AGENCY RECORD NUMBER RECORD SERIES AGENCY FILE NUMBER ORIGINATOR FROM TO TITLE DATE PAGES SUBJECTS DOCUMENT TYPE CLASSIFICATION RESTRICTIONS CURRENT STATUS DATE OF LAST REVIEW OPENING CRITERIA COMMENTS Date: Page: JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION FORM AGENCY INFORMATION CIA Peleased under the John 104-10310-10001 Kennedy JFK-MISC WSsassination Records CIA-DDP FILES ollection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 Nate). DOCUMENT INFORMATION baseg:nw 53320 Date: Ne—-24—-2017 CIA WITHHELD 01/14/61 7 ASCHAM PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT SECRET 1A RELEASED WITH DELETIONS ~ 09/21/98 JFK-M-07:F1 1998.09.21.08:25:56:936120: CIA-IR-34. CLASSIFIED 11/29/99 1 ARRB REQUEST: ATTACHMENT [R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED HW 53320 DBocld:32401389 Page 1
Meeting Date: 14 January 1961 1000 - 1200 hours Place: LITENSOR's Residence 7 C4@.-S | Persons Present: ASCHAM, LITENSOR. and CURTIS (as interpreter) ee ee. ete ee, PO, rp lou af $ seme eet LITENSOR stated that he had been looking forward to meeting ASCHAM for many months. He then said he would have known ASCHAM (in any place they might have met) to be related to his brother because of their physical resemblance. He talked of his two hour meeting with ASCHAM's brother in December 1958; he said he found ASCHAM's brother to be exactly the opposite of the way he was depicted in newspapers. ASCHAM's brother had an excellent sense of humor; they had several good jokes during the two hour conversation. LITENSOR said he knew in December 1958 that ASCHAM's brother was a very sick man. LITENSOK. also said he had known ASCHAM's nephew well for a five- year period when LITENSOR handled labor. He eaid this young man was so modest that he (LITENSOR) had not realized until after the five years that he was the son of ASCHAM’s brother. He found ASCHAM's nephew discreet, intelligent and an honest person whom he (LITENSOR) enjoyed dealing with. ASCHAM tola LITENSOR that he too had looked forward for many months to this meeting. ASCHAM said he had anticipated having a dis- cussion of mutual problems with LITENSOR Subjects discussed were: A. Cuba / ASCHAM said Cuba, which is now definitely Communist, is a problem for all Latin America as well as for the U.S.A. He said we in the U.S. Government are anxious to get the opinions of Latin American Governments concerning possible solutions to the Cuban problem--and we would hope that a majority of Latin American / countries would join us in solving this problem. 1 LITENSOF,. said Cuba was not just a hemispheric problem but was a world problem. HW 53320 DBocld:324013389 Page 2?
