HY 0955 ee SECRET Our efforts to combat the problem, moreover, are complicated by the fact that freedom of thought, express- ion and press are generally highly regarded in Latin America, albeit not universally honored, and any proposals to. reduce the flow of Castro-Communist subversive materials must be influenced by this fact. Otherwise the United States may find itself indicted for fostering police-. state methods, a charge which could alienate many of the Latin Americans we seek to influence. © For the purpose of this paper, propaganda materials include radio program scripts, tapes and récordings, printed materials, (posters, pamphlets, magazines, leaflets, books, newspapers, news service output), motion pictures, dupli- cating or reproducing equipment, electronic communications equipment, and printing. resources, particularly paper stock- piles. However, to be complete, "movement of propaganda materials" must extend also to publications whtch are hand-. carried into a country by legal or illegal travellers for subsequent reproduction. It must also include materials transmitted through Cuban and Soviet Bloc diplomatic channels, shipments via postal channels, quantities intro- duced through smuggling operations, oral transmission of propaganda guidance. by individual travellers or by Radio Havana, and the dissemination of communist oriented news by Prensa Latina, the official Cuban news agency, for re- production by local outlets. Finally to be considered are thematic guidance, which can be reproduced and exploited locally by returning trainees, front groups and sympathetic publications and, in some countries such as Mexico, Argen- tina and Uruguay, the products of those commercial estab- lishments which regularly print or broadcast pro-Castro- Communist materials as a matter of policy or ideological conviction. Press and Publications There are 326 Communist and pro-Communist newspapers and periodicals in Latin America, and infiltration of the democratic press, coupled with the non-critical attitudes of some. newspapermen, increases greatly the diffusion of the Cuban propaganda line. There are 228 Communist-oriented publishing houses and bookstores in Latin America, serving as,outlets not only for 30 different Cuban periodicals, but for a large variety of other Communist printed material. SECRET 2 Boctld: 324273524 Page 6
HW 450955 ad @ SECRET Every Latin American country except the Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Nicaragua, and Venezuela permits these bookshops to operate. Many of them offer publi- cations at very low prices or give away several books with the purchase of one, and easy credit terms are available. - Excluding TASS and the New China News Agency (NCNA), Prensa. Latina is the principal Communist news agency in Latin. America. It operates openly, although not .entirely | without restriction, in ten countries -- Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rice, Honduras, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay. While most users of Prensa Latina releases are covert or overt Communists, some non-Communist media make unattributed use of Prensa’ ‘Latina releases. This. is: especially true of radio broadcasts. ALL of this publication activity is essentially overt. However, decrees banning Communist propaganda have not prevented the clandestine publications and distri- bution of periodicals and books in some countries, and propaganda materials continue to seek” entry through the mails. In Panama, for example, postal and customs authori- ties destroy .an.average of 12 tons of Cuban. propaganda per month. -Another.ten.tons per month is. seized and. destroyed in Costa Rica. This. suggests the further quantities, per- haps larger, may be finding their way into these and other countries. Radio Short wave radio. is the principal direct mass audience medium used by Cuba to carry subversive propaganda to Latin America. The Castro regime has constantly increased Radio Havana's short wave broadcasts to Latin America to a current -Level of 115:30 hours per week. Cultural Activities Penetration under the guise of cultural activities is a favored Communist propaganda technique in Latin America, where there are now some 64 Cuban binational centers and Friendship Societies. SECRET 3 Doclda: 32742738274 Page 7
HY , al a, Inducel|newspapenrs in count SECRET tS @ Films Feature films and short documentaries produced by the Cuban Institute of Motion Picture Art and Industry play a direct propaganda role. These films are shown primarily in binational centers, pro-Communist labor and student groups, and in private or clandestine meetings. It will be seen from this brief review that Latin America is the target of a broad-scale propaganda program, comprising not only propaganda materials but including also the ideas, the knowledge and the resources which are necessary to make those materials effective. TII, Direct Actions to Impede the Legal Movement of Propaganda Materials Presented below is a summary of actions contemplated to impede the legal movement of propaganda materials from Cuba to and within Latin American-countries. For the pur- pose of this paper, legal movement is defined as movement by recognized private and governmental carriers and communi- cations; as well as postal systems and diplomatic pouching. These actions offer promise of achieving early and effective results in some Latin American countries, but they do not have universal application, and those which may be feasible in one country may not be necessary or feasible in another, . 1, Political Actions Latina operdéees—te—canec ae BeReLeet ln Lhe. Gorter Woorheba b. Persuade those governments which receive Cuban and Bloc diplomatic missions to maintain close surveillance over the propaganda activities of the Cr Communist embassies with a view toward prohibiting , abuses of diplomatic privilege for subversive pur- poses. ec. AS applicable and feasible, induce Latin American countries to: SECRET 4 50955 Dacld: 324273624 Page 8
