MEMORANDUM: SUBJECT - STATUS OF AMCALL-1 RANSOM NEGOTATIONS
Originator: CIA
From: ACTING CHIEF, WH-COG
To: CHIEF, WH DIVISION
Document date: 03/15/1971
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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• 2022 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

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WH/COG 71-93

15 MAR 1971

MBHORANDUM FOR: Chief, Yestern Hemisphere Division

SUBJECT

: Status of ANCALL-1 Ransom Negotiation

1.

On 26 August 1970, $120, 000 ransom was

paid for the release of AMCALL-1.

$70,000 of this

anount was paid by the Agency and ANCALL-l's wife

arranged to obtain the remaining $50,000 from

August Vanistendael, a prominent Belgian with high

level Vatican connections interested in AMCALL-1

who presumably provided the additional money. Al-

though there was no firm commitment as to the exact

time ANCALL-l's release would be effected, AMECRU-1.

anticipated his release within 60-90 days after

payment of the ransom.

2.

Although 6 months have now elapsed since

AMECRU-I delivered the money to the Cuban negotiator

In Paris, there was no way to determine the reason

for the delay in AlCALL-l's release until ASECRU-1

was able to return to Paris to discuss the matter

with the GOC representative authorized to negotiate

the ranson cases.

Since AMECRU-] now resides in

Miant he is no longer able to maintain as close

contact with the Paris official as was the case when

he lived in Barcelona. However, he did arrange a

trip to Paris in January to discuss the status of

AlCALL-l and other ranson candidates with the GOC

satnar

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representative. While the talks were still in

ANRCRE-1, the Madrid case officer in contact with

net with his in Paris on 28 January.

Since

the Madrid Station has consistently been advised to

avoid any indication of CIA interest in any ransom

other than AMSOUR-l, little concrete infornation

time table for his release.

After AMECRU-1 concluded

his Paris talks the early part of February he left

for Caracas where he is expected to remain until the

latter

part of March before returning to Hiami.

Although

& full report on the results of his Paris

negotiations can not be obtained until he returns

to Miami, AMECRU-1 has been in touch with ANCALL-l's

wife and QUILL-l the Hadrid asset handling the

AMSOUR-1 case.

According to ANCALL-l's wife,

AMECRU-1

advised her the GOC representative in Paris indicated

the delay

in releasing ANCALL-l was partially based

on the fear expressed by certain COC officials of

AlCALL-l's potential leadership in exile movements

1f he is

freed.

As a rebuttal to this Goc argument

AMBCRU-1 wrote a letter to Manuel Pineiro, the DGI

Director in Cuba, stating that AYCALL-1 had no desire

or intention of engaging in political activities

after his release and wished to seek employnent with

some European social research organization.

A letter

from August Vanistendael verifying AUCALL-l's intentions,

with assurance from Vanistendael that he would assist

in resettling AMCALL-1 in Europe,

was attached to

AHECRU-1 letter to Pineiro.

The Madrid case officer

obtained copies of the AYECRU-1 letters to Pineiro

fron QUILL-l and forwarded them to Headquarters.

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AHECRU-1 also told ANCALL-l's wife that

the COC paris representatives offered to return

the ranson money if the interested parties were

not satisfied with the current progress of the

case.

The ramifications involving any demand for

return of AlCALL-l's ranson and termination of any

further efforts to obtain his release are considerably

greater than was the case with AMPANIC-7 whose entire

ranson was provided by the Agency.

In the case of

ANCALL-1,

there would be no way to demand return of

our share of the ranson without exposing Agency

interest until such time as the Catholic contributors

Indicate a desire to recover their $50,000 investment.

Not only did Vanistendael's letter fail to indicate

any concern in this respect, but clearly emphasized

his continuing deep interest in obtaining ANCALL-1'&

freedon.

ANCALL-l's wife is also insistent that his

chance of being

released not be endangered during

this precarious

stage of the negotiation and that

any decision concerning return of the ransom be

determined by AMECRU-l's evaluation of GOC intent.

Although AMCALL-l's wife has always been discreet

and her relationship with the Agency cooperative and

above reproach, her understandable anxiety over ber

husband could lead to extreme resentment should any

attempt be made to recover the Agency's share of

the ransom at this juncture.

This would be particularly

true if the Catholic contributors show no alarm over

their investment or the present lack of progress made

in effecting AMCALL-l's release.

SES

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Spu..d

Agency has little choice

has title chece stated at es

ARCAR-to status ere be etalled assessent 2.

our contact with ASECRU-1.

SEcret

1, 4

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