Evening star., 1961-10-16
CONTINENT -..4
Castro Remoins Popular With Latin Masses

Continued From First Page

Continued From First Page
and-sickle signs and carica-
lures of President Kennedy.
Probably no man since
Simon Bolivar and the liberia
tors has been as popular as
Fidel Castro among the mass
Of workers and illiterate peas
ants"
This statement came during
an interview with DR.. Alfonso
lopez Nicholson. scion of a
Leading Colombian family in
Bogota, and leader of the dis
sident wing of the powerful
Liberal Party. He is actively
wooing all left opposition forces
in the country for next years
election.
"CaStro's support among the
people is not organized yet" DR..
Lopez Nicholson continued.
The support is sentimental,
highly emtional, and strong.
For them democracy has always
meant democracy for the upper
classes and discrimination
against the poor"
Against this view, many ex-
perienced observers disputed
Castro's present strength in
South America. They see a
slight waning of his support in
recent months. The change is
not so evident among the rank
and file, they say, as among
the intelligentsia upon whom
the masses still largely depend
for leadership.
This intelligentSia is still
deeply committed to demo-
cratic ideals. And President
Kennedy strikes a sympathetic
chord every time he refers to
the American Revolution -
North and South-as the "orig-
inal revolution" for the free
dom Of man.
Less Attractive
The more obviously Commu-
mist and less purely nationalist
the Castro revolution has be-
come in Cuba. the less attrac-
tive it is to these educated
Latins. Firm United States
commitment to the Alliance
for Progress for radical but
peaceful change while Castro
has drifted farther and farther
into the Soviet camp has also
helped to close ranks against
the alien interloper.
Also, Mr.. Castro's yer. sue
cess in stirring up the masses
has frightened many moder-
ates. Where they once enjoyed
the kind Of David and Goliath
struggle between Cuba and
United States, many now
glimpse the mortal threat to
democratic evolution in their
half of the hemisphere.
Cuban meddling in other ma
tons affairs is partly reSpon-
sible for the awakening. 1t has
offended neighboring national
ism as much as any past
United States mistakes. The
advice Mr. Castro and his
radio offered Brazil during the
recent presidential crisis is the
best example so far.
The Cubans labelled Brazil
ian military attempts to keep
Vice President Joao CJango"D
Goulart out of the vacant presi-
dency 9 ~. S. plot against
Brazilian democracy" While
North Americans kept their
mouths firmly shut. the Cubans
offered guns to Goulart forces
massing in the South. They
gave advice on how to conduct
guerilla warfare against an ad-
vancing army.
Brazilians are proud people.
They resent outside interfer-
ence at any time. They also
have a near-miraculous talent
for political compromise.
Advice Resented
During a crisis which tried
this talent to the hilt. Mr.. Cas-
tro's advice was deply resented
1t also fell on deaf ears, for
few of the masses were ready
to fight over the presidential
succession.
In eaSy-going Rio de Janeiro
during the crisis, this corre-
spondent could find no one
outside the extreme left to
defend these Cuban antics
When it came to action, the
left.itself was weak and divided
A call for a general strike went
largely unheeded.
The powerful Roman Catho-
lie Church in South America
is also mobilizing its forces
Pope Johns recent encyclical