U.S. Consul LaRoche Files Joint Assessment with UK and Canadian Counterparts

Western diplomats report Maurice Bishop in full control of Grenada after coup.

Date: 23 March 1979 — Armed People's Revolutionary Army patrols the hotel; arms-smuggling charges flatly denied by Bishop.

U.S. Consul LaRoche Files Joint Assessment with UK and Canadian Counterparts

Details: On his second day in Grenada, Consul LaRoche collaborated with his British and Canadian counterparts, Mr. Gay and Mr. Davis, to produce a joint assessment of the situation on the ground. The assessment was filed at 5:00 p.m. local time and addressed to their respective ambassadors and high commissioners.

The joint report concluded that Maurice Bishop "appears to be in full control" of the island. LaRoche and his colleagues observed that the armed patrols of the "People's Revolutionary Front" were "good humored and disciplined" and that regular police were performing their "normal duty". They reported that there was "no resistance" to the new government and that the capital, St. George's, was "quiet," with a cruise ship and freighter making routine visits.

The three diplomats also reported their plan to meet with Maurice Bishop that evening at the British High Commission in Grenada.

Key Members & Participants:

  • Joint Diplomatic Team in Grenada:
    • Consul Richard LaRoche (United States)
    • Diplomat Davis (Canada)
    • Diplomat Gay (United Kingdom)
  • Grenadian Official:
    • Maurice Bishop (Head of Government)

Significance: This joint assessment marks a new phase in the post-coup diplomatic engagement, moving from individual consular missions to a coordinated effort by the three primary Western diplomatic missions with interests in Grenada. The team's assessment that Bishop was in "full control" and that the situation was calm and disciplined was a crucial piece of intelligence for Washington, London, and Ottawa, likely influencing their decisions regarding recognition of the new government. The planned meeting between the three Western diplomats and Bishop signifies the new government's willingness to engage collectively with them and the diplomats' coordinated approach to gathering information and representing their governments' interests.

Source:

U.S. Embassy Bridgetown Cable 00950, "GRENADA," March 15, 1979, Declassified. (Document ID C17671032.pdf).

Link:

https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1979BRIDGE00950_a.html

Internal Link:

Date:
March 23, 1979
Categories:
Diplomacy, Greneda Invasion, Log, Matthew Smith, Military & Intel, Politics, Research, State Sponsored Terrorism, The Suriname Archive
Tags:
Cable, Consul Richard LaRoche, Coup, Diplomacy, Diplomat Davis, Diplomat Gay, Grenadian Official, Intelligence Reporting
Boxes:
MW Zotero
Years:
1979
Persons:
Maurice Bishop, Richard Laroche
META DATA
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