The Soviet Union will export to Cuba petroleum and petroleum products, rolled ferrous metals, tin plate, wheat, fertilizers, chemicals, machinery and equipment, foods and other goods necessary to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of Cuba's industry, the successful development of its economy and the supply of the population with necessary goods.

An agreement was signed stipulating that the Soviet Union, in conformity with the wishes of the Cuban side, will render technical assistance to the Cuban Republic to be paid for out of the loan granted under the Soviet-Cuban agreement of Feb. 13, 1960: in geological prospecting for iron ore, chromites, petroleum and other minerals, including the delivery of the necessary equipment and devices; in building a new steel mill and in enlarging the capacities of existing steel mills; in the construction of thermal power plants with the necessary transmission lines; and in building a new oil refinery.

Technical assistance in the building and enlarging of the listed enterprises will be rendered by Soviet organizations through carrying out designing and prospecting work, supplying equipment, machinery and materials that cannot be found in Cuba, assembling the equipment and starting up the enterprises.

The sides signed an agreement on aid by the Soviet Union to the Republic of Cuba in the preparation and training of Cuban specialists for various branches of Cuba's national economy. Under this agreement the U.S.S.R. will accept Cuban students to be trained as engineers of various specialties and prepared for scientific work; it will also accept highly skilled factory workers and technicians to whom it will give industrial and technical training at Soviet enterprises.

The agreements and the protocol on trade between the U.S.S.R. and the Republic of Cuba for 1961 were signed by A. I. Mikoyan, First Vice-Chairman of the U.S.S.R. Council of Ministers, for the Soviet side, and by Major Ernesto Che Guevara, head of the economic mission of the Republic of Cuba, for the Cuban side.

While in the Soviet Union, the mission signed a multilateral payments agreement governing the relations of the Cuban Republic with the U.S.S.R. and a number of other socialist countries. The Cuban peso will be the exchange medium for accounts under this agreement.

An agreement on cultural cooperation between the Soviet Union and the Cuban Republic was signed. The agreement provides for exchanges in the fields of science, education, the arts, sports, etc. The agreement was signed for the Soviet side by G. A. Zhukov, Chairman of the U.S.S.R. Council of Ministers' State Committee for Cultural Ties With Foreign Countries, and for the Cuban side by Major Ernesto Che Guevara, head of the government economic mission of the Cuban Republic.

An understanding was reached that in the future the sides would work out a program of practical measures for cultural and scientific cooperation in 19611962, to be signed in Havana.

The problems created for the Cuban economy by economic aggression on the part of the United States were also discussed. The Soviet Union agreed to take all measures within its power to ensure the supply of vitally important goods for the Cuban economy when they cannot be purchased in other countries and also expressed readiness to buy 2,700,000 tons of Cuban sugar if the United States of America carries out its threat not to buy Cuban sugar.

If the United States of America purchases some quantity of Cuban sugar, the Soviet Union will reduce its purchases of Cuban sugar correspondingly, while bearing in mind the existing agreement that the Soviet Union will purchase 1,000,000 tons of Cuban sugar annually and that the deliveries of certain Soviet exports-oil, for instance-for which a special agreement exists will be paid for by deliveries of Cuban sugar.

The price of raw sugar has been set, with due consideration for the interests of the Cuban people, at four United States cents per British pound (free alongside ship). The Cuban side notes with satisfaction both this fact and the spirit of solidarity shown by the Soviet Union and other socialist countries in helping Cuba while it is faced with economic aggression.

The atmosphere at the talks, which had as their purpose the carrying out of a number of measures and the resolute condemnation of the actions of imperialism, was characterized by a desire to preserve peace throughout the world and to struggle in every way so that international disputes may be settled through peaceful negotiations. In this connection, the Soviet Union and Cuba declare themselves stanch supporters of peaceful coexistence of states with different social systems and firmly uphold the proposals on disarmament and the changing of the structure of the United Nations to conform with the new world situation that N. S. Khrushchev outlined to the U.N. members."

Both sides declare emphatically that world peace will never be endangered or violated in any way by actions of the Soviet Union or Cuba.

