Documents / FOIA release

Official History of the Bay of Pigs Operation- Volume 2- Part 1

Central Intelligence Agency · 179 pages · text from the file's own layer

This is Volume II, Part 1 of the CIA History Staff's Official History of the Bay of Pigs Operation, a Top Secret history dated October 1979 and approved for release in July 2011. It looks at how the Agency took part in shaping US foreign policy toward Guatemala and Nicaragua during the anti-Castro program. It covers dealings with President Ydigoras Fuentes and Roberto Alejos, training sites such as Retalhuleu, cover stories, and negotiations with the Somoza brothers for an air base and port. It contains no UFO material.

  • p. 14 …an anti-Castro program before Chief JMATE, Jacob D. Esterline, and I Robert K. Davis, met…
  • p. 54 …Batres. !±i/ Jacob D. Esterline, Chief of J~ARC project had some subsequent conversation with the…
  • p. 160 …Memo for Record from Jacob D. Esterline, 20 Jun 60, sub: Negotiations with President Miguel Ydigoras…
  • p. 163 …20 Oct 60. 36. Oral History Interview: Jacob O. Esterline by Jack B. Pfeiffer, 10-11…
  • p. 166 …to the Sec Def, OSO from Jacob D. Esterline, 16 Nov 60, sub: Emergency Evacua~ tion…
  • p. 168 …Memo for Asst~ Sec Def OSO from Jacob D. Esterline, 5 Jan 61, sub: Requirement for…
  • p. 170 …MR from Jacob D. Esterline, 5 Apr 61, sub: Meet- ing with Adolph sic A. Berle…
  • p. 171 …MR from Jacob D. Esterline,S Apr 61, sub: Meeting with Adolph sic A. Berle. 14…
  • p. 173 …Memo for Record from Jacob D. Esterline, 24 Oct 60, sub: Meeting withDCI and Assistant Secretary…
  • p. 174 …Memo for DDP/EMB from Jacob D. Esterline, 6 Dec 60, sub: Four JMARC Problems for…
memorandum -- particularly in view of the position
later adopted by the Secretary of State -- was the
following:
The Secretary said the united States
was concerned because a number of Latin
American countries did not see the threat
from Communism as clearly as did the
Foreign Minister or else these countries
felt certain restraints in dealing with
it. 84/
In early April 1961, Jake Esterline had a session
at State to give Adolf A. Berle a thorough briefing on
the recently completed visit of the CRC leaders to
Guatemala and to give Berle some positive guidance
for his upcoming visit with Jose Miro Cardona.* Chief,
WH/4 also discussed the planned operation, particularly
the negative effects that a cancellation of the projected
strike against Cuba would have on US relations not only
with the Government of, Guatemala, but also on the whole
of Latin America -- particularly those nations with
ambivalent feelings about Communism. Esterline
* Esterline mentioned that, among other topics, Dr.
, Miro probably would raise questions about US funds for
a ne~Cuban government, US recognition and open support,
use of US personnel with the Cuban Brigade at the time
of the invasion, and US reaction to various Cuban poli-,
tical leaders.

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About this file

FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 179 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.