ASCHAM expressed doubt about the wisdom of bringing European countries into this Western Hemisphere problem; and with thie make it very difficult to deny that Russia, Com- munist China and Czechoslovakia had rights to help solve this Cuban problem. LITENSOR then backed off his point and agreed that Europe should not be brought in. He said Mexico from events of the nineteenth century has very good historical reasons for wishing to keep Europe out of Latin American internal (to the Western hemisphere) problems. LITENSOR said Mexico had a strict policy based upon a principle which forbade their interference in the internal affairs of any other country. For this reason he hoped the Cubans could get rid of CASTRO and Communism and settle their problema f themselves. Soviets, Communist Chinese and Czechoglovakians help it would be very hard for the Cuban pgople to establish a good government. LITENSOR said he would like to know the truth about the feelings of the (majority of) Cuban people on the subjects of CASTRO and Communism. He added that he did not feel the Cuban people | were people who could endure hardships and be disciplined as could the Chinese. He said Mexicans could live ten years off herbs and still fight for their revolution--but he believes the Cuban people lack fiber of this kind. He said he believed that whether or not CASTRO lasts for three years more will depend upon whether or not Cubans get sufficient foad. He believes this constant parading | by the Cuban militia and these expressions of fear of an invasion by the U.S.A. are crazy. | | ASCHAM said that with CASTRO's dictatorship and the i } | ASCHAM told him that these militia had to work during the day and parade at night; as a result the work is certain to suffer, these workers will be too tired to do much. ‘ LITENSOR said the U.S.A. could look upon the Cuban Cam- munist problem as one of an ‘international character" since there was absolutely no chance of Castroism having any real internal effect in the U.S.A. and its government. He said Mexico, on the ! v | wale HW 53320 DBocld:32401339 Page 3
other hand, and he (LITENSOR) had to consider the possibility . of internal security problems in Mexico because of Castroism. LITENSOR said there is a large body of sympathy for CASTRO . and his Revalution in Mexico. LITENSOR said this factor (a Mexican sympathy for CASTR ) had to be weighed by LITENSOR. in all actions concerning Cuba. For this reason, he added, no overt action to overthrow CASTRO A could be taken by Mexico. He said he personally wanted to get rid of CASTRO. and to have Cuba become a democracy; he offered to consider any recommended action by Mexico which ASCHAM wanted. He said that if ASCHAM would send CURTIS any such recommenda tion he and CURTIS would "analyze" it and he (LITENSOR) would then determine whether or not he could take the action. He said there are many things we should be able to do “beneath the table". ASCHAM agreed. LITENSOF. said that he personally was surprised when CASTRO adopted Communism. He said that when CASTRO was in Mexico he did not agree with Communism; LITENSOR said he knew this from several reliable Mexicans who knew CASTRO at this time. ASCHAM eaid there was no doubt now but that Cuba was in the hands of the Communists. LITENSOR aaid he attributed the failure of the Cuban Revolu- tion to achieve its original (worthy) objectives to the youth, inexperience and lack of ability of leaders--including CASTRO. ASCHAM aaid that CASTRO is not content to have Communism in Cuba; he is ambitious; he wishes to spread his philosophy to other Latin American countries. ASCHAM spoke of the precarious position of Venezuela and said that Peru, Colombia and some other Latin American countries were having troubles as well. LITENSOR eaid that in many Latin American countries the Communists and CASTRO find fertile ground for their subversion because the land in some of these countries {he did not specify any country) is held by a very few individuals while the masses live lives of misery and have no hopes under the present systems. 3 . AW 533320 Docld:32401369 Page 4
: NW 53320 He said that in Venezuela the problem is different; there the "fertile soil'' for Communist subversion is found in Caracas in the large number of unemployed. LITENSOB. said that Mexico because of the success of her revolution and because of the agrarian reform program which has been carried out could resist Communism. He added that there were some thirty (leading) Communists whose names and sayings appear over and over again and who hope to establish Communism there but he indicated that they would not succeed. LITENSOR then named some Communist leaders he now has in jail: He named Demetrio VALLEJO, Dionisio ENCINA, Valentin CAMPA, David ALFARO Siqueiros, and others. He said he felt sure that the great majority of Mexicans. are in favor of his jailing these Communist leaders. ASCHAM said President BETANCOURT was a capable man but Venezuela was in a dangerous position. LITENSOR agreed that BETANCOURT was "un hombre muy capaz''--but said BETAN- COURT was in great difficulty. LITENSOR said that Latin America's great