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SYLVIA DURAN

 

Sylvia Duran was a Mexican National working in the Cuban Embassy.

Her original statements were that it was NOT the arrested Oswald who she served late September, early October 1963 in Mexico City Cuban Embassy.

After she and her family were arrested Twice she changed her story and indeed Identified Oswald as the man she served at the Embassy.

What does "Interrogate Forcefully" mean to you???

 

14 MINUTE GAP (11/23/63)

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2044204923

 

CUBAN COUNSEL EUSEBIO AZCUE

HSCA III-139 AZCUE

 

Mr. CORNWELL. Senor Azcue, the pictures on the upper lefthand portion of each document would appear to be of the same individual; is that correct?

                Senor AZCUE. Yes, sir.

                Mr. CORNWELL. Do those pictures of that individual appear to you to be the same individual who visited the consulate in Mexico City on the occasions you have previously described to us?

                Senor AZCUE. Truly, this photograph is one that I saw for the first time when the honorable U.S. committee members came to Cuba in April of this year, and I was surprised that I believe that it was not the same person. Fifteen years had gone by so it is very difficult for me to be in a position to guarantee it in a categorical form.

                But my belief is that this gentleman was not, is not, the person or the individual who went to the consulate.

                Mr. CORNWELL. Directing your attention to the period of time immediately after the assassination, the day of the assassination or the day after the assassination, did you during that period of time have an occasion to see pictures of the alleged assassin in the newspapers or to observe on television the man identified at that time as Lee Harvey Oswald?

                Senor AZCUE. Yes, sir, not so close to the date, not in the first few days, not immediately thereafter. Some time I calculate approximately-and I say this because I am not a great movie fan, but it was in mid-December approximately--I saw at that time the film in which Ruby appears assassinating the Oswald who was there, and I was not able to identify him and only 2 months had gone by since I had seen the Oswald who appeared at the consulate. And I had a clear mental picture because we had had an unpleasant discussion and he had not been very pleasant to me and I did not recognize when I first saw him. I did not recognize Oswald.

                The man who went to the consulate was a man over 30 years of age and very thin, very thin faced. And the individual I saw in the movie was a young man, considerably younger, and a fuller face.

                Mr. CORNWELL. What color hair did the individual have to the best of your memory who visited the consulate?

                Senor AZCUE. He was blond, dark blond.

                Mr. CORNWELL. Did the individual you saw in the movie, the person who was killed by Jack Ruby, resemble more closely the individual in these photographs to your memory than the individual who visited the consulate?

                Senor AZCUE. I believe so.

                Mr. CORNWELL. I would like to show you JFK exhibit F-434. Do the representatives from the National Archives have the original or a small photograph of that exhibit?

 

 

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                While they are looking, Mr. Chairman, I believe we neglected to ask that JFK exhibit F-407 be admitted into evidence.

                Chairman STOKES. Without objection it may be entered into evidence.

                [The information follows:]

 

                                                                                                                           

 JFK EXHIBIT F-407                                   

           

 

 

                Mr. CORNWELL. That is a passport. May we have that exhibit admitted into evidence, Mr. Chairman, JFK F-434?

                Chairman STOKES. Without objection it may be entered into evidence.

                [The information follows:]

 

 

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JFK EXHIBIT F-434

 

                Mr. CORNWELL. Did the individual who visited the consulate look like that individual?

                Senor AZCUE. No.

                Mr. CORNWELL. What differences were there?

                Senor AZCUE. Many differences. The individual who visited the consulate is one whose physiognomy or whose face I recall very clearly. He had a hard face. He had very straight eyebrows, cold, hard, and straight eyes. His cheeks were thin. His nose was very straight and pointed. This gentleman looks like he is somewhat heavier, more filled, his eyes are at an angle with the outside of his

 

 

 

 

 

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eye, at an angle with his face. I would have never identified him or recognized him.

                I believe I can recall with fairly good accuracy the individual in such a way that I could recognize him now in a group of 100, that is better than a photograph of him because obviously during a period of 15 years he might change. I think I could recognize him, and this is not him.

                Mr. CORNWELL. We would like to show you what has been previously admitted into evidence in this case as Exhibit 194. As you can see, Senor Azcue, the pictures on the right are simply blowups of the same visa application, but I would like to direct your attention to the two pictures on the left which come from photographs taken by the Dallas Police Department.

                I ask you if that individual looks like the man who visited the consulate?

                Senor AZCUE. I would have never recognized him as I did not recognize him in the movie where he dies, and I can, however, identify him as or think of him as the person who was killed or assassinated by Ruby. It is a question of personal evaluation on my part. But it is very clearly imprinted.

                Mr. CORNWELL. The staff of the committee has had an opportunity to speak to Mrs. Sylvia Duran, and during the interview with her she expressed no doubt about the fact that the person who was killed in Dallas by Jack Ruby was the individual who visited the consulate.

                Do you have any reason to question her memory or the reason that her memory might differ from yours?

                Senor AZCUE. Categorically, I could not affirm it without any doubt. However, it is possible that she might be more susceptible to impression or more impressionable than I. I remember what I saw on the film and also what I saw on TV later or maybe before. I remember that moment when he was killed and I remember I did not recognize him. I did not have any prejudices or preconceptions.

                I wanted to recognize, however, only 2 months had gone by. It was between September and November. At that time I was much younger. That was 15 years ago, and I think that because of my own profession I probably had better eyes. And because of the impression that was made by this person who visited the consulate, for these reasons, maybe my version is correct or more correct.

                Mr. CORNWELL. Thank you. I have no further questions.

                Chairman STOKES. At this point the procedure will be as follows: The Chair will recognize the gentleman from North Carolina, chairman of the Kennedy subcommittee, Mr. Preyer, for such time as he may consume, after which the committee will operate under the 5-minute rule.

                The Chair recognizes Mr. Preyer.

                Mr. PREYER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Azcue, it is good to see you again.

                As I understand it, at the time Lee Harvey Oswald visited the consul in Mexico there were three people who could have seen him:  yourself, Sylvia Duran and Mr. Mirabal. Is that correct?

                Senor AZCUE. That is correct.

                Mr. PREYER. And you were the consul at that time and Mr. Mirabal was in training to replace you as consul?

 

 

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 Contact Information  tomnln@cox.net

 

 

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