DELLASSREO Authority Stateletter whez e; ML NSR Cute 24 98 EMBASSY LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 644 FEB 24 San José, Costa Ridā, February 16, 1944, 12. 61 330 No. 1114 Subject: Interestoraf, Mexico in the Current Costa Rican Presidential Campaign STRICTY CONFIDENTIAL The Honorable The Secretary of State. Washington, Sir: have the honor to report that the Mexican Embassy in San José has closely followed the present Costa Rican political campaign. The present Mexican Ambassador, Licenciado Roberto Córdova, has cultivated close relations with President Calderón Guardia and other influential politicians here, including the leader of the Vanguardia Popular Party, Manuel Mora. Señor Córdova was absent on leave in Mexico during the month of January, but returned to San José a week before Sunday elections, bringing with him a Military Attaché, Lieutenant Colonel Raúl CABALLERO Aburto, who, it is understood, resides in Guatemala. Señor Córdova explained that due to the tense situation here and the fact that it might take an unpredictable turn, he wished to have the benefit of the counsel of a military man. Once the election period was over, he said, Colonel Caballero would return to his post in Guatemala.
An interesting observation which recently came to my attention was to the effect that the ground work for the present successful effort on the part of the Administration to assure the election of its own candidate, Señor Picado, was laid at the time of President Calderón Guardia visit to Mexico in March, 1943. The Department will recall that the President made this trip accompanied by some forth of his friends and members of the Government. While in Mexico Dr. Calderón Guardia and his advisers informed themselves quite fully concerning the way in which the 1940 Mexican campaign was run ofl.
Persons who are familiar with recent political developments in Mexico have pointed out the similarity between the Picado Cortés campaign here and the Avila CamachoAlmazán campaign of 1940 in Mexico. This same source believes that some of the methods used to put Picado across in more or less open violation of the people will were borrowed from Mexico.
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