Originator: HSCA
From: CIA
Document date: 00/00/0000
Document type: REPORT

# DOCID-32271440

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

2/16/201

AGENCY:

RECORD NUMBER :

HSCA

180-10142-10136'

RECORD SERIES: CIA SEGREGATED COLLECTION

AGENCY FILE NUMBER : 23-15-12

Document Information

ORIGINATOR: HSCA

FROM:

CIA

TO :

TITLE:

Released under the John F. Kennedy

Assassination Records Collection Act of

11992 (44 USC 2107 Note). Case#:NW

Scond Date: 11-04-2021

DATE:

00/00/0000

PAGES:

32

SUBJECTS :

DURAN, SILVIA

OSWALD, LEE, POST-RUSSIAN PERIOD, TRAVEL, TRIP TO

MEXICO

GARRO DE PAZ, ELENA

DOCUMENT TYPE: REPORT

CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 1A; 1B

CURRENT STATUS: Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW :

01/01/2003

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS: Box 12

9.1

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Biography

This

section should go often a brief.

intro to the outline of Elenair

story.

Elena Garro de Paz was born of Spanish parents in

Puebla, Mexico on December 11, 1917. Ms. Garro attended

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 Paz, a career diplomat who is also one of

Mexico's finest poets and leading intellectuals. When

Octavia 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 por 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, "a

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fn= footnote

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

-Bio

so pared by

Deta

Torm

Charles

a literature fired with passion, flavor and life.

Many

Thomes.

people who knew Elena have asserted that the frontier

between reality and fantasy is also difficult for her to

aistinguish in real life en (ibid)

Ms. Garro, for many years, was an active worker in

the Confederacion Nacional Campisina (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

(ib.1)

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

HSCA was malle

Hetero all mett uhe student strikes

Why

Here some backgroun

mexico.

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awkward

sent

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.

You'll have to

morican embassy employa destine at on sir e?

this.

believed that, despite her access to the underground happenings

her

in Mexico, ineluding peasant unrest, sinee she haija tendency

which ghe

reposted frequently

to romanticize developments in reporting on them made it

difficult at times to determine what degree of credence

to place on what might truly be useful and concrete information.

to evaluate her

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Introductony sentence should five the gist of

5,19ue, eleme days a fe

ela Elena pitoricia die cuce, a story come to alleging cito:

Elena's story and American Government Agency Follow up me a

Elena Garro de Paz' story first came to the American

intelligence agencies' attention on October 5, 1964,

peronal

Game

eleven days

the publication of the Warren Commission

"What blind memo?

Report. The source of The Blind Memo las a cel

a céntral mentional

attentires

d....

Intelligence Agency asset known as LICOOKIE I. (WX/241, P. 94,

Entry #430, CIA #721; Blind Memo dated 10/5/64, CIA #576) /

The memo reported that Elena Garro de Paz, her daughter

and Deba Garro de Guerrero Galvan discussed meeting Oswald

in Mexico in the fall of 1963. The discussion was, reportedly,

reparate

sparked by the newspaper coverage given the Warren Report.

Elena and Déba are the first cousins of Horatio, Ruben

distinct

and Lynn Duran. Elena,

her daughter and Deba were invited

to a "twist party" at the home of Ruben Duran. The party

at in the eye te he week in the fall of 1963

Oswald wasat this party in the company of "two other

beatnik looking boys." (IBID.) The Americans remained

together the whole evening and did not dance. When Elena

tried to talk with them, she was

I chema did not state

"shifted" to another.room.

skid crisin

ded the shiftin Lby whom?

One of Elena's cousins told her at the time that he (or she)

did not know who the Americans were except that Silvia Duran

had brought them to the party.

The day after the party, Elena and Deba saw the same

three people on the Insurgentes, a main avenue in Mexico City.

by me f her crease

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The Garro's claimed that they had recognized Oswald's

photograph when it was published after the assassination.

The arrest of Silvia Duran "underlined their certainty"

that the man had been Oswald. (IBID.)

Deba added that Lynn and one of the Duran brothers

had made trips to Texas. She also said that, even though

they were always poor before the

assassination, they were

both driving expensive new cars. A notation on the memo

says that L/1 (LICOOKIE) never regained contact with

Elena Garro de Paz. (IBID.)

which

project

L'le? Lain

The LICOOKIE memo was not in either the Elena Garro

or Lee Harvey swald "p" files but in a project file. It

was found in December, 1965. See WiX 7241, Do 94, CIA #721a)

this

A marginal notation on WX 7241 says, "Why was this not sent

not

to Headquarters?" (p. 87, CIA 8724, Wet Less a l in 1765?

is

On 10/12/64 the Chief of Covert Action, ENU Flannery,

wrote a memo for the record. (10/12/64 memo, CIA #596;

WX-7242, p. 87, CIA #714.) This memo reporte that Elena

Garro de paz has told her story to Bunice odio the delayed

section.

it to "TICHBORN"

on 10/9/64.

Lidentin

The stor

is not as detailed as the 10/5/64 version.

