U.S. To Withdraw 1,700 Troops from Dominican Republic

May 21, 1965 - The United States announced today that approximately 1,700 American troops will be withdrawn from the Dominican Republic as quickly as they can be replaced by military contingents from Latin America.

The announcement was made to the Organization of American States by U.S. Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker.

He said the number of U.S. troops to leave the rebellion-torn island would be about equal to the number being sent in as a peacekeeping force by Brazil, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Honduras.

Bunker said the U.S. withdrawal will start with the arrival of the Brazilian contingent of 1,250 troops. Ten Brazilian cargo planes loaded with material and an advance party of 20 men are scheduled to leave Brazil tomorrow morning en route to Santo Domingo.

Meanwhile, a 24-hour “humanitarian” truce began at noon today in Santo Domingo, and Red Cross workers moved in to embattled areas to remove the dead and wounded.

U.S. officials continued to deny that American troops were siding on the firing lines with troops of the civilian-military junta. Administration officials emphasized that they would not allow the junta forces through U.S.-held positions for an attack on the last rebel stronghold in downtown Santo Domingo.

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