Douglas Henderson (ambassador)
Encyclopedia
Douglas Henderson was an American diplomat
, economist
and government official. He is perhaps best known for his service as United States Ambassador to Bolivia
during Marxist revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara's
ill-fated 1966-1967 guerrilla insurgency in that country.
on October 15, 1914. He was one of seven children and grew up in the nearby town of Weston, Massachusetts
in a home built by his father, a professional carpenter. Henderson's family was hit hard by the Great Depression
and following his graduation at age 16 from Weston High School in 1931 he worked several odd-jobs to support his family before he was able to obtain a scholarship to attend Boston University
where he studied economics, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1940. The following year he went on to receive a master’s degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts College in Medford, Massachusetts
and participated in the Ph.D program there while also employed as an instructor of history. Following America’s entry into World War II
he left the university to pursue a diplomatic career, joining the United States Foreign Service
in 1942. That same year he married Dorothy Frances, a dietician from Winthrop, Massachusetts
.
: Nogales, Mexico (1942–1943) Arica, Chile
(1943) and Cochabamba, Bolivia (1943–1947). Henderson was next posted to the Department of Commerce in Washington, DC where he worked as a financial analyst for the American Republics Branch of the Office of International Economics (1947–1950). It was while serving in this position that he authored a significant section of President Harry S. Truman
’s 1949 inaugural address which laid the groundwork for the creation of the United States Department of State
’s so-called "Point Four Program", designed to increase the sharing of American scientific and industrial expertise with underdeveloped countries.
Following his service at the Commerce Department, Henderson was appointed First Secretary of the US Embassy in Bern, Switzerland (1950–1956). He returned to the United States after being named Assistant Director of the State Department’s Economic Defense Administration (1956–1959). After participating in the Foreign Service Institute’s Senior Officers’ Training Course, Henderson was next assigned to the American embassy in Lima
, Peru
, first as the Chief Economics Officer (1960–1962) and later promoted to the position of Chargé d'affaires
(1962–1963). When the Peruvian military overthrew the pro-American government of Manuel Prado in a July 1962 coup the administration of President John F. Kennedy
responded by withdrawing its ambassador, leaving Henderson as the de facto chief of the US embassy in Lima. His skillful and competent service in the tumultuous months following the coup, during which US-Peruvian relations were severely strained, brought Henderson to the attention of his superiors in Washington. On November 8, 1963 Henderson was appointed to serve as United States Ambassador to Bolivia
by President John F. Kennedy
. His appointment was reconfirmed by President Lyndon B. Johnson
following Kennedy’s assassination later that same month, making him the first American graduate of the Fletcher School to achieve the rank of ambassador
.
in December 1963 the nation was in a state of tremendous turmoil. The government of President Victor Paz Estenssoro
was moribund and subject to deep internal divisions. More alarming from the American perspective were the frequent clashes between government forces and militant tin miners, protesting the government’s plans to overhaul the mining industry. In the climate of the Cold War
the weakness of the Paz government and the growing radicalism of Bolivia’s miners aroused fears among many US policymakers that the nation was vulnerable to subversion by pro-communist elements, specifically those aligned with Cuban leader Fidel Castro
. In an effort to address these concerns Henderson sought to cultivate a close personal relationship with President Paz Estenssoro and to persuade him to confront Bolivia's problems more forcefully. He succeeded in the former case but the Paz government's internal weaknesses continually frustrated his larger goals. Matters changed drastically on November 4, 1964 when Paz Estenssoro was deposed in a military coup that installed General Rene Barrientos
, the charismatic former commander of the Bolivian Air Force
, as President. Henderson, despite serious his misgivings about the ability of the Paz administration to govern Bolivia
effectively, opposed the coup. This opposition also put him at odds with many in the Pentagon
and Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA), where Barrientos’ reputation as a staunch anti-communist and positive disposition toward American interests made him extremely popular. Henderson’s disquiet notwithstanding, the new regime did implement many of the policies he had advocated but had been ignored by the previous government. Barrientos employed the army to swiftly pacify the rebellion amongst the tin miners and welcomed American efforts to modernize Bolivia’s outmoded military. What had previously been a relatively modest program of American aid to the Bolivian armed forces became a veritable flood under Barrientos. As the relationship between Bolivia and the U.S. grew Henderson began to acquire a great deal of influence in La Paz, even becoming a regular attendee of President Barrientos' cabinet meetings. He also astutely pressured the regime to use some of the U.S. aid it was receiving to serve political ends, convincing Barrientos to employ civil action programs such as the building roads, bridges and schools as a means of improving the regime’s image with the Bolivian public.
