HW 56329 ry 4 abe cotton on a gignt ificant commercial a owing nilot s ueS in prec as med in Novem: and it : the end of the ; wad officially sv eroy would yield 20,987 g of # Cotton or about metric tons of fibre. ft was hoped that this would LOS of netional requirements and that it would make roving of some 12 million pesos in import costs. . er hc mal tare - Coffec. Pane srodaue sion oe “et been state by the covernment +o be 1.3 willion quintals million “head beon harvested. 15 WAG Of which ove: b+ Ou or Ss Ky ct Ss are rot available but the crop has been de  official.as poor". This apolies particularly to the tion in the province of Pinar del Rio, where most of the or leaf is grown, COVE himeted one tv 2h, Under the terms of an agreement signec’on Septemoer 25 in Havana, a fishing port is to be Con structed | in Havana to serve the Soviet fishing fleet and Cuban fishing vessels. The cost, between 12 end 13 million pesos will be borne by the USSR and wooaid in the form of services by Cuba, Tie Russian vessels 19635. Vv PPING 25. In February the Sierra Maestra of about eg / wi 0,000 tons arrived in Havens to mn 1 ; join the Cuban fleet. The v ac been built in East German yar Ss ; ol out-put and capacity are not er) B oe 2 bEQlL a actory to make spare perts not available as a result of imerican re strictions, 2nd. sente’s greed to supply a new steel baa) /28 Docld: 3274274560 Page 6 vere to supply 2,000 tons of fish during 1962 and 15,0C0 tons in. ch ncustric a matter for s speculation whether the decrease [ spare ourts, technical knowledge anc apathy, outweigk y, or even offset, such now being achieved. Most new factory development lies in the future, but a 1 for processing Kenef, thus reducing the need to import gute sacks in the sugar industry is being brought into procuctso tories now being prepared in the communist countries include jiesel engine factory in Czechoslovakia, cement and sowdne hines in East Germany; textile mill - China; bottles, plate wy i- steel and tools - Foland. The Soviet Union will construct
' i CO JENGT A iL a. ory ~ HMinines, . sation on suction of lacking. *. manganese “ballurgica and carriod out at Bucye it (OO near » Boga 2 at Quinto, Boston 2 eae a the £1 Gristo unit. Production au ° "eyoito s 30 “bon deily, ont a laboratoxy, workshops shouse are boing constru ucted there, Hronite is produc ’ Medio and is..exported without being processed, m cand Kaolin are produced at Holguin end Victoria de leas : 1 ‘ospeetively. Production is for internel use only. t VIII OL eo. wae Cuban Government announced that by the end of November 3,250,000 tons of crude oil had been processed, to further 400,000 would be added by the end of she year. ing plant with a capacity of 4,200 gallons daily was in November on the outskirts of Havana. It will home produced oil. | is the intention of the Cuban Government to mine oil an exhibition of Rumanian equipment was held in the Whilst such production might prove too uneconomic by ‘angards, the Cuban Government are believed te fevour ens of reducing expenditure abroad. oo further reoreeniseti on of the Departments of the : a (of Foreign was carried out in January and wey. 3 a cxisbing shree st enbeepet ses handling imports, exp hs. od 2nsport and frei ore superseded by 14 orgenisatior fe nh at the ond of sx a further 3 were added chus , foreign trace, both import and export, are now by state orgsnisations each dealing with differe: During one year Cuban trade with W veld off. me reasons Were | sible to desl c t Shoe and Fingneial due to ‘ e ange which lasted throughout the year and whie? acute towards the end. In some cases the Cubane liged to denl with the Western countries either ae oe one arc not available in the communist bloc OF, ag oo ; the case, delivory dates are unacceptable. There me oa ovidence thet to conserve foreign currency the Cubans “sionally b ech ced to pay a higher price for an “ot poorer quality fz a bloc country end at the same - to cent sligatly less Tavourable delivery terms. © reduction in trade was not only due to Cuban ra in Pebruery, President “eanedy announced the uba to the Unit states which oF iimports from Cu JS . CONFIDENT IAL fy ! ' , i { ‘HW 56829 DocId: 32424580 Page 7 oo
