REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES DECLASSIFIED Authority Stateletter Ihr 10 me NRs Catº 2418 STANDARD FORM NO. 64 Communism are e 01 Office Memorandum UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TO. CPA. Mr. Bennett BI. Heck sp ÜEPARTMENT OF STATE OFFICE OF DATE: November 20, 1947 AMERICAN REPUBLIC AFFAIRS NOV 1 1947 FROM MRN RENT SUBJECT: REW Reference Despatch 323, San Jose, October 30, 1947. Secret) in which the statement was made that President Betancourt and President Arevalo were the proteges of Carmen Lyra of Costa Rica, there is no definite information in BI files which would indicate that Arevalo had been connected with Carmen Lyra.
Betancourt was expelled from Venezuela in 1929 and was in exile between 1929 and 1936. He spent this time in the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Colombia, but exact dates of residence in each of these countries are not available.
It is also known that Betancourt admits that while in Costa Rica he joined the Communist Party for a short time dates. There are references to his having been expelled from the Costa Rican CP for breach of Party rules.
There are also indications that he is a good friend and admirer of President Arevalo, of Guatemala. However, there is nothing whatsoever to indicate his association with Carmen Lyra.
Tiles Central OC 818, 00 11 2047 This Document Must Be Return While in Costa Rica (sometime between 29 and 136) Betancourt married a native young lady whose maiden name does not appear in our files.
DO СС Anal 57 Rey SECRET FILE BI:JEBowers:mck;zh MAYS. 1955 878 60 17 2019 SECRET