There is no mention of Deba Garro Guerrero Galvan. The

story, 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's. Elena talked to a Cuban

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Embassy official not one of her cousins about the three

Americans.

Who the

mano for the

A note, Attached to the memo,

per the Chief of

record o Station, winston Scott, Flamery reads, "Do you want

me to send the gist of this to Headquarters?." Scott

to

cos?

replied "Yes, but we should follow up first." Flannery

Memo ws

then wrote: "Nothing further." Scott then noted that

rand

the memo should be filed. The file indications show that

walthe memo went into the Oswald "p" file and the Elena

wote

Right.

? Garro "p" file. (IBID.)

End o section

On 24 November 1964 a CIA informant reported some

well,

information he had learned from "LICHANT/1."

(Memo fron

- give some backround

Win Scott to the Files, re: June Cobb, 11/25/64, CIA Nos.

592-593; WX-7241, P. 88, Entry #404, CIA #715.) June Cobb

is an "American Communist" who rents a room from Elena

Garro. Elena told LICHANT/1 that she tried to talk to

Robert Kennedy when he was in Mexico because she had met

Oswald "and two friends (Cubans)" at Horacio Duran's house

at a party. Elena also said that she had told her story

to an American official, at the Embassy, who claimed to

represent the Warren Commission. The COS noted that he had

asked the informant to get LICHANI/1 to pursue the story,

(IBID.),

there is no indication that LICHANT/1 pursed the

story ever complied with this request.

awkward

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why

not

citations

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whet

Line

Acco

source

?

phid

tanition to de

I'm

it

it is.

to be

mition.

for

On November 24, 1964 Elena and her daughter met

with Mexico city representatives of the Legal Attache eyel attacke

office. They recounted the same story previously given Mk thi

explicit.

to LICOOKIE I. The date of the party was given as September

30, October 1 or October 2, 1963. (FBI 105-825555 Report,

Dec. 11, 1964 entitled Lee Harvey Oswald, P.1) The agent

who wrote the report noted that the FBI investigation of

the John F. Kennedy assassination had established that Lee

Harvey Oswald had departed Mexico City by bus at 8:30 a.m.

on October 2, 1963. Lee Harvey Oswald could not have been

identical with the American allegedly observed by Mrs. Paz

at the party if this

October:

tea thas party were held on the evenin 40f

stated

walking

or October 2, 1963. (IBID. P. 3) she

Insurgentes.

Elena was questioned regarding the 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 group man named "Alejandro" at the party and danced

(, Biep 3)

with him.

He was apparently quite smitten with the

daughter and tried to call her on several occasions after

(ob.d p.5)

the party.

The daughter did not take the calls and as

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

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Lavagnini Stenius. (IBID)

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 probably the Communists have facilities

for falsifying postcards. (IBID)

ophit

infinitive.

Ta further investigate Ms. Garro's story,,the Federal

Bureau interviewed Ario Alejandro Lavagnini Stenius on

November 27, 1964. (IBIDe) Lavagnini 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 following the assassina-

tion, (IBID. p. 4)

There is no indication on the document that this

information was

given to the Central Intelligence Agency's

Mexico City Station.

End of

section

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On 12/10/65 Charles Thomas, a political officer

at the American Embassy, wrote a memorandum about a

conversation with Elena Garro de Paz. (CIA #586-587,

WX-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 did.

Elena's story reported here is the same, but with

fated 1015/67.J

more details, as that given in the LICOOKIE Memo She

said that General Clark Flores,

Silvia Duran, Eusebio

Lwho he?

Azcue, Emilio Carballido, and a Latin American Negro man

with red hair were at the party. A marginal comment by this

entry in WX-7241 says, "How did Elena know about a red-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

So what?

Oswald??

confusing

This is 1965. Station heard from LIRING/3 inv

citation.

July 67;

see also WX-7241, Entry 613, p. 116, CIA NO. 743.)Wht

Elena told Thomas that she and her daughter had

paint

when?

gone to the Cuban Embassy an November 1963. One inside

the gates they shouted "assasins" and other insults at

he Embassy employees.

shorth thatter unis nuddenta

here.

friend, Manuel Calvillo, an official in the Gobernacion,

took her and her daughter to a small hotel in the center

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citation

yet.

b4?

whom

phis

she'

included

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 telling her that the American Embassy was full

of Communist spies. Elena said that some of the other

people who had been at the party were

taken to Veracruz

where they were "protected" by Governor Lopez Arias.

She said that Ruben Duran, reportedly "protected" by

General Clark Flores, was very prosperous and was driving

a big car.

Indicate how t why Thoms' meno was so giver

The cos wrote a note on the meno 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

LICOOKIE refer to Oswald and the local leftists and Cubans

in one of her squibs?" (CIA No. 588, note from SW to COS.)

The information in Thomas' 12/10/65 report was

cabled to CIA Headquarters (Cable from Mexico City to the

Director, Mexi 5621, date cut off my copy; CIA Nos. 584-585.)

This cable reports that Elena is the wife of the "prominent

Mexican poet Mexican Ambassador Delhi Octavio Paz Iozano."