was the incipient guerrilla war launched in the nation's mountainous southeast during the later months of 1966 by Cuban-backed communist insurgents under the command of the iconic Argentine-Cuban
revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara. When fighting began in the early spring of 1967 the guerrillas managed to stage numerous successful attacks against the Bolivian Army
. However, their movement failed to gain traction when expected popular support for the guerrillas among the campesinos, Bolivia’s peasant farmers, failed to materialize. Nevertheless the revelation of Guevara’s presence in Bolivia caused panic within the nation’s government and military. This was reflected in claims made to Henderson by President Barrientos that the guerrilla force comprised between 100 to 200 men, four times its actual size. Henderson was rightfully dubious and assessed that the Bolivians were exaggerating the strength of the guerrillas in an opportunistic effort to secure greater military aid from the U.S. The military priorities of the Bolivians clashed with those of Henderson who sought to limit direct American involvement in the guerrilla episode as much possible. Henderson counseled Barrientos to accept a more modest aid package, one which included a detachment of American Green Berets
who would train a unit of Bolivian Army Rangers in counter-insurgency
warfare. Unbenownst to Henderson his successful efforts to curb US involvement undercut one of the major political goals of Guevara’s overall plan, which was to provoke a substantial American military response to his presence in Bolivia that would enable the guerrillas to cast their struggle as resistance to US imperialism. Henderson also endeavored to soften the Barrientos regime’s hard-line image following the capture in April 1967 of Regis Debray
, a prominent French Marxist intellectual who had been arrested by Bolivian authorities after he was found to have been in contact with the guerrillas. The Bolivians initial intent was to summarily execute Debray as an enemy combatant, however Henderson (in response to an outpouring of international appeals on behalf of Debray from such luminaries as Charles de Gaulle
and Jean-Paul Sartre
) used his influence to convince Barrientos to spare the Frenchman’s life and instead have him stand trial. This incident proved hugely unpopular with the Bolivian military and likely played a major role in the events following Guevara’s capture in October, 1967 by US-trained Bolivian counter-insurgency troops. Anxious to avoid a repeat of the Debray affair Barrientos ordered Guevara's execution within 24 hours after he was taken into custody and did not fully inform Henderson of the details surrounding the incident, withholding official confirmation of Guevara's death until a week after the guerrilla leader had been executed by the army in the village of La Higuera
. Henderson had in fact been previously directed by Washington to secure Guevara alive if possible, so that he might be interrogated by the CIA.
in August 1968 and returned to the United States settling with his family in Virginia
where his wife would die later that year. He continued his work for the State Department where, despite the seeming success of his ambassadorship, his time in Bolivia had served to undercut Henderson's diplomatic career. This was due in large part due to his unpopularity with the Pentagon and CIA stemming from his early opposition to the 1964 coup by Barrientos and his sometimes rocky relationships with US military officials who resented his efforts to rein in the influence and involvement of American forces during the Guevara insurgency. Also harmful to Henderson's career was a British documentary film that had been made in Bolivia during the height of the insurgency in which Henderson had appeared and given an interview. The film depicted Henderson himself in an unflattering light and in addition was also highly critical of both the United States and the Barrientos regime. The film and Henderson's involvement in it proved a major embarrassment for both him and the State Department. Henderson would go on to hold several mid-level bureaucratic posts in the State Department's Bureau of Inter-American Affairs before being appointed to a sub-ambassadorial post as the Deputy US Representative to the Organization of American States
in charge of social and economic issues. It was during this time that he met his second wife Marion, whom he married in 1970. He retired from the State Department in 1975 and returned to his hometown of Weston, Massachusetts
where he later began a second career as the president of Land's Sake, a nonprofit group he had co-founded in 1980 to promote the benefits of small-scale land use in farming and educational programming.
