Attitude of Ambassador Belt, February 9, 1948
Enrique Ovares and Alfredo Guevara reportedly arrived Bogota early afternoon April 6, from
Barranquilla. Embassy has unconfirmed report Carlos Iglesias, member Argentine Delegation
recent ITO Conference, and right-hand man of Molinairi, who now reportedly Bogota, paid trip
Ovares and Guevara and trip of three other Cuban Communists to Venezuela and Central
America (purpose trip to organize student opinion againset Bogota Conference, ERP and US
policy). Reliably reported Iglesias, who was active furthering Argentina efforts in Cuba during
ITO Conference, recently attempted get article criticam of ERP and Secretary Marshall published in
Habana.
Cuban Government Sending official plane Bogota to fetch Delegation to Habana.
Airgram #440 from Habana Embassy to Secretary of State, April 12, 1948
Airgram #441 from Habana Embassy to Secretary of State, April 12, 1948
Airgram #451 from Habana Embassy to Secretary of State, April 14, 1948
Report from US embassy in Havana on Cuban press coverage, April 15, 1948
There can be little doubt but that the FEU insofar as its "foreign" policies and management are
concerned is completely controlled by Communists and completely indoctrinated in the "Moscow
Line". During the past six months at no time has any pronouncement of the FEU on any
international matter varied one iota from the "Moscow line".
In a telephone conversation with Ambassador Belt this morning, the Ambassador remarked that he had made a bitter anti-Communist speech the day before the revolt in Bogotá, and felt the Communists might try to take reprisals against him. He said that in order to afford protection for himself and for the other members of his delegation, he had arranged for his Government to send a few Cuban troops to Bogotá. He went on to say that there was a disturbance in front of the building where he was staying, but that the Cuban soldiers armed with submachine guns were able to quell the disturbance without much trouble.
The Ambassador stated that he gained the impression that the Government of Colombia did not represent the majority of the people and that economic and social conditions were so bad in Colombia that a great deal of dissatisfaction existed among the people. He expressed the opinion, however, that the Communists actually spearheaded the revolt.
Airgram #461 from Habana Embassy to Secretary of State, April 16, 1948
Airgram #473 from Habana Embassy to Secretary of State, April 20, 1948
Please reply urgently whether ENRIQUE OVARES, President, and ALFREDO GUEVARA, Secretary of Federación Estudiantil Universitaria de CUba, are known Communists. Also whether RAFAEL LISARO DEL PINO and FIDEL ALEJANDRO CASTRO, Cuban students representing Latin American Student Confederation, are Communists. All four were here during incident of April 9.
Rafael DEL PINO, previously identified as one of the Cuban students armed with rifles during the April 9 revolution, is actually a professional machinist. I saw today his identification as member of:
The Union of Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (CIO). Registration book R-8621 issued May, 1946.
Sindicato de Mecánicos Prácticos y Motoristas Navales de Cuba. Syndicate card no. 285 issued in November, 1945.
Confederacion de Trabajadores de Cuba. Registration card no. 367,169 issued probably in 1945.
He held a U.S. draft registration card issued in New York in 1946 when he gave his address as West 83rd Street, although I did not get his house number.
These identification documents belonging to Del Pino were in the possession this morning of one Hernando MATIZ Navarro, who, I belive, is a member of the Security Police of Bogotá. Matiz said the documents were held by the manager of the Claridge Hotel, who turned them over to the police. Matiz said he was on his way to deliver these documents to the Ministry of War.
The report indicates that [Cuban] Ambassador Belt received permission from some
Colombian authorities for this plane and its passengers to depart and that the two cuban students,
described as Fidel Castro and Rafael del Pino, left on this plane. The report adds: "Later
Ambassador Belt was very angry to hear that the said students had taken part in the activities at
Bogota, having assassinated several clergymen, and had engaged in other criminal
offenses."
Castro and del Pino confirmed Ovares press statement that preliminary meetings were
taking place in Bogota between student representatives of a number of Latin American
countries when the revolution broke out. ... Ovares, Guevara and Castro told an informant of
a controlled American source after their return from Bogota that Gaitan was "sponsoring" the
student meeting in Bogota.
