SURVEY OF THE AVAILABLITY OF PUBLICATIONS IN SELECTED SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP68-00069A000100090005-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 24
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 3, 1998
• Sequence Number: 5
• Content Type: REPORT

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SURVEY OF THE AVAILABILITY OF PUBLICATIONS IN
SELECTED SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES
The following pages contain a general evaluation of the availability of
publications in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Guatamala, Mexico, Panama, Peru,
Uruguay, and Venezuela. Also included is a detailed analysis of the more
useful book stores in the capital cities of these countries (and Sao Paulo)
visited by two U.S. officials on their trip, February-April 1960.
During the conduct of this survey, an important assignment to the two
making the survey was to determine the amount and types of Communist publi-
cations available in the area. An asterisk (*) before the name of a book-
store indicates that it is an outlet which carries a significant quantity of
Communist or pro-Communist material. Where such a store is an outright
Communist outlet, controlled either by the local party or a Bloc nation,
this is so stated.
The term "general store" indicates that the outlet carries a diversified
stock, including such material as reference books, dictionaries, serious
political and economic works, books on international relations, school books,
university texts, novels, poetry, art, etc.
The term "kiosks" is used to indicate newsstands or other open air
stands, usually individually located On street corners or in arcades in a
block of stores; sometimes clustered in a sort of specialized market, usually
called a Feria del Libro. Such kiosks are often the best outlets for Commu-
nist publications aimed at the local workers, and they are often the source
of out-of-print and other hard-to-find material. Latin American cities
abound with such kiosks, and they are worthy of special attention, not only
for this type of material but also for the many periodicals and newspapers
(which bookstores often do not stock) not always available on regular sub-
scription. Usually not named, and without an official street address, these
kiosks are highly important sources of publications throughout Latin America.
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AVAILABILITY AND SOURCES OF PUBLICATIONS IN LATIN AMERICA
The publications industry in Latin America varies markedly in size and
quality from country to country, and the bookstores vary to the same degree.
Without a doubt, Buenos Aires is the largest publishing center in the area,
and Argentine publications receive wide distribution throughout Latin America.
The second major publishing center is Mexico City, and third in order of
importance is Santiago, Chile. However, while Argentine books are available
in considerable numbers in every city we visited, and while Mexican publica-
tions do achieve a general, although somewhat lesser) distribution in the
area, the publications of other countries throughout Latin America are pretty
generally restricted to their country of origin. In Brazil, the publications,
of course, are in Portuguese; and, from the standpoint of the customers of the
U.S. Publications Procurement Program, Sao Paulo is perhaps its most important
center and of greater significance than Rio de Janeiro. However, Rio is the
main source of Brazilian Government publications and will continue to be so
until the transfer of agencies to the new capital of Brasilia has been
completed. While there were a considerable number of Spanish language publi-
cations available in Brazil, there were virtually no Brazilian publications
available in other Latin American countries. In addition, it should be noted
that many of the bookstores which we visited throughout Latin America carried
some small quantity of publications from Spain. The majority of these tended
to be in the field of classical literature.
As publications centers of secondary importance in size, one should note
Montevideo, Lima and Caracas. Montevideo, however, derives its importance to
the Publications Program not BO much from the indigenous publications as from
the fact that it well may be the most important center in Latin America for
the importation and distribution of Soviet and other Communist Bloc litera-
ture and propaganda. Panama and Guatemala produce a few publications of
interest outside of the newspaper field and government publications. The
booksellers in Guatemala City, Panama City, and Col& are very few in number,
small in size, and their stores usually combine books with the selling of
stationery and school supplies. The countries which we visited (other than
Guatemala and Panama) all contain bookstores of which some are restricted to
comparatively new books, some handle only secondhand publications, and some
carry both.
From the standpoint of availability, Buenos Aires appears to have the
largest number of worthwhile bookstores, with Mexico City second, Santiago,
Sao Paulo, and Rio third, and Lima, Montevideo, and Caracas with lesser
numbers. From the standpoint of the customer of the Publications Procurement
Program, most of the cities we visited offer publications of considerable
interest in the fields of politics, international relations, and economics.
These publications run the full ideological gamut from right to far left. In
addition, one must stress the availability of periodicals of interest through-
out Latin America. These also range the full ideological spectrum and are of
particular interest in the fields of politics, international relations, and
economics. These are available to some extent in bookstores, and to an even
greater extent on the newsstands and kiosks which abound on the street corners
of Latin American cities. While subscriptions to a great many Latin American
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periodicals and newspapers have been received in the State Department over
the past years through specific orders placed with our Embassies there, we
found and have brought back samples of many new periodicals which have com-
menced publishing in the last few months, and which appear to have consider-
able value for the customers of the Publications Program. It should be noted
that, in several of the cities which we visited, the standard pro-Castro
Cuban periodicals were readily available--in particular Bohemia and Carteles,
as well as INRA, the new publication of the Institut? Nacional de Reforma
Agraria (National Agrarian Reform Institute).
Of particular importance in certain cities in Latin America are the well
stocked Communist Party Stores. Of these, the best are Livraria das Bandeiras
in Sao Paulo and Libreria EPU (Edicionea Peublos Unidos) in Montevideo.
Slightly behind these two in quality and quantity is Distribuidora Magrija in
Caracas. Other Party outlets in Mexico City, Santiago, and Rio do not measure
up to these three, either in quantity or quality, although Fondo de la Cultura
Popular in Mexico City runs a close fourth.