Hi 0955 SECRET (1) Adopt adequate internal security legislation - to previde severe penalties for any person engaging in dissemination of Cuban-Communist propaganda K. which inspires terrorism or proposes the overthrow ‘of the legal government by force and violenée. (2) Preclude attendance of Cuban delegates at Oe international meetings held in Latin America. (Delegates are propaganda disseminators. 2. Intelligence Actions a.» Continue U.S. intelligence efforts in each  .. country to identify individuals, organizations and wt facilities involved in propaganda importation, reproduction and/or dissemination; make available to each country selected intelligence concerning these individuals, organizations and their activities. b. Encourage each country in which the Communist Party is illegal to offer rewards for information CR leading to interception of Castro+Communist propa- ; ganda and, in countries where the Communist party is legal, for conviction of persons supplying or. disseminating propaganda materials considered dan- gerous to the country's tranquility. @. In separate diplomatic approaches to each vo country, urge full and effective cooperation, with CR. the appropriate organs of the OAS and bilaterally among the several nations, in the interchange of information concerning movement of propaganda materials. d. Persuade Latin American countries to report promptly to the diplomatic mission of the country _ Ch concerned, the identity of any national of that country who arrives from Cuba and who is discovered © to have been carrying Communist propaganda materials. 3, Covert Actions a. Disrupt the reproduction and distribution of red _ propaganda materials, and the procurement and delivery of related supplies and equipment. SECRET D Doctld: 3274273524 Page 3
SECRET bs Seek opportunities to induce Latin American printing craftsmen to deface, destroy, or misprint Castro-Communist propaganda in the process of re- production, c. Disrupt Castro-Communist sponsored labor and youth congresses, industrial and agricultural exhibits in Latin American countries. A -d. Maintain or increase pressures on media owners, local advertising agencies and film producers and/or distributors who accept Communist materials. poe es Dissuade U.S. and local business firms rom “hi advertising.in Latin American media which tarry pro- Communist materials; prepare-and—eieculatalhto U.S, rf firms, for information, lists of such media in order to encourage their support of a non-Communist press. f. Inhibit the spread of Cuban and Bloc binational centers and Friendship Secieties in Latin America by an active program to expose their subversive activities and objectives. rovide financial support to selected non- pa to compete with Communist-aligned publications which have significant circulation or impact. h, Induce Latin American countries to organize surveillance over in-country sources of newsprint and related supplies, and deny or inhibit. the use of these supplies for printing Communist materials. Direct Actions to Impede Illegal Movement of Propaganda Material Oo Many of the actions outlined in Section III related to the legal movement of materials will serve alse to restrict illegal movement. Additional measures designed — specifically to impede clandestine traffic are enumerated below, SECRET 6 HY 50955 DBocld: 32423824 Page 10
&® *, * 7 a a SECRET 1.. Intelligence Actions a, Use penetration and other intelligence techniques to identify efforts to move propaganda materials from Cuba to and/or within Latin American countries; deter- mine routes and methods employed; report selected information, consistent with requirements for protect- ing our own intelligence program, to the govérnments concerned. b, Utilize the U.S. intelligence community to determine the nature and extent of clandestine air~ craft and small boat traffic -betwéen Cuba and other countries in the Carlbbean and Central American area, ye giving particular attention to Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Use the evidence obtained to induce the governments concerned to. initiate surveillance and other control measures aimed at interception of propaganda materials, 2, Surveillance and Reporting Action Exploit the mechanism of the Caribbean surveillance system, approved by the President in the study on if movement of personnel, for discovering and impeding the movement of propaganda materials by illicit means. 3. Political Action | Where legally feasible to do so, induce each Latin American country to improve its police procedures C, designed to expose the subversive Communist propaganda | apparatus in that country; and to detect and eliminate corrupt officials who permit illicit bhipment of propaganda materials. 4, Technical Assistance Actions a. Previde technical assistance, where requested Lp to enable Latin American governments to locate clandestine transmitters. b. Assist in the accelerated improvement of the capabilities of Latin American internal security th. forces, especially those patrol and intelligence activities whose function is the prevention of clan- destine propaganda activities. Provide equipment; training and advice as required. SECRET 7 HY 50955 DBocld:324273674 Page il