CUBANS. CHALLENGE YUGOSLAV ACTION
Under the title, "An Unfriendly and Hostile Act against Cuba," the Havana daily Hoy published an unusual front-page editorial in the April 11 issue which deserves to be studied by well-wishers and defenders of the Cuban Revolution, Because of its interest, we are providing the following translation:
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As is lnown, a second Conference of Heads of States and Governments of Nonaligned Countries has been called,
The preparatory meeting held in Colombo set the gathering for October in Cairo,
At the first Conference -- which was held in Belgrade -- Cuba attended, represented by the President of the Republic, Companero Osvaldo Dorticés. From Latin America observers were also sent by Brazil, then under a democratic and peaceful-minded government, and. by Bolivia. Be 7 -
The results of. that meeting were positive and met with a favor-~ able response in international public opinion,
The first Conference, which had a very wide composition, adopted agreements in favor of world peace, of the right of peoples to self-determination; condemned the manifestations of colonialisn, neocolonialism and imperialism; and, in addition, formulated concrete declarations on certain acute questions of an international nature affecting people's freedom movements. The right of Cuba to self-determination and the recovery of exercise of its sovereignty over the territory occupied by the Guantdnamo Naval Base was the. subject of a specific declaration in the final document of the Conference,
In the agenda of the second Conference, themes again appear which are promising for the cause of peace, for the relaxation of international tension and better understanding among peoples, Thus the. themes of colonialism, neocolonialism and imperialism are included in the proposed agenda for the meeting that is being prepared,
-. However, in contradiction to the objectives of the Conference ~conditioning the character of its composition -- in the preparatory meeting at Colombo something absurd happened which cannot but cast a shadow on the second Conference: this time the Government of Venezuela was invited to participate at the very moment when, at the instigation of the United States and in line with a coarse provoca~ tion of the CIA [Central Intelligence Agency], it is carrying out a real plot against Cuba, a plot involving grave risks to peace in the Caribbean and, in the final analysis, the world.
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The delegation which pressed the most vigorously for the invitation to the Government of Venezuela was the one from Yugoslavia, Such an attitude on the part of the Government of Yugoslavia must necessarily be regarded as an a unfriendly, disloyal and hostile aot against Cuba,
The present Government of Venezuela, day in and. day out, is the most aggressive and servile pawn of Yankee imperialism in Latin America, The Government of Venezuela is acting against the interests of peace in the Caribbean today and actively conspiring against peace by promoting in the OAS Lorganization of American States] an action designed to prepare conditions which could be propitious for an attack on our country.
Venezuelan foreign policy thus corresponds completely with the meddling and aggressive plans of the CIA and the Pentagon.
While the.Government of Yugoslavia was pushing the unreasonable invitation to Venezuela, ex-chancellor Falcén Briceno was mak-= ing a new trip through Latin’ America, in the name of his government, with the aim of forming a fictitious majority in the OAS which would give a green light to all kinds of attacks against Cuba. Venezuela is. attempting to use the OAS as a shield for anti-Cuban adventures»
Can someone who is- chatohing armed aggression be favorably greeted in a Conference that aims to mobilize’ forces to Slow down the aggressors?
The Government of Venezuela is also lined up against the right to self-determination, since, out of hatred for the Cuban Revolu-: tion, whose example is inspiring neighboring peoples, it has espoused the aim of an invasion of Cuban territory by foreign forces, In this way -~- as Companero Fidel has explained -- it is “more Papist than the Pope™ and calls for the United States and other countries of the. continent to plunge into such an adventure, condemned to failure and incalculable consequences for humanity.
The move by.the Yugoslav Government to foster the participation of the Government of Venezuela in the next meeting at Cairo, besides contributing to adulterate the obligatory anti-imperialist composi~. tion of the gathering, constitutes an unworthy act of gratuitous © offense to our country. .
In America Cuba is the vanguard of the struggle against imperialism, The Government of. Venezuela is today in America the vanguard of imperialism in its struggle against the people's freedom movement in this continent. To invite the Government of Venezuela to an international gathering in which the phenomenon of world imperialism must be faced is not only a contradiction, but, in addi+ tion, an affront to the clean’ and glorious Cuban achievements.
The peoples of Latin Amerioa will. not .be able to understand :
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this.absurdity, The feelings of the peoples of Venezuela and Cuba ~have been deeply wounded, Nothing explains, much less justifies, the conduct of Yugoslavia.
Cuba has the right to expect a rectification,
Memo to Peking and Moscow