[NOTE: For the termination of diplomatic and consular relations between the United States and Cuba, January 3, 1961, and discussion of the Cuban complaint against the United States in the U.N. Security Council, January 4-5, 1961, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1960, pp. 250-256.]

83. RESTRICTIONS ON TRAVEL TO CUBA BY UNITED STATES CITIZENS: Announcement Issued by the Department of State, January 16, 1961 36

37

The Department of State announced on January 16 that in view of the U.S. Government's inability, following the break in diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba, to extend normal protective services to Americans visiting Cuba, U.S. citizens desiring to go to Cuba must until further notice obtain passports specifically endorsed by the Department of State for such travel. All outstanding passports, except those of U.S. citizens remaining in Cuba, are being declared invalid for travel to Cuba unless specifically endorsed for such travel.

The Department contemplates that exceptions to these regulations will be granted to persons whose travel may be regarded as being in the best interests of the United States, such as newsmen or businessmen with previously established business interests.

Permanent resident aliens cannot travel to Cuba unless special permission is obtained for this purpose through the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Federal regulations are being amended to put these requirements into effect.38

These actions have been taken in conformity with the Department's normal practice of limiting travel to those countries with which the United States does not maintain diplomatic relations.

See ibid., pp. 71-74.

Department of State press release No. 24 (text as printed in the Department of State Bulletin, Feb. 6, 1961. p. 178).

See American Foreign Policy: Current Documents. 1960, pp. 251–252.

38

By Public Notice 179 of Jan. 16, 1961; 26 Fed. Reg. 492.

"IT IS NOW CLEAR THAT THE CUBAN REFUGEE PROBLEM HAS ASSUMED PROPORTIONS REQUIRING SERIOUS NATIONAL ATTENTION": Final Report of the President's Representative on the Cuban Refugee Problem (Voorhees), Submitted January 18, 1961 39

84. DEMOBILIZATION OF THE CUBAN ANTI-INVASION MILITIA: Address by the Prime Minister of Cuba (Castro) Before a Rally of Militiamen, Habana, January 20, 1961 (Excerpts) 40

...

Comrades, militiamen! The moments of greatest tension are past. . . Today we have reached the time when we consider demobilization appropriate. We have come this far without an invasion, without having had to use our arms against those who are planning__aggression. . . . Let us return to work. Let us return to our families. . . . Let us return to our work and our homes, but let us be prepared to return immediately to the trenches should the nation be endangered.

The last days of the term of office of the man who until today was President of the United States were a real nightmare for our country because our people were awaiting the blow as a logical climax of an entire chain of earlier attacks, because our people knew of the hatred of the warmongering and aggressive circles of Washington for our revolution, because we were aware of the arrogance emanating from their powerlessness against our revolution, because we were aware of the resentment arising out of the thwarted attempts to destroy our revolution, because we knew that they could not bring themselves to pardon our nation for being free despite them, and free in opposition to them. These days were days of extraordinary risk.

What determined the demobilization? It is motivated by the change in the U.S. administration. . . . The change of administration in the United States means only a slight hope for humanity that the government of that country will correct, if not all, at least some of the great errors of the outgoing administration.

Today the new President spoke." His speech had some positive aspects. However, we accept these words inasmuch as they are positive. They would gladden us if only because a single word deviates from the haughty and hateful policy of his predecessor, particularly when its tone differs and it is phrased differently in addressing public opinion in the United States.

The new President's first task will be to open the eyes of the public. . . . I can imagine the task of anyone trying to tell the people of the United States the truth. I can imagine the difficult task of anyone planning to make this public opinion reason, a public opinion which for years has been subjected to a deluge of propaganda, the barrage of films, big magazines, radio and television networks competing with each other in distorting history. . . . We believe that U.S. public opinion can reason, but anyone working at it will have to choose either to yield to great pressures and obstacles or to face them all. Men who face them, who speak frankly to the people, will have victory over all pressure and lies.

"White House press release dated Jan. 18, 1961; the Department of State Bulletin, Feb. 13, 1961, pp. 219–225.

