[Editor’s note: The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1978PORTO03360_d.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01
PORT O 03360 222147Z
ACTION ARA-15
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 SCS-06 H-01 SSO-00 SS-15 PA-01 /039 W
——————022661 222158Z /13
O 222111Z NOV 78
FM AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3265
C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT OF SPAIN 03360
FOR DAS BRANDIN GROVE AND GUYANA WORKING GROUP FROM AMBASSADOR FOX
E. O. 11652: GDS.
TAGS: CASC, OREP, TD
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE BY CBS.
AS YOU WERE PROBABLY INFORMED BY CBS REP, TEXTEL, GOTT [Government of Trinidad and Tobago] TELECOMMUNICATIONS AGENCY,HAD REFUSED TO GRANT USE OF ITS FACILITIES TO US NEWSMEN FOR UPLEG TRANSMISSION VIDEO TAPES, ETC. OUR INQUIRIES REVEALED THIS DIRECTIVE CAME DIRECTLY FROM GOVERNMENT. I CALLED HIGHEST OFFICIAL IN TEXTEL AND POINTED OUT THIS DECISION AT VARIANCE WITH STANDARD PRACTICE FOLLOWED IN MOST COUNTRIES. AT MY URGING HE AGREED TO APPEAL DECISION TO CABINET OFFICIAL. I WAS JUST INFORMED THAT GOTT HAS REVERSED ITSELF AND WILL PERMIT USE OF TEXTEL FACILITIES. CBS NEWS REP HAS BEEN ADVISED.
FOX [Richard J. Fox, Jr., American Ambassador to Trinidad]
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