CEMA ADOPTS COMMUNIQUE ON AIDING CUBAN DEVELOPMENT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP06T01849R000200120009-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 4, 2012
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: January 24, 1977
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/04: CIA-RDP06TO1849R000200120009-2
C
LATIN AMERICA
i0 ANK?C
It is clear that Jimmy Carter has abandoned his rabble-rousing oratory (his heated
diatribes against Brazil and Chile, for example) in order to adopt the calm but firm.
determination appropriate to the president of the United States. What has apparently
not changed from his original position: to approach the democratic governments, and
to show coldness toward the dictatorships.
Carter's ethical modality will modify the relations of the United States with several
countries, but it will also change the characteristics of the dialog. Previously the
only valid spokesman were an autocratic president and his deputy, the secretary of
state. Historian Arthur Schlesinger, in his book "The Imperial Presidency," explained
how the most recent U.S. presidents were progressively accumulating more rights and
powers which the "founding fathom " had distributed equally among the mite House,
Congress and the Judiciary.
This trend was the origin of not of the great U.S. political scandals which culminated
in the majestic Watergate case. Now Congress is at the summit of power, and it demonstrated
that recently by obstructing the nomination of the liberal Sorensen as head of the CIA..
The Democratic senators and representatives will not refuse, obviously, to cooperate with
a fellow party member, in the presidency, but they will jealously guard their independence.
In the United States, members of Congress do not behave a servilely as we have known
them to in other countries. The Congress will not retreat 1 millimeter from the power it
has regained. The President himself, on the other hand, is encouraging them. To understand
the United States, then, one most keep in mind the "barons," the powers in Congress:
Edward Kennedy, Hubert Buvgh t, Henry Jackson, Robert- Byrd, Thomas O'Neill and James
Wright, among others. To ignore them would be to ignore a substantial element of power.
One should also keep Walter Mondale, in mind. In other eras the vice president was a
deooratire figure, suitable for attacking the press and attending to undesirable visitors,
in addition to 'ringing the bell in the Senate." In the Carter administration Mondale
will be a coordinator, a powerful mediator, an indispensable spokesman.
The speech of the new President does not add any new ideas of interest to Latin America.
Washington has never shown a deep understanding of the political and eoonomio parebiems
of Latin America. Paced with a crisis, it has almost always exclusively tended to its
own immediate interests. Henry Kissinger, for maple, did not apply his dynamism to
this area, limiting himself to the exaltation of the giant; Nixon echoed this on stating:
"As Brazil goes, so goes Latin America." Carter prefers Mexico and next Venezuela.
Neither did the united States swooned in an economic policy which would allow the southern
countries to overcome the contradictions in their development. The policy remained
constant, thus revealing that for the United States this area is considered secure from
the strategic point of view. This is the important failing which the new administration
must overcome. up to now, with the exception of the sensible recommendations in the
Linowitz report, which is not of an official nature, nothing revolutionary has been proposed
b
_ United State..
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Havana PRELA in Spanish 1336 GMT 21 Jan 77 PA--FOR OFFICIAL MBE ONLY
[Text] Havana, 21 Jan--The Executive Committee of CEMA has issued a final oomemique at
the conclusion of its 17th meeting, according to which Cuba will produce one-fourth of
the nickel processed in the world thanks to the cooperation of this integrationist organi-
zation of the socialist countries,
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/04: CIA-RDP06TO1849R000200120009-2
 Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/04: CIA-RDP06TO1849R000200120009-2
r
24 Jan 77
4 LATIN AM=&
ANNEX
The communique issued today, which contains all the agreements adopted here by CEMA's
main operations organization, gives central importance to the will of the member countries
to speed up as much as possible Cuba's economic development through the realization of
various programs.
In their meetings of 18 and 19 January the Executive Committee decided to give the
Secretariat of the council the task of preparing a periodic report on the development of
the proposals presented by Cuba and of elaborating specific measures to accelerate Cuba's
economic development. After listening to a report on the present state of the Cuban
economy, the Executive Committee praised the achievements of that country in building
socialism under the most difficult circumstances and recommended that all the member
countries give Cuba all the necessary help, considering the problems deriving from the
inflation generated by the capitalist market.
Special attention was given to the creation of additional Capacity for producing nickel-
Cobalt. This additional capacity will allow Cuba to produce 130,000 tons annually, and
as a result Cuba would be producing approximately one-fourth of the world's nickel.
Nickel is necessary for processing special steel and for melting high-resistance non-
ferrous metals. The Communique points out that this will help assure the CBMA countries
of a supply of this product, of which they have a deficit, and will also make possible
its export to other countries. The countries participating in the nickel program are
Bulgaria, Hungary, the GDR, Poland, Romania, the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia. The
Executive Committee recommended to these countries the task of deciding before the end
of April 1977 the volume, technical characteristics and approximate cost of equipment
and materials necessary for the construction of a new plant.
Referring to the industrialization of sugarcane byproducts, such as bagasse, the communique
notes that with the technical cooperation of the CEMA countries, Cuba will conclude
technical and economic preparations for the creation of capacities to produce cellulose
and paper from sugarcane bagasse, determining with the member countries their participation
in this.
The Executive Committee also decided to approve the 1977 work plan, which gives attention
to specific programs of long-term cooperation. It also approved CEMA's plan for contacts
with other international economic and technical-scientific organizations for the develop-
ment of mutually beneficial cooperation with those entities, particularly the UN Economic
Commission for Europe and UNESCO, in response to the recommendations of the Helsinki
Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe.
During the meeting, opinions were exchanged on the EC'a reply in November to CEMA's
proposal for rapprochement submitted 9 months earlier. Regarding this matter, the
corresponding entities of CEMA were instructed to study the EC reply.
During the work period of the Executive Committee, the communique states, a meeting was
held with Desmond Hoyte, Guyanese economic development minister, who reported on his
country's economy and expressed his government's interest in developing mutually
advantageous economic and trade relations, both bilateral and multilateral, with the
member countries.
Concluding, the participants expressed their appreciation to the Cuban Communist Party
Central Committee, the Cuban Government and the people for their hospitality and the
excellent organization of the meeting.
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/04: CIA-RDP06TO1849R000200120009-2