CIA PLOT RUMORED IN COSTA RICA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73B00296R000300010005-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 23, 2000
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: February 1, 1971
• Content Type: NSPR

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Approved For Release 2000/09/08 : CIA-141513600296R000300010005-3
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SAN JOilf:'? Co3ta Rica -.-.. 1.1::;'?''is?1;?C's-il''''y s'??'3"'''-d.f.'" Stiite Depariment's Costa presurot-N:?.? \??./as put tint to
Tilt, MiDIVii Ift.l'alc) Pu'oli5liiiit; (.:,!: .
Tit? CO:il'a Ric.:,in 1,,overninent ii :,,i,:; ;IL to I ;0.1(1'..:in . l'ar:'.r,CN., . ?j?i., II ii .1),,,s1c. in wa,,;in ro on aily,,ii yin ioi?i; 0C , ii 011111
;.ISI;CCI the' 'N '1X011 A(111." ?..C1?:?.1-)UtY Cr.'61%.111-: ?C 1.1'1-: A''. ' .L1;.lt Wilii!.triV;;01% be renwved, aga',11:?;'{: thr 4,,,dvermitunt??
istration to recall the reputed. liance fo: Progre .o.
ss prograin . ? .? ...,
o aciion was . take:n; al- . If the. 'ioxes did contain
OA chief in Costa Rica. amid-. ? in washiw,-,.1,01-,. .. th ooh plocse-,,, is. se,id to \\1 101 .1-1.-?ir vildlnate pur-
. rumors of an a.tternpt to ov.?? . .' ? , -- can c.uhr 1-)e 0-tiossed .
Cl tin President. Jose Fi? cm.,";-,!. - frac'vonts of the: '1`a\''',C911.`1)1"41"(1 to 171 1;"?1-e.3 r'e':.e ? .7' ' . ., ? ..,
about -oino? over his head
? .guere:?:. . - ' ? e
; story have stli?faCca in 1..,-, ., , , . ,., 1.,nt in ...i.,s atinospacire (?,.
' One San ;Jose newspDpuri? c 0,.t.,.,1.? pi(T,r1 ',.,;.,.2.6s. i,,11 of it, anc, lo,Iging comPlitints with cou'd tall? . \:\fil.liln,'-.0a . :1.1,-
N. 1 1 '.':CCI '0".'i. co
said the recall of U.S. An't-1, 1.,-, . i. ,- ?` I? ? ,., r '. ., . all "office' boy" or "orrand' lege`'`I'l :e- "' ' "- i? ' : '.?
.:bassaclor Walter C. Ploese.1?. is';';Yr;')0e,',v,eu,e ,:t.'10'?.:,\,,' 1.1 1,-e,,,,l'a.'bil!,?,', boy" in Washington.. '.
. :gu?2rcs- 1-0\ erriment ..,.wouicl
the foreign ministry and . , . '
United States, to niece to-
' .- ' Jiave replied that it? wasn't.`c'''' ''' `'?
'. ' -." -- ' ' .? ? .d to 11?' las.t -r.u,:a-ionge.:. 1,-,c: 1--
i - ?,-- oe. b.- '- to. Cot-1
also has been demanded, but --
? sources?both 'Ic-e and 'n the -
-' 1.1,2,1....,OS, 1,1 Linn, is sai
Dc-
Piesident Figtieres vigorottsly his concern if the State ;```:=an ?'" e"s.?
U denied it. . .. `f he episode is liellevccl to partment ran its Costa RiCan ' ... ?.. ?
- Appai?ently to avoid cm -
have ;,-'c' its ?-re-esi- Nv1-lie ricsk through an office boy; 2 1.1'14:1'''' 1'1 CII \yeel (-'f :I"
. getber some of the events.
b?i:trrassment to the United
?election, and subsce,uent in- .
"" ' " ' '-' '''' ' 'that his interest was iri hi iv tile C,):3'..a Rican ,qi-nbassa-.
? States, Costa Rica also offi-' ing Wiillanison 'recalled to oor in Nk asuingten requesteo
cially denies that it has ?ob- a charter n-,cm- avert a major scandal. .
