Telegram from Polish Embassy in Havana (Jeleń), 2 January 1962

Ciphergram No. 150

Dispatched from Havana on 01.03.1962 at 23:30 and received at 01.05.1962 at 13:50

Came to the Decoding Department at 01.05 at 16:50

To: [Aleksander] KRAJEWSKI¹

From: [Ambassador Bolesław] JELEŃ²

…

5) There is an opinion among a small group of the heads of Latin American diplomatic posts that the US would push through the sanctions against Cuba, except for the military ones, as far as possible. The English and French [ambassadors] are implying that they are, once again, afraid that the US would make a mistake in their assessment of the internal mood in Cuba. During the group discussions with Western diplomats, the USSR ambassador emphasizes that the danger exists of expanding the conflict if a direct US intervention [in Cuba were to take place]. [However,] in a personal conversation with me, he expressed some doubt as to the possibility of a direct US intervention given the current situation.

[1] Official in the Polish Foreign Ministry. In 1950-1951, he served as the Vice-Chair of the Administrative and Budgetary Committee of the UN General Assembly. In 1965-1970, he served as Poland’s ambassador to Brazil.

[2] Poland’s Ambassador to Cuba (1961-1965).