WEEKLY MEETINGS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE PSP

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A000500510002-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 6, 2001
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: March 13, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2001/11/21 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA000500510002-8
CE RAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
DATE OF INFO.
KACE ACQUIRED
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
25X1A
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
SOURCE.
During the week of 1-7 February-l953, the National Executive Board of the
Partido Socialists Popular (PSP, Cuban Communitt party) met to discuss current
political developments and problems.
2. In view of the fact that unregistered political parties would be allowed to
participate in the next election, the ?SP would adhere to its present line in
its efforts to unite with the more popular and powerful opposition-parties,
especially the Partido del Pueblo Cubano (PPC, Ortodoxo). The oampaign to
obtain signatures in opposition to the Electoral Codew uld be continued, as
well as efforts to obtain more party affiliates$ Joaquin ORDOQUI stated that
the fight for political survival is the most important single point in the
party's program, and that the Communists leading the various United Front
Committees must carry the brunt of the fight to unify PSP and Ortodoxo
,,objectives and promote good relations so that eventually the National
Committees would form a solid bi-party alliance.
To strengthen the PSP-Ortodoxo alliance, a series of municipal and provinbial
conferences should 'be : organized, so that the PSP will have a'means of moulding
and directing the thinking of the non-Communists concerning political, union,
and student problems. An attempt will be made to convert as many non-Communists
as possible through the medium of these conferences.
The first of the series of:municipal conferences was scheduled for 6 March in
Habana at the Falacio de loo Yesistas instead of at a Comnunist,meeting place,
since the Party desired to avoid a possible police raid. This will be followed
by conferences in,=other municipal centers for the purpose of` establishing
United Front Colamit+tees where none exist at the present time,, and also to
create a:framework for the establishment of provincial conferences.
The..Sstudent problem on the agenda concerned the establishment of a new
Communist youth organization to be known,as Federacion Estudiantil Naoional de
gegunda Essenanza FEMSE), since the National Executive Board feels.that the
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STATL I# x4 ARMY WAVY 1x AIR I X FBI IACC
This Document aostalns lntatmaap-.s..tlbg O. I!.-?
tionai Defense of tb. United States, within tlw awan-
Ins of Title 1E, Sections 793 and 734. of tb. V.S. Cod.. as
amended. Its transmission or r matins Oft
ts coat a~.
to or receipt by an unauthorised sirens Is p.cbfbtt.d
by law. The reproduction of this form Ir p oblblted.
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SECURITY INFORMATION
Cuba
weekly Meetings of the Executive
DATE DISTR.
1'3 march 1953
Board of the PSP
NO. OF PAGES
3
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los Derechos de la Juventud, Permanent National Council for Defense of.the Rights
of Youth. The National Executive Board hopes to create an organization which it
can. control, but which will not be brought into existence by direct participation
of the Party or the Juventud Socialista (JS').
Manuel LUZARDO, Secretary of Finances and President of the National Finance
Committee of the PSP, presented a grim report on the party's financial structure.
He. stated that the financial condition of the party is. deplorable, and that the
lack. of attention to party finances and obligations on the part of many members
is intolerable. Again the National Executive Board ordered all members. to pay
their outstanding party obligations, and all committees are to liquidate any
debts owed to the National Committee on Publications. LUZARDO stated that the
liquidation of obligations arising from the selling of PSP publications must be
made with the same spirit of promptness and good faith shown by the propaganda
section of the Party in getting out on time the various publications.
Communists will never be. able to control the Federation Estudiantil Universitaria
(FEU). Therefore, Conimmist leaders in the various secondary schools have been
ordered to organize meetings for the establishment of the Fk1TSE. The organizational
body in this new movement will be the Consejo Permanente Nacional pro Defensa de
The National Executive Board will name six special commissions, one for each
province, to be presided over by the appropriate provincial finance chairman.
These commissions will be charged with the responsibility of visiting each
municipality in the province and making a survey of the methods used in selling
and distributing Party propaganda. An investigation will be made of the
10. The National PSP leaders are pleased with their success in fomenting the chaotic
eondition which exists within the PPO party. The PSP considers it possible that
the ortodoxo party may divide itself into three groups, since there are dis-
crepasseies in certain details between the Millo CCMOL and the Pardo UM groups*
establishment of a central retirement board and a central bank for workerst
retirement, such as exist in other Latin American countries. This new proposal
would guarantee the proper administration of retirement funds and economic
security for retired workers. Subsequent to the establishment of this new
retirement program, the administration would be in the hands of capable persons,
including dobtors, graduate nurses, and other professional people.