These stores, particularly those in Sao Paulo, Montevideo, and Caracas,
carry an excellent stock of not only local Party material and books by local '
Communists and fellow travellers on varying subjects of Latin American interest,
but also carry full stocks of the standard publications of the Foreign Languages
Publishing House in Moscow (including all of the Communist classics), and the
publications of the Foreign Languages Press in Peking through the year 1959.
While many of these publications are in Spanish, editions in other languages
(generally English or French) are sold when Spanish translations are not avail-
able. There is comparatively little of this material published in Portuguese.
In addition, Mexico City and Montevideo each have a bookstore which appears to
be almost purely a Soviet outlet, but with a smattering of Chinese Communist
publications as well.
Many Communist publications (both Soviet Bloc and local) are also avail-
able, mixed in with the general stock, in a good many of the other bookstores
we visited. This is particularly true in the Argentine, where the police have
locked and sealed the Communist Party headquarters and the bookstore it
contains.
It should be noted that the overwhelming majority of useful publications
in Latin America deal with problems and subjects indigenous to that area. We
found virtually nothing useful of Latin American origin on other areas of the
world. With one or two exceptions, there was nothing useful originating in
Latin America on the subject of the Soviet Union or its technological advances.
However, the publications available in Latin America on the area itself are of
the greatest importance to those analysts and other customers of the Publica-
tions Program who are working on Latin American problems, and they are available
in such profusion as to require the continual attention of the Publications
Officers in making them available to the program's customers.
A detailed country-by-countrY breakdown describing the major useful
bookstores in each country we visited, and their specialities, is appended.
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ARGENTINA
A) General Availability
Seven days were devoted to briefing, surveying and purchasing in
Buenos Aires. Due to the intervening weekend, only six days were actually
available for our canvass of the bookstores, but many stores were open until
late in the evenings (a few as late as 1 AK) and, because of the great number
of stores, the extent of the pUbliahing industry, and the geographical spread
of the city, we customarily worked until the last store had closed.
Argentina i3 undoubtedly the pjblishing center of Latin America.
Despite the recent internal strife and the coneeqnent disruption of the normal
patterns of business and life, it retains its preeminent place in the field
of pnbliahing. Argentine books are to be found in quantity throughout Latin
America rivalled only by)lexican pnblications and some few Chilean works
(neither of which really approach the Argentine in sheer quantity outside their
own borders; Sao Paulo, while also a major center, restricts its sales to Brazil
and possibly Portugal, because of the language difference). Everything is
publidhed in Argentina, from the sleaziest paperbacks to the finest books and
periodicals in the fields of politics, economics, medicine, law, philosophy
and literature. Argentina is the only Latin American country, for example,
producing economic and political periodicals of hemisphore-vide significance
In any quantity, and is ono of the few to produce more than one news periodical
of the class of the US publications "Time" and "Newsweek." Here, too, are to be
found many of the more important vorks of US, European and other Latin American
authors, both in the original language and in translation. Some of these latter
pUblications are imported, but many (if not most) are locally produced editions.
However, aprovision of Argentine law, we aro told, tends to restrict the import-
export trade in books. That is, vhile Argentine books may be generally exported
and foreign publications can usually be imported, there are certain restrictions
particularly on the re-mport of igportedbooks. More than one dealer informed
us that they Vere unwilling to undertake the shipment of publications direct to
the US or other countries because of the difficulties involved in getting the
necessary permits, particularly to export foreign publications which the book-
seller stocks.
The recent arackdammLby the Argentine government on the local Communists
has severely limited, but by n means put an end to, the publications activities
of that political Group. Thwo are on the local market any publications whiehl
if not actually Communist, are of a very radical Leftist line and adhere closely
to the thought patterns of the Communists. Inaddition nearly every kiosk and
newstand in the city carries Soviet Bloc and Mimi proPaganda pdblicatione such
as URSSI Reviata de GDR, China Reconstruye, eta. The Soviet Esibassy, we were
toia:-Eas been and continues to be very active in pushing the distribution and
sale of this latter type of material.
Anti-Communist publications, too, appear in relatively large quantity.
.AGORA is a, major publisher of this type of material, mostly in translation of
US titles. AGORA maintains a large and, veil-organized establishment, but sells
only to the bookstores and not to the public. This firm, for example, produces
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a Spanish language abridgment of Dallin's Soviet Espionage.
An interesting development in the area of availability is the recent
organization of a publishers' cooperative, operating under the name CODILIBRO,
which offers through one central source the product of approximately fifteen
Argentine publishers. This group plans to open at least one retail outlet in
Buenos Aires in the near future, but at present it acts only as a clearing-
house for orders of books of its member firms. CODILIBRO is currently being
supervised by a Mr. Jean-George Kirchheimer, owner of the Libreria Mandragora
(specializing in the sale of French publications) and a former member of the
French Military Government staff in Germany. According to Kirchheimer, the
CODILIBRO cooperative undertakes to sell its members' publications but exer-
cises no editorial control over their offerings. As a consequence, the asso-
ciation members range from quite conservative to quite radical Leftist in their
publishing policies and in the material they offer for sale. A ccompao cata-
log, plus separate catalogs of the individual members, were provided by
Mr. Kirchheimer, who further informed us that CODILIBRO (Suipacha 6120 Buenos
Aires) is prepared to ship books abroad and has, indeed, already made some
sales in Mexico.
Periodical publications, totally aside from newspapers, abound in .
