14-00000 Rot cra r Tw RG UR EP RET SA  Gaaateahy LYNG TUG eee TOE ak elle bye Set Se me te mete nae tomer ante sie tin asind nesta Ost Bithdehseah Dusclertoy . 4 ~ oe ‘oe mo : 1 . . 4 “f * . : € . ‘ { 1 . 7 FROM THE UR. ECONOMIC RESEARCH BUREAU - “na PHO Es MOVMIENTO-UNIDAD REVOLUCIONARIA (UR) 373 - 9033 economic intelligence Fepeee o sasiessonens ~ 3 SC Att. 8 UFGA=26348 \ VO II Hos 4 oo, “Cir Roweaber. 22s 1966, Mr, Raid VOLT. Landa. net with ropreséntatives of: ‘the < - proses in Miard in odie to discuss Cubon trode pyiobleris abroad and Cubin econo~ -mic problems within, The ERB ms fclt. that Mr. Volta's information will be of interest to all our. reaters, so theréfors this.-issue of the Economie Intel ligence Report centaing the verbatin acecunt of Mr. Volta's words. STLTZMENT My name ig Rail VOLT. Landa, and until a few days apo I hold the posta of Trade Counselor .to the Cubsn Embaesy in London, Representative to the Intermae tional Sugar Coumecil, Repreeentotive to the International Coffee Organiartion, to one International Wheat Council, and Obrerver-Delegate to the Internationsl Wool OUPe 1 Cn Hevenber isth ry wife and I were interviewed by. the pross in New Yorl at which time we discussed the rearons that prorpte’ our defoction, The results of this conference ‘hive appesred in the pregs anc therafore today I would like . to dircuss in sone detail economic probleme confronting Cuba today with which I AM personally farilier anc which, I- ‘hore, will be of interest to you gentlemen. In an effort to be brief and not take too much of your time, my friends here. have been | kind enough to reproduce som technical and detailed informtion oa the following subjects: sugar, tobacco, the problen of convertible currency, problema with. the lebeter exports, afd usurpation of registered trade marks. Thore is also attachot @ reéumd of positions held since 19556 - . From the econenda point of view C-stro's eormunint répine is vel on the -‘Yoad to reaching 2 climax after having cuffered one cconomic set-back after an- other. - Today Cuba's. leading cash crop, evgir, can be termed a failure in the: serise that due to a surber of factors ani particularly mismanagement: in Cuba plus the low world price, it ie unible to eupport the Cuban economy. The secon © - moet Important cash.crep, tobacco, similerly has been so misminaged that today _ it is an unimportant earner of critically needed foreign exchanges 2 This economic chaos has foreed the Cuban régime to increasingly desperate . measures in order merely to eurvive, For example, meat, tobacco, eggs, fruit, vegetables, coffee, “preserves, and shoes are some of the products that today are exported from Cuba in an attempt to earn the hard currency to purchase heavy machinery, locomotivee, fishing boats, ami ail the rest necessary to mintain any semblance of an economy. Ad unfortunate reeult of this is that today there is a serious shortage of the proper foods throughout all of Cuba. There is raq tioning. The people have insufficient rice, Even citrus fruits have had to be rationed. Milk 1s in critically short eupply. There are not enough shoes to go around, Coffee, long considered a necessity by the people, is sometimes unob- tainable and is always in ehort supply. Our beer, famous for years, is now hard~ ly drinkable when it 4s available. These problems, which before the communist régime were totally unichown te Cuba, wcre treught painfully home to me each time I returned to Havana fron my post in London, slo a4 UAFQAL. 26 ZLE w obey JQ_1s0-26
14-00000 For example, I was in Havana in duly after hurricane ‘lm: hit Nestern’ Cuba - last June, a. number of building? and houses ind to. be repaired all over. the elty of: Havana. Debris from derolitions and subsequent constructions was piled on the stréets. Time passcd,: tit:the streets ware still. full of debris that gave... . uthe ety - the Looks‘ of-a boniber * target” This’ consed considerdble diegust among - the - “population ‘of ‘Havana. _ oo. 7. . ‘nother ‘example 48° that “the ‘food ‘quota on the- ration t boor id largely a. "paper reality. What I mean is that the food on the book is rarely available, and whole morths pass without any meat, lard, oii, rice, beans, being distrib=-- uted. At thig precise time, in Havana, there are no seasoning ingredients availe able to the consumer, When the product is available again, the meager book quota is what each one gets, without any compensation for the time during which - he could not even get that, As a result of this, queues are longer every day, with people standing ‘in line since the eerly morning hours to mke sure that they won't be left ‘cut. - ‘. There are often fights and ‘even minor riots at the queues on account of the fire 6. : ritation that this situation causes. Also I have seen that ‘the régime 4s opening rony new + restaurants, alleged- - ly to- make récreation facilities available to the people. In reality, however, what they sesk ie-to extract money from circulation, as the prices at these new places are éxtreordinarily high. Hénce, only the members of the ruling "new | class" my enjoy the new spots, as the workirig people could never afford them. ~ ~° i Z will be happy to.attempt to answer any questions that you may have re=w . garding those areas of life or of events in Cuba today with vhich T an familiar. OLS AN a RATION EI ORL 5 se op os ESTA Cite PAPEETE toad Up etre mete ces Hohe Se etn , ee rs - ike Bsn Maat emit “ * ‘ pemeee ¢ Fiat Le te