He died at his home in Weston on July 14, 2010 at the age of 95 following a battle with prostate cancer
.
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
, economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and government official. He is perhaps best known for his service as United States Ambassador to Bolivia
United States Ambassador to Bolivia
The following is a list of United States Ambassadors, or other Chiefs of Mission, to Bolivia. The title given by the United States State Department to this position is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.-See also:...
during Marxist revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara's
Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...
ill-fated 1966-1967 guerrilla insurgency in that country.
Early life and education
Douglas Henderson was born in Newton, MassachusettsNewton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
on October 15, 1914. He was one of seven children and grew up in the nearby town of Weston, Massachusetts
Weston, Massachusetts
Weston is a suburb of Boston located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States in the Boston metro area. The population of Weston, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, is 11,261....
in a home built by his father, a professional carpenter. Henderson's family was hit hard by the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and following his graduation at age 16 from Weston High School in 1931 he worked several odd-jobs to support his family before he was able to obtain a scholarship to attend Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
where he studied economics, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1940. The following year he went on to receive a master’s degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts College in Medford, Massachusetts
Medford, Massachusetts
Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...
and participated in the Ph.D program there while also employed as an instructor of history. Following America’s entry into World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he left the university to pursue a diplomatic career, joining the United States Foreign Service
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
in 1942. That same year he married Dorothy Frances, a dietician from Winthrop, Massachusetts
Winthrop, Massachusetts
The Town of Winthrop is a municipality in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population of Winthrop was 17,497 at the 2010 U.S. Census. It is an oceanside suburban community in Greater Boston situated at the north entrance to Boston Harbor and is very close to Logan International...
.
Early diplomatic career
Henderson’s initial diplomatic assignments saw him appointed to various consular posts in Latin AmericaLatin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
: Nogales, Mexico (1942–1943) Arica, Chile
Arica, Chile
Arica is a commune and a port city with a population of 185,269 in the Arica Province of northern Chile's Arica and Parinacota Region, located only south of the border with Peru. The city is the capital of both the Arica Province and the Arica and Parinacota Region...
(1943) and Cochabamba, Bolivia (1943–1947). Henderson was next posted to the Department of Commerce in Washington, DC where he worked as a financial analyst for the American Republics Branch of the Office of International Economics (1947–1950). It was while serving in this position that he authored a significant section of President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
’s 1949 inaugural address which laid the groundwork for the creation of the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
’s so-called "Point Four Program", designed to increase the sharing of American scientific and industrial expertise with underdeveloped countries.
Following his service at the Commerce Department, Henderson was appointed First Secretary of the US Embassy in Bern, Switzerland (1950–1956). He returned to the United States after being named Assistant Director of the State Department’s Economic Defense Administration (1956–1959). After participating in the Foreign Service Institute’s Senior Officers’ Training Course, Henderson was next assigned to the American embassy in Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, first as the Chief Economics Officer (1960–1962) and later promoted to the position of Chargé d'affaires
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
(1962–1963). When the Peruvian military overthrew the pro-American government of Manuel Prado in a July 1962 coup the administration of President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
responded by withdrawing its ambassador, leaving Henderson as the de facto chief of the US embassy in Lima. His skillful and competent service in the tumultuous months following the coup, during which US-Peruvian relations were severely strained, brought Henderson to the attention of his superiors in Washington. On November 8, 1963 Henderson was appointed to serve as United States Ambassador to Bolivia
United States Ambassador to Bolivia
The following is a list of United States Ambassadors, or other Chiefs of Mission, to Bolivia. The title given by the United States State Department to this position is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.-See also:...
by President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
. His appointment was reconfirmed by President Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
following Kennedy’s assassination later that same month, making him the first American graduate of the Fletcher School to achieve the rank of ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
.