Buenos Aires. Sample copies of about ten publications new to us were acquired
and will be circulated to Washington analysts. While a few of these are
apparently publications of long standing of which we were previously unaware,
many are totally or relatively new titles of which only one or two issues have
appeared. Among these were such publications as SituaciOn (a new Leftist
monthly of political and economic commentary; very anti-US and closely follows
the Communist line; Issue No. 1, March 1960, is predominantly Prensa Latina
material); Expresibn (a quarterly political review of the Communist-front
Liga Argentine por las Derechos del Hombra -- Argentine League for the Rights
of Man); Revista de Politica Internacional (a conservatively inclined monthly
review of international politics which appears friendly to the US); Clave (a
leftist, probably Socialist, monthly review of politics and economiciVind
Suma (a new economic review published by the Instituto de Cultura Economics,
Buenos Aires).
Buenos Aires also features a small shop specializing in dictionaries
and grammars in all languages. Although small in size, the shop has an excel-
lent and varied stock of this material. The owner informed us that he is fully
prepared to supply any dictionary or grammar available anywhere in the world in
any combination of languages. He further informed us, with considerable pride,
that there were only three other such establishments in the world, one each in
New York, London, and Paris. This shop, known as LA CASA DE LOS DICCIONARIOS,
advertises dictionaries in thirty different languages, and states that he is
prepared to ship books abroad on request.
B) Retail Outlets
The following are a few representative samples of the many excellent
sources in Buenos Aires. No purely Communist outlet was found operating
openly at this time.
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1) CASA DE LOS DICCIONARIOS
Tucuman 844
Specializes in dictionaries and grammar; see Section A, above,
for further comment.
*2) CODILIBRO
Suipacha 612
A cooperative distributorship for about 15 Argentine publishers;
political slant ranges from far Right to far Left; see Section A,
above, for further comment.
*3)
LIBRERIA TABARE
Corrientes 1650
A secondhand book shop; section in rear has large, well-organized,
neatly segregated collection of Communist works; most from ?LPH
(Moscow), but some local also; good source for this material;
Good eource for out-of-print and other hard-to-find older books.
4) FDTTORIAL AGORA
S. Salguero 32
Publiching house (not a retail store) who normally sells only
to dealerel but can be (and was) persuaded to sell direct to
us); specializes in books exposing C:ommuniem and Soviet
duplicity; good material.
5) EDITORIAL KRAFT
Reconquista 319-327
6
publisher and general store dealing largely in the purely
cultural material. However, publishes 4-vo1ume "Anuario Kraft,"
an Argentine yearbook of the Who's Who type; previously published
an international yearbook, but this is now defunct. These are the
beet, and almoot the only, annuals of this type available in Latin
America -- the suspeaded internatiotal edition may be revived in
the future.
LIBRERIA ESOPO
Corrienteo 579
An excellent general store; carries some pro- and some anti-
Communist material; store remains open until midnight or 1 AM
daily except Sunday.
) LIJU iL ATENEO
Flo r de 340
Good general store; large stc?c% but poor staff; nu& law, may
dicUorzaries, good assortment of political and economic, as well
at rely cultural, material.
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8) KIOSKS
Kiosks and newstands dot the city. Avenida Florida, closed to
vehicular traffic during the .day, has many both on street and
in adjoining arcades; many more on Ave. 25 de Mayo. Kiosks
carry publications mentioned in Section A, above, and many
others of possible interest; nearly all stock Soviet and Chicom
propaganda pictorials and cultural periodicals.
C) Bibliographic Aids
In common with most of Latin America, reliable bibliographic
references are very scarce in Argentina. The Boletin Bibliografico Nacional,
previously published by the Ministerio de Eduoacitin, has ceased publication
"temporarily", but no definite word was available on its expected revival.
Two new publications in this field have started up. One, the catalog
of the Camara Tecnico del Libro (publication bears same name), lists pdblishere
and boakdealers specializing in technical books only. Its periodicity is un-
certain at this time, but it is likely to be a quarterly. The Publications
Officer has sent sample copies to Washington. The other bears the title Biblos
and is the trade journal of the remaining (non-technical) publishers. We were
unable to obtain copies while in Buenos Aires, but have requested the Publications
Officer to obtain and forward this publication. The Camara Tecnico Del Libro
is located at Venezuela 668, Buenos Aires, while the non-technical group
(known simply as Camara Del Libro) is located at Sarmiento 528, Buenos Aires.
Local reports are that relations between these two trade associations are not
of the best, and each disparages the other's publication.
Again, even in this principal publications center of Latin America,
adequate coverage can be obtained scilely by physical canvassing of the book-
stores and kiosks due to the lack of proper bibliographic tools. Many publishers
offer sporadic lista of current offerings, and copies were obtained wherever
possible. The OODILIBRO catalog offers a fairly vide selection but even this
does not include all of the publications available fram its members. An ,
adequate, nationwide bibliographic reference simply does not exist at the
present time.
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5
BRAZIL
A) General Availability
Being somewhat pressed for time at this juncture in our trip, we
acceded to geographic convenience and visited Sao Paulo prior to Rio de
Janeiro. These two cities will be discussed separately.
Sao Paulo is, despite the triteness of the expression, a rather
fabulous city. The economic development here is far better described as an
explosion than as a mere expansion; Sao Paulo is, industrially and economically,
the "tail that wags the Brazilian dog". In consequence, Sao Paulo is, beyond
question, the major publishing center of Brazil, and one of the major publishing
centers of Latin America. In comparison, and with the sole exception of official
government publications (many of which are also available in Sao Paulo), Rio
de Janeiro pales to insignificance. Not only books but many excellent periodi-
cals in the fields of economics and politics are published here. Here, too, we
found one of (if not the) best-stocked and best-organized Communist Party book-
stores in all Latin America....only the Party stores in Montevideo and Caracas
approach it in excellence. Due to the limitation on our time, (and in the
mistaken impression that Rio would be more fruitful than it in fact proved to
be), we were able to devote only three days to Sao Paulo.
