TALK BY ERNESTO BETANCOURT AT THE COOPERATIVE FORUM.
Originator: CIA
From: WITHHELD
To: HELMS
Document date: 10/09/1962
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

14.00000

104-10171-10067)

{2022 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

MCAASMITTAL SLI' ME.

10:

*. Je209

Regros doley in sotes esto to

as pradles octor coples as lollcasad.

I Mall be glad at sey thas you

RETURN TO CIA

Background Use Only

Do Not Reproduce

FROM:

T78 19 241

что ная- о сталль

1073

---

## Page 2

14-00000

MMM? DR THE RICORD

SUBSCE: inlk ly Ernesto Ectraceuri so tha Cooperativo Foria.

Lo 1915 18 8 report Irue serOry of the histllchts or the talk givea

by Do. Erneato Betancourt, lecrecio nirlit,

26 septenber Lilia, end as the

question and anaiver perdud folloulus 1t, nt the Cooperativa Foria 10

Washinciton, D.C.

2.

DE, Botancourt no anaounced ce the political novicer or lercito

Libertador de Cuba, "an orgerlintion of youds Cuban ailltry leaders in

exile.. Curreatly his full toe occupation vas stated no tit co a

coordinator in the Departuent of scoducile Affaira of the Urinal=ation of

ABrican States (a1S).

In the early daya of tim Caatro regise ie had beeo

àn onthuslastic "Fliellata" and had sorved no Ulreator of tie Central Bank

of Culis. (pre Cho Guevarra) and as one of Castro'a firat representativos

1a the U. So lis soon becase uisenchented, defected and becans a leader

10 t'o ant1-Castro novasent.

3: Based on mental notes of Detancourt's speech (about to aloutes)

and of his chovers given to questions fron the audience (a typical,

distinguishod cross-section grom found at the forum), the folloriag

appenrod to be tha nort slgnificant statementas

a. There are no "sasy" ansvere to the Cuban problea

which has become increastugly complex.

me sinaty cost important soviet objective in

"taking over" Cuba 1s. to divcredit the U. 8.

by altarnately deconstrating 1t.a "unaknees"

and ito "ulckedness."

By showlng that the U.8.

1s villite to resain supine evei in the face of a

nilitary-a1d "presecce" in Cuba, tho Soriota

believa they can scora a psychological victory which

will impress other Latio American countrios and

perhape other developlug areas 1n which tho U. 8.

has an Interoct.

simultaneously the Communiots

continue to deptet the "gringues" as crass,

zoney-socking Isperialiota uho vant to "do 15"

poor little Cula.

This crostion of an unfavorable

Imago of the U. S. 1s far more Important to tha

Krealis than any other reason for their now inrge

Cuban effort: Areo tha possible vee of Cuba as

a missile baso la of secondary Importanco.

C. As for makinE Cuba a Cotrunist "showcase"

Betancourt believes

the Soviats have no such

hope or even intention. Tiey do hovever Intend

to use Cuba as the CP

"headquarters" for Istin

Anerica and have

1n fact teen doing so for somo

tios.

do The attcapted invasion vas a disaster all around.

milstorily, politically and ideologically. Anons

othor causes of thie failure vaa CiA's "kiduappine"

of the Revolutionary Council so that aay effective

anti-castro leadership vas reudered poverless.

jess

---

## Page 3

14-00000

•2.

Tali by linosto decapcourt at the couperativo forus.

ma Tunilino" or the 10ve110n sas do part due to

the "cocialcitiona volu" that existed so far as

settli; anti-castro intorention carough to tie

Cunso proplo.

In the sanitino Castro had full

coatail over tla intercal cousications nad

"saturated" sho als vavas uith pro-regina

propagania couceroing the 101a8100.

Castro 10 st1ll the real "boes" in Cuba ovon

thougt be 1a surrounded by Coumuniate and 18

reverally obedient to Moscon's orders.. The

knockts has not pusled him too far - 10 saot

they sare i0 some instances pulled hia back

sor tbey feel that he has a tondency to bo

reckless. For instanco, the sovieta did not

really vant his to break with the U. B. and

vould bare vanted blu to bo a cleror "Marxiat"

taciiclaa.. Tir Kremlin 18 anurt enough to

roslise, bovavor, that 11 Castro vero allainatod

bia satira regis vould collapso.

dictating to his in cortain respecta,

save to give bia loevay.

contaists no "using" castro but at the samo

tino are boldE usad by lilm for the achlovesent

of hio ova egu-posar objectives. "

Econonte conditions In Cuba are manlly very bad.

In sto senoral diadriay of tbe Cubeu econoy,

agticulture 1s faring vorst ce all.

Por tho

f1I3: t1o0 1a Cuban, history, food 18 belog

soveraly rationed. Also for the first tima

tho sugar crop has not beon plantes this year,

due to tbe general disorder and the luability

to pronlie inceativos for the sugar plaotation

posas.

soviot economic ald is Insuffisent thus

lar to have any visible offect in liftias tho

econocy. The soviets aro apparently giving

much sore ailitary than econoule aid.

h.

Batancourt 1s opposed to military interventica

by U.S. on geceral principles but toola that:

18: tDo U. So did decido to intorrene: 1t vould

be far sure justifled in the eyes of Latia-

Asaries shas vould bave been the ceso beioro

the sortets decided to intervene allitarily.

1.

One of the best propaganda targeis fron the U.S.

polas of rier 1s the Castro a1l1t1s.

to Bocaccourt tia allitianen are "estivo" about

the Cocousist docipation of Cuba. A larjo number

of these sey vere ardeut rebels but nos comunisto.

Thaj sojiht vits Castro agniost tbe Brilots dictator-

ahlo. ou: dot la ordor to establiss a Canist

raglue, sor eves tú baño Cuco a "socialist"' state.

---

## Page 4

GO

stirrink

- 3 =

• October tota

Talk by Erresto Botnocourt at the Cooperatina Forum.

Made aillilmen could te tech onre reaponairo

to U. So appealo 18 thas d10 not feel that in

she overt of aut1-castro tnte orer they vould be

asguldntad. They fool that the 'I: S. and rebel

propogand hus depictad theu all as sajor

andales and Inadinto tarpots tor destruction.

Botancourt bellevas va should proçood to corroct

this propaganda error at ouco..

Botancourt feels that the Ols could bo much more

estoctive than It has been so far 15 only do a

forun for alring the truth about the castro

ragine and for hardening the aititudon of the

rast. of Latin America tovard the espansion of

Soriot satallites in the Hestera borlophare.

Betancourt belleves that the overt Soviet

Intervantion In Cuba hao jarred Ess Latio

Americano for more than the face of the

erfumph of Communlou, por so, 10 that country.

03

Distributluns

0r181001 - Richard Relas, DDP

I = DE. Ray 1Iine

1 - Chlaf, LSD/08I 03

- Mr•[David Carpe, OCI

1 - Mr• LLothar Hatzel0 3

1 - CSE (Chrono)

081/18D/Css/NR:apon (7520) - 9 October 1962

3/A

---