Telegram from Brazilian Delegation at the 17th UN General Assembly

SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS

TELEGRAM

RECEIVED

12.597

FROM THE DELEGATION OF BRAZIL AT THE XVII SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE UNITED NATIONS—NEW YORK

ON/6/8/X/62

SECRET-URGENT

DNU/DAC/600.(24h)

Informal Meeting of Chancellors. Question of Cuba in Council of OAS.

43 – MONDAY – 19hs45 – [CUBAN] PRESIDENT [OSVALDO] DORTICOS INVITED ME TO HIS HOTEL WHERE HE RECEIVED ME IN THE COMPANY OF [FOREIGN] MINISTER [RAUL] ROA AND THE CUBAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UN. I WAS ACCOMPANIED BY [BRAZILIAN] AMBASSADOR [TO CUBA] LUIS LEIVAS BASTIAN PINTO AND MINISTER ROBERTO ASSUMPÇÃO. DÓRTICOS SAID TO ME THAT HE CAME TO NEW YORK TO INFORM THE WORLD OF THE CUBAN SITUATION. A DEVICE OF AGGRESSION IS FORMING AROUND CUBA AT THE SAME TIME THAT A WORLD CAMPAIGN TO SHOW CUBA AS THE AGGRESSOR COUNTRY IS BEING MOUNTED. HE SAID THAT WHEN HE DENOUNCED THE GIRON BEACH [BAY OF PIGS] AS THE SAME MANEUVER HE WAS BELIEVED ALTHOUGH AFTERWARDS PRESIDENT KENNEDY HAS CONFIRMED HIS WORDS. HE OBSERVED THAT CUBA DOES NOT DESIRE TO BE ARMED MORE THAT IT HAS TO FOR DEFENSE. HE SAID THAT IT WOULD BE A FATAL ERROR TO BELIEVE THAT THE AGGRESSION WOULD BE RESOLVED IN THE CONTINENT. TO HIM IT WOULD BE THE BEGINNING OF A WORLD WAR. HE INSISTED THAT HE COULD NOT HELP BUT MAKE THIS DENOUNCIATION TO THE WORLD. HE ENDED REQUESTING MY OPINION ABOUT WHAT HE HAD SAID. I RESPONDED THAT BRAZIL WAS IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE REST OF THE NATIONS OF AMERICA IN COMMON EFFORTS AGAINST IDEOLOGICAL INFILTRATION AND REVOLUTIONARY SUBVERSION OF COMMUNISM. THAT THIS LINE IS MAINTAINED, SINCE WE ARE ABLE TO RESOLVE OUR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL INSTABILITY IN A DEMOCRATIC CONTEXT [QUADRO]. THIS REMARK OF SHARP FORM WAS HEARD WITHOUT COMMENTARIES, [AJUNTEI] THAT BRAZIL ALSO DEFENDED, I REPEAT DEFENDED, THE PRINCIPLE OF NON-INTERVENTION AND OF SELF-DETERMINATION AND THEREFORE, [WOULD] NOT HAMPER WITH AGGRESSIVE SYSTEM AGAINST CUBA BECAUSE OF THE REGIME [ALÍ] IN FORCE. [AJUNTEI] THAT SUCH A PRINCIPLE WAS NOT OUR THEORETICAL POSITION BUT A UNIQUE FORM THAT WE CONCEIVE TO DEFEND THE PEACE. HE SAID THAT BRAZIL WITHOUT BEING A MILITARY POWER, WAS, HOWEVER, A COUNTRY WITH RESPONSIBILITIES IN DEFENSE OF WORLD PEACE AND THAT SUCH DEFENSE DEPENDS ON THE RESPECT TO THE INTERNAL ORGANIZATION OF PEOPLES, SINCE IN A NUCLEAR ERA EITHER THIS WILL FOLLOW OR DISASTER WILL COME FOR ALL. THE PRESIDENT SAID THEN THAT HE UNDERSTANDS AND AGREES WITH OUR POSITION AND ASSURED THAT CUBA NEVER WILL CARRY OUT ANY ACTS OR ACTIVITIES AGAINST THE BRAZILIAN ORGANIZATION THAT RESPECTS THE FORM OF OUR WAY OF LIFE [ESCOLHIDA PARA VIVER]. HE REITERATED THE DESIRE OF CUBA TO RESOLVE PEACEFULLY ALL OF ITS PROBLEMS, INCLUDING WITH THE UNITED STATES AND CITED HERE THE CASE OF GUANTANAMO. HE SEEMED TO ME SERIOUSLY PREOCCUPIED AND TENDING TO NEGOTIATIONS. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF TRY OUT [words undecipherable] SAID WITH A CONFIDENTIAL CHARACTER, [AJUTANDO] THAT HE HAS BEEN ALWAYS WORKING FOR PEACE, THAT HE HEARD FROM SECRETARY RUSK THAT THE UNITED STATES WILL NOT ATTACK CUBA EXCEPT FOR IN EXTREME CASES, THAT HE QUOTED. THE PRESIDENT LISTENED ATTENTIVELY AND RETORTED THAT HIS VIEW THAT THE RISK CONTINUES SINCE THIS COUNTRY HAS RESERVED THE RIGHT IN CERTAIN CASES OF INTERVENTION AND CONSIDERING THAT SUCH CASES WERE ABLE TO BE MANUFACTURED [FORJADOS]. HE ENDED SENDING WARM COMPLIMENTS TO PRESIDENT JOÃO GOULART. IN WHOSE NAME I RESPONDED.

AFONSO ARINOS DE MELLO-FRANCO