Rio de Janeiro, aside from.the official government publications,
actually has little to offer. Only a few publishers operate here, and most
privately published material comes from Sao Paulo sources. We found only one
really good bookstore in Rio, although there are many stores and kiosks through-
out the downtown area and in Copacabana. One dealer in Rio specializes in
Russian-language publications of the Foreign Languages Publishing House (FLPH),
Moscow, but the local Communist Party bookstore is perhaps the poorest we en-
countered anywhere, and, indeed, many general stores in other Latin American
cities carried a greater quantity and variety of Communist publications. Rio
does, however, remain the best source of government publications, (and will
continue to be so until all the moves to the new capital at Brasilia are com-
pleted). The Getulio Vargas Institute is a local source of good-quality economic
and political studies. An interesting facet of the Rio book market (see below),
is the series of publishers' kiosks in the Praca da Armas, about one block from
the US Embassy.
B) Retail Outlets
The following are the more fruitful outlets in SAO PAULO:
*1) LIVRARIA DAS BANDEIRAS
Rua Riachuelo 342
One of, if not the, best Communist Party stores in Latin America;
excellent stock of local, Soviet, Bloc and Chicom material; Chicom
material except cultural items, not more recent than December 1959.
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No difficulty entering and buying here. NB:- Comparatively
little material found in Portuguese except local products;
both Soviet and Chicom sources provide most material in
Spanish, French or miglish; dealer says Portuguese editions
slowly increasing from these sources.
2 LIVRARIA BRASILIENSE
Rue Barao de itapetininga, 93-99
A good general store; some Communist and pro-Communist material;
good on dictionaries, law, economics, current politics; carries
some periodicals; much anti-Communist material.
3) LIVRARIA FREITAS BABTOS
15 de Novembre, 62-66
An excellent general store; carries books about Communism
(mostly anti-Communist) but no Communist books per se. Ex-
cellent law collection.
4) KIOSKS
The city is liberally spatted with newstands and kiosks; most
carry some Communist material and some anti-Communist material.
A survey in the industrial quarter did not reveal any special
concentration of local Party or other Communist material here.
Most such items are available on kiosks (and in stores) in the
center of the city.
The following are the more fruitful outlets in RIO DE JANEIRO:
1) LIVRARIA ma
Rua Mexico 31-A
An excellent general store; some fev pro-Communist publications,
much anti-Communist material; good for dictionaries, general
economics and political items, law, general cultural items.
2) KIOSKS
The city has many kiosks and newstands, all of which carry
some pro- and some anti-Communist material; pro-Communist
material less in evidence here than in Sao Paulo.
Worthy of special mention, the series of about eight kiosks
located in a row on the Priers de Armco. Each major publisher
has a tiny, triangular stana here and this is probably the beat
source of Communist publications (among others) in Rio; the
Communist publisher, EDITORIAL VITORIA, has a kiosk here.
(V1TORIA's actual store the local Party outlet, is located at
Rua Juan Pablo Duarte 5; and is perhaps one of the poorest
collections of useless and outdated Communist material we en-
countered. Their kiosk is, although not too good, far more
fruitful.)
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3) INTUNLIV
Rua Senador Dantas 93 (upstairs)
Specializes in Russian-language publications of FLPH, Moscow;
owner is outspokenly pro-Communist and pro-Soviet; appears to
be a Russian immigrant.
C) Bibliographic Aids
In common with the rest of Latin America, Brazil is extrema), deficient
in bibliographic aids of any sort. The only reasonably good publication in the
field is the Boletim Bibliografico Brasileiro of the Uniao Brasileirs de Escritores,
which last appeared in October, 1939. We were unable to discover definitely if
this pUblication would be pUblidhed again in 1960. The newly appointed Publications
Officer in Sao Paulo, where the organization is located, will look into the
matter further. A very few publishers and bookstores make available a sporadic"
and spotty list of current offerings. These are not only irregular and unreliable
in their periodicity, but extremely limited in their utility and content. Again,
there is no substitute for a physioal canvass of stores and pdblithers if this
important source of publications is to be adequately covered. This canvassing
must be done in both Rio and Sao Paulo, and it would probably be fruitful to
make a canvass of the less important center of Porto Alegre (which, due to
limitations on our time, we were unable to visit).
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A) General Availability
One full week was devoted to briefing, surveying and purdhasing
in Santiago, Vhich is a fairly active and Important pUblithing center.
However, in March, mien ve were there, the industry was relatively inactive.
It appears to be the local practice drastioally to reduce activity during
their summer months, and we were told that several publishers had new books
in theirvarehouses or still on the presses vhich would not be released
for sale until Aprii or May. Nevertheless ell bookstores were open, and we
were able to make a goodly nuMber of purch;ses and canvas more than thirty
outlets of varying political coloration, plus numerous kiosks and newstands.
Some Communist and pro-COmmunist pdblications, both local and
foreign, are available in nest bookstores in Santiago. There are, however,
four outlets vhich devote their shelves almost entirely to this material,
one of which is the kioak in the doorway of the Chilean Communist Party
headquarters. Here, as in the other major Communist outlets, we encountered
no difficulty in entering and making purchases of some local Chilean COmmunist
Party pUblications, despite the Obvious fact that we were "gringos." Indeed,
even in the Chilean-Soviet Cultural Institute, although me did not get past
the second floor reception desk, we vera politely received and vere able not
only to purchase books but to get ansvers to a few questione on availability
of other publications. At the Chilean-Communist Chinese Friendehip Society,
however, ve made no purdhases for the double reason that the atmosphere vas
something less than cordial and few publications of any sort were in evidence.