(IBID.) The cable informed Headquarters of the substance

i Of Thomas'

keport including the fact that Elena faimed

that Ruben Duran

later told her that he was not really a Communist

I the or tong.

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colosing because you have t

fiven to any backpround

yet on LIchAwT.

and that killing Kennedy had been a

mistake. (IBID; see

also Thomas' 12/10 report.)

The cable said that Elena's

+

story would be checked with

LICHANT/1, against the pro-

duction from the Cuban surveillance operation "and other

sources." (IBID.) Scott wrote, next to the routing

indications on the cable, "Please ask Charles Thomas

if he'11 "follow-up". Get questions from Anne G. Please

let's discuss. Thanks."

Always out

commar

After the December 10 memorandum/conversations,

after

Winston Scott (Chief/Station) and Nathan Ferris (Legal

prepos: tional

phraser.

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. #

Thomas met with Elena again on December 25, 1965.

dicurate

The same date he wrote a memorandum of conversation which

compared

provided a much more detailed and accurate restatement of

Ms. Garro's alleged encounter with Lee Harvey Oswald and

fus:)

subsequent developments. (CIA Nos. 580-583; WX-7241, Entry

#427, P. 92, CIA #719)

Elena admitted that she had spoken to two men at

When?

have

the Embassy "(presumably from the Legal Attache's Office)."

attribating

She said that she did not tell them the whole story

accuray

because "the Embassy officers did not give much credence

withing than do you tro that if a mide actat datelend of Elema st

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to anything she and Elenita said" (Ibia.)

She stated that the party had been at Ruben Duran's

home.

She was unclear about the date of the party. It

was a few days before the Soviet istronaut, Gagarin,

visited Mexico; she thought that this would put the party

around September 2 or 3, 1963.

She believed that the party

was on a Monday or Tuesday because it was an odd night for

a party. The memo noted that September 1 and 2 were

indeed a Monday and Tuesday. Elena could not check her.

calender to refresh her memory at the time of the interview

because the calender was

in a desk that had been stored

away.

During the conversation, Elena described Oswald

and his companions. The man who she thought was Oswald

wore a black

sweater. She said he was quiet "and stared a

lot at the floor." One of his companions "was very tall

and slender and had long blond hair which hung across his

forehead. He had a gaunt face and a rather long protruding

chin." The other companion was also tall, with short,

light brown hair and no really distinguishing characteristics.

The three Americans did not dance or mix with the other

guests. Elena saw the same three men on the street the

next day. (IBID.)

Elena was certain that Eusebio Azcue, Horacio Duran,

Silvia Duran, Lydia Duran, Deba Guerrero, General Clark

Flores and his mistress, a doctor from Dalinde Hospital,

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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,

attoud.

were supposed to be at the party but did not show

is nat

(IBID. )

Elena statad tha flore still dow

Know who he is.

end

Arre

The red-haired man and Emilio Carballido were not

santence

with

in at the party that oswald attended but at another party popositia..

where Carballido and Azcue got into a heated argument

statemet 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

the party where she met Oswald.

Elena said that Carballido "is a known Castro

Did

HISCA

agent in Mexico." After the assassination he spent a year

in Cuba. He then got a job teaching at Rutgers University

through Dr. Jose Vasquez Amaral. (he Hume JeA

This?

по.

fre

= The incident at the Cuban Embassy, where Elena and

her daughter shouted "assassins", etc., at the Embassy

sara?

employees, occured on November 23rd at or about 3:00

p.m. Elena and Elenita were driven to the Cuban Embassy

by Elena's brother who was embarrassed by their behavior.

This occured before they had seen photographs of Oswald.

Thomas

memo

17/2j

Later that day they were visited by Manuel Calvillo

who told them that they were in serious danger from the

Communists and that he would take them to a small hotel,

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more specificity,

where they would be safe, for a few days. Elena said

she trusted and believed Calvillo because he was a

tate

When

fuil

7

known undercover agent for the Gobernacion.

He was

no whet?

also a friend ge Noe palomares and Gustavo Diaz ordaz Sun thy?

Calivillo also told Elena and her daughter that Silvia

Duran had been arrested.

Duran's arrest was not public

atten m Nw.23,1953

information at the time- Which time? sentence is just a sit.

ambiguous,

Elena could not remember the name of the hotel so

she took Thomas to the section of Mexico City where she

thought it was. They found the hotel. It was the Vermont

Hotel, Calle Vermont 29. Elena said that she assumed

that Calvillo had registered them as relatives or friends.

They stayed at the hotel until the following Friday, Nov.

30, 1963 hardly leaving their rooms.

slighty

- who- Elempalmite or Elemed Thomas (in 194). I Know the

all ms while they were at the hotel they saw the photos

of Oswald and realized that he had been the man at Ruben

Duran's party. When Calvillo visited them at the hotel

Elena told him that she wanted to report it to the

howed,

typ

What

American Embassy,

calvillo dissuaded her by stating

that the American Embassy was full of Communists. When

but youkee

writing

should

be mome

precise.

Avoid

all

ambiguities.

Elena returned to her home, guards were posted outside.