“to Chaba “in the C the case of 2 in vhe summer included rcments were also signed DS mcr Trade with the United : Mie agreement \ wien Lapse on our initiative . on to continue it in present the existing quotas for the intained ang to this exte remain in force. re Cubans has now bec org rst ten months of the ; rresponding period of 1961 and imports rose by 50%. 1964 fo October 51 3 bh OBE 9 6 9 co he) os CN Uk. axports AG Ww © Li in United Kin res given < Tt appears to be an the form of commercial of multilateral payment agreenm aoynoa' a&SProe + “ 11,405,000 pesos. This ‘ Docld: 32424560 Page 6 aribbean,. _figned during 1962 Hungery 20 mil Lions involving a barter deal ere is no satisfactory for the large volume of military | +o Cube during 1952 fH. EEG OTR © @ ef aeently unable to Pill the vith the dollar quota : particularly OELCOs exvor ting countries gqon aM a eeotin is @ sugar prepa ratio: above.. from the imbalance of trade and, it are allowed a credit of industry whose about 34 million rament of § ~~ au many casen, and with North 2 aoinst 50,000 tons of explanation in tne trade equipment 3 snd included missile 3 of “, THIS 7 . was allowed xy show that ompared. ¥ Wnited Rinecon exports Grooned by The actual figures arei- Meme 1962 To October 31 £2, 21h, 372 £6,712,935 amounting the Cuban desire to place their be Ny y a given country in balance and their trade agreements aste s¢n bloc countries are expres netice they are receiving sed in these terms. ent was signed in 1960 /pudlisned: CON EID BNTTAL COMPLY ONE LAY . i of bhese trade agreements we an at 700 million co increased £0 750 millions. extra food for Cuba. sad Bulgaria 24 million. tf with Spain end Chile, inv ae Others ve ri (ous iv was unre@listic “ad! Gad . In practice, in *pP ont of Cuban. products: wore agreement continue soegialist countrics Gander the
: a A mo a CONPIDENTIAL ! . ! . a in 196¢. It involves Bulgsri ; negolia, Polend, humania, USSR a . FAL TRADE we Throughout the year ‘process of tak eg. continued. Some ag were able t owing to Leck of sup Les and were ab ; rliormal way. Others passed into state : ; * ¢ ee a 1 "ntervention®, in which a Government appointees vooxr 7 further major step ‘tovar placing all je in the oF ; s ta in Decor when rete : hardware were national s now in the hands of ° ' po 7 ; { wd i) = ~ - - ’ i ! gv, ~ . } : . ‘ a AW. 56829 Docld:32474580 Page 9.
“(9011/63) a 7 7 BRITISH EMBASSY, HAVANA. | February 7, 1965. ered, Pou | CONFIDENT TAL hy ‘I enclose a brief summary of an interview published in - Revolucion of January 21 with José Matar the National Co-Oréinator i of the Committees for the Defence of the Revolution. / 2. This article gives an intere sting picture of the widespread : and comprehensive “nature. of the activities of these Committees, > though Sr. Matar's enthusiastic ‘deg scription sounds a little ~~ gomical in parts ("We are. Working: fundamentally in recreation. | . We have organised sack races .. 2"). The Committees are, as ps you well know, an all—pervasive " organisa tion,’ and possibly. the ost eft Pective of the various mass organisations as a means. for reepina the people in line hehind their leaders. The individuals . ._ who comprise them wield considerable power at the grass roots level and it is not unusual to see letters in the complaints “<eolugns of the nevspapers stating, for example that a Committee - had refused to issue the necessary paper s sanctioning @ doctor's ‘recommendation for extra milk or. Food supplies for an inve Lid. 3. For some time one has heard the figure: of one “Cuban in twelve mentioned as being a member of one or other of the mass organisations ‘but if Matar is to be believed: membership of the Defence Committees alone accounts for more than one’ Cuban in six He states that there. ‘are. 102,500 Committees, comprising 1% million “peoples You will also note that the organisation. of the national structure of Defence. Committees is being overhauled by a process rather similar to -that which is: in use for the sélection of members of the new United .. Sootalist Party: i,e. starting with group meetings at the bottom of the scale and working upwards.” The article gives no indication as to how, or whether, the Committees of Defence are to be integrated: with the new United Party when the Tater comes into being. As a wateh-dog organisation they perform a rather different function from that of the party, but they seem to be exte néing their activities | ‘ to the point where some overlap between the two bodies looks likely” . to occur. In the Havana municiml area at least, they have acquired so many administrative functions, particularly in connection with: the: rationing scheme, that they cannot be dispensed with unless there is © ‘som other org ganisation equipped-to take over their role. . Chviously atar intends “0 press ahead wit th his plans for 1965, the Year of Sresntsetions 7 1424580 Page