In Santiago as elseVhere on this trip, ve found that nothing was available
from COmmunist China after 1 January 1960 except for the cultural propaganda
publications which are still available throughout the world (i.e., China
decenstructg, c44aaj9Osy,
In Chedking on the availability of certain bibliographic alds vial&
had not been received in Washington for some time, we discovered (as in Lima)
that local pUbliShing costs, largely duo to the extremely high cost of paper,
vere prohibitive and are having a distinct braking effect on the local in-
duxtry. We were informed, hovever, that the President of Chile (Alesseadri)
:ens
tine: steps to break up the existing monopoly in the paper industry, and
that this was expected to lower costs and atimulate the publishing industry.
I131Intrative of the hidh paper coots, we were told by one of the principal
hookdealers that a small blank pad of white payer (somevhat smaller then our
atandard ) x 8 pad) cost him the equivalent of tventy-two cents (US).
13) Retail Outlets
In Santiago, the more fruitful outlets are all within a few-blocks
of the Elm:Many. The fcaloming, While representing only a small portion of the
outleta vksited, are typical of the more fruitful sources.
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*1) LIBRERIA AURAUCO
Santo Domingo 216
Almost exclusively Communist material; mostly Soviet, some
local, and a very few Chinese Communist publications. Much
of the Chicom material is in English.
*2) LIBRERIA MARIA DARRE
Teatinos 416
A kiosk in the doorway of the Chilean Communist Party head-
quarters. Small but good stock; mostly local Party publica-
tions with some Soviet - no Chicom material noted. No problem
entering and buying.
*3) LIBRERIA ORBE
Agustinas, between Estado
and San Antonio (Galeria
Imperio, 255)
Described as Communist outlet, but more a general store with
some Soviet and local. Communist material; only Russian-Spanish
Grammar available in town found here (a translation of a
British English-Russian grammar). Can't fairly describe this
as a Communist outlet.
4) LIBRERIA/EDITORIAL DEL PACIFICO
Ahumada 57
A good general store; large diversified stock of reference
works, political and economic publications, and cultural
material.
5) LIBRERIA PAX
Huerfanos 756-772
A good, varied general store; many technical books, mostly
translations of U.S., British, German, French authors.
*6) FERIA DEL LIBRO (Local #7)
Alameda Bernado O'Higgins
(Between Estado and the
Biblioteca Nacional)
Consists of several open air stands. Stand ("Local") #7,
directly on street at corner nearest Biblioteca, very heavy
on used Communist publications; has some new books, many
current periodicals, all Communist; most sold very cheaply
and customers consist of workers and school children for the
most part. Excellent source for local and Soviet materials,
some Chicom material.
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7) LIBERIA UNIVERSITARIA
Alameda Bernado O'Higgins 1058
The bookstore of the Universidad Nacional de Chile. A good
general store with some Marxist publications mixed in with
texts. One book on (astro, one economic periodical, one new
Marxist periodical found here (among others).
C) Bibliographic Aids
High publishing coata? largely due to the aforementioned high cost
of paper, has eliminated many of the previously existing bibliographic publi-
cations. Only one private publisher (ZAKORANO y CAPERAN, Campania 1015) still
pUblishes such a work, and this, the Servicio appears
only quarterly and is by no means a complete listing. Senor Zamorano told us
that they may be forced to suspend publication if paper costs continue at their
current high level, but the firm is reluctant to see the end of what is now the
oldest work of it kind in continuous existence in Chile. Zamorano haa agreed
to rail copies of thio publication direct to the Department of State in Washing-
ton.
The Biblioteca Central (which formerly published the Anuario de
PUblioaciones Periodicas Chilenas) not only no longer publishes the work, but
no one there seemed even to remember that they had ever pUbliehed it. Neither
the Biblioteca Nacional nor the Biblioteca Universitaria admitted to any know-
ledge of the supposedly annual list of the Deposito Legal, a governmental listing
of all publications printed in cluile during the year. Editorial del Pacifico,
Editorial Horizonte, Biblioteca de la Uhiversidad Nacional, and the Servieio
Nacional 4e Estadisticos y Censos have all apparently suspended publication of
their annuals.
Some few publiahers (notably Editorial del Pacifico) publish a list
of current offerings at irregular intervals. A few of these dealers' "catalogs"
were acquired and the Publications Officer was requested to obtain and forward
future issues when, aad if, they appear. In short, adequate coverage in Santiago
can only be had by a physical canvass of the stores at frequent (due to the
limited editions in which most books appear) and regular intervals.
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11
GUATEMALA
A) General Availability
As was anticipated, we found very few useful pUblications availeble
in Guatemala at this time, other than the daily newspapers. The main objective
of the atop here was to brief the new Publications Officer on his procurement
functions, particularly in view of the increasing Cammunist efforts to re-
esteblieh themeelves in this country and the possible increase of Communiat
pUblications in Guatemala.
A visit was made to the University of San Carlos Press, where we
found that a current pUbliaationa hat is available (copies Obtained) and that
supplementary sheets are issued, at infrequent and irregular intervals. Titles
listed consist mostly of brief theses and an occasional book authored by students
or professors of the University. We are informed that copies of these publica-
tions are supplied on an swaying* basis with several US univereities, and that
copies are sent to the Library of Congress. The Publications Officer was pro-
vided with a copy of this current list and requested to soma subsequent supple-
ments (which the University Press has pramiaed to send him) far any titles of
poesible intereat to the program.