. . . race:Ling .0.;:th Charles Moyer,
. and vyas -anted an urgem,
auwaration in IViay 1076,-. of
??.(Ted) Williamson. But it' is
called "democratic left," to a . 1.,.-11 .) on Dec, 17, a fish- ?-: ' ' ? , i
? . ? stc,?ist;a11, coeretary ' of stato
.tained the recall of 'arl: Figueres ? . ?
-IgneWri that 'he is expected to? erimn reported siting ? .Lor.mter Amorican atfa.rs.
,.?. a.
ber of Latin America's so- , ?-?,-,-..c
. .
?leave the country by Feb. `..?,2: ? mysterious sh;'0 which had : ',1-ey,2:- reportedly was 2.5-i.
.for another; assignment. \kin; Almost immediately Fi- unloaded ??L'o'rto., woodn ? tonishe( ..t - the suggestion .
four-year term as president. ,
1U :111150n, first secretary oft he' g ll e l' e s began ?buil6i;:lg ? boxes" on a remote beach 0 the Uni..o..I States. might bc..
U.S. e?mbassY, ,iS wiclelY.';e?i ' rbIddes"."0 1?11c ?C:c'rmYlu;Ilst Pear Punta - Salsipuecics on ? involvet in an alleged plot tii
ig;.irdeci in San JDGC it5 a CIA; oloc! wil?cl Costa Ri0v. bccom- thr, 0,3a peraincula, in t h 0 ovcrilirc,w Figueres; he as-
- representative. ? ? 51 LI the ambassador - of
1 ?cari nation to c..stablish di i0 ...'!-'0enutt.11.11,3e1.11,1ziepfiri seidfelk:e col ????viasy,k;L,n's continuo,..1.
?
.? ' ing the first CCI CIArneri-
TI1E situation so deterio.
with the So\,i,t. Um-1 anc ?
i The ship was identified as ana p.:,..1.,ised immediate ac,
sgocdwi I toward Costa
' ?in.atie a. ncl.. ec).:,,rin-,e,rcuitl tics
...rated last month that C.
Eastern Eurode. the Waltham, and the ?Costa ? . . .
t101:)?1, J.,n. ,/,
? ...Mien Steviart, a 4ongtime Rican governnient later re- . r,:, ..? , , ?,, ,..
? , frie.nd- 1)..f.- V?igueres who is.
end. I' ii visit included a. long
' .riow a State .Department ? nalion w.I?11? . .? vessel was registered.. ,
; 1 '-i some of the ? ., ,. ? to the, ' ":' ' ,1,,
?ceived informatdon that the
The move created conster- Iri:'?,' iv.'?- Costa Rica and
trouble-shooter for Latin mhi-L;;cY-IL o ' conanL,e1a. sec,
-? ' ' - 'ion ? of tae
- --in ,,overnmints ch. ,t .,
State Department. That ap- ccuvci Lion wi,:a .1.7is,,:cres,
? cluriti, whici-, the alleged
parently was inaccurate.
Fighting Ships nor 11?Y6's Coinimmist camp presumably
In fact, neither Jane's Costa ,:ican move toward the
Registry lists any Waltham.. WaS thl,e11.5Sed. .
The el0;:e.it, to it is the Walt- ',. ? On .'%1,inila1i?Tail. 1.0, while
hall Victory, a 455-foot ves- .,
Stewa;l: was still in town, a
eing Cos a 1.;can
?Crl' )-'1,S,-;' f,?-i-" II21,1`..-ll'is sel owned by the U.S. Com-
N ? ?
brief article appeared - on
were reac ?
's . mere.? Depiu?tment and rcgis-
tered at the port of San Fran-
Page 1(:; of La acidn, a
officials of Williamscm
rnorrii.ig tabloid and San ?
close tics with members of .
,
cisco There is. nothing to juse,s lar2es;; circulation
America, was quietly rushed Central America.
to San Jose in an effort to And it ' also apparently
straighten out the mess. ' ? aroused concern within the
? The. State Department re- . American Embassy ? said to
portedly was astonished at be deeply clivicicd between
the suggestion that the Unit- liberals and ebnscrvatives.
ed States rili?ht be involved
in any 'plot against. the demo-
cratically elected government'
Of Costa Rica, long consid-
ered one of the hemisphere's,
most democratic, and pro;
American nations. ?
