THE THREAT OF CASTRO'S CUBA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP66B00403R000200170010-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 3, 2005
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: September 9, 1964
• Content Type: OPEN

11964 'Approved For EE291X tQM7RIlMRDP-a6flq R 200170010-9
In his campaign Senator Frei promised
the Chilean people progress with free-
dom-to be achieved through hard work.
That is a pledge of a statesman, not a
demagog. As a statesman he did not de-
ceive the people by easy promises and
baseless pledges. He stated candidly
what is known to political leaders in
every country on every continent: that
rapid social and economic progress is not
easily achieved, that sound enlightened
policies and discipline, sacrifice, and hard
work are required. In Chile, as else-
where, there is no progress in evasion,
no solution in abdication-no relief in
irresponsibility.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
.time of the Senator has expired.
Mr. HUMPHREY, Mr, President, I ask
unanimous consent to have an additional
5 minutes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. HUMPRRFX Senator Frei has
indicated that there will be national bur-
dens to be shared as, well as individual
burdens to be lifted. His ?determination
to follow enlightened policies and to mo-
bilize the resources of Chilean society to
meet the needs of his people should be
matched by a parallel willingness on the
part of the U.S. Government, European
governments, and international agencies
to assist the new Government in achiev-
ing economic growth and social improve-
ment. The U.S. Government should give
strong suonOrt to tha new Chilean (Thy..
ernment in implementing policies fur- rnowever, a problem exists which is tween
s
u. For none separate us. By your
ernmeg economic development and so- much closer to us than the events in side I stood in my country when powerful
vial progress just as it has given strong Chile, and that is the problem of Cuba. pro-Soviet agents began to slander and
support to progressive governments like Absolutely nothing has come out of curse you. I came to your country when
that of Betancourt and Leoni in Vene- the administration or the State Depart- I could no longer materially protect those
zuela. ment as to a policy with respect to Cuba. ideals that strongly compose the historical
J found
with its new pro- No matter how many times we have dis- I cameetion not of our
In pressing ahead
seeking for a pespeoplaace ce to to e es. keep on
came on
gram, the Frei" government will enjoy cussed the situation, all we have had to living, but rather, for a beachhead to keep
the advantages of a close relationship greet us is dead silence. There has been on fighting for those ideals.
with Western Europe developed over a no move to permit democratic processes I maintain my faith in you. In your
period of centuries, Europe has already to operate in Cuba. All we have had people I can see unending sources of energy.
assisted Chile in establishing a vast net- has been a continued infiltration from To me, you are far from being the land of
work of private and governmental orga- Castro's communism into Latin Amer- youthful gangsters or of the hysterical teen-
agers. Yours is the land of the brave and
nizations specifically geared to coping ican countries. I behold you as the birthplace of those who
with the problems of an advanced tech- To keynote this situation, I refer to a through concentrated effort and well-rooted
nological society. In the coming years, letter dated September 2, 1964, from the heroism have built up a nation where all
European countries whichare..linked to Cuban Circle of Denver, Colo. The let- liberties exist and all rights are respected;
Chile by culture, religion, and commerce ter has attached to it "An Open Letter even those of the young gangsters and of the
will have a new opportunity to contribute to Uncle Sam," or to the U.S. Govern- hysterical teenagers.
to the success of the new Ggvernmerit. men'. However, I must sincerely advise you that
this is an erhaps youharernot of recedin tide for ou.
In pursuing its goals of economic mod- It is of sufficient importance that I P
aware how fast the tide
ernization and greater social equality, feel it should be placed in the RECORD. is receding, probably because your good
the new Government may seek a role for Before I do so, I wish to quote two para- Judgment appears shadowed precisely by
the state closer, to that of modern Euro- graphs, which I believe to be of extreme your unlimited resources at hand. Perhaps
pean nations than to that prevailing in importance. They read as follows: your own powers distract you and your over-
the United States. But it would be a mis- And when will you finally be convinced whelming achievements have given you ex-
you. to the extent that they
take at this time to categorize the new that as long as Fidel Castro exists in Amer- have a confidence
Government as "statist" in its orienta- ica, you will enjoy no loyalty, no respect, no have tion, thereby ignoring the pluralist phi- truthfulness, no peace, no Alliance for stands above But there softened is you.
