Memorandum of Conversation between Mexican Foreign Ministry Official and Peruvian Diplomat, Mexico City

MEMORANDUM

Mexico, D. F., 25 October 1962

The Peruvian Chargé d’affaires Mr. Don Carlos Pérez Cánepa, visited the Second Undersecretary [Pablo] Campos Ortiz, last Tuesday the 23rd. He said he had instructions from his Government to ask us what our point of view was regarding possible action – military (in which all the republics of the continent would take part) against Cuba.

Campos Ortiz answered him that he did not have any piece of information about this matter, but that he would confirm this later.

Campos Ortiz, after having talked with Mr. Undersecretary [José] Gorostiza, communicated with Mr. Pérez Cánepa and confirmed what he had previously expressed, that is, that no government, nor any American [i.e., Western Hemispheric—ed.] Foreign Ministry had informed us on this matter. Campos Ortiz asked him, even, if it might not be a Peruvian initiative.

Today in the morning, the Peruvian Chargé d’Affaires called to express that he had received a telegram from his Foreign Ministry which told him, with regards to this matter, that it was not a Peruvian initiative.

The text of the telegram that Mr. Pérez Cánepa received from Lima the day of the 23rd, said as follows:

“The Peruvian Foreign Ministry would like to know the opinion of the Mexican Government about a military meeting to consider possible armed action against Cuba.”

P.C.O.