need was for ° long term, low interest loans for social development and housing. ASCHAM told LITENSOB that private enterprise in the U.S.A. had become frightened or concerned by the loss of near one billion dollars (which they would probably never recover) in Cuba. ASCHAM also said that, speaking frankly, U.S. businesemen had become wary over certain etatemente and actions even in Mexico. LITENSOR said his remark of 1960 that the Mexican Govern- ment was ‘of the extreme left within the Constitution" had been mis- represented by the press. He said they had frequently left out “within the Constitution" and had made it appear that he had meant merely “of the extreme left'' and, hence, Commmunistically inclined. LITENSOR himself brought up the Latin American Peace Con- gress which is to be held in Mexico City in March 196l. He said the Communists have chosen (for them) a very propitious time to have this Congrese in Mexico. He said: The railway workers' DoclId: 327401389 Page 5
| AW 53320 union in Mexico will be re-negotiating a contract (and he did not add Demetrio VALLEJO Martines, their Communist leader, is in Jail); the professional schools in Mexico will be opening a new term; a new Rector will just have been chosen for the National (Autonomous) University of Mexice (and he did not add that the Communists will either have had a man acceptable to them chosen or will be causing troubles over whomever else is selected). ASCHAM aeked why LITENSOR could not preventthis Latin American Peace Congresa being held in Mexice. LITENSOR said that he could not prevent its being held because of guarantees of the Mexican Constitution. (He failed to mention not giving visas to foreign Communists). LITENSOR said he preferred to have the Congress held in Mexico to having it held in certain other Latin American countries. He said “we have better facilities for coverage and control" in Mexice. LITENSOR said the Congress would be unpleasant for him personally because he would be vigerously attacked on the subject of political prisoners. He added that, despite the high-sounding and noble cause of peace which this Congress would pretend to advocate, it was a Communist tool. He said the high-sounding Peace" objectives had caused a number of well-meaning nan- Communists to get themselves invelved in the World Peace Council. At ASCHAM's suggestion, LITENSOR agreed to assist in whatever he possibly could to disrupt and hamper this Peace Congress. ASCHAM said we (KUBARK) would send some ideas and suggestions on actione which might be taken to disrupt this Congress. ASCHAM tolc. LITENSOR that our new Government in Washington and U. S. Businessmen would find it hard to understand why Mexico could allow these Communists to assemble in Mexico and attack the U.S.A. LITENSOR said he understood thie; but reiterated that Con- atitutional guarantees of free speech and freedom of thought made it imposeible to prevent this meeting. LITENSOK told ASCHAM that he had complete confidence in LIERGO and LIELEGANT and that they too would help in any way. they could (along with him) in the fight against Communism. DoclId: 327401389 Page 6
HW 53320 . LITENSOR said that he would give CURTIS all information Mexico had on Communism. He said he wished CURTIS to send ASCHAM all information available in Mexico on subversion. He said that he was very happy with the present arrangements where we have complete exchange of information between himeelf and ASCHAM's organization. Both LITENSOR and ASCHAM expressed tonfidence in having CURTIS as the channel between them. Finally, LITENSOR, aaid he wished ASCHAM to know that he was "with us". He said there is a Mexican saying: "Each person has his own method of killing fleas," and said that some- times his method of "killing fleas" might be different from that which we would use. ASCHAM said "Just so we both kill them!" LITENSOF. then said he had asked the Mexican Ambassador in Washington to tell Secretary Herter, and he would like ASCHAM to do the same, that although at times Mexico took a different road from that taken by the U.&.A. the aim was to arrive at the same place (in this fight against Communism). LITENSOF, was well pleased with the model pistol given to him by ASCHAM. He called it ‘Preciosa’ and said he had a “passion for firearms". He said it would occupy the principal spot in his collection. DoclIda: 324013589 Page fF
HW 53320 colsngurzas Summary It ls believed that the following represent the main achlevements of this meeting: — a) LITENSOBR attained his objective of meeting ASCHAM and he hopes he has now “a friend tn court” in high U.S. b) LITENSOR promised to consider (analyze with CURTIS) any proposal for Mexico by. ASCHAM and to do whatever he could, c) LITENSOR explained chat his actions against Communtam and fn conjunction with the USA would be Imited to things he could do covertly. d) From the Mexico City Scation point of view ASCHAM'S vistr, his conversations with LITENSOR, LIERGO, LIENVOY/1 and LIE] EGANT added to the stature of the Station more in this two day pertod than the Station could ever have achieved without ASCHAM'S personal help. DoclIda:324013589 Page &