From the Diary of N. A. Belous, Record of a Conversation with the Director of the Cuban Institute of the Friendship of Peoples, Masola

[Stamp]: Declassified

from the diary of

Belous, N. A.

Secret Copy No 2

26 August 1964

No 313

RECORD OF A CONVERSATION

with the Director of the Cuban Institute of the Friendship of Peoples

MASOLA

13 August 1964

I met with Masola today. In the course of the conversation I guardedly expressed interest in the results of the visit to Cuba of the ministers of the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, Lusinde and Babu.

Masola said that Lusinde and Babu were invited by the Cuban Institute of the Friendship of Peoples to the 26 July celebration. They were in Cuba from 24 July through 2 August; on 26 July they were at a meeting in Santiago.

During their stay the ministers met with Ernesto Guevara. Masola and Cuban diplomatic representative in Tanganyika Ribalta were present at that meeting.

In the conversation with Guevara, in Masola’s words, the interlocutors touched on both the general situation in Tanganyika and Zanzibar as well as all of Africa. Lusinde and Babu maintained an opinion about the need to develop the struggle of the African peoples for complete liberation. Guevara agreed with this opinion, stressing that Africa is an important place for carrying out the struggle against imperialism. Guevara also spoke about the need to develop the natural resources of Tanganyika and Zanzibar and as Masola said, pointed out the advisability of turning to the Soviet Union for aid in this and other questions.

The ministers, for their part, asked Guevara about the nature of Soviet economic aid to Cuba and the conditions under which it was granted, including the percentage rate. Guevara gave exhaustive replies on all questions of interest to the ministers about Soviet aid to Cuba.

NOTE: As has become known to the Embassy, Minister of Internal Affairs Lusinde has twice met with Cuban Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Pineira, who handles intelligence matters. The first meeting occurred at the Ministry of Internal Affairs where Lusinde was rendered honors: an honor guard was drawn up in his honor. In the next meeting Pineira had breakfast with Lusinde.

Minister-Counsellor of the USSR Embassy in Cuba

[signature]

N. Belous

Handwritten note at the bottom of the page]: “Note. The material is informative; used for a dossier. Chief of a CC CPSU sector. [signature] A. Kalinin [date illegible].“ [To the right there is a typed

Comment: “Show to the CC International Department. P. Manchzha [Translator’s note: spelling of this name uncertain due to a signature being written over it.]. 17.12.64”

[Distribution:]

4-lsh/NB

1-OLAS

2-CC CPSU (to Cde. Andropov)

3-UVI

4-to file

No. 408

25.8.64