nena entree tn >» . | ' ; A ’ ‘ Ste herr Tites. Bt cr Soe]. Ge al ) oo | Ws ’ \ 1 i Biography by Ihe stow Wow seeped 4 Elena Garro de Paz,was born of Spanish parents in Alli nfoegntiae ya this secdi« :, : . frome Biozraphy Data fourm prepared & 7 Puebla, Mexico on December ll, 1917. Ms. Garro Attended eherles | : “Thoma sl a culled the National Autonomous University of Mexico and later did graduate work at Berkley in California and at the University of Paris. In 1963, Elena had long been married to Octavio Das, A caresr diplomat who is also one of Mexico's finest poets and leading intellectuals. When Octavio was named Mexican Ambassador to India, the couple separated by mutual consent. Elena's daughter, also named Elena, has always resided with her mother. Since Elena spent seventeen years of her early life in Europe she had a rather un-Mexican objectivity about her native land and had a reputation for being one if its more articulate detractors. At the same time, Elena was considered emotionally committed to many aspects of Mexican life and made an important contribution to its artistic development. In the 1960's Elena became a significant writer. Hogar Solido, El' Rey Mago, La Senora en ‘su Balcon, Ventura ' Allende, Andaise or las Ramas, Parada Empresa, and El Viaje are plays that have had appreciative audiences in Europe, where they were translated into German, as well as in Mexico. Ms. Garro's short stories are collected in a volume called La Semana de Colores. The Literacy Supplement of the London Times has called her novel, Los Recuerdos de Porvenir, Va 24mes ahs mete rags ge rorvenir
EJL First Draft e splendid success." ,Critics have said of her: "For Elena Garro, there is no frontier between reality and fantasy; in any case, the latter is a second reality-- | perhaps more intense-- to which one may penetrate without passport or forewarning, thanks to the effectiveness of a literature fired with passion, flavor and rite." | many people who knew Elena have asserted that the frontier between reality and fantasy is also difficult for her to . . oe Elen Gare de Ae distinguish in real life. [6issephy Dot= Ferm prepared by Charles Thenad | Ms. Garro, for many years, was an active worker in the Confederacion Nacional Campesina (CNC), the agrarian arm of the Partido Reformista (PRI). Because Ms. Garro was a tireless propagandist and agitator on behalf of the poorer Mexican peasants, she was on close personal terms with and enjoyed the respect of peasant leaders. from all over the country. ( ct) Elena was considered a witty, urbane and opinionated woman with an unflagging sense of humor. Her forthright opinions and sharp wit tended on occasion to ruffle feathers in Mexico, but her important social, literacy, and political connections rendered her fairly immune from serious counter- attack until 1968. Then, Ms. Garro was forced to flee the country with her daughter, Elenita and her sister, Deba ‘Guerrero de Galvan, in the midst of the student strikes. The House Seleet Committee on Assassinations has been unable ts . ein Meni . determine the eyact ceasen Aer Garra had Sn flee 4 emico Ly
Td eae” EJL First Draft é Page. 3 Before her disappearance from Mexico, Elena was well disposed toward the United States and had been friendly with Embassy officers. Her broad range of signifi- cant personal friends, the views of many important to the American Embassy, made her a useful Embassy target.) Through- out the early 1960's she was carried as a target in the Embassy's Youth Program. . American Embassy employees dealing with Elena believed that despite her access to the uriderground happenings in Mexico, tendency while She veperted , Peeper atl to Tomanticize developments in—reporting-on—them made it evaluate hee ovecatl ceed: hb: ‘Cty. difficult at _tinosto-determine what degret of exedence te-pilace—on-whet mignt truty—be—tsefut—and—eenerete—information. L i “oseful anwar target Vs & Person deemed am pertant bree mk, | oF ae a ace sd pe CAP aw c +o merit fee quent contact, cmougl . be fEkseials waetign E@mbeSiY o crs cither wi te oft unuidtia 4? de th prmericne r
