UNIVERSITY FACTIONS MEETING IN HABANA

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02718247
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: September 12, 2023
• Document Release Date: July 31, 2023
• Case Number: F-2021-02240
• Publication Date: October 26, 1950

Approved for Release: 2023/06/07 CO2718247
CLASSIFICATION C EVTIAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT NO.
INFORMATION REPORT CD NO.
COUNTRY Cube
SUBJECT University Factions Meeting in Habana
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO.
DATE DISTR. 26 Oct. 1950
NO. OF PAGES 2
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED SEI.OW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
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SOURCE
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1. On 30 September 1950, the Communist-dominated Comite 30 de Septiembre
and student groups sympathetic to the Accion Revolucionaria Guiteras
(ARC) held celebrations in commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of
the death of Rafael Trejos. Although both Communist and Ortodox*
students were involved in the plans for the meetings, the Communists
were dominant. Neither reunion was as important as its adherents had
hoped it would be.
2. The meeting of the Comite 30 de Septiembre was advertised as against
a) government opposition to the student movement; tO "gag" decrees
and interferences with the press; a) black market and administrative
corruption; and d) the government's dictatorial intent.
3. Fidel Castro, a law school student reportedly anti-Communist, to whom
attention was drawn because of his presence in Bogota in April 1948,
was the first speaker. He referred to the removal of former Chief of
Staff General Perez Damara by President Prio and called particular
attention to the presence of the Military Attache of the United States
Embassy at that occasion. Leonel Soto, who also spoke is the Secretary
General of Foreign Relations of the Federacion Estudia;til Universitaria
(FEU) and a leader of the Comite, and was the Communist President of
the School of Philosophy and Letters at the University. In his speech
he attacked Yankee imperialism the government's labor policy, and the
recent closure of the lisa, daily newspaper of the Partido Socialist�.
Popular (PSP), Cuban Communist Party. Other speakers included Aramis
Taboada, who is pro-Communist and a relatively unimportant student leader;
Alfredo Esquivel, a law school student and member of the Union Insurreccional
Revolucionaria (UIR) who has been reported as both pro-Communist and anti-
Communist; and Rafael Diaz Balard (Balart), who was reportedly in contact
with the FEU representatives after their retwrn from Bogota in 194$.
4. Others in attendance at the meeting were Luis Eas Marin, President of
the Habana Provincial Committee of the Juventud Socialists who was an
unsuccessful candidate for Alderman in the Municipality of Habana in
June 1950; and Fajardo Escalona, who is active in the Habana Provincial
Committee of the PSP. The audience was made us completely of
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CENRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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Communist sympathizers. It was not an enthusiastic nor impressive affair.
5. The meeting of the ARG sympathizers in the Aula Magna drew little attention
but did achieve some public reaction since the proceedings were broadcast
over radio station COCO. Fernando Gonzalez Beverly attacked the Prio
government and made weak statements against the Communists. Dann� Baeza
and Raul Hernandez also spoke along this line. Among those who attended
were Jesus Gonzales Cartas� Secretary General of the ARG; Aida Pelayo, who
was reportedly expelled from the PSP in the early 19402s; Marc Antonio
Hirigoyenl an ARG leader and Secretary General of the Federacion Nacional
de Obreros del Transporte; and Dr. Bengochea, Financial Secretary of the
ARG. Few students and not one university professor attended.
COW IAL
Approved for Release: 2023/06/07 CO2718247