814.01/10–2744: Telegram
The Chargé in Bolivia (McLaughlin) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:18 p.m.]
1841. From MoConaughy.33 Reference Embassy’s 1836 of October 26.34 Bolivian position re consultative procedure concerning Guatemala and El Salvador.
Foreign Minister35 informed me yesterday after he had seen the President36 that Bolivian Government could not logically or conscientiously participate actively in consultative procedure where only domestic overturns were involved and that this policy was consonant with various statements issued by the Bolivian Junta and Provisional Government during the period of its non-recognition.37 Andrade said that it was the firm belief of the Bolivian Government that in the absence of conclusive evidence of subversive outside influence in Latin American revolutions the presumption should be that such revolutions were of purely domestic origin and that consultative procedure in such cases would constitute unwarranted meddling in the affairs of the American Republic concerned. The Bolivian Government further believes that investigation of the ideology or the governing motives of revolutions originating within an American Republic by other American Republics is inappropriate and unjustified. The Bolivian Government maintains that the people of the country undergoing the overturn are in a better position to pass on these matters and approve a government than are the governments of other American Republics.
The Foreign Minister added, however, that the Bolivian Government has no present intention of taking action contrary to that agreed upon by the other American Republics after consultative procedure. The Bolivian Government merely intends to take a passive attitude particularly in view of its lack of representation in Guatemala and [Page 1147] El Salvador. It will neither participate in the consultative procedure nor recognize the new regimes in those countries in advance of the decision of the other American Republics. Andrade thought this decision would be satisfactory to the other American Republics since it implies that Bolivia will not take action contrary to their joint recommendations. The Foreign Minister said that the decision not to participate in any consultations was reinforced by the fact that Guatemala had been one of the sharpest critics of the Bolivian revolutionary Junta. The Bolivians wanted to repay this disservice with kindness and did not want it to appear that Bolivia was animated by any apparent motives of revenge [which] could be inferred from participation by Bolivia in consultations which might result unfavorably for the Guatemalan regime. Andrade said the Bolivian Government was interested in knowing whether the United States Government in recommending consultation was guided by information indicating that the Guatemalan and Salvadorean regimes were more questionable than the revolutionary Ecuadorean regime which recently was recognized expeditiously.38 [McConaughy.]
- Walter P. McConaughy, Commercial Attaché at La Paz.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Victor Andrade.↩
- Gualberto Villarroel.↩
- For correspondence on the delayed recognition of a revolutionary government in Bolivia in 1944, see pp. 427 ff.↩
- For correspondence on recognition of the revolutionary regime in Ecuador, see pp. 1036 ff.↩