After she returned home, Elena saw her sister,

independenttin

Deba Guerrera,

Beta had addo compete, same concluston ane

repartedly

independently of Elena.

Deba was "terrifiedt"

Approximately

because

this

According to Eleme on acconlig

What ot be soone??

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firging

sequence

this

Is..

14/2-165

?

Who he?

5337343

you

two months after the assassination two "communists" had

warned

pastrided boa and threatened her never to reveal that

she had been to a party with Oswald. Deba, consequently,

would not accompany Elena to the American Embassy to tell

her story.

Elena said that a few days after the assassination

Emilio Carballido took the Duran's to Jalapa, Veracruz and

"kept them out of the way until the initial shock of the

assassination wore off." — Did islA check this out?

Elena also said that shortly after the assassination

an American named June Cobb spent several days in her

house. Ms. Cobb had been sent to Elena by a mutual friend,

Eunice Odio. Eunice Odio was a Costa Rican who had been

Vasquez Amaral's mistress when Amaral was with the Rockefeller

Foundation. In 1965 Ms. Cobb and Ms. Odio were roommates.

While Ms. Cobb was at Elena's house she expressed An interest

in the Kennedy assassinatione

Deba got drunk one night

and told Ms. Cobb the entire story. Ms. Cobb wanted them

to go to the American authorities. Claiming to be a CIA

agent, Cobb advised against going to the American Embassy

She suggested that Elena and Deba

.go to Texas to tell their

story. When her suggestion was rejected, Cobb said that

she would arrange a meeting with the CIA Station Chief.

The meeting did not occur because Ms. Cobb was asked to

Timing

sequence

why?

2'58

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leave the Garro housef evidently because she kicked

Elena's cat.

con

choice of lanpure.

Let wit

Ruben Duran visited Elena

around the end of

January, 1964. He was worried that Oswald's visit to

informal.

his home might be discovered/and that he might lose

Are

his Mexican citizenship. Ruben told Elena that it had

been Silvia who had gotten/him involved with Oswald.

Rubeg

added that he was not really a communist and

men? had opposed the assassination.

Elena said that she had told her story to Noe

Palomares of the Gobernacion about six months after the

assassination. He advised against

going to the American

Embassy and told her

that if she did anything at all

feeson

she should merely write an anonymous letter.

Elena stated

that it was "common knowledge"

that Silvia had been Oswald's mistress. When asked who

could verify the allegation she could only remember one

person who had told her this. That person was Victor

Rico Galan, a "pro-Castro journalist."

With her

During these conversations Elena also said that

she "understood" that Oswald had been in Mexico more

than once. (IBID.)

On the first page of Thomas' December 25 1965

memorandum of conversation Winston

Scott wrote "Shouldn't

we send to Headquarters?" Someone responded "Of course."

(IBID.)

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Who te?

o2)

Charles Thomas wrote July

25, 1969 that "he got

no reaction from Nathan Fertis and Winston Scott" regarding

his memorandum of December 25, 1965. (State Department:

Where was

Letter from Charles Thomas to William Rogers, Secretary of

State, July 25, 1969). Thomas wrote that Deputy Chief

of Mission, Clarence Boonstra (State Dept. who wassin

chalife of Affairs at the time of the John I. Kennedy

assassination and subsequent Oswald investigation told him

use

diflam that Oswald had not been in Mexico on the date given for

changed her story. Thomas further wrote that even when

he reiterated that Elena had not changed her story but

that rather she had now given a more accurate account,

100

whet

Boonstra stated that the date was wrong and dismissed

the whole affair. (IBID. p. 2) The

Legat's Office in

Mexico City replied

that Thomas' office had been advised

by memoranda dated December 27, 1965 and February 23, 1966

that since Elena Garro's allegations had previously been

investigated without substantiation, no further action

was being taken concerning her recent repetition of those

allegations. The Legat's Office concluded that either the

Counselor for Political Affairs did not route the memoranda

receiving

to Charles Thomas or that he did not recall them. (FBI

Report, 9/30/69, pp. 3-4, JFK Document No.

)

E la

you

refer

pus

suse

others

well

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Charles Thomas wrote July 25

1969 that "he got

no reaction from Nathan Ferris and Winston Scott" regarding

his memorandum of December 25, 1965. (State Department:

Letter from Charles Thomas to William Rogers, Secretary of

His mem random stated that tony

State, July 25, 1969). Themas wrote that Deputy Chief

of Mission, Clarence Boonstra (State Dept.) who was in

Chiet

charge of Affairs at the time of the John F. Kennedy

assassination and subsequent Oswald investigation told him

that Oswald had not been in Mexico on the date given for

further

told him that Eleme

the party. Boonstra also stated that the informant had

changed her story. Thomas further wrote that even when

he reiterated that Elena had not changed her story but

that rather she had now given a more accurate account,

Boonstra stated that the date was wrong and dismissed

the whole affalr. (IBld. p. 2)

The Legat's office in

to thomas "letter asserted

Mexico City

replied that Thomas' office had been advised

by memoranda dated December 27, 1965 and February 23, 1966

that since Elena Garro's allegations had previously been

investigated without substantiation, no further action

was being taken concerning her recent repetition of those

allegations.