40 English-language transcript in the files of the Department of State.

Therefore, we are now on uncertain ground, filled with imponderables. We Cubans do not judge. We want to hope and shall wait calmly. We are not filled with hatred. We are not filled with hysteria. Even when the danger of a blow from a powerful enemy hovered over our heads, no one lost his calm. Our attitude will be one of waiting-waiting for events, because deeds are always more eloquent than words.

85. “WE HAVE NO PLAN AT PRESENT TO RESUME DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH CUBA, BECAUSE OF THE FACTORS WHICH ARE INVOLVED IN THAT ISLAND": Reply Made by the President (Kennedy) to a Question Asked at a News Conference, January 25, 1961 (Excerpt) 42

We are not considering such a step [reopening diplomatic relations with Cuba] at the present time. I may say that the United States is interested, and I think that this administration is extremely interested in movements in Latin America and Central America, or the Caribbean which provide a better life for the people. And if American interests may be damaged by those movements, or revolutions, or whatever term you want to use, we feel that this should be a matter that should be negotiated. What we are of course concerned about is when these movements are seized by external forces and directed not to improving the welfare of the people involved but towards imposing an ideology which is alien to this hemisphere. That is a matter of concern particularly when that intervention takes the form of military support which threatens the security and the peace of the Western Hemisphere.

Now, I'm hopeful that governments will be established throughout all of Latin America and governments which are established willand I think nearly all of them do share the same view that we have to provide in this hemisphere a better life for the people involved, that we are interested in that, that we are concerned about it, that American policy will be directed towards that end. But we are also concerned that, in the name of that peaceful revolution, when it's seized by aliens for their purposes, it's very difficult for the United States to carry on happy relations with those countries.

So, in answer to your question, we have no plan at present to resume diplomatic relations with Cuba, because of the factors which are involved in that island.

"The reply printed here is taken from pp. 10-11 of Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1961.

86. MEASURES TO BE TAKEN BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TO ASSIST CUBAN REFUGEES: Statement by the President (Kennedy), Issued February 3, 1961 (Excerpts) 43

I have conferred with Secretary Abraham Ribicoff concerning the Secretary's on-the-spot investigation made at my direction on the problems of Cuban refugees in southern Florida."

As a result of the conference this afternoon I have directed Secretary Ribicoff to take the following actions on behalf of the United States Government :

1. Provide all possible assistance to voluntary relief agencies in providing daily necessities for many of the refugees, for resettling as many of them as possible, and for securing jobs for them.

2. Obtain the assistance of both private and governmental agencies to provide useful employment opportunities for displaced Cubans, consistent with the overall employment situation prevailing in Florida.

3. Provide supplemental funds for the resettlement of refugees in other areas, including transportation and adjustment costs to the new communities and for their eventual return to Miami for repatriation to their homeland as soon as that is again possible.

4. Furnish financial assistance to meet basic maintenance requirements of needy Cuban refugee families in the Miami area as required in communities of resettlement, administered through Federal, State, and local channels and based on standards used in the community involved.

5. Provide for essential health services through the financial assistance program supplemented by child health, public health services, and other arrangements as needed.

6. Furnish Federal assistance for local public school operating costs related to the unforeseen impact of Cuban refugee children on local teaching facilities.

7. Initiate needed measures to augment training and educational opportunities for Cuban refugees, including physicians, teachers, and those with other professional backgrounds.

8. Provide financial aid for the care and protection of unaccompanied children-the most defenseless and troubled group among the refugee population.

9. Undertake a surplus food distribution program to be administered by the county welfare department, with surplus foods distributed by public and voluntary agencies to needy refugees.

I hope that these measures will be understood as an immediate expression of the firm desire of the people of the United States to be of

43 White House press release dated Feb. 3, 1961 (text as printed in the Department of State Bulletin, Feb. 27, 1961, pp. 309-310).

"The President had asked the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to undertake this investigation by a letter dated Jan. 27, 1961; text ibid., Feb. 20, 1961, p. 257.