMALLY STATED THAT HE HAD MET AIDES OF PRESIDENT-ELECT CARTER BEFORE THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS AND WAS GIVEN ASSURANCES THAT THE U.S. UNDER A CARTER ADMINISTRATION WOULD NOT INTERFERE IN THE DOMESTIC AFFAIRS OF OTHER NATIONS.
3. REMAINDER OF ARTICLE DEALT WITH DYMALLY’S BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF TRIP WHICH WAS TO VISIT PEOPLE’S TEMPLE AGRICULTURAL MISSION AT PORT KAITUMA. DYMALLY IS SCHEDULED TO MEET TODAY WITH PRIME MINISTER AND ATTEND A LUNCHEON HOSTED BY DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER.
4. CHARGE MET WITH DYMALLY FOR SHORT PERIOD UPON HIS ARRIVAL IN GEORGETOWN DEC 27 AND AGAIN FOR LONGER PERIOD ON DEC 28. BISHOP JIM JONES, LEADER OF PEOPLE’S TEMPLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, WAS ALSO PRESENT AT SECOND MEETING WHEN CHARGE SUMMARIZED PRESENT STATE OF U.S.-GOG RELATIONS. CHARGE EMPHASIZED TO BOTH DYMALLY AND JONES USG ANGER OVER BURNHAM’S OCT 17 SPEECH WHEN BURNHAM IMPLIED U.S. COM- PLICITY IN CUBANA AIRLINE CRASH DESPITE REPEATED ASSURANCES OF U.S. NON-INVOLVEMENT FROM HIGHEST LEVEL OF USG. CHARGE CONTINUED THAT RECENT HARSH GOG RHETORIC IN LOCAL PRESS AND OTHER FORA CHARGING U.S. WITH DESTABILIZATION OF GUYANA AND CHARACTERIZING U.S. AS ENEMY HAS FURTHER HAMPERED NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS. JONES AND DYMALLY BOTH STATED THAT THEY HAD MET ON DEC. 28 WITH FONMIN WILLS [Guyana Foreign Minister Fred Wills] WHO EXPRESSED FEAR THAT USG WOULD DESTABLIZE GUYANA LIKE WE DID CHILE. JONES ALSO INDICATED THAT THERE WAS REAL FEAR AMONG GOG THAT CIA WAS SUPRANATIONAL AGENCY ANSWERABLE TO NO ONE, WHO WERE ACTING AGAINST GUYANA UNBEKNOWNST TO OTHER AGENCIES OF USG. CHARGE CATEGORICALLY DENIED ANY AGENCY OF USG INCLUDING CIA WERE ACTING AGAINST GUYANA. CHARGE INDICATED THAT GUYANESE SIMPLY REFUSE TO BELIEVE OUR DENIALS EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE NO EVIDENCE ON WHICH TO BASE THESE FEARS AND ACCUSATIONS. ON THE CONTRARY, GOG RECENTLY HAS GONE OUT OF ITS WAY TO BE ABRASIVE IN ITS RELATIONS WITH U.S. CHARGE THEN STATED PROBLEM IS WHY IS GOG SEEMINGLY SO HOSTILE ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE DOES APPEAR TO BE GENUINE REGARD
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
PAGE 03 GEORGE 02637 292009Z
FOR AND GOODWILL TOWARD U.S. BY AVERAGE GUYANESE.
5. DURING COURSE OF CONVERSATION JONES APPEARED TO QUESTION CREDIBILITY OF USG ESPECIALLY CONCERNING CIA ACTIVITIES AND OUR SUPPORT FOR REGIMES THAT SEVERELY RESTRICT HUMAN RIGHTS. CHARGE REPLIED UNFORTUNATELY MOST COUNTRIES IN WORLD TODAY RESTRICT AND VIOLATE HUMAN RIGHTS. BUT THAT DEPARTMENT HAS TAKEN LEAD IN IDENTIFYING PROBLEM AND PRESSING FOR AMELIORATION OF CONDITIONS WHERE POSSIBLE. JONES ALSO MENTIONED HE HAD MET WITH MRS. CARTER AND VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT MONDALE EARLIER WHO ASSURED HIM CARTER ADMINISTRATION WOULD NOT INTERFERE IN DOMESTIC AFFAIRS OF GUYANA. JONES INTENDS TO PASS THIS MESSAGE TO BURNHAM TODAY (DEC 29) WHEN HE SEES HIM.
6. DYMALLY STATED HE WILL CONTACT COUNTRY DIRECTOR HEAVNER SOMETIME AFTER JANUARY 20 TO DISCUSS THE RESULTS OF HIS VISIT TO EASTERN CARIBBEAN.
MCCOY [Richard McCoy, Deputy Chief of Mission]
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
NNN