497. Memorandum of a Conversation Between President Stroessner and the First Secretary of the Embassy in Paraguay (Wardlaw), Asunción, November 28, 19551

During the graduation of the Cadets of the Liceo Militar on November 27, President Stroessner called me over to sit next to him on the stand. He opened the conversation by saying that he regretted very much that Assistant Secretary Holland had not been able to come to Paraguay to see at first hand the conditions in the country.2 He said that each country has its special problems which must be seen to be understood, and he added that Paraguay has been systematically misrepresented abroad recently. I said that I was sure that Mr. Holland regretted that he could not visit Paraguay at this time but that he intended to come here on a later trip. The President mentioned Mr. Holland’s presence in Bolivia, and I observed that because of the very delicate internal situation in that country our Government had found it necessary to give special assistance to the Bolivian Government. He remarked that relations between Bolivia and Paraguay were excellent.

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The President then expressed regret that the trip to Ingavi3 had fallen through. He asserted that actually there are no political prisoners in camps or prisons in the Chaco or other outlying areas except seven or eight Communists in Bahia Negra. I said that I had already formed the same general impression. … Regarding the trip to the Chaco, I suggested as my personal opinion that the best way to arrange for an inspection of the area would be for the Paraguayan Embassies in Buenos Aires and elsewhere to approach press representatives directly and to keep the matter strictly between the Paraguayan Government and the press.

Although the President did not comment on my suggestion he launched into criticism of the foreign press, particularly for its publication of charges that the Paraguayan Government’s invitation to foreign Ambassadors to visit these camps constituted promotion by the Colorado Government of foreign intervention in the internal affairs of Paraguay. He said that these charges were instigated by Liberal and Communist exiles and pointed out that the Liberals, while criticizing this invitation as the promotion of foreign intervention in the internal affairs of the country, had supported the revolution of 19474 which was under Communist leadership, and he asked what more a party could do to promote foreign intervention than to assist Communists in their efforts to gain power. The President said that his Government was not seeking to promote intervention, but merely to see that correct information about conditions in Paraguay was sent abroad.

The President repeated several times his concern about the bad name his Government was receiving abroad through the activities of the Liberal exiles. The President said that he was not concerned about the Government’s security, for internally the Government was firmly in control. He said that his Government was not a dictatorship but was based on the will of the people and he cited the great applause with which he is greeted on public appearances as evidence that he has wide popular support. He said that he had been urged repeatedly to establish a military dictatorship through a coup d’état but he had always rejected that idea because he wishes to respect the institutions of government. He repeated that his Government was not a dictatorship and declared that he wanted to see an [Page 1008] opposition in the country, but it would have to be a responsible opposition. I said that probably the best course of the Government in the face of this criticism would be to carry forward its program of positive reforms.

Shifting to Argentina, he said that Paraguay was not now and never had been a satellite of Argentina or any other country. He repeated this thought several times. He said that the Government of Paraguay had maintained good relations with the Government of Argentina under Peron and that he saw no reason why such relations should not be continued under the present Government. He said that while General Lonardi was in power, the Argentine Government had sent a civilian and a military agent to discuss with him relations between the two countries and that they had held very satisfactory conversations. While he said several times that he saw no obstacle in the way of good relations with the present Argentine Government, in the course of this conversation he showed serious concern that the new Argentine Government might not be favorably inclined towards the Government of Paraguay. He mentioned the rumor that the Argentine Government would supply the Liberals with arms to overthrow his Government, but asserted that the Government of Argentina had too many internal problems to become involved in such matters.

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  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 734.00/11–2855. Confidential. Drafted by Wardlaw. Sent to the Department in despatch 185 from Asunción, November 28. (Ibid.)
  2. Holland visited five Latin American countries (Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina) between November 17 and December 4, 1955. He originally contemplated visiting all the South American countries at that time and asked the foreign offices of all for their reactions to the proposal. Paraguayan reaction was very favorable. Holland was unable to visit the others, and although he scheduled a tour of the remainder for January 29–February 12, 1956, the trip had to be postponed. Documentation pertaining to this subject is ibid., 110.5–HO.
  3. On November 18, Paraguayan Foreign Minister Sanchez called in representatives of the Governments of the United States, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil and expressed displeasure at the foreign press attitude toward Paraguay, particularly the practice of continually referring to the President as a dictator and repeating charges that there were political concentration camps in the Chaco region. He invited the four Chiefs of Mission, their military attachés, and some news reporters to make an inspection tour of the Chaco by plane. (Ibid., 911.6234/11–1855)
  4. Reference is to the rebellion which overthrew General Higinio Morínigo, President of Paraguay, 1940–1948.