NEWS FOCUS: REVERSING LATIN ANIMOSITY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000300180031-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 25, 1998
• Sequence Number: 31
• Publication Date: July 21, 1962
• Content Type: NSPR

Nr:w lj~ Tr YQRT( JUL 2 1 1962
7s T t
3Ahit~zed IrA5proved For Release : CIA-RDP75-00149R000300180031-9
CPYRGHT
`u-s Focus:
.1 N
Latin Animosity '
,tpversut
SHI TON: A thin ray of hope-
p1ul s rance has recently pried
through tie frustration which i:ar$ed
We: early s ges of the Alliancefor
l yrogress:
several developments.
Ivlost important is ' a
:tense that the organi-
aational aspect of, the
Alliance is moving at
last into shape. The
Puerto Rican director,
Theodore M o s c o s o,
:llailed around in help-
less disproof of his
reputation as an ad-
lninistrator for many
months until he re-
cently -began to find
a footing in the bureaucracy.
He has learned now to pat the pow-
ers and fend off the vultures and other
exercises necessary for survival. His
hand had been strengthened by the
emergence of an impressive Assistant
Secretary of State for Latin Affairs,
Edwin Martin. The two men are work-
ing side by side with mounting effect.
Some of the freneticism which
enaiacterized the past period will be
calmed by the withdrawal of Richard
Goodwin, an able young Kennedy aide
who was put on the scene as an agitant.
l le moved hard into the official vacuum
on Latin Affairs, roundly insulted the
:;low-mover% and made enemies. He
has now been taken off the scene to;,
avert an explosion.
The greater assurance at home has
helped to make the prospects abroad
seem brighter. Some of the Alliance
projects have taken physical shape and
are stirring the native populations.
The housing program has achieved the
momentum of $100 million in loans and
widely acknowledged progress has beer;
made in stabilizing commodity markets,
In regard to the stabilization of
governments. the Alliance can point
thus far to real achievement only in El
laalvador but its impact was also visible
in the reception for President Kennedy
in Mexico City.
Broad reaches of political chaos re-
main but it is also true that the force
of Castroism has faded considerably.
The Communists do not appear to have
either the momentum or the prospects
that were theirs a year ago. They seem
in fact to have been moved into a de-
fensive posture.
This shift cannot be totally credited
to the Alliance. The improvement is
seen to hang on a number of factors.
One is the sag in Communist fortunes
observed in other parts of the world
and another is the brighter view of the
United States stirred in the masses by
recent space accomplishments. Them:
is broad agreement that this nation',
influence is up and the Communists'
is down and that the picture has
brightened perceptibly since the ston-
ing of Richard Nixon in 1958.
But the new optimism is marked by
some new and many old concerns. Th,^
pattern of recent Latin politics has
produced an emergence of the military.
While generals have brought stability
to some Asian countries, their advent
in South America has tended to mean
repression of the non-Communist lib-
erals on whom the Alliance is hanging
its hopes. Their move to the front ii.i
Peru and Argentina is not viewed
therefore as helpful.
One problem is the constant shrill-
ing by Latin politicians, who seem
much;_ quicker to question efforts t(
help them than they have been to help
themselves.
` The Alliance's architects are seek-
ing tts obscure Uncle Sam's hand in
the reshaping process-by dealing when
possible through international bodies.
But this will be constantly tricky be-
cause,, international groups like. UNE-
SCO gnd gC.OSOC include Communist
gnCgIgiists, whose participation may
aria ins
""'""Tike battle to.save South America
from 'its own foibles still looks long and
grim but the spirits which droopea uA-
til recrn!.ly have risen.
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP75-00149R000300180031-9