The entire problem ws
, further aggravated by the de-
parture on January 0 of Lar-
ry lin rrison, popular young
director of the U.S. aid pro?
grain in Costa Rica, lie loft
on a scheduled trip to Wash-
ington and did not return. ?
IIARRISON'S departure
officially, was described as a
the political ":-'?6`1" and - suggest that it was the same
of indiscreet remarks made ship sighted off Costa Rica.
by his Cuban wife regarding
the c()"LrY's dleged march 11' WAS first .reported that
Loward communism.
Ilut "Ionv? woodea boxes"
Williamson, who had ,,,?,,,,talt,e,:l weapons. id1,1,?,muOt
served in Cuba just before. lp.? tlw Limo a Costa . Rican
the Castro takeover, also wan Civil Guard' patrol got: to the
, blamed for the seizure and tt.4.,4oci region all t ta ? .
.; burniag?of soma MarNist lit- fo n
lnd was a few Coke bot- co.u.a headline in which
-erature coming in through tle'i and some cellopharie Costa Rican Foreign Minister
the airport. The blame arose wrappen:;. . ? . Conzi.do Facie denied the re-
( "routine tr;unsfe,r b u t
through his involvement in a
A story ?mrts haer put out P0''''t? .
\. widely ..accep C.chnic ssist,mce ro am
.ted in Costa that iL 1111 II was Whis - "7.-:?i'. GON.r,..:INMENT of..c
' " it is
-1.al a pgr .
Rica thOt he was, in effect, on security. ? ky contrabAnd that had bsen. Cost. Itlea," Facia said, has ?
lived bythezunbassador, per- In late Oetolier or early *put ashore, ,dthough'it ,is h,c-?? ribt Considered declarim!.
haps' after becoming too in- 'o% embe ?, the Costar'''''n l'evcd the Costa Rica govern-. (dors -,,-,:) non grata Mr. Wit.,
dignant over the course of .-g,overnment _made an infer- merit still does not know for. liamson, director of spec:al,
events within the embassy/ . ', inal..5,U.gge6":1(111 1.broul11. 110. ,sure...The ? contraband story, afi'ai -s at the American Ein-
basv, nor any other member'
It speculated that the ?
Costa Rican government was .
declaring
; liamson persona non grata.
The next (lay, Jan, ii, Oil
Page P1 of La Nacion, an'ar-
ticle apdeared under a 'two-
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o Ibis CiijiUlp;;;Leci 6,,o-
matio mission."
Facio's statement added,
'however, that he understood
that "within a short time Mr.
who !has served.
in Costa Rica for more than
,four years, will be transfer-
red to another destination,"
This was in accord r with nor-
mal diplomatic practices s'`Ys P:(je".> nucl
? mon,"
Facio said.
ment adpearing i.
press Jan, notod that. liar-
rison's transfer was a "nor-
mal and usual thing within
the U.S. State Dertment"
and that Ploeser would lake
direct charge of the aid pro-
gram.) ?
;),-,s07.1 and lizirr;s0;-,,
( It is understood that
WI-
liamsan will now leave the
country by Feb. 22.
_ The rumors continued,
howder, occasionally surfac-.
;ing in the press.
ON jAN. it, a. statement
signed by three government
:party congressmen appeared
in Diario do Costa Rica, an
afternoon tabloid and sister
paper to La Hera.
Among other things, the
statement said it was known
Lt",..?'Likil,:fl
Missouri from 1,9c,1 to -
In 196,1 there was pressaru
on him to run for governor Uf
Missouri, but he declined.
iYsF his appointment as
ambassador to Costa Rica
was announced; he was
asked what he thought the
Nixon Actministration policy. .
toward Latin America should
ST';',V1/.1,T'S visi;; to Costa be. ?
Rica, ;..'ioes.::r says, was pure- "We should go in available'
ly coincidental --- that he to help a country, not go in
had been in Guatemala,like a school-teacher and .
called up and he was in say, 'Here are all the an- '
tile area and wo;:lil swers.' "
c?mo fcrz ? , of Ile also had a: comment on
days sec old friend career diplomats, saying ho
Pepe (Figueres)," ; thought that Nixon and other
a
Ploc:sc;: sco;.f:i presidents were right in p-
ru-: ,
mars of low within: pointing ambassadors frool
the embassy. ,,y0u,6 have a: sources other than the For-
hard time finciir?g molotle any' eigll Service. le said he fel":
better than it is?bel.e ril*.t that Foreign Service officials
, .
