Air Pouch 
UNCLASSIFIED 
PRIORITY 
(,Security Classification) 
FOREIGN SERYIGE DESPATCH 
719 
CARACAo 
c , VENEZUELA 
THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON. 
DESP. NO. 
DO NOT TYPE IN THIS SPACE 
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A/t 03 /• 0O 3 / 
November 10. 1953 
DATE 
REF 
— 73H 
For Dept. 
ACTION 
Use Only 
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SUBJECT: 
DEPT. 
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INSTITUTiat 
NOV 2 4)853 
more restrictions oh travel in the back country 
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03/-ov3/ 
Since July 27, 1951 (despatch No/l67 July 25, 1952) anyone, 
Venezuelan or alien, visiting areas of Venezuela occupied by 
indigenous populations (Indians) must have a prior permit issued oy 
the Ministry of Justice* These permits are required regardless of 
the traveler*s field of interest and are designed to give the 
government some sort of control over those contacting the Indians. 
This control is felt to be necessary because some of the Indians 
are hostile (Motilones), some are uon -cooperative (Guahibos) and 
all are more or less without official resident protection,. Many 
of the Ma, iritares on the Cunucunuma were wiped out last year by 
an itinerant peddlar with measles* 
For the ourpose of obtaining a permit the petitioner must 
file a statement in Spanish typed on" official paper and bearing 
a cancelled fiscal stamp for 1*00 bolivar (30 U.S. cents)* To 
this reouirement has now been added the further provision that the 
petitioner must be bonded by a Venezuelan properly qualified 
financially to make payment of the bond if demanded. This latest 
requirement is designed to enforce the provision of the permit 
that requires the permitee to submit to the Ministry of Justice 
a report on his expedition upon its termination. The Ministry 
has discovered that these required reports are regularly overlooked 
by expeditionists once they have escaped from the regions of the 
back country and returned to their parent museums. 
It is the idea of the Ministry to gradually build up its 
records as to who visited whom in the Indian country, how they 
traveled, what they saw and accomplished® It is not the intention 
of the Ministry that full scientific reports be made on the achieve¬ 
ments of these expeditions but rather more general accounts that will 
assist the officials in keeping their knowledge of the Indians and 
of travel conditions more or less current® These requirements should 
be brought to the attention of all those seeking passports for 
travel in the back country of Venezuela* 
For the Ambassado r:, 
'James H. Kemp ton, 
Agricultural Attache 
TTOP.T.A.S.STFTF.D 
REPORTER 
INFORMATION COPY 
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