Letter from Dutch Embassy, Havana (Boissevain), 28 November 1962

VIA AIR MAIL

F 15445/62

SECRET

No. 2549/590/GS.91

Havana, 28 November 1962.

Hiding of offensive weapons? [the following line is in handwriting:] vide van Roijen 1021 (copy attached) regarding construction of underground fortifications, to which Cuba-distribution has been given. [unknown initial (BD? RD?); first number of date hardly legible but probably a “1”:] 10/12-62

I have the honor to hereby present Your Excellency with a translation of some confidential information from the same trustworthy source as referred to in my GS.101 and 103 of December last year.

In this instance I have again chosen not to inform friendly missions, leaving it to Your Excellency’s better judgment to pass this information on to the suitable foreign governments and international institutions.

The Ambassador,

G.W. Boissevain

[document begins with a sketch of a concrete arch, approximately 2.60 by 10 meters, on the back of a semi-trailer - trans.]

Over the past months several hundred concrete arches like the one sketched above have been spotted being driven through Caibarién (N.coast Las Villas province), loaded onto semi-trailers a few at a time, most likely because of the weight that these can carry.

This traffic was interrupted during the days of the crisis, but resumed from 21-23 November on, be it on a smaller scale. During these days for the full 24 hours great activity was observed near the hill of Viñas, located right of the road from Bartolomé (south of Remedios) to Central Adela, where work has already been going on for months. On the 23rd, 14 large trucks loaded with stone and sand were counted, en route to this location, which has been closed off as a military zone.

At 1 KM. distance right of the road, which leads from Bartolomé in southern direction to Zuluete there is another hill of little height named “San Ramón,” where during the past days there has also been much activity.

These low hills belong to the series of hills called Bamburanao, which stretches out as far as the surroundings of Yaguajay and Mayajigua (N.E.tip of the Las Villas province). Throughout this region there was great activity until the 24th, especially on this last day, which was participated in by a large number of Russians, who during the days of the crisis wore the uniform of the militia.

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Just beyond Tapaste (Havana province), by the San José de las Lajas highway to Jaruco, are the so-called caves of the priest (Cuevas del Cura) and during last week (18-24 November) a large amount of army truck traffic took place in the direction of these caves. These trucks were all carefully covered, so that their cargo could not be ascertained; in the proximity of the caves the Cuban drivers hand them to the Russians, who drive them the remaining distance to the caves, where they are unloaded to subsequently be returned to the Cuban drivers.

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