. . couki lack decisiveness.
? "positively" that Wil.liarnson ,110A "This stems from the sys-
On the face of it dh
, sen:g tem of grading within the
had "mixed .directlyin.criti- Ploeser to represent L L "Foreign Service. Knowing
cism's of the Figueres Admin- ed States before a govern- that promotions depend on a
istration . and ,that he had..ment headed by Figueres.
written evaluation of work
.made "int'olerable 'remar.ks", would seem like trying to prores,$ional diploma.ts hesi-
,.
against the 'government, i mix oil with water,
? The. statement __also ac- . arid t a t e to take courageous .
Orphaned at seven a a, stands," he was quoted as.
cused the CIA. or being in, !classic e?amplc, of the ?If..
sayin9-. "This lack of c.ouraac
'volved in the mysterious?ship
Movements and the alleged
arms drop near Punta Salsi-
puedes.
LA 11011k, a San Jose
lilorning tabloid of limited
:circulation, reported Jan. 30
in a front-page story that Fi-
gueres .also has asked the
United Slates to recall pioes?
ier, the conservatiVO Midwest-
:U.11 -businessman r assigned
.here as ambassador in April
1').f)70. La Flora attributed its
'information to a member of
Figueres cabinet. -
, Through it all, expressions
of public regret, as if meant
to deliberately needle the
American. Embassy, contin-
ued to .pour from Costa Rican
'officials about the departure ? capital and labor as wen.
of Harrison, the U.S. ' aid; ? ways been closely'identified
? chief in Costa Rica,' 1,xt :.,.5,C, lie was a pri.ne. with U.S. intellectuals of the
'Ploeser himself has taken eliN:tion target of organized cl , hiin,4n,Thv and at one
., Schlesinger - Stevenson-Xen-
.charg-e of the aid program as labor but still managed to Ile-Y ''"----`"'' ---j- --- --
.par; of a v,,orldwide reorgani- win: a third term as a con-, a r y membership, in the
tune was accorded an hono-
:?,ation of U.S. foreign assis? grcssman from Missouri. He,
Ja ter was defeated, io 1,is, American's for Democratic
tance. . Action. His wife, the forrner
An amiable man who ceic- IN?li'llli)s):('51-7z,11,1i(i)efe'sej:,(`\hvatesrj;1).. Karen Olsen, is a New York-
1, the ea, Stewart arcived in pointed by the Eisenhower bol, s?cic"'"4,.!s,t'
!brated his Nth birthday .lan:
tr,,,,,,n, pijnescii, insists the, , ;Admiuistration as anNissa- J;'Iguerps, 0.,? was imiugu-
"
th HaNison's departure uor to Paraguay, where be. . rate'd May S' 1f).1?' for his
ct N..,/iiiianisn;,i,s rcnclin,, ch... was awarded the G r a n'd currOra % Lit yea' te"'
bo
e Cross of Para
nay by the I Plum: arrived to take up
pa.rture are "root ine trans- t nis thlties April lre,,. zoout;
e,overnment of Gen. Alfredo
fers" and that he 81.4r:cis by '
the Costa Rican?for
lb
the
before the Mau-
? ,
istoes staternonts., ill ,._.,_ . America's old-style caudillos. l'uraC?11'
?ci^a min',
Stroessner last of La tin
4;?;as.,.s. . "L", Ploeser resigned .the post in .
11150. ,
made man, 1 esc.sr (pro- ? the pinch grows out of a
flounced cl""ifies lifetime of trying not to
himself as a poht;cal "1111(1- make a mistake:,
dle-roader." His background
indicates a more conserva-
tive philosophy,
As .early as 113..10, he was
calling for the removal of
"punitive taxes on business" man which he is, Figueres'
and correction of a hostile' philosophy leans in the diroc-
governo)ei,l at; iLii;le toward tion of the eastern intellect:it-
business. In dudn'e; a
al establishment.
bid for reelection to Con- He led, in 1048, an anti-
gross, he charged that contin-.