Airgram #441 from Habana Embassy to Secretary of State, April 28, 1948
Airgram #1069 from Habana Embassy to Secretary of State, September 23, 1948
Airgram #1093 from Habana Embassy to Secretary of State, September 28, 1948
Airgram #1095 from Habana Embassy to Secretary of State, September 29, 1948
Captain Espiritto refused to furnish information regarding his citizenship in order that a formal application
for registration as an American citizen be executed. He did state, however, that he was born in San
Pedro, California on June 24, 1924, and had in his possession New York driver's license No. 5806360
dated April 2, 1956.
Although Capt. Espiritto refused to furnish other biographical details or information regarding his entry
into the Cuban Armed Forces, it appears that he is under arrest for being involved in an incident a month
or so ago in which he was acting in an official capacity at the time of the death by shooting of another
member of the Revolutionary Forces.
Capt. Espiritto stated that he was placed under detention as a Captain in the Revolutionary Army and he
intended to be released the same way; he did not want the Embassy's assistance saying he felt he was
a Cuban. He added, however, that he may yet request the Embassy's intervention in the event his trial
proves serious enough to warrant the death penalty.
John Meckpless Espiritto, a Captain in the Revolutionary Forces of Cuba, was arrested on or about March 26,
1959 by Cuban authorities and detained for investigation regarding suspicion of involvement of murder of
another member of the Revolutionary Forces. Captain Espiritto, at the time of his arrest, was Chief of the
Habana Highway Patrol.
On April 1, 1959, a consular officer visited Captain Espiritto at La Cabaña Fortress prison in order
to determine Espiritto's citizenship status. At that time he said he was born in San Pedro, California. He
refused to furnish information in order to execute an application for registration as an American citizen.
He stated that he is Cuban; was arrested as a Captain in the Revolutionary Forces and intended to be
tried under the same circumstances.
On April 23, 1959, the Office of the Naval Attache of the Embassy informed the reporting officer that Captain
Espiritto was tried in Santa Clara, Cuba, by a Revolutionary Court, found guilty and sentenced to one year in
prison. However, the sentence was suspended provided Espiritto remain in Cuba and not leave Habana
Province.
Dr. Francisco Gnecco Mozo, former Cultural Attaché of the Colombian Embassy, spoke to
me by telephone today and yesterday ... As usual, he talked about Fidel Castro and his associates
and their conection with the Bogotazo. He maintains that he himself saw Castro leading a mob there on
April 8, 1948, [sic] and that Castro may even have saved his life, when he stopped the mob attacking
his automobile, by crying out: "No los maten. Los mecicos nos serviván!"
He told me "Reader's Digest" has bought and paid for an article written by him, accusing Castro of
complicity in the Bogotazo. ...
Participation of Fidel Castro in the rioting in Bogotá, April, 1948, December 16, 1959
Participation of Fidel Castro in the Bogotazo of April, 1948, February 25, 1960
Department is particularly interested in Embassy's evaluation of El Siglo's flat statement that Castro and
Rafael del Pino went to Bogota in April 1948 as communist agents, replacing two Russians who were told
to remain in Cuba for reasons of "personal security." In addition, identification of "foreign" intervention
on Castro's behalf at time of his arrest by secret police and nationality of foreign diplomatic vehicle which
allegedly carried him to airport would be of considerable interest.
Secret Telegram from State Department to Bogotá Embassy, March 12, 1960
I enclose a copy of the April 9 issue of La Republica which has commemorative articles on the Bogotazo.
These articles may be of some historical interest particularly the ones on Fidel Castro's role in the Bogotazo.
... you will note that the articles on Castro's role in the Bogotazo are taken from Dubois' book and the book by
Alberto NIÑO, and the article on his early life from a variety of sources including Drew Pearson.
With reference to the articles charging a Communist conspiracy in the assassination of Gaitan, it is of some
interest to note that a few days after this issue of La Republica appeared, the famed Scotland Yard report,
written shortly after the Gaitan assassination, was finally delivered to the Colombian authorities. We have
not yet seen the report -- and I do not know if we can get a copy ...