your strength and fact
your
losophy Progress? accomplishments. ntngth andabove of Senator Frei and his party Those accomplishments
nts
which has always accorded to private Yes, Uncle Sam, as long as Fidel Castro and the authority that preserves them are
nongovernmental . agencies a large role tramps in Communist Cuba you will con- today being threatened by communism.
in the governing of society. The new tinue to go through a period of discredit. In view of this menace you cling to your
You may not think so because, surrounded by nuclear power. Some of your key policy-
Chile will not be the same-but we your nuclear powers, you imagine that noth- makers believe that, in the last instance,
should not confuse rapid changes that ing can discredit you. But the rest of the "we have such a tremendous destructive
are needed with violent changes that are world thinks differently. As long as Fidel power that it will force the enemy to hesi-
dangerous, The new Government will Castro can vituperate and slander you, con- tate before launching any attack on our
meet its problems in its own way. Chile fiscate your property without compensation; country."
is a country with a great respect for law threaten you with rockets, cut your water Wrong, communism does not intend to
and for peaceful change. And we c supply from Guantanamo Naval Base; while wage a declared war. Its aim is to suffocate
take heart acef the new Govnd we c n a Russian puppet can shout insults to you at you. , Its tactics are to surround you with
arms reach as Fidel has done, your capital hostility, creating and extending all over
committed to. realizing the objectives of stock as a world power deteriorates and your the world zones of unfriendliness and dis-
the Alliance for Progress, that It is a leadership becomes questionable. affection; introducing mistrust and division-
A.
21113
government that is pro-Western in a I believe that these two paragraphs
profound sense, that it is a government are of tremendous significance with re-
dedicated to the preservation and prog- spect. to our relationships with Latin
ress of the inter-American system. America and our, relationships with all
President Johnson has already indi- our allies. The letter is of such import
cated the willingness of our Government that I ask unanimous consent that it be
to cooperate with the new Government. included in the RECORD at this point of
I look forward to cooperating with a new my remarks.
partner in the Alliance for Progress pro- There being no objection, the letter
gram, my esteemed friend, Senator was ordered to be printed in the RECORD,
Eduardo Frei. as follows:
It has been my privilege to know this AN OPEN LETTER TO UNCLE SAM
distinguished Senator in the Chilean . (NOTE.-This letter was prepared and read
Government; and I am delighted that by Dr. Humberto Medrano, ex-subdirector
.his efforts have been crowned by victory. of the newspaper Prensa Libre, of Havana,
It speaks well for progress and freedom Cuba, at present editorialist of Diana Las
in America. Every citizen of the United Americas in Miami, Fla., at the 1964 pa-
States should be grateful that the pros- triotic "Grito de Baire" celebration, spun- of democracy have once again sores by Accion Civico-Economica Cubans
(an organization that groups men from
proved to be valid and have brought forth Cuba's extinguished free enterprise) at
a government which is responsible and Hotel La Concha, San Juan, P.R.)
forward looking, for the benefit of a great UNCLE SAM: This is a letter from a real
Of my admiration there is an adequate rec-
ord. I am an exiled Cuban.
M
il
y ex
e does not come from the fact that
THE THREAT OF CAST10'S CUBA
I was materially affected; rather, because my
Mr. DOMINICK. Mr. President, I personal principles were betrayed. As it is,
agree with what the Senator from Min- I chose to sacrifice material belongings in
nesota has =said, and I am delighted to behalf of my principles.
note what has happened my principles was my loyalty to
in Chile. It is your Nation; a loyalty inspired mostly in
an extremely welcome development for what this Nation means and represents as
the whole democratic process and for an image of my political creed and as a
the Western Hemisphere. We were all banner of my faith.
concerned about the situation, and the Let it then stand that whatever I may
results have been most gratifying. say herein arises from these ties that bind
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 21114
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Approved FoltM At27R IWP6W$ 8000200170010-teptember 9
lam among your allies; undermining your
rearguard through the subversion and con-
trol of Latin America.
Communism knows that when you lose
Latin America, you have lost America. Be-
cause, once fenced in within your vital space
and overtaken your last geopolitical bul-
warks, your atomic powers will have been
invalidated. You will then have to face sur-
render without firing a single shot.