Sale tebe. —oting bp Lone. _ Gamera | | Oclce.. een hf An ttenthes Tak Aan “ao «hw... Errnnatcte le. K724) P87, CLA... —_ — The story is not as detailed as the 10/5/64. version. There is no mention of Deba Garro Guerrero Galvan. Story, The perhaps because it is third hand, differs from the Previous Story in two areas; The Party was at the Cuban Embassy not. at Ruben Duran! ‘sy Elena talked to a Cuban ‘Embassy official not one of her cousins about. the three Americans. a
Cookl&® T yan any ae tty men gren tn ———-* Sete — moti L 96 CBI Lets 865 — Rage Din : the tepeioy 4 Occkicboan. astcben 2,./16 330. t Fe: t [es- e253 o- ar a Dec. ited eatedles Lee Oswacn, p.1J eee | Sr none Yim Ke pte | { | | “Elena: was. questioned regarding the i identity of other persons attending the party at the Ruben Duran home who might have been in a position to observe the three Americans. Elena stated that in the ‘course of the party her daughter met a goung. ma named "Alejandro" at the party and danced with him. He was, apparently quite smitten with the - daughter and ‘tried to” call her on several occasions after bd es the party’’ The daughter did not take the calls and as welt ae Lawiidtite, ath ites dea ey WAS SA acca Se SS pete wt a result “Alejandro" wrote several letters to the daughter. Ms. Garro exhibited two of the letters, as well as a business card: which identified the young man as Ario Alejandro 7 Lavagnini Stenius. (zprD 3).
tine aoe en hcie Shade: Rate naneievain Ra . ; paecemcecoel : one , The letter which Ms. ‘Garro said was the first written by the young man to her daughter bore the date September 1, 1963 and the Mexico City Post Office postmark September 2, 1963. When Ms, Garro was told this she. commented that ro ablyPthe Communists have facilities for falsifying postcards. (IBID) investigate Ms. Garro's stor sche Federal Bureau interviewed Ario Alejandro Lavagnini Stenius on November 27, 1964, (r820°} Lavadnini recalled that there were approximately thirty people at the Ruban Duran:party, few of whom he knew. He recalled having met a Mexican girl who, had recently returned from living in France. He was \ unable to fix the date of the party, but felt it was probably early in September because of a heavy rain which | occurred as they were leaving the party about 2:00 a.m | | | (IBID. p. 4) | Lavagnini noted no Americans Present at this party, He was familiar with the appearance of Lee Harvey Oswald because of publicity following the assassination of President Kennedy but otherwise had no knowledge of him and had never seen him except for news photographs folioving, the, asgnggine tion, \ (IBID. Pe 4) mn neg, a na ae op acsebaneddlae Ailsa aad ao is no indication On the document that this information was given to the Central Intelligence Agency '! Is Mexico City Station.
AS ee aetna bd. th ELE A Ghkeeo WHERE. OSWALD rs. DEscessep. ieee First Meedin On (12/10/65 Charles Thomas, a political officer at the American Embassy, wrote & memorandum about a conversation with Elena Garro de Paz, (CIA #586-587, . WH" 7241 Entry No. 425, p. 91, CIA No. 718, -) The meeting with Elena had been about other matters but she mentioned — knowing Oswald. Thomas noted that she was reluctant to talk but dia. Crbd) Elena's story reported here is the same, but with dated sel sfe4 more details, as that given, in the] LICOOKIE tend She Sese esos (a Friend of Rueben Dd. man's) said that General Clark Flores, Silvia Duran, Eusebio : Claeban Consul ian Aesicn Cot4) the Dernet s . : CA preee Comonenist wester Fetemd of Azcue, Emilio Carballidos and a Latin American Negro man with red hair“wore ot the party. A marginal comment by this entry. in WX-7241 ‘Says, "How did Elena know. about a req-~ ~haired Negro?" Elena also told Thomas that she had later learned that Silvia Duran had been. "Oswald's mistress while he was there." (a note by this entry in WX~7241 Says "How did Elena Garro know. about Silvia being the mistress of Oswald?? (This is 1965 sake Se Mewes ne Stews A net Nene esl tint nye c noe | eemene om at the Elena told Thomas that she and per daughter had | gone to the Cuban Embassy @n November 1963, Cheemineide ssasins" and other insults a 7 | the Sates—they eet, Were, Entey Wh.uzs, 9.41, CIA No, ans} | | the Embassy employees. ta : That fame da ay friend, Manuel Calvillo, an official in the Gobernacion, took her and her daughter to a small hotel: in the center
