811.34531/11
The American Ambassador in Venezuela (Corrigan) to the Venezuelan Minister for Foreign Affairs (Parra-Pérez)2
Excellency: I have the honor to refer to the Staff Agreement drawn up in Caracas on January 15, 1942,3 by the military and naval representatives of the United States of America and the United States of Venezuela and to inform Your Excellency that my Government, in conformity with the notes in this connection exchanged between the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and this Embassy, has accepted the following modifications and interpretations which have been agreed upon by the appropriate authorities of both countries:
- 1.
- The Government of Venezuela, taking into consideration the grave present situation and desirous of cooperating efficaciously with the United States in all matters related to the defense of the Continent, ratifies the permission for entry into Venezuelan territorial waters for vessels and aircraft of the armed forces of the United States of America.
- 2.
- The Government of the United States of America promises to furnish, through its appropriate authorities, the technical assistance, services and materials requested by the Government of Venezuela, within the limit of the resources available and taking into account the commitments of the United States of America to countries engaged in war against the Axis nations.
- 3.
- The two Governments are in agreement that the mechanics of the Air Corps of the United States servicing planes making use of Venezuelan airports, maintain their civil character in conformity with the provision of Article 7 of the mentioned agreement of January 15, 1942.
- 4.
- Paragraph d) of Article 11 of the cited
Staff Agreement of January 15, 1942, is amended as follows:
“d) The United States agrees to furnish like protection to ships and aircraft of Venezuela’s armed forces which may be in the seaports or upon the airports of the United States or of any of her possessions or those overseas bases in Newfoundland and in the Islands of Bermuda, the Bahamas, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Antigua and in British Guiana.”
This note and that of Your Excellency in the same sense will establish that the Staff Agreement drawn up on January 15, 1942 by the military and naval representatives of the United States of America and the United States of Venezuela is now in effect, subject to the modifications and interpretations agreed upon by the appropriate authorities of the two Governments as herein set forth.4
I avail myself [etc.]