CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY REVIEW: CUBA

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00137224
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: March 8, 2023
• Document Release Date: May 21, 2019
• Case Number: F-2018-00136
• Publication Date: June 2, 1960

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Approved forRelease: 2019/05/07 C00137224111111
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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY REVIEW
2 June 1960
CU13A
Soviet trade specialists
and technicians have begun to
arrive in Cuba in sizable num-
bers. On 22 May, 80 are be-
lieved to have joined the trade
commission establish in
Havana during Soviet First
Deputy Premier Mikoyan's visit
in February. Venezuelan news-
papers have reported that Rus-
sians and Czechs recently pass-
ing through that country en
route to Cuba are documented
as mechanics, technicians, and
experts on airports, hydrology,
meteorology and other special-
ties.
the Cuban Govern-
ment is granting visas freely
to bloc nationals.
The US service attachds
in Havana have a reliable re-
port that only four Soviet
technicians now are advising
the Cuban Air Force, and that
air force personnel Anaxe been
PART I
PART II
told that MIG aircraft are due
to arrive in Cuba in late June
or July accompanied by Soviet
pilots and technicians. Pos-
sibly in a prior move to purge
the air force of personnel whose
loyalty to the Castro regime
is in doubt, Raul Castro is
reported to have arrested 23
pilots and 22 enlisted men on
trumped-up charges in the past
few days.
The expected establishment
of relations between Cuba and
Communist China may come in
June. The Peiping Opera Com-
pany will spend most of the
month in Cuba as the highlight
if a lOng-planned campaign em-
phasizing cultural ties between
the two countries. The newly
formed Cuban-Chinese Friend-
ship Association, headed by pro-
Communist Cubans who-have re-
cently visited Peiping, will
probably play a prominent role
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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY REVIEW
2 June 1960
in the campaign. Some 30 Cu-
bans are reliably reported to
be attending a six-month train-
ing course in China, and at
least three other student, labor,
and official Cuban delegations
have visited there in recent
weeks.
Peiping has shown special
sympathy for Castro's revolu-
tion, and Cuba seems to be a
key target in plans for stepped-
up Chinese propaganda activity
in Latin America.
During an official visit
to attend Argentine independence
celebrations in Buenos Aires
from 25 to 29 May, the Cuban
delegation headed by President
Dorticos concentrated on ef-
forts to attract popular sup-
port for the Castro regime and
showed little respect for the
Frondizi government. Dorticos
flouted protocol, made vicious
attacks on the United States
PART I
*
PART II
before a pro-Communist univer-
sity group, and went out of his
way to meet with leaders of an
actively antigovernment, Peron-
1st a labor group.
The suspicion that Dorticos
plans similar tactics through-
out his current Latin American
trip has led Uruguay and Brazil
to treat him properly but cool-
ly and has elicited press criti-
cism in Peru and Mexico. Strong
differences over Castro con-
tinue to cause political ten-
sion in Venezuela, and Presi-
dent Betancourt has been trying
to put off Dorticos' visit to
Caracas. Meddling by Cuban
officials in the domestic polit-
ical affairs of other countries
has already irritated several
Latin American governments, but
they hesitate to criticize the
Castro regime because of its
popularity among some political-
ly important grou s in their
countries.
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OF IMMEDIATE INTEREST Page 8 of 8
NOTES AND COMMENTS Page 1 of 21
Approved for Release: 2019/05/07 C00137224