The Legat's Office concluded that either the

Counselor for Political Affairs did not route the memoranda

to Charles Thomas or that

-Thomas did not recall

receiving

them.

(FBI

Report, 9/30/69, pp. 3-4, JFK Document No.

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Page 18

stations

Subsequent to December 25, 1965, Thomas wrote in

the Dec. 25, 1965 memo that Elena had found her calendar

stil

10v

Thomas

and had reconstructed the date of the party as late

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

originally reported her story at the American Embassy.

However, Mr. Ferris explained that someone who had been

at the party had stated that there were no Americans

there. Mr. Ferris did not reveal that Ario Alejandro

Lavagnini Sténius Ferris had provided this information

Mr. Ferris

suggested that it was not necessary for Thomas

to pursue the matter since he considered the Oswald case

closed and had heard all the rumors before. (IBID.)

Did they?

Confusing.

The Legal Attache, Mr. Ferris wrote in his September

30 memorandum--that he did not tell Mr. Thomas that someone

comp lily

transition.

else who was at the party had stated that there were no

Do not and tatemes

out americans there. list Report 9/50/653 eudo.

memo

?

Mr. Ferris also wrote that he had told Thomas that it

shis

mamo was

would not be necessary for him to pursue the matter

any

reve

previously

further since Elena's story had been heard before, investigatedprin

He wrote that he told thomes that

mentionad

without being substantiated.and was-considered-a closed

Elena's story

was considered a closed issue not than the OsWAld CarE was closed,

issues

• (IBID.)

iv

sett

included

That there had been no Americans at the party puzzled

Ed: notice how each sentence in this parag gones

starts of thore or lany wwith Ferris wrath

on lte do wonte. Thy liverifying your

language.

This problem appees show shout your ropert.

NW 66000 Docld:32271440 Page 20

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The Legal Attache, Mr. Ferris wate hit september

30- memorandum--that he did not tell Mr. Thomas that someone

else who was at the party had stated that there were no

Americans there. (FBI Report, 9/30/69, P. 4 JFK No.

Mr. Ferris also wrote that he had told Thomas that it

would not be necessary for him to pursue the matter any

further since Elena's story had been heard before and investigated

without being substantiated. He wrote that he told Thomas that

Elena's story was considered a closed issue not that the Oswald

case was closed. (IBID.)

That there had been no Americans at the party puzzled

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Page 19

Thomas. He had assumed that Elena could have

clearly been mistaken about the identity of the Americans

she saw there, but never doubted that she had seen some

Americans. Thomas wrote that he had never discussed the

sentena

jos

Oswald case with Ms. Guerrero de Galvan but that her

recommily grown son had told him. that he was convinced that his

follow.

mother had seen Lee Harvey Oswald. (State Department:

Letter from Charles Thomas to William Rogers, Secretary

-State, July 25, 1969) .

had writter

On December 27, 1965 the Legal Attache wrote a

memo to the Ambassador regarding Elena. (Memo to the

Ambassador from the Legal Attache, 12/27/65, CIA #578;

if W3-7241 Entry #429, P- 94, CIA #721.) [This is One Of

the memos the Legal Attache refers to in the Sept. 30, 1969

memo!

It reported that Elena and her daughter were inter-

viewed on 17 and 24 November 1964. The memo said that

they furnished information similar to that in Thomas'

further stated

12/10/65 memo. The begat memo goes on to say "Inquiries

conducted at that time, (November '64) however, failed to

substantiate the allegations made by Mrs. Garro de Paz and

her daughter. In view of the fact that Mrs. Garro de Paz'

allegations have been previously checked out without

substantiation, no further action is being taken concerning

her

recent repetition of those allegations." (IBID.)

win scottsuptrimport.

wrote-a

"notel to Anne Goodpasture on this

One dran't rally waite a note on a

memo.

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Page 20

Illicate

somewhere

is.

memo.

The note says, "Can we send in a report to

Headquarters 'dismissing' our cable?" Goodpasture

responded, "done."

(IBID.)

supra

The cable being dismissed is Mexi 5621 (see-above) •

The next entry in Oswald's Mexican file is a cable

written by Ann Goodpasturen

(Memo from Mexico City to

the Director, 12/29/65, Mexi

5741, CIA #575; WX-7241 Entry

#430, p. 94, CIA #721.L

The cable reports the legat

interview and the failure

to substantiate Elena's story. 5

The cable promises to keep Headquarters advised if any

further information is developed. (IBID.)

(In the file LICOOKIE's 10/5/64 memo is attached to

this cable.

WX-724I explains this braseying, in a

marginal comment, "This document by LICOOKIE was not in

(Oswald's file), but was copied, from (a project file)

and attached to Mexi 5741, 29 Dec. 65. " (IBID.)

