14-00000 sec etat eh Bh ky ae ke ' an ts nec CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY @ ROUTINE : Intelligence Information Cable ‘ i COUNTRY CUBA TDCS DB-315/01631-64 | DATEOF NOVEMBER - EARLY DECEMBER 1964 DISTR. 11 DECEMBER 1964 wNFO. SUBJECT EFFECT OF CUBA'S FCONONTC DIFFICULTIES ON PIDEL CASTRO'S POSITION FIACE & f DATEACQ. 6 DECEMBER 1964 REF IN..38266 | + { SOURCE FIELD REPORT NO. AND APPRAISAL: A FORMER HIGH-LEVEL CUBAN OFFICIAL WHO WAS ONCE ACTIVE IN THE REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT AND A CONFIDANT OF FIDEL CASTRO, HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ANTI-COMMUNIST AND IS NOW STRONGLY ANTI-CASTRO, HE CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH MANY CUBAN OFFICIALS AT ALL : LEVELS OF GOVERNNENT, SOURCE HAS PROVIDED A LIMITED NUMBER OF i REPORTS WHICH APFEAR TO HAVE BEEN ACCURATE, } (AER reser DOCG AE ett ot oe ESA 1, CUBA IS PACED WITH SERIOUS ECONOYIC DIFFICULTIES: THE COUNTRY HAS MANY PROBLEYS WHICH DEFY SOLUTION » BUT WHAT WORRIES FIDEL CASTRO THE MOST IS THAT HE 1S UNABLE TO SEE ANY SOLUTION TO THE CRISIS, ALL ECONOMIC PLANS END IN FAILURE, CASTRO BLAMES THE PERSONALITIES INVOLVED AND PUBLICLY CASTICATES THEM, BUT HE REFUSES 70 BELIEVE THE SYSTEM IS WRONG, AS A RESULT, CASTRO ASSUMES PERQ SONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR MORE PROGRAMS, FEWER PEOPLE ARE WILLING To ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR PLANNING, AND EVEN CASTRO IS UNABLE To DIRECT ALL THE PROGRAMS HE HAS UNDERTAKEN. | I UR. Bove TD and Te he ernst National Defense of the Untted states within the meaates of the faplousge Lave, tte mh OAS. Mon TH and TH. the tsaniadoa or Fereetion of which tn any tanner to ha anowinertney jr Coane Laws, Tite nee nn ans . : NO FOREIGN J hoor Reis = 2 EEG Ee poe a oF Sed  ABROAD/BACKGROUND USE ONLY See STATE/INA «ODA OARMY/acst wavy Am XS SECDEF NSA Nic XI MK ocr ONE oce REPCINCLANT TREASURY  COWWERCE EXO : i stag 2 fey SAE SET am oe ALAR RE Be Pek tee ee alee me ene eon oe a Sot oe -o ot - tbh ty Sy oe WR ce ca ees - a foots - *
14-00000 ipasoeene tpt are OTT ao TOS Peet SPT ED Staaanepnenstdndennavedicensta hentai, nm TDCS DB-315/ PAGE 2 * SECRIT - 01631-64 2. CUBA REALIZES THAT THE USSR CANNOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL OF CUBA'S FCONOMIC NEEDS UNDER EXISTING CONDITIONS, THERE- FORE, CUBA HAS CHANGED HER FOREIGN COMMERCIAL POLICY AND IS Now i PLACING INCREASED EMPHASIS ON TRADE WITH NON-BLOC COUNTRIES, | INITIALLY, WHEN CUBA HAD AMPLE FOREIGN EXCHANGE, THE POLICY OF IN- CREASING TRADE WITH NON-BLOC COUNTRIES SHOWED SOME PROMISE, BUT eee oe WITH INADEQUATE EXCHANGE FACILITIES, AS AT PRESENT, CUBA IS UNABLE cae SAREE ot OORT SERED we Rennes yA ne ne I TO MEET TERMS OF EXISTING COMMERCIAL AGREEMENTS AND IS FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO NEGOTIATE NEW AGREEMENTS, THE FEW AGREEMENTS WHICH ; HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATED CONTAIN TERMS UNPAVORABLE TO CUBA, . 