On November 27 you authorized a telegram to our Acting Consul General in Caracas instructing him to abstain for the present from taking any action which might be considered to constitute recognition of the Military Junta as the Government of Venezuela.

2. Although this Military Junta, on the surface at least, appears to maintain substantial control over the country, only seven countries - Argentina, Honduras, Paraguay, Peru, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom - have accorded it recognition.,

3. At first the United States was inclined to extend early recognition, in accordance with Resolution 35 of the Bogota Conference, which declares that continuity of diplomatic relations among the American states is desirable and that the establishment or maintenance of diplomatic relations with a government does not imply any judgment upon the domestic policy of that government. It now appears that the United States is not likely to act for some time as it has become disturbed by the current tendency shown by some Latin American nations to overthrow popularly-elected or established régimes by violence. The United States is currently undertaking an exchange of views with certain nations of the hemisphere with a view to the adoption of `legitimate and appropriate action" within the inter-American system "to strengthen the democratic and constitutional framework of the governments of this continent."

4. You will recall that in the case of Peru we extended recognition very shortly after the United Kingdom and the United States. In this instance, the United Kingdom and the United States acted almost simultaneously. In the case of Venezuela, the United Kingdom, while at first intending to follow the lead of the United States, decided to act on its own and extended recognition on December 23. If you concur, we might continue to withhold recognition for a short while to see whether the United States is likely to act at an early date. If, however, the United States appears to be delaying its recognition unduly, we could agree to extend recognition without awaiting a lead from the United States.⁷

DAVID M. JOHNSON

⁷Notes marginales :/Marginal notes:
I concur. E.R. Hopkins Continue to withhold until U.S. recognizes but re-examine policy in about 10 days if U.S. hasn't recognized. Elstott] R[eid]