A note fached to this cable by Allen White stated

"I don't know what FBI did in Nov 64, but the Garro's

have been talking about this for a long time and she is

said to be extremely bright." Ann Goodpasture wrote that

the FBI had found Elena's allegations unsubstantiated but

that "we will try to confirm or refute Mrs. Garro de Paz's

information and follow up." Win Scott wrote, "She is also

'nuts'." (IBID; CIA #574)

On 1/9/66 Charles Thomas wrote another memo about

a conversation with

Elena. (Memo of Conversation, 1/9/66,

meno

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Page 21

^

sant

woodles

dotter to

cule

CIA #573; WX-7241, Entry #451, P. 95, CIA #722.) This

memo reported that Elena said that Victor Rico Galan had

told her that Eusebio Azcue was "one of the most powerful

men in Cuba." Elena

said that Azcue was a Spanish Cuban

who had fought in the Spanish Civil War and, by his own

admission, had served at that time as a French intelligence

agent.

H

The above mentioned memo is attached to a State

Department Memo (Memo

#A-727 to Department of State from

Amembassy, Mexico

1/22/66, CIA No.

572; WX-7241 Entry

: #451, p. 95,

CIA #722/) This memo reports that Victor

Rico Galan

As a Spanish born Mexican journalist who has

been one

"of the most prolific and ardent apologists for

Castro's Cuba in Mexico."

On February 3, 1966 Anne Goodpasture sent Thomas'

memo to the Cuban section with an attached note asking

them to check whether Elena was "seen creating such a

disturbance as they claimed in front of the Cuban

Embassy." (Note from Ann Goodpasture to "Cubans",

2/3/66, CIA No. 579; WX-7241, Entry 428, P. 94, CIA #721.)

One Cuban section officer responded, "No bells

ring with me." Another one wrote "Me neither." The

third officer wrote "No pictures either." (IBID.)

There

is no indication that the penetration agents in the Cuban

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EJL First Draft

Page 22

this

in

Embassy were queried about this. (IBID.) That there are

no pictures is reasonable since Elena claimed that the

event happened: 1.) on a Saturday at 3:00 p.m. when

the Cuban Embassy was not normally photographically

surveilled; and 2.) the "disturbance" occured inside the

Cuban compound. HSCA Examination of the CIA Cuban Embassy

photographic surveillance showed no surveillance on 11/23/63.

(Classified Summary of Staff Review of CIA Documents,

undated, P. 3, CIA #763.1

On 2/23/66 the Legal Attache wrote a memo to the

Ambassador regarding the Garros allegations. (Memo from

Legat to Ambassador, 2/23/66, CIA #571; WX-7241 Entry #455,

p. 95, CIA #722.) This memo reports that "extensive investi-

gation" failed to disclose that Oswald had traveled to

Mexico prior to September 26, 1963 and that no information

had developed that would show that he had not been in

New Orleans in the early part of that month. The memo

iterated

repeated that no further action was being taken by the

FBI because her allegations had not been substantiated.

(IBID.) A marginal comment by this entry in WX-7241 says,

"How can it be ascertained that Oswald did not travel

to Mexico prior to early Sept. 63? There must be some

basis for Elena's reporting." (IBID; referenced to

Thomas' 12/25/65 memo.)

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Page 23

this

JuY

6a memo.

the

до

On 7/13/66 Charles Thomas wrote another memo /

should

sive

(Memorandum of Conversation by Charles Thomas, 7/13/66,

CIA #565; WX-7241, Entry 460, p. 96, CIA #723.)

Elena had received an invitation to visit Cuba

from Ambassador Joaquin Hernandez Armas. She gave

memo.

Dont

wait

Thomas two letters to support the claim. She said the

next

letters had been delivered to her home by a driver from

the Cuban Embassy. The envelopes gave her address as

Vermont 38. Because of her stay at the Hotel Vermont

she saw the letters as a threat and was frightened.

Thomas also reported that Flena had recently run

into Lydia Duran.

Elena said that Lydia was now very

poor and had a

JOb

with the Difusion Cultural at the

include

Anthropological Museum. (IBID=)

On 10/13/66 the Legal Attache wrote a memo to

the CIA/COS reporting that a reliable confidential

informant had reported that the records of the Hotel Vermont

disclosed that "Elena Paz, housewife from San Luis Potosi"

cilt or

had registered at the Hotel Vermont on November 23, 1963.

She left on November 30, 1963. The memo said that "the

above individual may or may not be identical with Elena

Garro de Paz." (Memo from Legat to Winston Scott, 10/13/66,

CIA No. 564; WX-7241, Entry #466, p. 98, CIA #725; Thomas'

7/13/66 memo.)

NW 66000 Docld:32271440 Page 26

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Page 24

connected

points,

you

v

Charles Thomas' 12/25/65 memo said, "She (Elena)

and her daughter did not personally register at the hotel.

She thinks Calvillo registered them as relatives or friends.

of his from San Luis Postosi." (Memo of Conversation by

Charles Thomas, 12/25/65, p. 3, CIA #582.)

The entry for the 10/13/66 Legat memo in WX-7241

bore the notation "This is what Elena claimed and no one

would believe her." (WX-7241, Entry #466, p. 98, CIA #725.)

on 2/1/67 Charles Thomas wrote another memo.

