Telegram from Polish Embassy in Havana (Jeleń), 31 October 1962

Ciphergram No. 16052

Dispatched from Havana on 10.31.1962 at 14:20

Received on 10.31.1962 at 12:12

Came into the Deciphering Department on 10.31.1962 at 16:25

To: KRAJEWSKI, URGENT, EYES ONLY

From: [Ambassador Boleslaw] JELEN¹

The whole [Cuban] propaganda action is carried out in a very rigid manner and is based on the arguments made by Fidel in his speech on 23 October (see our 424). [This propaganda] does not take into consideration the decisive events that followed afterwards and continues to press for the “5 points” proposed by Fidel on 28 October. I think that the main aim of such pressure is not to show [Cuba’s] initial rigid position for negotiations with [UN General Secretary] U Thant, but it is the main reflection of the confusion which is taking place among the party apparatus and the [Cuban] leadership. The existence of such confusion is becoming more and more apparent in different conversations with the Cubans. It is very clear that they do not understand the international situation and one can sense among many of them the feeling of being abandoned by the USSR.

[Brazilian President João] Goulart’s delegation arrived and talked through the night with [Cuban President Osvaldo Torrado] Dorticos. A letter from [Mexican President Adolfo] López Mateos has arrived – we don’t know the content.

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