US Ambassador to Bolivia
When Henderson assumed his new post in the Bolivian capital of La PazLa Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
in December 1963 the nation was in a state of tremendous turmoil. The government of President Victor Paz Estenssoro
Víctor Paz Estenssoro
Ángel Víctor Paz Estenssoro was a politician and president of Bolivia. He ran for president 8 times , winning in 1951, 1960, 1964, and 1985....
was moribund and subject to deep internal divisions. More alarming from the American perspective were the frequent clashes between government forces and militant tin miners, protesting the government’s plans to overhaul the mining industry. In the climate of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
the weakness of the Paz government and the growing radicalism of Bolivia’s miners aroused fears among many US policymakers that the nation was vulnerable to subversion by pro-communist elements, specifically those aligned with Cuban leader Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
. In an effort to address these concerns Henderson sought to cultivate a close personal relationship with President Paz Estenssoro and to persuade him to confront Bolivia's problems more forcefully. He succeeded in the former case but the Paz government's internal weaknesses continually frustrated his larger goals. Matters changed drastically on November 4, 1964 when Paz Estenssoro was deposed in a military coup that installed General Rene Barrientos
René Barrientos
René Barrientos Ortuño was a Bolivian politician who served as his country's Vice President in 1964 and as its President from 1964 to 1969....
, the charismatic former commander of the Bolivian Air Force
Bolivian Air Force
The Bolivian Air Force is part of the Military of Bolivia.-History:By 1938 the Bolivian air force consisted of about 60 aircraft , and about 300 staff; the officers were...
, as President. Henderson, despite serious his misgivings about the ability of the Paz administration to govern Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
effectively, opposed the coup. This opposition also put him at odds with many in the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
and Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
(CIA), where Barrientos’ reputation as a staunch anti-communist and positive disposition toward American interests made him extremely popular. Henderson’s disquiet notwithstanding, the new regime did implement many of the policies he had advocated but had been ignored by the previous government. Barrientos employed the army to swiftly pacify the rebellion amongst the tin miners and welcomed American efforts to modernize Bolivia’s outmoded military. What had previously been a relatively modest program of American aid to the Bolivian armed forces became a veritable flood under Barrientos. As the relationship between Bolivia and the U.S. grew Henderson began to acquire a great deal of influence in La Paz, even becoming a regular attendee of President Barrientos' cabinet meetings. He also astutely pressured the regime to use some of the U.S. aid it was receiving to serve political ends, convincing Barrientos to employ civil action programs such as the building roads, bridges and schools as a means of improving the regime’s image with the Bolivian public.
Che Guevara's Bolivian Campaign
The greatest trial faced by Henderson during his time as United States Ambassador to BoliviaUnited States Ambassador to Bolivia
The following is a list of United States Ambassadors, or other Chiefs of Mission, to Bolivia. The title given by the United States State Department to this position is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.-See also:...
was the incipient guerrilla war launched in the nation's mountainous southeast during the later months of 1966 by Cuban-backed communist insurgents under the command of the iconic Argentine-Cuban
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara. When fighting began in the early spring of 1967 the guerrillas managed to stage numerous successful attacks against the Bolivian Army
Bolivian Army
The Bolivian Army or Ejército Boliviano is the land forces component of the Military of Bolivia, the Bolivian Army has around 31,500 men.- Combat units directly under the Army general command :...
. However, their movement failed to gain traction when expected popular support for the guerrillas among the campesinos, Bolivia’s peasant farmers, failed to materialize. Nevertheless the revelation of Guevara’s presence in Bolivia caused panic within the nation’s government and military. This was reflected in claims made to Henderson by President Barrientos that the guerrilla force comprised between 100 to 200 men, four times its actual size. Henderson was rightfully dubious and assessed that the Bolivians were exaggerating the strength of the guerrillas in an opportunistic effort to secure greater military aid from the U.S. The military priorities of the Bolivians clashed with those of Henderson who sought to limit direct American involvement in the guerrilla episode as much possible. Henderson counseled Barrientos to accept a more modest aid package, one which included a detachment of American Green Berets
Green Berets
A green beret was the headgear of the British Commandos of World War II. Certain military organisations still wear green berets because they have regimental or unit histories that form a connection with the British Commandos of World War II....
