Soviet Report on Havana's Plan to Train Latin American Partisans

Top Secret

Copy#3

CCCPSU

14 April 1962

903-s

In addition to previously sent reports (in 796-S from 4.4.62), I am reporting on the statements of the Cuban Minister of Internal Affairs, Ramiro Valdez, in a conversation with the KGB representative in Havana on the question of training guerilla groups in Cuba to organize guerilla [partizanskogo] movements in Latin American countries.

VALDEZ stated that the Cuban friends have decided at the present stage "to do everything themselves," although mistakes are possible, due to lack of experience. In the future, when the matter takes a serious turn and when the [revolutionary] situation becomes clear in one or another of the Latin American countries, requiring more serious assistance, the United Revolutionary Organizations (ORO) [Organizaciones Revolucionarias Integradas] will keep the CC CPSU informed about it.

VALDEZ further stated that, on Fidel CASTRO's instructions, the training of partisan groups in Cuba is carried out only by the Secretariat of the ORO, and each of its members has a well-defined mission, and for this reason he [Valdez] cannot inform the KGB representative of the ongoing work.

According to VALDEZ, F. CASTRO took a decision, which, in order to preserve secrecy, assigned the training of partisan groups entirely to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and, specifically, to VALDEZ and his two deputies PINEIRO and ANR?TESA [?]. To a certain extent, said VALDEZ, we took note of the suggestion from the Soviet intelligence service leadership that the work in general way should be supervised by the party, while the practical execution of concrete assignments should be assigned to the intelligence service, since it possesses necessary capabilities to fulfill them.

At the end of the discussion VALDEZ touched upon the problems of peaceful coexistence. He said that the Cuban friends agree with the principles of peaceful coexistence; however, in their [opinion], this does not mean that they should not give assistance to the national liberation movement and, most importantly, to their own Latin American brothers. "We have no intention of unleashing either a local or, moreover, a world war. For us this is most dangerous, since we are here--right at imperialism's side, but we must help fraternal peoples," said VALDEZ.