At its 35th meeting, the ExComm departed from its usual topic of Cuba to discuss Brazil. Under consideration was a paper by U.S. Ambassador to Brazil Lincoln Gordon about short term policy towards the government of President Goulart. It was decided that Robert Kennedy would go to Brazil as President Kennedy’s emissary and push for changes in the political and economic orientation of Goulart’s government.
Catalog Card
Date: December 11, 1962
Author: Bromley Smith
Title: Summary Record of NSC Executive Committee Meeting No. 35
Archival Source: "Executive Committee meetings: Meetings 33-37, December 1962: 6-17" folder, Box 316, National Security Files, John F. Kennedy Library
Notes
This is one of the rare ExComm meeting summaries that isn't included in the Foreign Relations of the United States series.
The document here includes both Bromley Smith's memcon (memoranda of conversation) and McGeorge Bundy's Record of Action.
Summary Record of NSC Executive Committee Meeting No. 35
December 11, 1962 -- 10:00 AM
A State Department paper entitled "U.S. Short Term Policy Toward Brazil'' (copy attached) was presented by Ambassador Gordon. Following the discussion, the President accepted Alternative C of the paper, i.e., to seek to change the political and economic orientation of Brazilian President Goulart and his Government.
The Attorney General will go to Brazil as an emissary. He is going to Panama and Goulart could invite him to come on to Rio.
The President made the point that we should tie in economic aid with the loan decision, making clear to the political leaders in Brazil that economic matters could not be separated from political orientation of the Brazilian Government. The Attorney General should be as specific as possible in his discussions with Goulart.
Mr. Bowles urged that the Attorney General push for reform rather than defending the status quo. If the talks became public we would be in a good position of having argued for reform. The President said that we should not get into a. public posture of protecting U.S. companies.
Bromley Smith
----------------------------
NSC Executive Committee Meeting, December 11, 1962, 10:00 AM
Meeting No. 351. A State Department paper, "U.S. Short Term Policy Toward Brazil, " was discussed.
2. The President accepted the recommendation that our best course of action is to seek to change the political and economic orientation of Brazilian President Goulart and his Government.
3. A special representative of the President will go to Brazil this month to talk to Goulart.
McGeorge Bundy