(feootaa0a0 SYLVIA DURAN'S PREVIOUS STATEMENTS RE LEE HARVEY OSWALD'S VISIT TO THE CUBAN CONSULATE IN MEXICO CITY On November 23, 1963, one day after the assassina- tion of President John F. Kennedy, the Central Intelligence Agency's Mexico City Station suggested to Mexican officials that they arrest Sylvia Tirado de Duran. (Mexi 7029 to the Director, Nov. 23, 1963; Note to Luis Echevarria, November 23, 1963) The Mexico City Station asked that Sylvia Tirado de Duran be held incommunicado until she told the Mexican officials everything she knew about Lee Harvey Oswald. The Mexican government arrested Sylvia Tirado de Duran the same day. Captain Fernando Gutierrez Barrios, Assistant Director of the Federal Security Police, interro-~ gated her at 6:00 p.m. that evening. (CE 2121, p. 35) A. Version of Interrogation Given to the Warren Commission By The Mexican Government Ms. Duran stated that she became secretary to the Consul, Eusebio Azcue, three months prior to the assassina- tion of President John F. Kennedy, due to the death of Maricarmen Olivari. (Ibid. p. 37) She stated that in late September or early October of 1963 a North American by the name of Lee Harvey Oswald appeared at the Cuban Consulate and applied for an intransit visa to Russia by way of Cuba. (Ibid. p. 39) Duran stated that Oswald presented Central intelligence Agency has no Objection to Release —Daegs sav /7Tr2eD mS /90-10VA S03) °°
Sylvia Duran Statements Page 2. presented evidence that he had been in Russia for three years, that he was married to a Russian woman and also that he was the leader of an organization in New Orleans called "Fair Play for Cuba." Sylvia Duran stated that Oswald stressed that his visa application should be accepted as he was a friend of the Cuban, Revolution. (Ibid. p. 39) Sylvia Duran stated that there, in compliance with her duties, she had Oswald fill out the appropriate application (Ibid. p- 39). Oswald then left and returned in the after- noon with the necessary photographs. (Ibid. p. 39) Ms. Duran stated that at that time, exceeding her duties, she telephoned the Russian Consulate because of her interest in facilitating the handling of the Russian visa for Lee Harvey Oswald. (Ibid. p. 39) The Russian Embassy told Duran that there would be a delay of approximately four months in processing the case, which annoyed Lee Harvey Oswald since, according to his statements, he was in a great hurry to obtain a visa to travel to Russia. He “insisted on his right to obtain a visa in view of his back- ground and activities on behalf of the Cuban movement. (Ibid. p- 39) When Oswald understood that. it was not possible him a Cuban visa without previously obtaining a to give Russian visa, he became extremely angry. (Ibid. p. 39)
ce ee a eee mee et Sylvia Duran Statements Page 5. obtain an intransit visa from the Cuban government, it was imperative that he previously obtain a visa from the _ Soviet Consulate. Since obtaining a visa from the Soviets took four months and Oswald's Mexican visa expired soon Oswald became excited and Duran had to call the Consul who had an argument with him. The only aid she could give Oswald was advising that he see the Soviet Consul, and calling the person in charge of that office. The Soviet official told her that they would have to consult Moscow which would take four months. That afternoon, Oswald re-- turned to the Cuban Consulate and Sylvia Duran confirmed that he could get a Cuban visa only after he received a Russian visa. She gave Oswald her name and business phone number but never gave him her address because she had no reason to give it to him. She knew that phoning the Soviet Consulate was not one of her duties and that if she did so she did it only to help Oswald. She gave Oswald her business phone number only because he would have to call subsequently to check whether he had obtained a visa. He never called back. (Blind Memo re Lee Harvey Oswald and Sylvia Duran, November 26, 1963, CIA #473). | Sylvia Duran was released November 24, 1963 and rearrested November 27, 1963, when the Mexican government alleged that she was attempting to leave Mexico and travel
Sylvia Duran Statements Page 6. to Havana. (Cable from Mexico City Station to Headquarters, November 27, 1963, Mexi 7104, CIA #482; Cable from Mexico City Station to Headquarters, November 27, 1963, Mexi 7101, CIA #493). The Mexican officials told Sylvia Duran that . they were detaining her to protect her. (HSCA Staff Inter- view of Sylvia Duran, 6/6/78 p..-.. JFK Document No. Subsequently about her second detainment, Duran stated, ~ "They were very rough this time...they repeated the same questions but they were more, how do you say, evil. And they...wanted to know exactly what I have done in Cuba, the people that I met there, everything. They were asking me questions about all the people that were working the Embassy and this time I wanted to go to the bathroom and they wouldn't let me and it was longer, because it was from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (HSCA Staff Interview of Sylvia Duran, 6/6/78 p. JFK Document No. ) According to the Mexican officials that detained Duran a second time she remembered Oswald perfectly and denied he wore glasses. Otherwise there was no addition to her story. (Cable from Mexico City Station to Director, December 12, 1963, Mexi 7364, CIA No. 557-558). C. House Select Committee on Assassinations Interview of Sylvia Duran 6/6/78 Sylvia Tirado Bazan told the House Select Committee on Assassinations staffers the following:
Sylvia Duran Statements Page 7. Lee Harvey Oswald visited the Cuban Consulate three times September 27, 1963, not twice as the Warren Commission previously reported. (HSCA interview of Sylvia Duran, 6/6/78, JFK Doc. p. ) ‘Oswald. first visited the Cuban Consulate at approximately 11:00 a.m., requesting an intransit visa to Cuba with Russia as the final destina- tion. Oswald showed her some documents, then, left to obtain photographs needed for his application. (HSCA inter- view of Sylvia Dura, 6/6/78, JFK Doc. ps. 523-526) He returned at approximately 1:00 p.m. with four photographs. (HSCA interview of Sylvia Duran, 6/6/78, JFK Document # p. 526) Ms. Duran typed the application in duplicate, stapled a picture on top of each and had Oswald sign each in her presence. (HSCA interview of Sylvia Duran, 6/6/78, JFK Doc. # , Pp. 527-8) As proof Os- wald showed her special documents he had brought: his Rus~- sian labor card, marriage certificate with the name of his Russian wife, his American Communist Party membership card and his "Fair Play for Cuba" membership card. (HSCA interview of Sylvia Duran, 6/6/78, JFK Doc. # ' p.531) Ms. Duran stated that she found Lee Harvey Oswald's behavior suspicious because normally a Communist traveled only with his passport because belonging to the Communist
. Sylvia Duran Statements Page 8. Party was illegal in Mexico in 1963. (HSCA interview: Ibid p-. 533) There was a procedure whereby the American Com- munist Party would arrange visa matters for their members with the Cuban Communist Party. (Ibid. p.532~533) The American would then come to Mexico, visit the Cuban Consulate and receive his visa immediately. (Ibid., p.533) When Duran asked Oswald why he did not have the American Com- munist Party arrange his trip to Cuba he stated that he did not have time. (Ibid., p.532) Duran explained to Oswald that he had to acquire a Russian visa before he could receive a Cuban visa. (Ibid., p.534) Duran jotted her name and business phone number on a piece of paper and gave it to Oswald who then left to get his Russian visa. (Ibid., p.549, 534) Oswald returned to the Cuban Consulate between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m, which was after normal working hours, 10:00 to 2:00 p.m. (Ibid., p. 543) The guard called her stating that someone who did not speak Spanish was at the gate inquiring about a visa. (Ibid., p.543-4) ' As routine procedure, she asked the guard to escort the individual to her office. (Ibid. p.544) Oswald told her that he had. acquired a Russian.visa. (ibid., p. -544) Since he did not produce it when asked she called the Russian Consulate. (Ibid., p.545) The Consul told Duran
Sylvia Duran Statements Page 9. that Oswald had been to the Consulate requesting a visa and had been told that the reply would take approximately four months. (Ibid., p.545) When she relayed the message to Oswald he got very excited, insisting that as a per- son who had been infiaia because of the Cuban Revolution he should receive a visa. (Ibid, p. 546) Oswald stated that he could not wait a long period of time because his Mexican visa expired in three days. (Ibid., p. 546) At this point Ms. Duran called the Consul, Eusibio Azcue, who was in his office accompanied by his upcoming replace- ment, Alfredo Mirabal. (Ibid., p. 546) Azcue politely explained the requisites for an intransit visa to Oswald. (Ibid., p.. 546, 554) When he noticed that Oswald was a stubborn man he told Oswald that he was obviously not a friend of the Cuban Revolution, because if he was a friend he would understand that Cuba had to be extremely careful with the people it allowed in Cuba. (Ibid., p. 554) Azcue and Oswald yelled at each other. (Ibid., p. 551) Then Azcue went to the door, opened it and asked Oswald to leave. (Ibid., p. 554) Oswald did not revisit or tele- phone the Consulate because if he had she would have re- membered it. The Consulate-did not have many American visitors who had been to Russia and had married a Russian
Sylvia Duran Statements Page 10. woman visit their offices to get a visa and then get into an argument with staff personnel. HSCA INVESTIGATION OF SYLVIA DURAN'S ACCOUNT OF LEE HARVEY OSWALD'S VISIT TO THE CUBAN CONSULATE IN MEXICO CITY To investigate Sylvia Duran's account of Lee Har- vey Oswald's visits to the Cuban Consulate the Committee sought the cooperation of the Cuban Government. The Com- mittee traveled to Cuba twice interviewing most of the Cuban employees at the Cuban Consulate and Embasssy in Mexico City in September 1963. (See Procedural Writeups “Cuba Trips 1 and 2) Only two individuals remembered Oswald, Eugbio Azcue Lopez and Alfredo Mirabal Diaz. Only Eustbio Azcue personally dealt with Lee Harvey Oswald. Afredo Mirabal could only state that he never doubted that the Lee Harvey Oswald who visited the Consulate was the same Lee Harvey Oswald shot by Jack Ruby in the basement of the Dallas Police Department.that he caught’ only glimpses of him. (HSCA Interview of Alfredo Mirabal Diaz, p- ; also For this reason ,only Fusebio Azcue Lopez and Sylvia Tirado Bazan's accounts will be dealt with in detail.
Sylvia Duran Statements Page ll. After interviewing Sylvia Duran and Eusebio Azcue the Committee has found conflicting stories. Ms. Duran told the Committee that Lee Harvey Oswald visited the Cuban Consulate on three occasions, all on September 27, 1963. (HSCA Interview of Sylvia Duran, 6/6/78, JFK Docu- ment No. , p- 523) This contradicts her statement to the Mexican officials that Oswald had visited the Con- sulate on two occasions, both on September 27, 1963. (See section entitled Version of Interrogative Given to the Warren Commission by Mexican Government. ( (Also, see sec- tion entitled Original Signed Statement of Sylvia Duran Interrogation by the Mexican Government.) Though neither report quotes Tirado as stating that Oswald's visits were on September 27, 1963, she states that they occurred on the same day in late September or early October. (Ibid.) When the House Select Committee on Assassinations checked Oswald's visa application, the date September 27, 1963 was clearly markedbn it. (See Oswald Visa application.) Mr. Azcue remembered three visits to the Cuban Con- sulate occurring on different dates. Mr. Azcue stated that Oswald's first visit would have been “one or two days prior to the date on the visa application at around 1:00 p.m." (HSCA Interview of.Eusebio Azcue, , JFK