REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES DECLASSIFIED Authority Stateletter Inhz e me Cate 24 18 THE FOREIGN SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA American Embassy San José, Costa Rica, December 5, 1946.
No. 2652 CONFIDENTIAL SUBJECT: Statement of former President Rafael Angel CALDERON Guardia, defining his ideology DEPARTMENT OF STRE with regard to Communism, OFFICE OS ARRERICAN REPUBLIC AFAR We DEC 13 1946 of STATE THE HONORABLE THE SECRETARY OF STATE, WASHINGTON, SIR: XR a a at angenoon. have Guardia. have the honor to report that in La Tribune, administration morning paper for December 1, 1946, there appeared a sensational headline statement by former President Rafael Angel CALDERON Guardia, defining his past and present stand with regard to Communism. The statement was occasioned by the publication in the opposition press of an interview granted by the former president in 1939 to a Salvadoran newspaperman, in which Dr. Calderon was alleged to have stated that he was firmly decided to finish with Communism in Costa Rica. translation of the principal parts of the statement is enclosed.
818. 09 12 546 818. 008 ACTION 14AR COPIE.
20: It will be noted that Dr. Calderon tacitly admits having made a statement substantially like the one now attributed to him at the time he was President elect in 1939. He does, however, qualify it by stating that during his presidential campaign he offered to fight against Communism by means of eliminating the reason for its existence, social injustice. He admits that his own ideology and that of VANGUARDIA POPULAR coincided on such questions as social guarantees, enactment of labor code, social insurance, land laws, etc. Dr.
Calderon then dwells at some length upon his religious convictions as a catholic and stresses the point that such social laws as were enacted during his administration were in consonance with certain Papal Encyclicals. He concludes by stating that he is not, nor can he be a communist, cites his belief in capitalism, pointing out that during his administration laws favoring capital were enacted, and concludes with expressing the belief that communism cannot be combatted by persecution. OCD 12H FC 3war Inavy COMMENT number of reasons, some political and some personal, have been expounded in well informed political sources for the issuance of this rather remarkable profession of political, religious and social faith. Among the most important of these are the following: 1, That CS 818. 00 12 546 Le