Conference on Guatemala and Foreign Relations Volume Release

On May 15-16, the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Historian will sponsor a conference on The United States, Guatemala, and Latin America: New Perspectives on the 1954 Coup. The conference is being held in conjunction with the release on May 15 of a retrospective volume of the Department’s official documentary history, Foreign Relations of the United States on U.S. relations with Guatemala from 1952 to 1954. The volume focuses on U.S. involvement in the 1954 overthrow of President Jacobo Arbenz. This volume, along with the release of thousands of additional pages of documentation on these events by the Central Intelligence Agency, represents the largest release of information on this important episode in the history of U.S.-Latin American relations during the early Cold War.

This conference will be held in the Loy Henderson Auditorium, U.S. Department of State, and will be open to the press and the public. It begins at 9:00 a.m. on May 15.

Pre-set time for cameras is 8:15 a.m. from the 23^rd Street Entrance.
Final access time for press is 8:45 a.m. from the 23^rd Street Entrance.

Entry to the State Department is controlled and will be facilitated by advance arrangements. Those with State Department identification do not need to make such arrangements. Members of the press without State Department press building passes and members of the public desiring access to the session should, by Monday, May 12, 2003, notify Douglas Trefzger (telephone (202) 663-3529, TrefzgerDW@state.gov) of their name, Social Security number, and date of birth. Government employees of other agencies also must provide this information in advance. Foreign nationals should also provide their nationality and passport number. All attendees must use the 23^rd Street entrance (between D and C Streets, NW). One of the following valid IDs will be required for admittance: any U.S. driver’s license with photo, a passport, or a U.S. Government agency ID (such as White House, Department of Defense, Congress, Foreign Press Center, etc.). Because an escort is required at all times, attendees should expect to remain in the meeting for the entire morning or afternoon session.