Communist revolution in
nation of Roosevelt's Nev! Costa Rica, then became pro
-
Deal would mean an Arneri- visional pre-sident. He wac.
can i'll?m'rellY,? 'Ic'crs?e,veit's.. elected to a five-year term as.
Post -war ;"a'ls, "'(ic'r''" constitutional president in
claimed, called for setting up
cli
efs; state, e
'Isvtl'at to a ?F si
igueres, who co?ders
govern- himself a Social Democrat of
.ment conscripting enterp) ise, the Euronean variely,las
WHILE Ploeser's phildso-
phy is oriented .more to that
of the pragmatic and suc-
cessful midwestern business-
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! .
J' -"""'
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Approved For Release 2000/09/08 : CIA-RDP73600296R000300010005-3
? PlOC,501..'
St. Louis insurance?executive long active
Republican politics. Nixon Administration
political appointee as U.S. ambassador to
Costa Rica In early 1970. Post had .been va-
cant for several months and was one of -last
Latin American ambassadorial jobs filled by
Nixon Administration after taking office.
Ploeser, C4, served as U.S. ambassador to
Paraguay from 1937 to 1959 as Eisenhower
Administration political appointee. Awarded
'Grand Cross of Paraguay by government of
Paraguayan strongman Alfrcdo Slroessner.
Resigned as ambassador in 1959.
Entered politics in 1930 with election to:
Missouri State House of Representatives,
Served four terms in U.S. Congress as repre-
sentative from Missouri 1941-1949. Defeat-
( 7 / ? (7.,r,,(rn
; ' rr.i)
T7P 9 ?
J.
?
Constitutionally elected president of
Costa Rica who took office for third time
May 8, 1970. Had served_ an elected terlil
from 1953-58 and also a year as provisional
president in 1948-49 after leading successful
anfi-Communist revolution in his Central
American country.
, First nine months of current administra-
tion marked by opening of commercial and
diplomatic relations with Communist bloc
nations of Eastern Europe, 'making Costa
.Rica first Central American nation to do so.
1-las caused concern in some military-domi-
nated governments of the region and, in con-
servative circles within Costa Rica,
Ei,gueres, 64, is 'internationally known
Williamson
? f r ? /-rt...i? f.r) ,47,4
;
???tr,?
liberal democrat with philosophical 'Iles to
the Social Democrats of Europe. Also well
acquainted in U.S. intellectual circles, par-
ticularly among Nennetlyitcs and has lec-
tured at Harvard and other American uni-
Versales. Chatter member, along with Puer-
to Rico's Luis Munoz Marin and Venezuela's,
Romulo Betancourt, of Latin. America's so-
called "democratic left.':
Has written several 'books, articles and
pamphlets on politic:al philosophy and also
on the aspirations of Costa Rica's National.
Liberation Party (PT,N). which he founded
after 19:,8 revoluCion. Married to former
Karen Olson, a New York born sociologist.
ed in bid for fifth term in 19.1E1 elections,
Pressure on him to run as GOP canclidate.fW
? governor of Missouri in 19(3-1 but declined.
Republican national committeeman from
1964 to 1966.
? Classifies himself as pol.tical "middle-
yonder" but background reflects more con-
servative orientation, prime large'', of orga--
ni?.ed labor in .1945 election to Corress,
Staunch opponent of Roosci cit New Deal,
Active in iinmc.diate post-war 3,?:.ars in anti-
Communist activities as national chaIrman
of Demblay Committee on .A ncrican activi-
ties.
, Took up post as ambass.tdor to Costa
Rica in April 1070, shoril:( before Jose
(Pepe) Eigueres was inauguntted. as Costa
Rican president.
(1.;
.1 .L>,
(7 9
1.;%: i;j> ?
First Secretary of American 7::mba.ssy in
San Jose, Costa Rica. Recall has been asked
? by Costa Rican government for allegedly in-
volving himself in country's internal affairs.
Listed as embassy political officer but com-
monly regarded in Costa Rica as CIA chief
of station. Due to leave country by Feb. 22,,
1971.
. Background sketchy but Fore1.7n Service
Registry lists place of birth as New York
City on March 13, 1915. Served in U.S. Army
from 1941 to 1043. Member of the executive
staff of the governor of the Panama Canal
. Zone from 1948 to 1952.
?
CICCCE,
??? ,???