N (Memorandum

Conversation, 2/1/6T, CIA #563.) Elena

paleounce.

told Thomas that Horatio Duran presently worked for Joaguin

Cisneros, the private Secretary of Mexican President Diaz

Ordaz. Elena says that Horatio Duran recently

Interviewed

with

Cisneros to order the Gobernacion to grant an entry visa

for the son of Eusebio Azcue. (IBID.)

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

higher grade). Then, he wrote a letter and memorandum

to the Secretary of State saying, "Since I was the Embassy

Officer in Mexico who assigned this intelligence information,

I feel a responsibility for seeing it through to its final

NW 66000 Docld:32271440 Page 27

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Page 25

evaluation." (State Dept.: Letter from Charles Thomas to

William Rogers, Secretary of State, July 25, 1969. In the

letter, Mr. Thomas also writes, "whereas the FBI has

discounted Elena Garro's allegations, the CIA is still

considerably disturbed by them." (IBID.) The Legat's

office in response wrote that Alan White from the CIA had

indicated that he was aware of Elena's unreliability.

(FBI report, 9/30/69, p. 7, JFK Document No.

The Legat's office further wrote that the concept that

every person who passes on to another government agency

information relating to matters within the jurisdiction

of that agency has the responsibility and authority

to review and evaluate the action taken by that agency

is, of course, untenable. (IBID.)

NW 66000 Docld:32271440 Page 28

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Page

26

House Select Committee on Assassination

Investigation of Elena Garro's Allegations

The House Select Committee on Assassinations

investigated Elena Garro's story both through file reviews

awkward

and personal interviews. The Committee requested and

reviewed the CIA's, FBI's and State Department'sFiles, when

avalable

they existed, on Elena Garro de Paz, Elenita Garro de Paz,

Manuel Calvillo, Noe W. Palomares, June Cobb Sharp,

Your

hos

Victor Rico Galan, Eunice Odio, Sylvia Duran, Lydia Duran,

not yel

Ruben Duran, Betty Serratos, Horatio Duran, Eusebio Azcue,

establiste

dand Emilio Carballido. Only the Elena Garro de Paz file

contained information on her allegations. Though all the

names listed above played a role in Elena Garro de Paz'

story, not one of their files included a reference to

Elena Garro de Paz.

Furthermore, the House Select Committee on Assassina-

.

tions requested and reviewed the Central Intelligence

Agency's LICOOKIE I, LICHANT I, LIRING 3, LIHUFF I and

TICHBORN files. Once again not one of the files included

a'mention of Elena Garro's allegations. The House Select

Committee on Assassinations learned that LICOOKIE I was

June cobb sharp who first reported Elena's allegation. su

The Committee also learned that LICHANT I was Manuel Calvillo

who hid Elena Garro and her daughter in a hotel the day

You haven't

rally

explained

tune

source,

at

м.

NW 66000 Docld:32271440 Page 29

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Page 27

19

following the assassination.

He also told Elena that

Sylvia Duran had been arrested before it was public

knowledge.

f, i: 1)

This for had become

jo0.

sish.

since a file review lead nowhere, the Committee

was inconclus.re.

decided to arrange interviews in Mexico with Sylvia duran,

Elena Garro, Elenita Garro, Horacio Duran, Ruben Duran,

Lynn Duran, Emilio Carbillido and Betty Serratos. The

Mexican Government informed us that Elena and Elenita

Garro had disappeared in 1968 during the student uprisings

Lause

and

had never returned to Mexico. The officials stated

that Elena and her daughter might be in Spain. (See Mexico

City Procedural Write-up Trip 1.) Emilio Carballido

could not be found. The others were interviewed between

June 1 and June 6, 1978.

Betty Serratos, Lydia Duran, Ruben Duran, and Horatio

Lis

Duran all stated that Elena was not the dancing type and

therefore did not attend any of the twist parties at the

Duran homes. (See: HSCA Staff Interview of Betty Serratos,

6/6/78, p. 6, JFK Document No.

progres.

; HSCA Staff

Interview of Lydia Duran, 6/5/78, p. 6, JFK Document No.

; HSCA Staff Interview of Ruben Duran Návarro,

1e.

6/6/78, p. 16, JFK Document No.

; HSCA Staff Inter-

view of Horatio Duran Navarro, 6/5/78, P. 25, JFK Document

No.

When Sylvia Duran was asked if Elena or Elenita Garro

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Page 28

unders

ever attended twist parties at the Duran homes, shezstated

that she recalled Elena attending one twist party at

the de lar

Ruben's home in 1963 when she returned to Mexico from

France. (HSCA Staff Interview of Sylvia Triado Bazan,

6/6/70, p. 90, JFK, Document No. ) All the Durans

denied that Lee Harvey Oswald had attended any party at

one of their homes.'

The Committee next asked the Central Intelligence,

stell

Agency to provide for interviews

with

* LICHANTI (Manuel

Calvillo), LICOOKIEI (June Cobb, along with a list of

Who they

Lovie had

info welted do

other assets that might help clear the Lee Harvey Oswald j

trip to Mexico City. (

declined

The Agency declined to aid the Committee. the asgent

I the asse

manetigatio

The Committee decided to return to Mexico and

attempt to locate the individuals. The Mexican govern-

ment told the Committee that June Cobb Sharp received a

tourist permit, number 72781, on June 27, 1947 when she

entered Mexico through Nuevo Laredo. She asked, but was

denied, permission to represent the magazine, Modern Mexico.