During the week 8-14 February the National 8 ceoutive Board continued studies and
discussions of the political situation. They were anxious to have a successful
meeting on,6 March and devoted great care and thought to the advance arrangements
and the basic theme of this reunion. The theme is exemplified in the name given
to this meetings i.e.,.Habana Municipal Conference in Favor of an amsediate and
Democratic Conclusion to the Cuban Crisis (Conferenoia Municipal do La Habana Pro
Salida 3mediata yy'Demooratioa a la actual Crisis Cabana).
Habana The fundamental objective of this national congress was to,create new
machinery to administer retirement funds in the Cuban labor field, and to terminate
the present inefficient method of administration. The charge was made against
the non-Communist Confederacion de Trabajadores Cubanos (CTC) leaders that the
present retirement funds represent a meal ticket for them, because they use the
funds as apolitical weapon to assure their continuation as leaders of various
unions. The congress. will bring to light this malpractice, and will urge the
financial condition of the individual sales agencies, and the reasons for delay
in payment of debts. The commission will also recommend a program for liquidating
outstanding debts and maintaining a solvent financial condition.
The forthcoming Communist national congress on insurance and social security
(Conferencia Nacional en Defensa de los S0guros Sociales y de la SPc;uridad Social)
was again discussed by the National Executive Board. The. previous date of 6 Febru-
ary has been changed, and the congress was scheduled for 27 and 28 February in
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The National Executive Board feels that the psychological moment has not yet arrived
in which the pactiet group of the PPC is prepared to make a definite commitment of
national understanding with the PSP through the formation of a joint National
Executive Committee. The PSP will exert all its efforts at the Habana Municipal
Conference on 6 March to create P. situation whereby the Ortodoxo pactists who
are members of United Front Committees will demand a pact of unity between PPC
and PSP. The impetus of this demand must come from the Ortodoxos themselves and
spread through-out the island.
11. Joaquin ORDOQUI reported that he is well informed of the fact that there is a
group of politically ambitious Ortodoxo leaders, headed by Federico FERNANDEZ
Casas which has a viewpoint distinct from either the AGRAMONTE or thA OCHOA
groups. FERNANDEZ Casas is working on a maneuver to present. himself before the
Superior Electoral Tribunal and to inscribe PPC in his own name, in much the
same manner as was done by GRAU San Martin with the Autenticos. He will petition
the government to set another date for inscription of political parties in accordance
with modifications to the Electoral Code which GRAU has suggested. As a result of
direct conversations between ORDOQUI and Federico FFaRNANDEZ Cases and in anticipa-
tion of a modification in the Code, the National Executive Board is preparing all
the necessary documents for inscription, including the required endorsing signatures.
The signatures are already in the possession of the PSP, having been obtained
during its campaign of protest against the Electoral Code. In anticipation of a
possible dual use for these names, the PSP took care to prepsre the petitions in
such a manner that they could serve equally as petitions of inscription before
the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. The PSP then will have to produce the electoral
cedulas corresponding to the names of its petitioners.
12. Another problem confronting the National Executive Board is the continuing assaults
by the police upon PSP property and property of those unions *:Loh are controlled
by the Communists. The National Executive Board reaffirmed its previous decision
to denounce in the law courts these actions of violence on the part of the govern-
ment. The complaints will be signed by those persons in whose name this property
is registered. It was also agreed to propagandize the destruction of this prop-
erty and to keep the sentiments of the Cuban people inflamed against such acts
of vandalism by government forces. Thousands of pamphlets will be printed an d
distributed nation-wide showing the photographs and with a narrative commentary
on some of the most violent examples of police brutalitya in connection with this
program the Executive Board reaffirmed its intent, to enlist .the aid of other politi-
cal parties in a protest of aolidar1.ty against the government police. It will
be stated that these pamphlets show what the Government of BATISTA is doing against
the PSP solely because the Communist party is its strongest point of opposition.
13.,,.The National Conference for Defense of Social Security was discussed and it was
agreed to seek the support of 4[11 Communist labor leaders as well as members of
Unitarian Fight Committees. These groups will be asked to bring to the Labor
Conference a list of their economic problems besetting the respective groups
as well as concrete and detailed examples of mismanagement of their retirement
boards.
1L. A progress report was made the Communist-sponsored commemoration of the Crito do
Dare scheduled for 2L Pebruarys in the National Theatre of Habana. The National
Executive Board agreed that thm work of this activity was proceeding re11 but
insisted on intensification which would insure a sucoossful Party program. It
was urged that each party member participate in this' celebration with his entire
family and at least two friends.
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