A defeat to which many of 'our "fifth
columnists" with democratic credentials,
will have contributed from the inside with
a cry for surrender, as they now cry for ap-
peasement.
To this purpose your enemies are progress-
ing. But you seem not to realize it or to
have fairly judged how far they have ad-
vanced. The fact that you are constantly
losing the support of your allies, as well as
zones of influence everywhere, should grant
you the measure of your losses, or of their
gains.
You declared an economic embargo on
communistic Cuba. Yet Britain, France,
Spain, Canada. Japan, Morocco, Sweden,
Chile, Mexico, and Uruguay, all of which are
your would-be allies, trade with Castro com-
munism. We all know it displeases you.
But they don't care. Why?
There is only one reason. Uncle Sam:
They consider you weak and in retreat. Your
associates no longer have faith in you and
seem eager to dissolve the partnership. They
believe that their political shares will be
under better protection If they follow their
own policies or merge with the rising stocks
of socialism.
Whether we like It or not, Uncle Sam.
crowds always follow the stronger and prefer
a winner. For quite some time these coun-
tries may have thought that while right is
on your side, aggressiveness and power are
on the side of Russia.
Are they wrong? Yes, but It doesn't mat-
ter. That you continue to be the leader and
your powers instead of weakening have in-
creased? Correct. but that does not show up
in appearance. You are strong, but look
weak. Russia may be weak, but appears
strong. And unfortunately, people are led
by appearances. If It were not so, Fidel
Castro would not be there now.
There is no doubt, Uncle Sam, that your
atomic power is greater than Russia's, but
Russia's power of motivated propaganda is
greater than yours. You know how to manu-
facture and sell refrigerators better than
anyone else, but Russia knows how to con-
vince those that lack refrigerators that you
are to blame that they do not have them.
Russia has studied youfor 40 years. Dur-
ing that period they have learned that due
to your enormous productive capacity, they
could not lick you face to face by force.
Therefore, the Pavlov Institute arrived at the
conclusion that they must face you through
the psychological low blows of a cold war,
which, after all, is a war of propaganda.
In this sense they have a big advantage
over you. Why? Because you are guided
by good faith while Russia is not. You
stand on truth which receives less dissemina-
tion. Whereas. Russia leans on spectacular
lies, which, unfortunately, find greater echo.
In this manner they have been able to
convince many that, in spite of your driving
Initiative, to side with you is to side with
a declining world, while lining up with com-
munism (which Is a system of failures In-
capable of supporting itself) in like falling in
line for the world of tomorrow.
To these contradictions are added others
well elaborated and further broadcasted:
That your liberties are unfair while com-
munistic slavery is just; that you, paying
the highest wages, exploit workers, while
they, who pay least, redeem workers. That
-your magnanimous aid, even to non-Demo-
cratic countries, should be despised. and that
they who despise everything noncommu-
nistic, should be aided.
They have pierced so deeply In this respect
that even you are by now a victim of their
propaganda. The proof is that while they
emphasize the weakness of capitalism you
help them make good their failures with
wheat and rice from your reserves. While
you respect their "vital space," they take a
foothold on yours.
Why do you allow this. Uncle Sam? Why
do you accept the stigma of imperialism
which you do not deserve? Why don't you
use your mighty strength to clean enemies
out of your vital spaces?
If you did it, you would not only remove
the sword from your back. but you would also
recover your prestige, revitalize yourself, and
regain authority at home and abroad.
Should you do it you would end the nu-
merous conflicts that beset you everywhere.
Furthermore, you would regain the respect
of the old nations and share It with the
new ones. Your friends would stop flirting
with your enemies and no one would dare
dishonor your flag.
To counteract the corrosive action of com-
munism within your vitalspace in America
you have devised the Alliance for Progress.
A wonderful project on a long-term basis.
However, you should not overlook the fact
that communism disrupts on a short-term
basis. Its challenge and its sources of dis-
turbance are there, right at your doorstep,
only 90 miles from your coastline or found
in a load of weapons on a Venezuelan beach.
This produces one of the great obstacles to
the "Alianza": fear. Those who must yield
something, do not, for fear of losing it all.
Unfortunate, but human.
Besides, when will you be convinced that
loyalty has nothing to do with money?
Hasn't history taught us that men are capa-
ble of selling themselves for money but
that only for Ideals will men stay loyal, fight
and even die?