sumaary of an article in "Reveluei én" for January 2ist 1953 of an interview with Jost Hetar, Netional Co-ordinator of tho Committees for the Befence of the Revolution enoeeh tan ermenetenmnannerenaiemateetememeneeeenerner ene nmeratarneniiatnnmnmenatnenaennemmntten me emannn on i BS { 1 4 i { BI t ‘ | 4 on September 23, 1960, The role of tne Gommittees in the do : cand: letl to & decision to expand then, The Committees are an invention of - ‘unique in the entire world, ieee ae Gea ean 2 gig . front for the defense of the Revolution/an their Linitea py questions of origin, dectibations sex, rece or ase, "It & hetercgencous organisation which has fitted per rfectly into the Cuban character", a te ’ hoe 1962 was the year or reorjents ation of the Committees, , 865151 were treated in this Ways uk elements and seetuari ” removed and working uethods improved, 1,600,000 seorle st | neotings avy which the reorganisation. was discussed and 4.57, 000 menber's resulted from these meeting's, ik « The organisation now ‘consists of 2 a Ne tional Directorate ‘Meme beard: nthe. time of. Playa: Girén: there’ were only 7,006 Committees in Cuba). 4 \ 2 . wor oo reyes ryt ISS, Hage doa WOLUDEON ok ey Pav ORION: Se 7 cin there: is: a senate Sotost for » Committee cadres, where 215 ero esa BS pr ne Committees have 7, G25 obudy a) with 6 ere . ALe iso 9b.5.! Circle a3 OF feet be The Cox sand tt Fees Mave dave urbar Aouging. . Up to. Lecember16¢h houses’ throughout the. Teland, ry. da large part ‘tn the » chey had dealt with sible: for rey corting to the : owners, | With the “Police 2 a for Recove ery. of 2 Eka ite Valuables they have to be r “Departiner 2 the contents of such ‘house 8. are ‘Lis sted, | The keys 2re thes panded _ the | Gomntttee, who are ressonsible for the house whbil it is ed tor. official. use, .% They, Bre. alec. Tespg onsible for! the empty how ses. sealed mk ‘the Phe. Somittees elayea 4 Pl sghout. the country efore th Congress rt  Bhe “phira Congress of Municipal Géucation Gouncils EaV “phe Committees the wask or carrying out the census of matriculat am iprd j Ly | cox mpleved & and. has ‘covered A e son 26 “4 of alle. The creation of the Committees was provosed by Fidel Castro 2 4 2 ne were ended the and of. Direotorate s above the. Connittee level is 50,000, mas he wingee “tote in thie preparatory diss |: e National Culturel ani sedynide re ngs of cultural a t Suspects at the time of the Flaya Girén invasion confirmed their worl, - me Cuban Revolution and antie united ratriotic corpesition is not is, 6 Frovincial Directorates; 14.7 pag ries Directorates; 35218 Sco thonal Tirectorates and 102 29CO Committees of Defence, with 1,500, OG onberse.,
‘ . . - ' - : ‘ equ: ; ‘bend of el halls of seguimte sto (i Follow-up courses for th ogee oe; tangit to rada and” write during 1961) are in the charge of Defence Committees, ‘the Committees have also organised 8,818 "Cirexlos Familiares” ” ( home clugses given by visiting teuehers ) and have played the major. role in ‘the reorganisation of school councils hroughout the country. 39238 councils: have deen reorganised, of Sa, ot 6 Hse 3 ALANS tne the various @ nearly 1,506 tee members are ate committees pla ved a large role in organ mass imnimnimetion cz ampaiens held during 1952, hey h popular schools of Public Health in which 20,000 Com receiving '¢ OMrSe A which will Finish by fh 1€ end of. 19 is av At ae OV 5 Po Say “Piney: have | organised health: ‘qoobings %% vhieh 1,824,000 people have attended. This figure is to be. Anorea sed in 1963, 7 , mr a ae ‘Whe sense of revolubiondry Vigilance amongst the people has bean enormously, increased," * At Least 1,000,600 men and women take their turn et nisht-scuard duties, During the recent crisis, the instru tious were unnecesss TY. wane new beforehand what they had ‘superlative role informing the “4 Dad a “ane: ‘Committees have ‘ emselves whe. special task oO cadres of! ‘tne Defensa Popular) org anising sanitary ‘wrigades py Es SUPPLIRG (age 2 ‘omittecet¢ chie?: patth 4962 wes in “the . organisi a es: iF vising of —. supplie Se. They conducted a census of munsumers in Greater Hava na ina period | of geven days and issued We 70, 00U ration books, VOLUNPARY “LL DOUR: : : Amongst. o% ther ‘thing gs, “the Conmit ‘bees heave collected - nore than a ton of used stamps and more. than 6,000,CC0- empty bottles. | Activities | of this ii imu, are gaia toe have resulted: ina: saving of $207,987; The onnittees: have recruited 1822000: teab ne volunts ary labour r brigades for harve; * eeoumnstont © ve by the defer nee of Pidel's Pive - vhave “been organised... ° | fPor. us peaee, is irepres vente’ pirtloulerty at the intermediate by the rened a x “PRE vee . S for .esee/ Mate ede apeeesj see reeen ehanaens
M Sy Bi & hp of 6 n : rn) ijn Hon Go Qo ran] Cw Lo) ood sph +f? co) @ tiny m- He Ache o sy 1 FP ort sf ov et 47 Fy Y $s Aq aS Way i yo . o e 3, rej a 4 YY © exh 4 fF +t O G4 E> 26 & OF ri Of & re RO @ +4 E . PLPALP WH w HO {yp a ® VB WP A woe YS fee SS ri Ont G Oy Of PRM eM A . Ps Pups oonous oO py Heri HO GEO mn . Fa. 306, °? Qs 43 “ m3 G - (Oo PHA . wont . ft 1d relev t tr 3) 2 et SY Hori wW Orit! ed —aAOr CO O44 4 4 ro ae eed - 10 OOK eth, rit O hip 4 ty of UP Pr YD COnp ba ee Goa g : HO. Y @ 5 FOOHROMO is Er en, eag OO HOP Oa @ [ OPH P Peg . SrgcsePprnt os an euzotza’ Gs. vo se 2 iD fy ry wo BpRSotap sos: eC °e O G05 0nr 9S w On Gadi G oo. . S Hn ot B $825 e i Oni G oo SG & GEE . eo Ouan hm Of aw