ibid) of Mexico ‘city £ They were kept there for eight days under the pretext that they were in danger, Elena claimed to have told Calvillo that she wanted to tell her Story to the American Embassy("” Calvillo dissuaded her by ‘Selling her that the American Embas Sy was full of Communist _ spies” ‘Blena’ said that some “of the other people who. had. been at the party were taken to Veracruz : obid : .. where they were " abe hawt b Governor Lo $2, Arias. gah on Y p red PS ee eee oe Veter 2 eke She said that. Ruben Duran, ‘reportedly "protected® by General Clark. Flores, was very prosperous and was driving a big car, Tea # See-S84, Garret, Baty ne "8, 0.44, CrA we. wad ” = iran ted hee _manths a bhee et racily yy Corn ment St om wn ob, that web. ras Per ifs Pe : eee Stet devs vse The cos wrote a note on the meio which ‘says: "What an imagination she has!?! Should we send to Headquarters?" The Officer replied, "Suggest sending. — There have been stories around town about all this, and Thomas is not only person she has talked to...If memory serves me, didn't [ ntcooxzz reser to Oswald and the local leftists and Cubans _in one of her squibs?" (CIA No. 588, note fron m Sito c Cos.) Fe age
—fohe « cable te that Elena’ Ss - : OEY would 1 be “checked awtofscmn iJ against the pro- duction from [the Cuban surveillance operation] "and other lv iasten sources,": (IBID. ) Scott wrote, next to the routing indications on the cable, "Please ask Charles Thomas ae if he'll "follow-up". Get questions from Anne G. Please let's discuss. Thanks." After the December 10 nenorandunfbonversations, Winston Scott (Chief/Station) and Nathan Ferris. (Legal Attache) called C. Thomas for a meeting. They asked him to get a more detailed replay of Ms. Garro's story. At this meeting Winston Scott made it clear that the FBI had full responsibility for any further investigation in the Oswald case. (State Dept: letter from Charles Thomas to William P. Rogers, July 25, 1969, JFK Doc. #
C Cleve . io Charles . Themes. Needing re se ElEWA. AG ABR o, ON |. Decen GER 257 19S a "Thomas met with Elena again on December 25, 1965, The same date he wrote a memorandum of conversation which provided a much more detailed angoecletieeste restatement of Ms. Garro's alleged encounter with Lee Harvey Oswald and subsequent developments. (CIA Nos. 580=-583; WX-7241, Entry #427, p. 92, CIA #719) | Elena admitted. that she had spoken to two men at ye the Embassy "(presumably from the Legal Attache's Office) ." Cibid : The meeting gecurted oa Mover, 140d) . Ske said that she did not tell them the GREE? story because "the Embassy officers did not give much credence te anything she and & leaites sari” Cm Cra Mes. S80-5&3 > UW x- 72, Entry 427, 9.9% era 719) | She stated that the party had been at Ruben Duran's . . ihe ry) the date of the party. It was a few days before the Soviet Astronaut, Ga visited Mexico; Cibd home.” She was unclear about garin, she thought that this would around September 2 or 3, 1963. ; Put the party «hi She believed that the party
During the conversation Elena described Oswald ; . C1600) and his companions. The man who she thought was Oswald wore a black sweater. She said he was quiet "and stared a : ' a0) lot at the floor."* One of his companions "was very tall and slender and had long blond hair which hung across his forehead te had a gaunt face and a rather long protruding chin."'the other companion was also tall, with short, light brown hair and no S@aiey distinguishing characteristics .{ib) The three Americans did not dance or mix with the other guests {"Piena Saw the same three men on the street the next day. (IBID.) | | | " Blena was certain that Eusebio Azcue, Horacio Duran, — Silvia Duran, Lydia Duran, Deba Guerrero, General Clark Flores and his mistress, a doctor from Dalinde Hospital, Toren cereme 6 ne cance ects ce eitatnae eam ete ea en Ae cat ath cae ce sano men eee cece a eae Timea o6 seicenentm tone ee ate ie Ae ee cae nM te me sietaten soe bane