And when will you finally be convinced
that as long as Fidel Castro exists in Amer-
lea, you will enjoy no loyalty, no respect,
no truthfulness, no peace, no Alliance for
Progress?
Yes Uncle Sam, as long as Fidel Castro
tramps in Communist Cuba you will con-
tinue to go through a period of discredit.
You may not think so because surrounded
by your nuclear powers, you Imagine that
nothing can discredit you. But the rest of
the world thinks differently. As long as
Fidel Castro can vituperate and slander you,
confiscate your property without compensa-
tion: threaten you with rockets, cut your
water supply from Guantanamo Naval Base;
while a Russian puppet can shout insults to
you at arms reach as Fidel has done, your
capital stock as a world power deteriorates
and your leadership becomes questionable.
Leadership is not attained by forbearance,
but by the proper exercise of power. Real
leadership implies recognition from those
being led and such acknowledgement Im-
plies demonstration. You are a natural
leader. Uncle Sam, and you have ample
qualifications to be one and to act accord-
ingly. But show it now; prove to the world
and prove it to yourself as you have done so
many times before. You will see how soon
Insults and disturbances will disappear and
above all, how blackmailing from certain
Latin American countries will end.
By no means think that the undersigned
Is asking you to send the "Marines" into
Cuba for them to gift us with a free country.
You would have to fight according to rules
and the rules say that territories to be taken
must be first bombarded. I do not want
devastation nor occupation for my Cuba un-
less we Cubans are in the first fighting line.
I do not want, dear Uncle Sam. any flag
above my flag.
I want your friendship for Cuba and I
want Cuba to be always a friendly territory
to you. I want Cuba to be a fruitful land
for your Investments and a fraternal country
for your ideals. But I also want a free and
respected nation. I want you to respect our
little island just as we respect your great
United States. I want Cuba and the United
States to have common interest and objec-
tives and I do not want you ever to feel
threatened or unsafe when you think of
Cuba. As well, I want you to look to Cuba
as a sister nation.
In pursuit of such friendly collaboration,
the only thing that we exiled Cubans whole-
heartedly request from you is that you help
us today. That you give us that help as
openly and as decisively as Russia helps her
followers.
If you really help us. Uncle Sam, if you
give us the green light now, allowing us to
fight for our country-which Is the least you
can do for us-we will regain Cuba, not
only for the sake of Cuban liberation, but
for the sake of continental solidarity.
Wlien this comes to pass, you will have
not only recovered a friendly nation, but you
will have protected your front-door and your
rearguard and you will hold the guarantee
that even if Russia harasses you In Africa,
America will be faithful. You will never
attain such faithfulness as long as Cuba re-
mains a military and political base of the
Soviet Union.
Fraternally yours.
BuMBLRTO MEDRANO.
SENATOR FULBRIGHT'S SPEECH ON
"BASIC ISSUES"
Mr. TOWER. Mr. President, Senator
FQtBRIGIiT typifies-indeed he often
molds-the foreign policy thinkingof the
Democratic administration. This think-
ing is marked by its misunderstanding
of communism, Its misreading of history,
its deliberate falsification of the Republi-
can position and its intellectual dishon-
esty with itself and with the American
people. All of these elements are con-
tained In the vicious and distorted rend-
ering Senator FIJLBBIGHT gave on this
floor yesterday during the morning hour.
He called his speech, the "Basic Issues."
It would have been more appropriately
termed "the basest issues."
The Senator's misunderstanding of
communism is perhaps best illustrated
by his writings. In 1946, for example,
during the Stalinist period, he wrote in
defense of the Russian Communist revo-
lution. saying:
Since we have been the most successful
revolutionary people in history, why are we
so critical of others who follow our example?
The Senator has been amazingly con-
sistent in his interpretation of com-
munism down through the years, never
letting the facts of history or the atroc-
ities of communism alter his belief that
the American revolutionaries and the
Communist revolutionaries somehow had
something in common or that the two
systems are not only basically compatible
but contain identical elements.
His misreading of history is evident
in the above as well as in many passages
of his vitriolic attack on Senator GOLD-
WATER yesterday. For example, he dis-
puted the historically documentable fact
that communism itself perceives the cold
war as a struggle between two conflicting
Ideologies of which one must eventually
give way to the other. He ascribes this
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