COMMUNISM IN LATIN AMERICA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79R00890A000200040020-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Sequence Number: 20
• Content Type: BRIEF

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. NSC Briefing
ommunism in Latin America
At Tenth Inter-American Conference, opening in Caracas
on 1 March, one of main topics being pushed by the US is
the "intervention of International Communism in the American
a,, Representatives from some of these missions
have recently presented their credentials in a number of
Republics."
II, Much evidence of increasing international Communist
interest in Latin America over past two years,
A, Increased activity by USSR and Satellite missions
11 Existing Orbit missions in Argentina, Uruguay,
Brazil, Ecuador, and Mexico continue active.
c,:
tij
,;;other countries: Bolivia, Guatemala, Panama, Haiti, Costa
`'-,Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Ecuador,
be Argentine-USSR trade pact now operating
and may provide stimulus for others.
(1) Brazil, for example, has renewed
its pact with Czechoslovakia, is negotiating with Hungary,
and is considering negotiations with USSR and Rumania.
2,, No evidence -however,, that Orbit missions sup-
port or direct the activity of local Communist parties,
Be Marked increase in Communist-subsidized travel of
Latin Americans behind Iron Curtain.
11 In last six months of 1953, some 900 Latin
Americans made such trips, many at Soviet expense,
a. These included roughly 220 Brazilians,
190 Chileans, 150 Argentines, 55 Mexicans, 50 Colombians,
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50 Cubans, 45 Guatemalans.
2. Increased Latin American representation very
marked at two international Communist meetings in this period,
a. At the third WFTU Congress at Vienna
in October there were 160 Latin American labor representatives,
present as compared to 21 at the second WFTU Congress at
Milan in 1949,
At the Bucharest Youth Festival last
August there were about 600 Latin Americans from 20 countries
as compared to only 300 from 17 countries at the Berlin
Festival in 1951.*
c, Latin American delegates also attended
following front Conferences in Europe in 1953: Social
Security; Transport Workers'; Rights of Youth; International
Medical Congress; Women's International Democratic Con-
federation; World Peace Conference; World Federation of
Teachers; World Federation of Democratic Youth; World
Students' Congress, Many of delegates stayed on for train-
ing courses within the Orbit,
C, Training and indoctrination of Communist leaders
and potential leaders has also been stepped up,
1, Top party leaders visiting Moscow in 1953
included:
2.
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a, Dioni`sio Encina, secretary general of
the Mexican Communist party, at the Lenin Institute in
Moscow in late 1953,
b, Jose Fortuny, secretary general of the
party in Guatemala also returned recently from Moscow.
co Victor Gutierrez, secretary general of
the Communist labor federation in Guatemala, paid a similar
Moscow visit,
Victorio Codovilla, secretary general
of the Argentine Communist party returned in 1953 from an
extended tour of the Orbit,
2,, Extensive training was also given to a large
25X1
number of lower level Communist leaders,, e.g.:
3, Within Latin America, the national Communist
parties have put increased emphasis on training, e.g.:
a, In Guatemala the Jacobo Sanchez school
was reactivated last February and recently "graduated" 31
"middle level" officials and 17 cell leaders,
b, At Sao Paulo in Brazil, the party has
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stepped up its indoctrina tArtfogram within the past few
months, one of the courses being designed for Communist
sympathizers.
The Chilean party also started a training
program last September.
III, Present Communist influence varies considerably from
country to country in Latin America but only in the Dominican
Rep ubl i rr and Haiti can it be termed negligible
,
A. In Guatemala, the Communists' influence over
President Arbenz, their control of organized labor, and
domination of the agrarian reform machinery allows them
influence government policy.
1, Furthermore, their influence is still on the
rise,
as They showed increased voting strength
in the January 1953 congressional elections and the Decembe
municipal elections.
b. Estimated party membership has grown
in a year from 500 to 3000.
C4, The opposition remains weak and divided.
B, In Brazil, Communist influence has grown markedly
in the past year, as shown in two principal ways:
1, Estimated party membership rose from 60,000
early in 1953 to 110,000 in December.
2, The party strength in organized labor has
grown particularly, largely because the opportunistic Labor
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WOPWE 41 4i; I
Minister, Joao Goulart, who took office in June, has used
Communist assistance in his effort to build up a personal
political machine.
C. In Chile the party is increasing its influence
in organized labor.
1. Primary cause spiralling inflation.
2, Primary vehicle is Chilean Workers Central,
organized in early 1953. Communists do not control this,
but use it to spread their views.
a. Communists do reportedly control unions
in nitrate fields and coal mines, with an estimated member-
ship of 24,000,
b. Communists have considerable minority
following in copper workers federation with 25,000
estimated membership.
3, Press read by working man has many fellow-
traveler staff members.
IV. Prospects for Action Against Communism at the Inter-
American Conference,
A, The US-sponsored resolutions would seek to impose
controls on international travel of Communists and on
circulation of propaganda,
1, But most Latin American governments do not see
Communism as an international threat connected with the Soviet
Union.
2. In fact, some governments such as Peru and
5.
Ow- A30 it
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Venezuela use thee Communists as tools against the non-
Communist left,
B, Most Latin American governments have told the US
they will vote for a resolution condemning Communism at the
conference,
1, General interest in this resolution is less
than in almost any of the other 27--including the one
honoring the island where Colombus first set foot,
2. Economic items (development, trade, etc..)
and colonialism in that order are uppermost in Latin American
minds,
3, Some governments (Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia,
El Salvador) want to talk about economic problems,, as
the economic basis of Communism, when the US raises the
Communist problem, Others want to talk about the threat of
colonialism or of right-wing dictatorships when Communist
comes up,
C, Several governments (Argentina, Chile, Bolivia)
are also worried that the discussion of Communism will ap-
pear to be "intervention" against Guatemala.
11 They have no love for Guatemala but will not
condone "intervention" in any form,
2. They have been made much more sensitive on
this issue by the charges publicized by Guatemala on 29
January strongly implying that the US would approve an
armed attack by various other Latin American governments on
the Arbenz regime,
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