who would train a unit of Bolivian Army Rangers in counter-insurgency
Counter-insurgency
A counter-insurgency or counterinsurgency involves actions taken by the recognized government of a nation to contain or quell an insurgency taken up against it...
warfare. Unbenownst to Henderson his successful efforts to curb US involvement undercut one of the major political goals of Guevara’s overall plan, which was to provoke a substantial American military response to his presence in Bolivia that would enable the guerrillas to cast their struggle as resistance to US imperialism. Henderson also endeavored to soften the Barrientos regime’s hard-line image following the capture in April 1967 of Regis Debray
Régis Debray
Jules Régis Debray is a French intellectual, journalist, government official and professor. He is known for his theorization of mediology, a critical theory of the long-term transmission of cultural meaning in human society; and for having fought in 1967 with Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara in...
, a prominent French Marxist intellectual who had been arrested by Bolivian authorities after he was found to have been in contact with the guerrillas. The Bolivians initial intent was to summarily execute Debray as an enemy combatant, however Henderson (in response to an outpouring of international appeals on behalf of Debray from such luminaries as Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
and Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French existentialist philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was one of the leading figures in 20th century French philosophy, particularly Marxism, and was one of the key figures in literary...
) used his influence to convince Barrientos to spare the Frenchman’s life and instead have him stand trial. This incident proved hugely unpopular with the Bolivian military and likely played a major role in the events following Guevara’s capture in October, 1967 by US-trained Bolivian counter-insurgency troops. Anxious to avoid a repeat of the Debray affair Barrientos ordered Guevara's execution within 24 hours after he was taken into custody and did not fully inform Henderson of the details surrounding the incident, withholding official confirmation of Guevara's death until a week after the guerrilla leader had been executed by the army in the village of La Higuera
La Higuera
La Higuera is a small village in Bolivia located in the Province of Vallegrande, in the Department of Santa Cruz. It is situated in the La Higuera Canton belonging to the Pucará municipality.-Geography:...
. Henderson had in fact been previously directed by Washington to secure Guevara alive if possible, so that he might be interrogated by the CIA.
Later diplomatic career and retirement
When his wife Dorothy Frances became seriously ill during the aftermath of the guerrilla episode Henderson resigned as United States Ambassador to BoliviaUnited States Ambassador to Bolivia
The following is a list of United States Ambassadors, or other Chiefs of Mission, to Bolivia. The title given by the United States State Department to this position is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.-See also:...
in August 1968 and returned to the United States settling with his family in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
where his wife would die later that year. He continued his work for the State Department where, despite the seeming success of his ambassadorship, his time in Bolivia had served to undercut Henderson's diplomatic career. This was due in large part due to his unpopularity with the Pentagon and CIA stemming from his early opposition to the 1964 coup by Barrientos and his sometimes rocky relationships with US military officials who resented his efforts to rein in the influence and involvement of American forces during the Guevara insurgency. Also harmful to Henderson's career was a British documentary film that had been made in Bolivia during the height of the insurgency in which Henderson had appeared and given an interview. The film depicted Henderson himself in an unflattering light and in addition was also highly critical of both the United States and the Barrientos regime. The film and Henderson's involvement in it proved a major embarrassment for both him and the State Department. Henderson would go on to hold several mid-level bureaucratic posts in the State Department's Bureau of Inter-American Affairs before being appointed to a sub-ambassadorial post as the Deputy US Representative to the Organization of American States
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
in charge of social and economic issues. It was during this time that he met his second wife Marion, whom he married in 1970. He retired from the State Department in 1975 and returned to his hometown of Weston, Massachusetts
Weston, Massachusetts
Weston is a suburb of Boston located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States in the Boston metro area. The population of Weston, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, is 11,261....
where he later began a second career as the president of Land's Sake, a nonprofit group he had co-founded in 1980 to promote the benefits of small-scale land use in farming and educational programming.
He died at his home in Weston on July 14, 2010 at the age of 95 following a battle with prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
.