Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

Oswald’s September 1963 Trip to Mexico

Oswald’s September 1963 Trip to Mexico Oswald was in Mexico from September 26, 1963, to October 3, 1963. Marina Oswald testified that he told her the trip’s purpose was to evade the U.S. prohibition on travel to Cuba and reach the country, and he had previously planned to hijack a New Orleans-bound airliner to do so before she urged him to abandon the scheme. Bus passengers traveling with Oswald to Mexico City testified he stated he intended to reach Cuba via Mexico and hoped to meet Fidel Castro upon arrival. When meeting Cuban and Soviet consular officials, Oswald claimed he was traveling to the Soviet Union and requested an in-transit Cuban visa to enter Cuba on September 29 en route to the U.S.S.R. Marina testified these statements were deceptions designed to secure access to Cuba, and available evidence suggests it is more likely Oswald intended to remain in Cuba rather than continue on to the Soviet Union.

Oswald’s Visa Applications at Cuban and Soviet Embassies

Oswald’s Visa Applications at Cuban and Soviet Embassies At the Cuban Embassy, Oswald requested an in-transit visa to travel to Cuba on his way to the Soviet Union, but was informed he could not obtain a Cuban visa without first securing a Soviet visa. The Soviet Embassy told him his visa application would take approximately 4 months to process. Oswald presented forged or false documents to both embassies, including proof of his prior 3-year residence in the Soviet Union, his marriage to a Soviet national, and materials purporting to show he was a leader of the New Orleans Fair Play for Cuba Committee, to curry favor with consular staff. He had a sharp argument with Cuban Consul Eusebio Azcue when his demand for a visa was refused; Azcue stated that if it were up to him, he would not grant Oswald a visa, as “a person of his type” was harming the Cuban Revolution. Oswald left Mexico City on October 2 without obtaining either visa, and Marina testified he was disappointed and discouraged by his failure to reach Cuba upon his return to the U.S.