Telegram-Letter from the Brazilian Delegation at the Organization of American States, Washington

SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS

LETTER-TELEGRAM

RECEIVED

11 580

FROM THE DELEGATION OF BRAZIL AT THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES—WASHINGTON

ON/31/X/16/XI/62

CONFIDENTIAL

DEA/DAC/DAS/DOr/DAM/DNU/600.(24h)

Situation of Cuba.

CT – 57 – ON THE MARGIN OF THE CUBAN CRISIS, IT WILL BE USEFUL TO MAKE SOME CONSIDERATIONS OF A DESCRIPTIVE NATURE, IN ORDER TO PORTRAY THE CLIMATE IN WHICH THE EVENTS DEVELOPED IN WHICH HAS PARTICIPATED THE O.A.S. AND THE VARIOUS DELEGATIONS. THE FIRST OBSERVATION THAT OCCURS TO US IS TO POINT OUT THE ABNORMAL AND DISAPPROVABLE PRACTICE OF [SEREM] THE REPRESENTATIVES IN THE COUNCIL OF THE O.A.S. CONSTANTLY BEING CALLED TO THE AMERICAN DEPARTMENT OF STATE, TO HEAR THE MISTER SECRETARY OF STATE [DEAN RUSK], ALMOST ALWAYS TO TAKE COGNIZANCE “A POSTERIORI” OF EVENTS OR DECISIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES. NOW, SUCH REPRESENTATIVES ARE ACCREDITED AT THE ORGANIZATION, WHICH, BY MERE COINCIDENCE, IS SITUATED ON NORTH AMERICAN TERRITORY. WE JUDGE THAT THE INTERESTED DELEGATIONS SHOULD ATTEND TO THE COUNCIL, IN ORDER TO ATTEND THEIR INFORMATION OR REQUESTS TO THE OTHERS. EVEN THOUGH ON SUNDAY, THE 28TH OF THE CURRENT MONTH, THE EXTREME URGENCY DEMANDED BY THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE CUBAN CRISIS COULD JUSTIFY THE AMBASSADORS GOING TO THE MEETING OF MISTER DEAN RUSK, NOW IS TURNING INTO NORMAL PRACTICE THE CALLING, INCLUDING WITH FEW HOURS ADVANCE NOTICE, FOR THIS TYPE OF MEETING. AS IF THIS IS NOT ENOUGH, THE OFFICIALS OF THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT THAT MAKE THE INVITATIONS HAVE RECENTLY TAX [FINAL SAY?] [ULTIMAMENTE IMPOSTO]. [IS A DEPARTURE] FROM DIPLOMATIC MANNER, IT IS CERTAIN, THE CONDITION THAT THE REPRESENTATIVES CANNOT BE ACCOMPANIED BY THEIR SUBSTITUTES. THIS DEMAND, FURTHERMORE, WAS PARTIALLY PLACED IN PRACTICE FOR THE OCCASION OF THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE MINISTERS OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS, WHEN ADVISORS THERE WERE LIMITED TO TWO PER DELEGATION, HAVING INVOKED AS A PRETEXT THE SMALLNESS OF THE SPACE OF THE HALL OF THE SESSIONS. IF THIS ALLEGATION WAS TRUE, NO LESS TRUE WAS THE FACT THAT THE PRINCIPAL HALL OF THE MEETINGS OF THE “STATE DEPARTMENT” [in English], OF MUCH GREATER DIMENSIONS, WAS KEPT CLOSED, WITHOUT BEING UTILIZED, DURING WHICH THE COURSE OF THE INFORMAL MEETING. TO WHAT PURPOSE SERVED THE REJECTION OF A “CLASS” OF THE ADVISORS, OBLIGING THE AMBASSADORS TO DIVIDE THEIR ATTENTION BETWEEN LISTENING AND NOTE-TAKING? THE SECOND OBSERVATION REFERS TO THE BEHAVIOR OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE O.A.S., TO THE CONTARY OF WHAT IS STIPULATED IN THE CHARTER OF THE ORGANIZATION, THIS OFFICIAL HAS TAKEN INITIATIVES OF A POLITICAL CHARACTER, AS IN THE CASES OF HIS MEMORANDUM ABOUT THE PRESS COMMUNICATION OF THE INFORMAL MEETING (DOC: No C-D-1020, SENT WITH OFICIO-VERBAL No 325, OF 8 OCTOBER) AND THE PROPOSAL OF “CONDEMNATION” OF THE SOVIET UNION, ON THE EVE OF THE SAME MEETING. BEYOND THIS, HE HAS LEAKED DECLARATIONS IN A PARTIAL TONE, AS IN THE EIGHTH MEETING OF CONSULTATION, WHEN HE WAS CRITICIZED FOR THIS, AND IN THE MOST RECENT DECLARATION TO THE PRESS, IN WHICH HE WENT TOO FAR “TEACHING” WHAT ONE SHOULD UNDERSTAND BY NON-INTERVENTION. FINALLY, TODAY, THE ADJUNCT SECRETARY-GENERAL, MISTER WILLIAM SANDERS, TO DIRECT THE WORD TO THE TRAINEES THAT COMPLETED THE “PROGRAM OF THE PAN-AMERICAN UNION FOR THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE O.A.S.,” TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE [ENSÊJO] TO AFFIRM THAT, ACCORDING TO ARTICLE 19 OF THE CHARCTER OF THE ORGANIZATION, THE COLLECTIVE ACTION WOULD NOT BE INTERPRETED AS INTERVENTION. THERE WERE PRESENT THREE BRAZILIAN TRAINEES AND TWO MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION OF BRAZIL.

JOSÉ BARREIROS