CUBA: LOOKING TO EL SALVADOR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T00287R000100410002-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 9, 2010
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: February 14, 1980
• Content Type: MEMO

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/09: CIA-RDP85T00287R000100410002-6
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
NATIONAL FOREIGN ASSESSMENT CENTER
MEMORANDUM
14 February 1980
CUBA: Looking to El Salvador
El Salvador unquestionably heads the Castro regime's
list of Latin American countries where a repetition of the
Nicaraguan experience seems likely over the next year. A
measure of the importance that Cuba attaches to political
developments in that country can be found.in Fidel Castro's
personal intervention with Salvadoran leftist leaders visiting
Havana in mid-December. The group consisted of the secretaries
general of three major extremist groups and the Salvdoran
Communist Party. Castro warned them to avoid premature
armed insurrection because that would only provoke a rightist
countercoup. He urged them instead to try to radicalize the
junta internally while simultaneously developing the military
capabilities required to permit a seizure of power some time
this year. He also called for a unification of opposition
forces--a major theme in Cuban advice to virtually all
revolutionary forces in Latin America in recent years.
Castro also discussed the importance of Honduras for
future.revolutionary gains in Central America. He noted
that Honduran militants could play the same supporting role
for Salvadoran and Guatemalan guerrillas as they did for the
Sandinistas in Nicaragua.
This memorandum was prepared by f the Latin America
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Division of the Office of Political Analysis. It was coordinated with
the Clandestine Service. Questions and comments may be addressed
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PA-M-80-10084
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Castro assumed a similar role in Havana's dealings with
the Sandinistas in late 1978 and was instrumental in unifying
'the three Sandinista factions. In return for the Sandinistas
unity agreement, the Cubans sharply increased their assistance
in money, arms, and ammunition. The same may also occur in
the case of El Salvador; a February issue of the Cuban
military journal noted that on 9 January three of the leftist
groups had announced the formation of an "organism of revolu-
tionary coordination" and on 11 January four "mass" organiza-
tions had joined to form the "Coordinator of the United
Popular Revolutionary Movement.: A major tenet of Cuban
revolutionary ideology holds that rebel groups are bound to
failure if they have no grass roots support through mass
organizations.
In addition to Castro's personal intervention, the
Cubans have been assisting Salvadoran leftists for sometime
with training, safehaven, propaganda, and technical support.
The Cubans see their role in El Salvador as one of an
arsenal, training center, adviser, and catalyst. They want
the leftist groups to unify, develop lasting links to the
masses through efficient organization, and prepare militarily
for the moment when the probability of success is greatest.
We believe Havana sees no role for Cuban troops but we
expect they would have no hesitation in organizaing and
training "internationalist brigades" of leftists from a
number of Latin American countries. In the final stages of
the revolution, they may have a handful of Cuban advisers
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secretly on the scene but they expect the Salvadorans to do
the fighting, supported, if necessary, by the "international-
'ists."
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/09: CIA-RDP85T00287R000100410002-6
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