Official government publications constitute the only other worthwhile
material currently available. These are supplied to the EMbassy gratis and
sent to the US by the appropriate attadh4 (political, economic, etc.). The
PUblioations Officer will supply extra copies of any deemed suitable far our
special needs. Mart will be gratis.
B) Retail Outlets
There are, currently, no retail outlets worthy of mention in Guatemala,
The average "librarian is a conbination book, stationery, and school supplies
store, or carries a few general books and a heavy stook of sahogebooks. The
PUblioations Officer will periodically visit the few stores in town in order
to Obtain any signifiaant publication that may appear, but most of the stock
is imported. It is anticipated that he will find few, if ling!, books not
available in Mexico or Argentina, their usual sources of pUblication.
C) Bibliographic Aids
Other than the very limited list of the San Carlos University Press,
no bibliographic aide of any sort are known to exist in Guatemala. The
PUbliaations Officer has been alerted to acquire and transmit any that may
appear in the future.
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IGUICO
A) General Availability
One full week was devoted to briefing, surveying the availability
of, and acquiring, publications in Mexico City, the capital, where, typical
of most Latin American countries, the overwhelming majority of Mexican
publioations are actually published and the remainder are generally avail-
able. Mexico ia one of the major publications centers in Latin America, and
one finds here not only Mexican publications, but also those of several other
Latin American countries, as well as many US and European publicationa. Pre-
dominating are those of Mexico and the Argentine.
Communist publications, both locally produced and imported, are
widely available throughout the city. Moat general bookstores and kiosks
carry a fairly large and varied stock of Communist and Leftist but non-Communist
publications, as well as those of a more conservative hue. There are, in ad-
dition, about ten otorea in the downtown area (where most of the bookstore?
are located) which carry a significantly greater proportion of Communist and
pro-Communist material than do the other general stores. Soviet, Czech, GDR
and Chinese Communist publications make up the bulk of the imported material,
but also available are publications of the Argentine and Spanish Communists;
as Chilean, French and Italian materials of this type are also to be found;
and a growing quantity of Cuban anti-US and Communist-oriented periodicals are
available. The purely propaganda Chicom periodical material is available here,
but non-propaganda Chicom publications later than the Fall of 1959 do not appear
to be on the general market.
Mexico produced many good political and economic publications, several
industrial and trade periodicals, and a small but useful quantity of basic
reference works of the "annuals" type. Several bookstores and publishers have
available, on an irregular basis, lists of currently available stocks, but good
bibliographic aide and references arc quite scarce. Few, if any, publishers
or bookstore? can be relied upon to send copies of their lists to either the
Embassy Publications Officer or to Washington, making it imperative that the
Publications Officer or some other procurement official make frequent and
regular calls on these sources in order to keep abreast of the field.
T) Retail Outleta
The following is a list of the more fruitful bookstores we visited.
It by no means represents anything approaching the total nudher of stores in-
spected, and is, indeed, only a small part of the total number of retail out-
lets in Mexico City.
el) FORDO DE LA CULTURA POPULAR
Ave Hidalgo 75-107
(AKA: Editorial Popular). .The Mexican Communist Party (RCM)
outlet; good stock of local Canmunist and pro-Communist,
Soviet, Chicom, etc0 materials; no problems on purchasing hare;
standard Communist "classics" and local it such as Party
statutes, minutes of coairxesses? etc.; good stock of anti-U3
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* ,
2) LIBRERIA JUAREZ
Ave. Juarez 102
A branch of this store, called LIBRERIA ZAPLANA, is located
at Calle San Juan de Letran 41-H; good source of general
material; excellent source of local, Spanish, Argentine
Communist and pro-Communist material; also stocks anti-
Communist material in good proportion.
3) LIBRERIA NAVARRO
Calle Seminario 12-B
Mostly old material but some recent books; heavy on Communist
and Communist sympathizer material; has huge collection of
Communist, pro-Communist, and anarchist publications going
back some 30 years in both Latin America, Spain and else-
where; has indicated willingness to sell this entire private
collection to some library or private collector.
*4) LIBERIA DE CRISTAL
Ave. Juarez; in park
across from Palacio de
Belles Artes. Alamenda Central
*5)
Probably the best store for new books; an excellent general
store; large stock of both pro- and anti-Communist material;
good for general reference works; good stock of Argentine
and other publications, including translations of US and
other foreign, non-Spanish titles.
LIBRERIA CESAR CICERON
Calle del Seminario, 10
Good general store; good stock of pro- and anti-Communist
material; good general reference works; will mail books,
lists, etc. if requested.
6) LIBRERIA PORRUA HERMANOS
Esq. Argentina y Justo Sierra
(with branch at Ave. Juarez 16)
Good general stores; many law books in Juarez branch;
publishes a limited bibliographical reference work on an
Irregular schedule, but gives impression not very reliable
in mailing this.
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*7) INSTITUT? INTERCAMBIO CULTURAL
MEXICANO-RUSO (IICMR)
Paseo de la Reforma, 128
Bookstore of the Soviet-Mexican cultural and friendship
society; offers Communist "classics" (Marx, Lenin, etc.),
much cultural material, art work, pro-Soviet propaganda;
this is largely material published by Foreign Languages
Publishing House, Moscow and is generally available to us
from Moscow.
8) KIOSKS
Mexico City, especially the downtown area between the Ave.