EJL First Draft . basal s ° a young American couple who were honeymooning in Mexico, and several other people were at the party!” She said ' that Ricardo Guerra, whom she claims converted Horatio Duran to Communism, and his wife, Rosario Castellanos, were supposed to be at the party but did not Ghawcap . @he red-haired man and Emilio Carballido were not at the party that Oswald attended but at another party where Carballido and Azcue got into a heated argument about President Kennedy.” "they came to the conclusion that the only solution was to kill him." (IBID.) Elena was not clear on whether this party was before or after Hew Saleat Commi thee the party where she met Oswald.¢:4i/) The Meve shhd weebih ded met wcceed w usatle fo confiem the converavtion. Gutebie Asewe “ hes been v betwen Neve % Cocbeilid es Elena said Bhat Carballidd "is a known Castro agent in Mexico." ee After the assassination he spent a year in Cuba ‘” He then got a job teaching at Rutgers University wreaks Som di ron mfemn Pectarate ase Dr. Jgse.v SSAC E, Amaral (bis), rhe Hovse Select Committee has been . sh< fhe tneident at the Cuban Embassy, where Stena and her daughter shouted "assassins", etc., at the Embassy employees, occured on November 23rd at or about 3:00 bid? pmo Elena and Elénita were driven to the Cuban Embassy by Elena's brother who was embarrassed by their behavior. (b) This occured before they had seen photographs of Oswald, (6:4) As. Carco alaimed Huot Later. ; eaet day they were visited by Manuel Calvillo Shere who told them that they were in serious danger from the Communists. and that he would take them to a small hotel,
‘) where they would be safe, for a few days. Elena said she trusted and believed Calvillo because he was a Metican C userntesd | bid . known undercover agent for the Gekeunreten / The was Ha, Him stress & Bote yes fis “y also a friend of Noe Palomares and,Gystavo Diaz Ordaz (bia) calfvillo also told Blena and her daughter that Silvia Duran had been arrested. Duran's arrest was not public - on Navewber 23,146 % information’ 3b-the—cime. (\bisd Elena could not remember the name of the hotel so thet seme y folks} she took Thomas to the section of Mexico City where she thought it was.' They found the note1 {Pe was the Vermont Hotel, Calle Vermont 29.° Plena said that she assumed that Calvillo had registered them as relatives or friends, ¢.6-) They stayed at the hotel until the following Friday, Nov. >) 30, 1963 hardly leaving their rooms, ¢: 1D (Se ea SoA 4 gt eiies Elenite Sihile they were at ‘the hotel they saw the photos Elena elet*e - Of Oswald and realized that he had been the man at Ruben oP?) Duran's party. * When Calvillo visited them at the hotel Elena told him that ae wanted to report it to the frow ‘American Embassy y Calvillo dissuaded her by Stating (bid) E leas stated thet that the American Embassy was full of Communists! _ Ahen She Elena returned temher home, guards were posted outside,©*<) She Hee Akent Coacrttine howe Stee ttn he he es | | t i 1 as 7 phe Clana alleged OF ter she returned home Hiresre, saw her sister, . who ee ndeeendeat q Deba Guerrera, pela had atso come to the same conclusion. eae s© trdependentiyrci—Etena. Deba was "terrified" Approximately