On June 21, 1948, she received a courtesy permit, number

25556.

She disappeared in 1954 and never returned to

Mexico.

(See Procedural Writeup Trip 2 Mexico City) The

committeg knows the information is incorrect. inJure know this?

Cobb was also in Mexico from 1961 through 1966. ICIA wher doss

sojition While out more precision! me?

NW 66000 Docld:32271440 Page 31

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Page 29

Jut because file says to dosit

Tane.

Repost, 1965, June Cobb Elle, 201 No.

The Mexican

government told the Committee that

Manuel Calvillo did not live at Cuahtemoc 877-5 as the

Committee had stated. Their agents in charge had spoken

to the superintendent

at the apartments for the past

twenty-five years who said that no Manuel Calvillo had

ever resided there. When Committee staffers gave the

Mexican government

Calvillo's pen name, the Mexicans

gave the same answers. (See Procedural Write Mexico City

Trip 2) The Committee is quite certain that Mr. Calvillo

lives at this address since it acquired the address from

a recent CIA document.

riain from ailing de Comeither

al this cookit o is

The Committee believes that there is a possibility

that the Mexican government received orders from the

Central Intelligence Agency to not aid Ity

Then

sentences

(See: Procedural

Write-Up Mexico City Trip 2). The Committee did interview

Noc W. Palomares who told the Committee that "Elena was

se brilliant that anything she imaged became real."

enors

related.

to (See HSCA Staff Interview of Noc W. Palomares, 8/10/78, p.

1, JFK Document No.

same

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Page 30

ment No. 10016) The publisher stated that Ms. Garro

was living in the Hotel S.A.C.E. in Madrid, Spain. The

Committee staffer telephoned the Hotel in Spain and spoke

to the manager who told him that Ms. Garro had moved out.

(HSCA Staff Contact Report, 7/7/78, JFK Document No.

On July 14, 1978 a Committee staffer recalled her publisher

again Tho told bem that he snouta call the Mexican Embassy

The pollishes

in Madrid, Spain. He stated that

checks were

- the Mexican Embass.

sent there because she was se paranoid that she did not

even trust her publisher with her address. (HSCA Staff

ackward

contact Report, 1/14/78, JFK Document No. 9950) 1

"The Com-

mittee staffer called the Mexican Embassy in Madrid,

Spain and spoke to Adolfo Padilla, an employee who stated

that when Elena visited the Embassy a couple of weeks

before to flet check

oreofher.

checks she looked financially poor.[HSCA Staff Conteet

Report

8/31/78, T6K

He stated that when he asked Elena her new address she

Document No

declined to give one, stating that she would return every

few weeks to pick up checks and mail. The staffer left

the Committee's number and a message asking Elena to tele-.

phone the Committee collect. (HSCA Staff Contact Report,

8/31/787 JFK Document No.

On September 5, 1978, Elena Garro called the

Committee staffer.

When the staffer explained that the

Committee wished to talk to her in person and would pay

both her daughter's and her travel from Spain,

Ms. Garro

NW 66000 Docld:32271440 Page 33

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## Page 34

try

Ques

using

phrass

duus

rick

wis

ist.

slams

EJL First Draft

Page 31

asked why she should believe the staffer was who he claimed.

The staffer asked Ms. Garro to call back collect in the

next few days when he could explain to her when and to

whom she could go in the American Embassy to pick up a

letter from the Committee explaining when and why we

wanted to see her. (HSCA Staff Contact Report, 9/5/78,

JFK Document No.

) The letter was written and

arrangements were made with the American Embassy in Spain

so that Elena could

pick up the letter. (See attached

letter: also, HSCA Staff Contact Report, 9/5/78, JFK DO-

cument No.

On September 7, 1978, Elena Garro called the

, Committee staffer and asked when the letter would arrive.

The Committee staffer explained that the letter should

be picked up on Monday, September 11, 1978 from George

Phelan, the Counsellor' for Consular Affairs at the Ameri-

can Embassy. Ms. Carro stated that she would pick up

the letter and follow our suggestions. (HSCA Staff

Contact Report,

9.7/78, JFK Document No.

Ms. Garro never picked up the letter. (HSCA Staff

Contact Report, 9/15/78, JFK Document No.

The Committee, hoping she would pick up the letter before

her flight date, proceeded to purchase tickets for, both

Elena and her daughter. (HSCA Staff Contact Report,

9/12/78, JFK Document No.

) Elena never picked

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Page 32

up the tickets at the airport. (HSCA Staff Contact Report,

9/15/78, JFK Document No.

Committee never

regained contact with her.

Should ass point out that HSCH

invatigated whether thema siselection

out" was tilated to the rivetigation.

Condusion we that his dismissal

was unidated. Get statement

from mun. Thomas.

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