One new element reportedly uncovered in the investigation was that Gaitan had made a notation of an
appointment he was to have had with Castro at 1:00 P.M. on April 9. He was, of course, unable to keep that
appointment, having been assassinated a few minutes after one.
Mariano Ospina Perez Salvo al Pais Hoy Hace Trece Años / Fidel Castro dirigió al comunismo internacional en Bogotá el 9 de abril.
Emocionada improvisación del presidente Ospina Pérez el once de abril de 1948.
Legado precioso y risueño
Una hermana de Fidel Castro estuvo escondida en Bogotá en 1948 / La Tragedia del Nueve de Abril
Antecedentes y Secretos del Nueve del Abril de 1948 / Nieto Caballero y el 9 de Abril.
Enérgica, Viril y Patriótica fue la Actutud del Presidente / El Presidente Ospina Autorizó que Abandonáramos el Palacio.
Juan Lozano y Lozano y el Nueve de Abril / La niñez y juventud de Fidel Castro
Dueño de sí Mismo Permaneció Ospina en Palacio el Nueve de Abril del Año de 1948.
Ospina Salvó la Civilización: Laureano Gómez / Fidel Castro dirigió al comunismo internacional en Bogotá el 9 de abril.
Bogotá Demonstrations in Memory of Gaitán, April 17, 1959
[Rafael del Pino] was born in Cuba and was naturalized a United States citizen while serving in the United States Armed Forces approximately 12 years ago. The number of his naturalization certificate is 692 4498.
Del Pino's sister and aunt who visited Embassy yesterday stated he naturalized as World
War II veteran although never went overseas.
The charge arose from the slaying of a Cuban during an attempt to assassinate Rolando Masferrer, then a pro-Batista Senator, on Sept. 15, 1949.
Reminding him of our conversation of a few days ago in which he asked for any data on Cuban subversive activities
here that the Embassy might be in a position to provide, I told [Dr. Joaquin] Gori that we believed that all the
information that had come to our knowledge was already in the hands of DAS (formerly SIC). However, I suggested
that it might be interesting to look into a rumor we had heard to the effect that the Cubans were financing Gloria
Gaitán de Valencia and her husband to establish a new newspaper which ostensibly would be a socialist
mouthpiece. Gori at once commented that they already had definite proof that the Cubans had given Gloria a check
for $80,000 and he supposed that the money would be put to some end furthering the Cuban cause.
Renewed Attempt to Secure Fidel Castro Testimony in Gaitan Assassination, May 13, 1960 Subject: CUBA, August 9, 1960
Gaitán's Desk Calendar, revealed to the public in 1961, shows a meeting with Fidel Castro and Rafael del Pino on the afternoon of April 7th. Image from El Bogotazo
Cuba Series: Publication of Soviet Commentary on Castro and the "Bogotazo," January 5, 1961
Letter from Isabel Siero to Thomas Mann, March 16, 1961
Fidel Castro and the Colombian Courts, October 10, 1961
A State Department spokesman said that U.S, officials, who will open a special office in the
Swiss embassy in Havana on Thursday, will try to find out whether Del Pino is dead, and if
he is dead, whether he committed suicide. Rafael del Pino Jr. says he's skeptical of the suicide story.
He said his father called him from prison a few weeks ago and had said that he was optimistic that he
would be freed soon.
Fidel Castro en El Bogotazo, por Arturo Alape
Fidel Castro Reveals Role in 9 April Colombian Uprising,
El Siglo, 11 April 1982
Historia Oculta de los Crimenes de Fidel Castro, por Ramon Conte, 1995, pp. 18-22.
Note: these FBI documents were released after more than four years of litigation. I settled the case with the FBI because I wanted to appeal an adverse ruling in favor of the CIA, and did not want to extend the litigation any longer. As a result, I did not contest the redactions on these FBI documents, and I hope someone else will do so. It is not clear whether the "Castro" referred to in these documents is Fidel - if so, it would be quite surprising to find him in Colombia in 1945 and 1946. These documents are somewhat unusual - most of what I received from the FBI was relatively unredacted and uninteresting.
Summary of Communist Activities in Colombia, October 1945, Nov. 21, 1945