eleased underthe John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 """ Hote). DATE: 11-14-2017 Mc 105-3702 FAS” 3 "CONFIRRNTIAL that MANUEL V. PORRAS RIVERA left Costa Rica on 9/15/63 for, the United States. He returned to Costa Rica on 10, 11/63. LW On 3/3/63, MANUEL VICENTE PORRAS RIVERA, wap inter- viewed and furnished the following information. 3 He advised his father owns the PORRAS Bakery in | Escazu, Costa Rica, and said that he is in charge of the bakery during the night shift. He advised that the Communist situation in Cuba has worried him and said he decided he would try to make a trip to Cuba in order to ascertain the ‘true conditions there to make this information available to interested authorities. In furtherance of this idea, he Left San Jose in mid-September, 1963, for Miami, Florida. There he contacted an anti-Castro Cuban and volunteered his services. He was put in contact with several other individuals who advised that they did not believe he could be of any service to them. Thereafter, he left Miami for Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, where he contacted the Cuban Consul on several occasions and tried to get a visa to visit Cuba. When the Cuban Consul in Merida refused him a visa, he traveled to Mexico City and registered at a small hotel located about three or four blocks from the Palace of Fine Arts. On a Saturday, the exact date of which he did not recall but which was apparently 9/28/63, he called at the Cuban Bnbassy in Mexico City but was stopped by a guard or watchman outside the building and informed that the Embassy was not open. He was told to return on the following Monday. PORRAS RIVERA did not again try to contact the Cuban Embassy. He said that several days later he left Mexico City at about 8:00 or 9:00 P.M. by bus for Nuevo Laredo. He recalled that shortly before arriving at Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, he changed buses to Nuevo Laredo where he left Mexico and entered the United States at Laredo, Texas. He was unable to recall the time he arrived in the United States but said the time was about 3:00.or 4:00 P.M. on the day following his departure from Mexico City. At approximately 4:00 P.M. on the same date he boarded a bus at Laredo for i Dallas, Texas. This bus, he recalled, was of the Greyhound Bus Line. He spent several days in Dallas and then traveled. to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he remained a Oe or five n we at AR days and then returned to San Jose, Costa Rica. WwW He was shown a photograph of LEE HARVEY OSWALD but stated he was almost certain he had not seen the individual pictured therein either while he was trying to establish contact with the Cuban Embassy, Mexico City, or encroute to ‘yo the United states. In fact, he felt quite eu) he had never seen the individual pictured therein. op.  CONEIRETIAD yer 7 702 - vor DoclId: 327183965 Page 3
Hote). DATE: 11-14-2017 Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 | i . PN mON ‘, { . - eee 4 MC 105-3702 CONFI NTIAT A photograph of PORRAS RIVERA as contained on the visa ap lication which was made available by SHNER on 3/2/64 is being made an exhibit in this file. (" On 3/12/64, ROBERT CORRIGAN, Deputy Chief of Mission, American Embassy, Guatemala City, Guatemala, advised he was acquainted with a number of American priests in Guatemala but had never heard of EDWARD BASTIEN. He presonally con- tacted the Franciscan Order and was advised that EDWARD BASTI was not known to the members of that order in Guatemala oe a : On 3/12/64, records of the Citizenship Section, American Embassy, Guatemala City, were checked by FRANCIS : ARENZ, Vice Consul, without locating any identifiable infor- mation. Mr. ARENZ advised that there was no record that BASTIEN had ever registered as an American citizen at. the Embassy, had not applied for a passport.there, or requested any other service. He said the American Embassy, Guatemala City, has not issued identification cards for about five years. There was no complete record of,those which had been issued by the Embassy in the past. (Ww On 3/12/64, Mr. ARENZ telephonically contacted the Maryknoll Fathers in Guatemala City, and was advised that they had never heard of EDWARD BASTIEN. ee On 3/12/64, CHARLES MAHER, Sales and Traffic Manager, PAA, Guatemala City, checked the manifest of PAA Flight 502 from Guatemala City to Mexico City of 10/1/63 without locating the name of EDWARD BASTIEN among the passengers. He also searched the publication of the erican Society in Guatemala but found no record of BASTIEN, On 3/13/64, EMILIO AGUIRRE, Head of the Foreigners Section, Immigration Department, Guatemala City, checked his records without locating any identifiable information on . BASTIEN. He advised that he felt certain BASTIEN was not a resident of quatemala. QA ) On 3/13/64, OCTAVIO SERRANO, Consul General of Mexico in Guatemala City, ascertained from his records that EDWARD BASTIEN had applied for a tourist visa (FM8 #362357) on ot Y -3- $ CONFIMENTIAS ° fol - 3 P&e- veg ee DoclId: 327183965 Page 4
eleased under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 —_— ote). DATE: 11-14-2017 ~, ‘ ”~ be me MC 105-3702 | jan / SOPNARENTIAL After his name, BASTIEN listed the initials "B. M. T." He showed his age as 56 and birthplace as Montreal, Canada. He claimed to be a United States citizen and a tourist in Guatemala. He displayed Identification Card #67145 dated 9/26/50, not further identified. His Guatemala City address i was shown as Plaza Motel.@&(2L) On 3/13/64, ABIGAIL DE CASTILLO, wife of the owner, Plaza Motel, ascertained from her records that EDWARD BASTIEN had arrived at the motel on 9/27/63. He registered showing his nationality as American. He stated he was 56 years of age, @ priest, and was from Elgin, Texas. She said he was in possession of Guatemalan Tourist Card #45801 issued in Tapachula, Mexico. Mrs. CASTILLO stated that she felt certain that he  — had arrived by plane. Her records showed that BASTIEN did not stay at the motel on the night of 9/28/63 but returned on the night of 9/29/63 and remained there until 10/1/63. She said she felt quite certain he had left Guatemala by plane but was unable to furnish his destination. She recalled BASTIEN as a tall individual, with,a rather red face, and she said he spoke good Spanish. LU) | WAITYDanoy  g _ WR DoclId: 327183965 Page 5