3. CUBA'S ECONCMIC-COMMERCIAL DILEVYA IS THE PRIMARY REASON WHY CUBAN AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE ANTONIO CARRILLO CARRERAS RETURNED TO HAVANA ON 1 DECEMBER, (HEADQUARTERS COMMENT: SEE TDCS-314/06460- j a 64.) PIERRE NIETO, FRENCH BUSINESSMAN WHO 1S-IN HAVANA, IS PROPOS- ING A SIXTY-MILLION-DOLLAR TRADE PACKAGE FOR WHICH NIETO CLAIMS HE Oe ae noe eee CAN ARRANGE FRENCH FINANCING, THIS IS ONE OF THE SPECIFICS WHICH CARRILLO, WHO DISLIKES NIETO, 15 DISCUSSING WITH FIDEL CASTRO AND ERNESTO "CEE" GUEVARA, (FLELD COMMENT: SOURCE, WHO LEFT HAVANA IN EARLY NOVEMBER 1964, NOTED THAT A FEW WEEKS BEFORE HIS DEPARTURE TERRE WAS A DISTINCT CHANGE IN THE ATTITUDE OF HIGH CUBAN OFFICIALS WITH RESPECT TO THS UNITZD STATES, ON THE BASIS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH OFFICIALS CLOSE TO FIDEL CASTRO, WHOM SOURCE DID NOT IDENTIFY, SOURCE BECAME CONVINCED THAT CASTRO IS WILLING TO ENTER INTO COM- : SRR OPN, ARAL mnt TIAGO alae er vw ace in ana ; MERCIAL DIALOGUE WITH THE UNITED STATES AND IS SEARCHING FOR t _OPENINGS TO DO So,) NO ecole LOSEER ED-DTS See ‘ * SECRET orn é A NEED YOO elie nee Ze eee pee ee . ey owe ee er oe Behe, ups totes oe ae a yeh 4 ate Meta eR ae pee Wayne, Shen fis ~ e fe
14-00000 : SECRET TDCS DB-315/ PAGE 3 01631-64 4. BECAUSE CASTRO IS ASSUYING PERSONAL 3 RESPONSIBILITY FOR MANY OF CUBA'S ECONGHIC PROGRAYS AND IS ALSO FAILING, MORE PEOPLE ARE BSGINNING TO CRITICIZE HIM, ALTHOUGH KOT 10 THE EXTENT OF DIS- | | | CUSSING TEE POSSIBILITY OF RENCVING HiM FRCK POWER, (SOURCE COMMENT: | CASTRO REMAINS THE SOLE KEY TO THE CUBAN PPOBLEM AND WHILE HE IS IN | PLACE NO ONE DARES ATTEMPT TO CBGANIZE A COUP AGAINST HIS REGIME.) (HEADQUARTERS COMMENT: RUYORS ABOUT THE EVENTS WHICH LED To THE” | DISMISSAL ON 19 NOVEMBER OF JOAQUIN ORDOQU! MESA SUCGEST THAT SOURCE'S THESIS MAY NOT BE COMPLETELY VALID; CSDS-312/01269-64 IS ANONG REPORTS WHICH INDICATE THAT ORDOQUI HAD BEEN PLANNING A COUP.) 5. ALTHOUGH THEY ARS OPPOSED TO WHAT IS HAPPENING IN CUBA, IN~ DIVIDUALS LIKE EFIGENIO AMFIJEIRAS DELGADO, YICE-MINISTER OF SPECIAL AFFAIRS OF THE ARHED FORCES, AND JOSE A, NARANJO, PRESIDENT OF THE COYMITTEE OF COORDINATION, EXECUTION AND E¥SPSCTION (JUCEI) IN HAVANA, ARE AFRAID TO PARTICIPATE IN OR EVEN PLAN A MOVE AGAINST CASTRO, OTHER PERSONS WHO REACH 4 POINT CF TOTAL FRUSTRATION EITHER LEAVE CUBA IF THEY CAN, OR RESIGN THEIR POSITIONS AS DID JCSE ASSEF YARA, ASSEF EAD BEEN OFFERED THS JOB AS JUCEI CHIEF IN MARTANAO BUT HE WAS CONVINCED OF THE NEZD TO REFLACE EVERY HICH OFFICIAL IN Sheer nites se TEE MUNICIPALITY, Al” HE BELIEVED BE WOULD NCT RECEIVE THE BACKING OF TFE REGIME IF HE DID SO. ASSEF NOW ATTENDS CLASSES AT HAVANA UNIVERSITY AND HOPES TO CONTINUE HIS MEDICAL STUDIES, DS, JUAN - NUIRY SANCHEZ, ASSISTANT TO THE YICS-RECTOR OF EDUCATION OF HAVANA UNIVERSITY, IS ANOTRER PERSON WEO REVAINS CONCERNED ABOUT THE DIS- ASTROUS SITUATION ©N CUBA, (PIED cOneNS SOURCE eae RESSED RO FoR : => SECRET i : ee es vse ONLY PE de a Se at RN ofl RSET AMR COR Oe ee ee ek meee - wel mee nee wee a, —~— . + at eB, ceacbie Pty, S o ‘ --* Sa Pot P ws cores ie tas. ce reine? ge aE Sy Mees Fo sk ae mt pe enerie a one Se + eee bam mom tes teun ies tee me © ee een attire + ne rn es Mens te ee ce 2 ween he meter weep
14-00000 & & * ’ ¢ ‘ rs 4 & ry ' Se os ee ae - SEERET ; TDCDB-315/ PAGE 4 i 01631-64 i t 4 CONVICTION THAT WITHOUT ADMITTING IT OPENLY MORE AND “ORE OFFICIALS IN THE REGIME WERE REACHING THE CONCLUSION HE HAD REACHED SOVE TIME AGO, THAT “THE ONLY CURE FOR RABIZS IS TO GET RID OF THE DOG,") : | 6. FIELD DISSEM: CINCLANT, CINCSO, | EXD OF MESSAGE ae hae) t 4 4 1 eee c= cognate, Magee asia | Hod : 4 4 j | + ? 4 - : a . ' : 1 : . j ' io] oq sj "Fee, ! ; ' ' _ ABROAD/BACKGROUND USE ONLY . | i i i