Telegram from Yugoslav Embassy in Rio (Barišić) to Yugoslav Foreign Ministry

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FPRY

Sending: Rio de Janeiro

Received: 29.X 62 at 07.00

No. 405

Taken into process:

Date: 28.X 1962

Completed: 29.X 62. at 08.15

Telegram

VERY URGENT

To the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

This evening we received [Brazilian] President [João] Goulart’s reply:

To Comrade Koca.

The text of this reply translated into Serbo-Croat:

“Dear President [Tito],

I have received with great pleasure your message of the 26th of this month concerning the ‘critical situation which ha been developing about Cuba.’

I was already acquainted with the statement of your Government in which you have invited the ‘countries in conflict to access direct negotiations in conformity with the principles of the UN.’

Your sublime intentions, that through direct talks and diplomatic means with their appropriate instruments in the UN, you search for solutions to the crisis that worries us so much, are in full consent with the intentions of my Government and with the peaceful traditions of the Brazilian people.

Like [Your] Excellency, we, in Brazil too, receive with encouragement and hope the first results of the already made efforts in the UN and the constructive support of the acting Secretary-General U Thant with the aims to reduce tensions in direct talks.

The possibility to find an adequate solution would increase to the extent to which formulas of the guarantees were found leading to the immediate suspension of the quarantine, followed by the corresponding suspension of the weapons delivery to Cuba and stipulations of the commitments for preventing the spreading of nuclear weapons and installation of the bases for their deployment.

My opinion is that the danger of a destructive war, the threat which was always opposed by the feelings of Brazilian people, would significantly increase. Worries of Brazil about its own future would grow with the installation of such bases in Cuba or any other part of Latin America, no matter [whether] their use could be put in the service of other powers.

As it has been well emphasized by [Your] Excellency, such a useful and opportune effort for peace will not be considered complete if it is paralyzed or not continued with the appropriate actions of the Security Council. In that case I have no doubts that everything should be done in order to ask the General Assembly to make the decision.

Following these suggestions that could be the matter of understanding and consideration in the UN, at this moment I want to draw your attention to the proposal brought by Brazil and other countries in 1961 and renewed now about the “deatomization” [denuclearization] of Latin America and Africa. Apart from its help to the solution of the particular crisis which worries us, generalizing the right of inspection, it represents a great step to the reduction of the world tension.

At the same time I want to confirm [to Your] Excellency that my Government is ready to participate in taking steps at the Governments in Washington, Havana, and Moscow with the aim of finding a constructive solution that could provide keeping the right and self-determination of the Cuban people and the reduction of armament to the defensive level excluding the possibility of repeating any military threat. In that case, Brazil had the opportunity in earlier times to propose measures which would implement a special status for Cuba through negotiations, so these proposals could be renewed.

Having this in mind, [Your] Excellency may be convinced that cooperation of Brazil in the limits of possibility will not be left out.

I repeat assurances of my personal satisfaction because our mutual aims on peace-keeping are the same and I hope that the ideals of agreement and peace-loving co-existence among nations will be strengthened so as to prevent humanity from suffering from the catastrophe of nuclear war.

Accept, [Your] Excellency, the assurances of my highest considerations.

Joao Goulart”