6 5 1 1 1 6 US Department of State Case No Doc No 006511165 Date 03 14 2018 CONFIDENTIAL RELEASE IN FULL PAGE 01 GEORGE 02729 1416382 ACTION ARA-15 INFO ADS-00 DOT-02 SY-OS SYE-OD CIAE-OO REVIEW AUTHORITY Richard Zorn NSAE-OO NSCE-OO SSO-OO INRE-OO Senior Reviewer INR-10 L-03 88 15 LAB-04 EUR-12 AID-07 OMB-01 TRSE-OO ADS w 449927 1417372 40 0 1416202 JUN 80 ZFF-4 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO SECSTATE WASHDC NIACT IMMEDIATE 2729 INFO AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN AM EMBASSY CARACAS AMEMBASSY KINGSTON AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN CONFIDENTIALGEORGETOWN2729 E O 12065 GDS 6 14 86 RICHARD A OR-M TAGS PINS PINT GY SUBJECT WPA LEADER RODNEY DIES IN CAR EXPLOSION 1 U WORKING PEOPLES ALLIANCE WPA LEADER DR WALTER RODNEY WAS KILLED ABOUT 2000 HOURS JUNE 13 IN AN EXPLOSION IN AN AUTOMOBILE PARKED APPROXIMATELY ONE BLOCK AWAY FROM CAMP STREET PRISON LATER RADIO REPORTS SAID THAT THE CAR WAS STOPPED AT THEJUNCTION OF JOHN AND HADFIELD STREETS 2 LOU DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF POLICE FOR CRIME CECIL SKIP ROBERTS TOLD THE CHARGE ON JUNE 14 THAT THE BODY HAD NOT BEEN POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED UNTIL ABOUT 11 00 A M THAT MORNING BY AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY NONETHELESS THE HAD ISSUED PRESS RELEASES TO LOCAL AND REGIONAL MEDIA EARLY ON JUNE 14 STATING THAT RODNEY HAD BEEN MURDERED EMBASSY GEORGETOWN HAS NOT YET SEEN OR HEARD THE WPA RELEASE BUT INFORMED SOURCES STATE THAT IT ACCUSES CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 GEORGE 02729 141638Z THE GUYANESE GOVERNMENT AND THE CIA OF MURDERING RODNEY 4 LOU ACCORDING TO ROBERTS TWO BEAT POLICEMEN IN THE AREA HEARD THE XPLOSION AND RAN TOWARDS THE CAR A SECOND MAN IN THE CAR FLED FROM THE SCENE ON FOOT AND IS THE OBJECT OF AN INTENSIVE POLICE SEARCH POLICE PRESUME THAT THE SECOND MAN MUST BE BADLY WOUNDED THE CAR WAS REGISTERED TO BROTHER RONALD WHOM THE POLICE ARE SEEKING A SECOND AND UNIDENTIFIED OTHER PERSONS ARE BEING QUESTIONNED BY POLICE ACCORDING TO RADIO REPORTS UNCLASSIFIED US Department of State Case No No 006511165 Date 03 14 2018 US Department of State Case No Doc No 006511165 Date 03 14 2018 f4 5 LOU ROBERTS STATED THAT THE SCENE WAS NOT DISTURBED BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF GUYANESE GOVERNMENT CORONER DR MOOTOO MOOT-OO THEORIZED FROM THE LOCATION OF THE INJURIES THAT AN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE WAS DETONATED ON THE SEAT OF THE CAR BETWEEN LEGS 6 C COMMENT AS DEPUTY COMMISSIONER ROBERTS WAS CAREFUL TOP POINT OUT TO THE CHARGE THE SEVERAL OPPOSITION ACTIVISTS ACCUSED OF TREASON ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF WEAPONS ETC ARRESTED IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS ARE BEING HELD IN THE CAMP STREET PRISON THE IMPLICATION IS THAT RODNEY AND HIS COLLEAGUE PRESUMABLY HIS BROTHER RONALD WERE INVOLVED EITHER IN A BUNGLED RESCUE ATTEMPT OR A VIOLENT PROTEST AGAINST THE INCARCERATION OF THE PRISONERS RODNEY OF COURSE WAS ON TRIAL RECESSED UNTIL AUGUST ALONG WITH TWO OTHER WPA LEADERS FOR THE JULY 1979 ARSON OF THE RULING PNC PARTY HEADQUARTERS AND THE MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT WHATEVER MAY BE THE FACTS OF THE EXPLOSION WHICH KILLED RODNEY IT SEEMS ALREADY CLEAR THAT THE WPA AND THE OPPOSITION IN GENERAL NOW HAVE A MARTYR OF THE FIRST RANK DWYER CONFIDENTIAL UNCLASSIFIED US Department of State Case No M-2013-15063 Doc No C06511165 Date 03 14 2018 This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu