176-10036-10064 JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM | IDENTIFICATION FORM AGENCY : NARA RECORD NUMBER : 176-10036-10064 RECORD SERIES : National Security Files AGENCY FILE NUMBER : . ORIGINATOR : CIA FROM : TO: TITLE : Cuban Subversions in Latin America DATE : 2/18/1963 PAGES : 7 SUBJECTS : - DOCUMENT TYPE : CLASSIFICATION : RESTRICTIONS : CURRENT STATUS : DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 9/10/2000 OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS : National Security Files, Box 59: Cuba Subjects, Cuban Subversion, 2/18/1963. Box 1
we ek . ac Fe Se in ww A ase Y ? ian Cn “oat DRAFT. BRIEFING NOTES. | 18 February 1963 a ‘CUBAN SUBVERSION IN ‘LATIN AMERICA On| Introductory Statement The public pronouncements of Cuban leaders, the “daily, record of events in Latin America, ‘and reports from our “intelligence sources within ‘Comtitinist and other, left-extremist elements throughout thig hemis~- phere ‘all agree on one salient conclusion: that del Castro is encouraging and supporting the efforts of Communists to. overthrow and seize control of. the governments: in Latin America. : “As Analysis indicates that the immediate threat stems less from the subversive efforts of ‘tha | ivditdonal, Communist movenents than from Cuban. support of: any. and all. active revolutionary ‘and. terrorist movement's. . | . Be These distinctions are “not: precise. In. some. | “countries, Castro’ s original success has spurred. the’ established: ‘Communist ‘movement to ‘action, cand | he ‘supports at. 71M, others, the old-time “Communists: may. even oppose radical, action at this -tinie and ‘Castro works with more’ active and more militant revolutionists.
| . a. “In any’ event; we know. of only two coun-  tetessstlexteo and) Uruguay--where Castro appears, ‘inclined ‘for the time being to forego inciting, violence, and ‘this, “only _ because he wants a favorable climate. for. chis. operations: ‘into other countries. —.. Even before the October missile crisis-sand with increasing ‘rancor since then--Cubaa leaders “have. ‘been exhorting revolutionary movenents to violence and terrorism, | and supporting ‘their . “activities. - Ay Gban support takes many different ‘forms, me We. have. occasional. evidence of direct participation by, Cuban nationals, ‘as: in. the 1 La Oroya disorders in Peru in December. “We know that: ‘some. funds” move, generally in’ “cash | by courier, from ‘Cuba to the ‘tevolu- . tionaries in other, countries. While’ we have not been. able to come up with the kind | of. “airtignt proof a court would require ‘that weapohs move directly fron Cuba to ‘these. same. groups, ‘we. “do know. that Cuba furnishes: "money to buy. weapons). ana: that some -guer~ rilla forces, ia Peru, for Anstance, | are, “ equipped with Czech “weapons , which‘ ‘most logically would come. ‘from’ ‘Cuba:
Be -But ‘by, and large;. -our evidence shows. that 7 ~ Cuba is ‘not now. attempting, a large program, |. of, physical ‘support for Latin American rev— . - plutionaries, It. 185, rather, concentrating -. OD: supplying “the inspiration,. the guidance, the | training, “and - the communications. and “technical: assistance ‘they require, oe mm essence, . Castro tells: would-be ‘revolu- “ thonaries. from other ‘Latin. American, coun= tries: "Come to “Guba; owe will pay. your ways we. will, train you in. a underground. ora ‘ganization techniques, in! guerrilla. warfare, to! it ‘that; you get back to your. homeland. “once. you. are. there,.. we will. ‘keep, in touch - “with you,. give. you ‘propaganda support, ‘send’ “you. propaganda materials. for your: ‘movement, - training: aids. to. expand your guerrilla. forces, | secret communications methods, , and perhaps’. ‘funds: and specialized. demolition equipment. " “castré 3 is not, _ as. far. as “we Know, promising ae ‘these. other Latia Americans any’ ‘Cuban weapons.” - or Cuban. Persontiel--either leaders, ad~ So visers, oF cadres. ‘But he. Probably does” tell. them: ag: you, succeed | in establishing | I | | { | t | | | | } | I : _ ae an sabotage and in. terrorism. | We will see - | | | : | =3- |
etc 7 ' subversion 4 in ‘Latin, ‘America, 1, should ote ‘that “sonsthing effective by way, of a. “_revolu- tionary movement in ‘your: homeland, if. your “guerrillas come down. out. of ‘the hills and confront ‘regular. armed forces} then. we’ may” ‘consider more concrete forms of assist - ance. | | So far, it ‘should be noted,. none of the .. "movements in South America has reached this final ‘stage--and in fact, even castro! s sierra Maestra guerrillas. never had, ‘to fight ay pitched battle with regular military a ~formations, which might have required ‘more: "advanced | ‘weapons than ‘mall arms, ‘grenades, “mines, - ‘and machineguns.. In’ ‘many ways;, “Cuba tinder? castro. is. ‘the Latin version of. the old: Comintern, inciting, ‘abetting, and. ‘sustain Ang evolution wherever: At will flourish. Before going. into: more ‘detailed evidence of. ‘Cuban “Veriezuela is apparently number one on Cuba’ s ‘priority. list. ‘for revolution. Fidel Castro said. _8o to the recent. meéting | - of: Communist ‘front organizations for. Latin | american women. le che Gdevara. and Blas, Roca . both cempha~ sized the: out Look for revolution. in Venezuela in speeches | in: January. 24)
mt .) -Sxperts, and is: ‘being done. with advanced. ~ types of explosives. “The. shoot ing has , ni a eel reached the point in ‘Caracas: where: it is . " not safe to: go out ‘after ten at night in some sections of the capital. -"But it is the’ opinion of both. our people and the ‘em-- 7 bassy that this is not a threat to govern- ment control. Tt is one thing for a group. Of, young men - to race down a dark street - tiring a. machinegun’ from a speeding are It, is. quite a! diferent matter, to stand (UP to. the armed ‘forces, or seize and. ‘hold . governnent ‘buildings. He, ‘believe that’ ‘Cuba. thas given’ guer¥illa training’ to. more. “nationals: from. Venezuela + than from ‘any. other: country, I shall‘ex~ “plain, in more ‘detail: ‘later how we arrive ; “ atse our ‘figures on guerrilla trainees. ‘our’ “best estimate. now is that more ‘than 200 - Yenezuelans received ‘such training in 1962. ‘a. "Many. of ‘these’ are engaged in ‘terror=. ism in the: ‘cities, cand. others were ‘rounded Up, ‘and given long prison sentences when they: ‘committed themselves aA . 1 _=6~ ‘SECRET ©
% a meee 5 et eet ee see = ee rt prematurely. last. spring in. a country- side. where | the ‘rural - -Population strongly. supports the ‘Betancourt administration. One of. our “best penetrations. of the’ ‘Com= munist Party, in’ Venezuela tells ‘us. ‘that vat present the unified command, has. less tha 150 guerrillas’ in: ‘the’ field, swidely_ separated groups of: 16 to. 25: men . | each, SECRET