Reforma and the Zocalo, abounds with newsstands carrying
newspapers and magazines of all types and political color-
ation. A sort of "Thieves Market" operates on Sunday
mornings in one of the poorer districts and contains
several tables of second-hand publications, many of which
are Communist and pro-Communist.
C) Bibliographic Aids
Bibliographic aids in Mexico are few and far between. Some of
the larger retail outlets and a very few publishers offer a partial list of
current stocks (usually only latest releases) on a very irregular basis.
These, however, cannot be considered true bibliographic publications and
their receipt is virtually entirely dependent on the Publications Officer
making frequent and regular calls on the store or publisher preparing such
a list. One fairly regular list is Boletin Bibliografico Mexicano pub-
lished on a vaguely quarterly basis by Porrua Hnos. (See Item #60
Section B, above.) This List, which Porrua has promised to send to the
Embassy Publications Officer (and which the latter has been alerted to
solicit), is rather limited in scope and does not give truly national
coverage.
A recent publication of the Centro Mexicana de Escritores, entitled
Catalog? De Periodicos Mexicanos, is on hand. The publishers express the
vague hope that this well-organized (but limited in scope) publication will
be periodically revised and brought up to date. They make no commitment,
however, on the periodicity of such revisions, and past experience has shown
that the majority of such publications in Latin America die young and un-
announced; it remains to be seen if this reference will survive.
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PANAMA
A) General Availability
Panama, like Guatemala, is not a major source of publications.
Few, if any, books are printed hare and locally produced periodicals have
been short-lived. Panama is, however, reported to be a distributing center
for Soviet Bloc and Chicom publications and for Chicom These do not
appear to be available on the open market, however, and it is unlikely that
the Publications Officer will be able to supply such items.
B) Retail Outlets
. Panama City and Colon have only a few bookstores, none of which
can be considered of significant value at the present time. Same imported
Mexican and Argentine books are available, as well as many US books and
other publications. It is felt, however, that the particularly active and
interested Publications Officer recently assigned hare might utilize a small
annual selection fund of about 025.00 for the purchase of an occasional book
or new periodical and to backstop his procurement of government publications
where insufficient copies are available gratis.
C) Bibliographic Aida
No bibliographic aids are known to exist in Panama at this time.
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PERU
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A) General Availability
-16-
Approximately five days were Spent in Lima in briefing the
Publications Officer, surveying the local market and purchasing publications.
(Because of the intervening weekend only four days were adtually available
for work in the stores.) Lima, while not a publications center of the cali-
bre of Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Santiago, or Sao Paulo, a fact which
appears in part due to the high cost of paper and printing, is still a fairly
active center in terms of this activity. General stores stock a fairly good
number of books by Peruvian authors and, while many are of a cultural nature,
a certain percentage are of the types useful to Washington. As elsewhere on
the continent, Argentine books appear to predominate and here, for the first
time, Chilean publications begin to appear in some quantity. Some political
and economic periodicals are published here.
Most, if not all, bookstores in Lima carry a certain amount of
Communist and pro-Communist material, but no outlet Was found that was
clearly a primary source of this material. The local Communist Party news-
paper, Unidad, is not available on subscription, appearing in the hands of
street vendors only and at irregular intervals. Arrangements were made with
the Publications Officer to obtain this publication on a more regular basis
than heretofore, and copies have already begun arriving under this arrange-
ment. Other than this newspaper, no local Communist Party publications were
encountered, but the customary Communist "classics" are available in most
stores.
B) Retail Outlets
As is common in most Latin American cities, the principal book-
stores are clustered in a central area of the city, principally within a
two-block radius of the Plaza San Martin (although a few are found further
out). Some 20-25 stores and many kiosks were inspected. The following
brief list contains names and descriptions of the more noteworthy of these
stores.
1) LIBRERIA JUAN MEJIA BACA
Azangaro 722 .
A good general store; law, basic reference works; some
political and economic works both pro- and anti-Communist.
2) LIBRERIA "LA UNIVERSIDAD"
Nicolas Pierola 639
Perhaps the best general store in Lima; carries both pro-
and anti-Communist material (mostly anti-); heavy on local
authors; good selection of dictionaries.
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.3) CENTRAL 'BE L1BRO6 T REV/STAB
Jiran Camana 681
Cannot be called a Communist outlet in true sense, but had
more material than others; most Communist material were the
"classic" works; fair general store; had same Bloc propaganda
magazines of pictorial type (Say, OMR, (hina).
4) OARCILABO
Belem 1083
A good general store.
C) Bibliographic Aids
The Biblioteca Nacional (National Library) of Peru, located in Lima,
pUbliehed an Anuario Bibliografico Peruano in 1957 which covered the year*
1951/52, and a subsequent edition= zjpy Which covered the years 1953/54.
We are informed that it is hoped that subsequent editions will appear, but
that this is by no means certain or even very probable. Beyond this, one finds
only.a very limited 'lubber of booklists put out by a few local stores. These
are irregular in their periodicity, and very limited in their scope. Copies
of the few available were obtained, and the PUblications Officer was requested
to forward any subsequent lists that become available.
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URUGUAY
-A) General Availability
Four days were devoted to Montevideo. While a minor city me fleas
actual publishing goes, Montevideo looms large in Latin America as oas of
(if not the) major point-of-entry for Soviet and Bloc propaganda. Boma Cblcom
material was found, but only the usual propaganda publicatione cambia 1960
dates.
Here, too, we found one of the best organized and well-stocked
Communist Party stores in Spanish-speaking Latin America, plus another ex-
cellent Store which dealt almost exclusively with Soviet and other Bloc
country publications.
