U.S. Delegation Led by Ambassador Ortiz Meets Grenadian Leaders Bishop and Whiteman

Consul LaRoche presents U.S. concerns on citizens and property; Ambassador and staff differ on ideological assessment.

Date: March 23, 1979

Consul LaRoche Participates in High-Level U.S. Delegation Meeting with Grenadian Leaders

Details: Consul LaRoche participated in a two-hour meeting with Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and his colleague Unison Whiteman as part of a U.S. delegation led by Ambassador Frank V. Ortiz. The meeting represented a significant escalation in diplomatic engagement, with the Ambassador himself now present in Grenada.

During the meeting, Ambassador Ortiz presented the official U.S. position on continuing relations and pressed Bishop for a firm commitment on the timing of free and fair elections, but received a "fuzzy" and "opaque" response. Consul LaRoche's specific role in the meeting was to articulate the U.S. government's "expectations re US citizens and their property". In response to LaRoche's presentation, the Grenadian leaders provided "every possible reassurance" on the safety of Americans.

In his concluding comments, Ambassador Ortiz noted that his own impression of the Grenadian leaders as being highly ideologically motivated was "not fully shared by the officers accompanying me," indicating a difference in assessment within the U.S. team, which included LaRoche.

Key Members & Participants:

  • U.S. Delegation:
    • Ambassador Frank V. Ortiz (Head of Delegation).
    • Consul Richard LaRoche.
    • AID Officer Liercke.
    • Economic Officer Stanley.
  • Grenadian Officials:
    • Prime Minister Maurice Bishop.
    • Unison Whiteman.

Significance: This event marks a major escalation in U.S. diplomatic engagement, moving from a primarily consular-level presence to a direct, high-level meeting led by the Ambassador himself. LaRoche's defined role in the meeting—speaking specifically on the welfare of U.S. citizens—formalizes the consular mission as a central and distinct pillar of the U.S. relationship with the new government. The difference in opinion between Ambassador Ortiz and his staff (including LaRoche) regarding the ideological commitment of the new leaders is highly significant; it reveals that from the earliest stages, there were differing analytical perspectives within the U.S. government about the nature and intentions of the New Jewel Movement.

Source:

U.S. Embassy Bridgetown Cable 01105, "GRENADA: MEETING WITH REVOLUTIONARY LEADERS BISHOP AND WHITEMAN," March 24, 1979, Declassified. (Document ID C17671160.pdf).

Link:

https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1979BRIDGE01105_a.html

Internal Link:

Date:
March 23, 1979
Categories:
Diplomacy, Foiled Coups & Plots, Greneda Invasion, Log, Matthew Smith, Research, The Suriname Archive
Tags:
AID Officer Liercke, Ambassador Frank V. Ortiz, Cable, Consul Richard LaRoche, Coup, Diplomacy, Economic Officer Stanley, Grenadian Officials, Intelligence Assessment, Prime Minister Maurice Bishop, U.S. Delegation, Unison Whiteman
Boxes:
MW Zotero
Years:
1979
Persons:
Frank Ortiz, Maurice Bishop, Richard Laroche
META DATA
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