EJL First Draft (1) -pagemps ‘two months after the assassination two “communists" hed personally sacadd ed her never to. reveal that (ie: 2 She had been to a party with Oswald. -Deba, consequently, would not accompany Elena to the American Embassy to tell her storyo.r Waev.24, 044, Cob) Elena said that a few days after the assassination Emilio Carballido took the Duran's to Jalapa, Veracruz and “kept them out of the wey yntil the initial shack of the assassination wore off," The ewe Select Gmnsttee hag been enable + As Can kiran awee's a the ort." fe; . . Elena also $e2% that Shortly after the assassination an American named June Cobb spent several days in her ‘ bid): bode os cee - 2A, house” Ms. Cobb had been sent to Elena by a mutual friend, (.4 id Eunice Odio. - Cobb was at Btena's house she expressed san interest i : ja Cheam OAE MG ign : oid yiseté j € C in the Kennedy assassination. Deba’ got drunk one-night and told Ms. Cobb the entire story" 3s Cobb wanted them . b:e, to go to the American authorities [ Claiming to be a CIA agent | tobe ecismd-Raime—yoIny-Tochewanertewinbacsy. C+bb Sie Suggested that Elena and Deba go to Texas to tell their WD story.” When her ‘Suggestion was rejected, Cobb said that ——, She would arrange a meeting with the CIA Station Chief. oN The meeting did not occur because Ms. Cobb was asked to
EJL st eft leave the Garro house; yea because she kicked Elena's cat. C: vid) | a ee ~ : circ —_ Eleaa elas acd Ruben Duran visited ztena as@and the end of C<rA Nts, & ib, MGs TANI, Entes Fye7, 9.42, cra #74 pete January, 1964. He was worried that Oswald's visit to his home might be discovered and that he might lose his Mexican citizenship(”” Ruben told Elena that it had been Silvia who had gotten him involved with Oswald. Ubsd Rubefi added that he was not really a communist’ and had had opposed the assassination. < we 2 LD hove whe sty. WSCA Stier | weer SAL Dat 7) oe ena said nat she had told her story to Noe Palomares of the Gobernacion about six months after the wed) assassinations” He advised against. going to the American Embassy and told her that if. she did anything at all 1) The Committee sgeoke - . she should merely write an @honymous | letter,¢-6: "tp fle. Palomares whe denied a Prem Cis a verterstew 0 Alte Celmores THK Doe. }Blena stated that it was "common knowledge" (rd MoS. F80-S8R Ware, Entry # ¥27, pg2 that Siivia had. been Oswald's mistress. When asked who erat ag could verify the allegation she could only remember one person who had- told her this.’ that person was. _Victor e alan 7% decd, Rico Galan, a "pro=Castro journalist." ibid. Bvt ae G ; e Comms Hee cuvld met vers + Garces & Hegater wal A Lehtonen 5 During these conversations Elena also said that ae she "understood" that Oswald had been in Mexico mor than once, SEA) he “)
Subsequent to December 25, 1965, ‘Thomas wrote in the Dec. 25, 1965 memo that Elena had found her calendar September not early September. When Thomas went to Ferris' office and informed him, Ferris replied that Elena had given the late September date when she had Jo thew 5 However, Mr. Ferris explained that someone who had been at the party had stated that there were no Americans yer - teil Ke Thos there Mr. Ferris did not reveal that Ario Alejandro ial to pursue the matter since he considered the Oswald case CFbI Report, Isley ,¢ closed and had heard all the rumors before. ‘(Bee ) wl ee Ens! i et | and. had ‘reconstructed the date of the party as late 42 (CIA Nes: S¥0-S%> | WIEN G Enteg ty at, cra vag . ¢ Fel Report, originally reported her story at the American Embassy. (f>% pao. Lavagnini Stenius Ferris had provided this information up f: ) Mr. Ferris suggested that it was not necessary for Thomas pey, sha Dic, fo
ew Win © Rqotieintias ed .2 vere evemaiy oo No further reports on Elena's story were generated until 1969 when Charles Thomas was "selected out. ("Selected out" is a phrase used when an officer is retired after having been in one grade for the. maximum period of time and is not ‘considered qualified for promotion to a { en, he wrote a hebhan coe De higher grade). | Then, he wrote & »ebtex—and memorandum o : yo ules BBorer (atter shot. “9 J oo 1 . tothe Secretary of State ayinge "Since I was the Embassy ac aguwited i Officer in Mexico who acquired this intelligence information, I feel a.  Fesponsibility for Seeing: it Fhrough to its final mamas evaluation." (State Dept.: Letter from Charles Thomas to Secretary of State, July 25, 1969) “Were William Rogers, | meted a ett ne |S etl te thant de mathe Atte ges ater — - & State Department ¢ Letter Fram Ehar les he tens fh ae Rogers Secretory of siute, lyas, mc ae teeny herent Renate Felead enon sentence