While a relatively small city, Montevideo is liberally supplied with
bookstores and newstand-kiosks. We covered about 18 stores and numerous kiosks
here. Some few Uruguayan publications, some Chilean and Spanish, many Argentinian,
and a few Brazilian publications make up most of the available stock in Montevideo
stores aside from the imported Communist material. No difficulty was encountered
in entering and purchasing from any Communist source in the city.
B) Retail Outlets
The following were among the sore fruitful outlets in Montevideo.
*1) EDICIONES PUEBLOS UNIDOS (EPU)
Colonia 1567
This is the local Party store; stock almost entirely ComMunist
material -- local Party items, much Soviet and other Bloc items,
fairly good Chicon stock (thru 1959); one of best Party stores
found in Latin America.
*2) ANTE00 Ltda.
18 de Julio, 1333
Another excellent source of Communist material; stock is primarily
Soviet, but also had some Chicom.(thru 1959); also some few SOVBLCC
cultural items. No local Party material noted.'
3) LIBRERIA BARREIRO y RAMOS
18 de Julio, 941
An excellent general store; good stock of dictionaries, law,
economics, recent political works; some few pro-Communist items,
many anti-Communist items; heavy on cultural material.
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10 LUBA= LOBATO
San Jose 853
Stock is almost entirely Brazilian publications (in Portuguese);
fair, onli; reported. as Communist outlet, but nab very muoh in
evidence when inspected; a source of Brazilian books when one
cannot get to Brazil. ..only such source noted in Spanith-speaking
Latin Amer-Loa.
0) Bibliograllbia Aldo
In an area generally poor in bibliographic material, Nbutevideo is
exceptionally poor. TheibliAnuarioBoo . reviaisly published
by the Bibliotecallaciesiebby.us19waii49 issue, published in
1951), is a dead issue; the librarian at the Idblioteca even had trouble re-
calling that they had ever pUblished it, and was most emphatic that there were
no plans to revive it. Few catalogs or lists of current offerings were found
lathe varioue bookstores. 112.U.(above)h,d. a somewhat dated list of publioations
offered, in 1959, by Foreign Language:Preas of Pekin, but no lists of Soviet
or other Bloc offerings. This city must be covered by physical amass of the
stores...there is no alternative whatsoever.
?
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MEOW
A) Sorrel Alvellebility
DOO to the unfortunate 00WooetIon of Holy Thursday, aped Friday,
andscivil holiday which Doomed an the tallowing Two*, we were able
to get onW one working WI in. the 'stores in-Ceracas, as bneineeilehnte down
td4htfor the full week. Nevertheless, we were able to (Mir the main. Part,
outlet said a few general 'tares, and to gat acme valid idea of 6,1010Abi
lity
las Csra000,
While not si major pal-lashing center (the recent Political upheavals
and the serials prOblem of inflation rake costs prohibitive and profits on.
certain), Camas does have a small publishing industry, and there are bog"
for explosias in the not-too-far-disUnt pture. In addition to, the tow local
publications, Caracas appears to be 'a goad. source far imported Cloinuniet
material (one of Laths America's three beat Party stores is located. bets)
from the Soviet Moo and Cosemusist adnai and it appears that an incresatng
smount off Compssiet-slanted, anti-48, prarCastso material is baits shipped
in from Cuba. Much of this latter material., at the moment, =sifts of Prins&
Latina press releases and the Cuban publications such a. "Bohemia," *Cartels.,"
and one or two others.
The local Party store is well-stocked with Soviet ccessunist material,
local Party publications and some =eon material (but here, main, no Chiccm
other than the cultural Propeganda items' Ls to be found with date. after
Decesiber MO. The clerk in the local Party store states that ,they bore orders
far a large amount and variety of 3960 =cam publications, but that "there
appears to be KM sort of dela? in 'getting them; he 44 not Icooy why this
should be so, and hoped for delivery soani.
B)eteU Coasts
There are a fairly large umber of bookstores and kiosk!. in Caracas,
alaW of' wkich carry some Communist materiel, and at= anti-Oomnuoist material
as wall. The spore fruitful of the.. outlets we visited are;
*X) DIERRIBMDCRA KAORIIT,A
Pdificio Eduardo Garcia,
Pceal
One of the three beet-0040d Communist Party stores on the
oontinent. Heavy stock of current Soviet publications, some
Chicon (up to LaceWber l9,9), and some local party material;
also carries same anti-US claatco material; stocked the only
Spanish-Chinese dictionary :rand in Latin America (nJ, Pekin).
Mb difficulty purchasing here; store willing to order special
items from China or UNIR for any customer. Bas catalog (copies
obteined).
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LIBRERIA CRUZ DEL OUR
Centro Canercial del Este,
Local 111, Sabana Ovando.
Fairly good general store; some Owlet classics ()arx, Engels,
eta.), but not really a Communist outlet judging from bis stook.
0) ablioGraOlo Aids
Due to the shortage of available working time, it was not possible
to Check on the avallabiltty of the Anuszio El. co Venegolono af the
BibliOteOalkieloosl (last seen in its 1947/4B edi and. believed defunct),
the paean 00 of the Num Central (elect believed defunct), or
the Boletfin de - de Mamie. Politicos. The Publications Officer
was repeltol to look into the icatte:r, but his off-the.auff opinion was that
all Um* Dublioatioms had ceased pOblioation.
Iowa (#1, above) offers a ostalog at irregular intervals, and
copies or the most recent were Obtained. Aside from this, there appear to
be no bibliographic aids available in Venezuela; other outlets had. no catalogs
or lists to offer. Sere, too, a periodic physical oenvass of the stores is
essential.
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