1961/08/22
')}
.,(J
SECRET
THEWHITEHOUSE
WASHINGTON
August22,1961MEMORANDUMFORTHEPRESIDENTSubject:ConversationwithCornmandanteErnestoGuevaraofCuba
,/
TheconversationtookplacetheeveningofAugust17at2A.M.SeveralmembersoftheBrazilianandArgentine_~elegationshadmadeefforts--throughoutthePuntadelEsteConferenc
ej
toarrangeameetingbetweenmeandChe,ThiswasobviouslydonewithChe+sapproval,
if
nothisurging.IhadavoidedsuchameetingduringtheConference.OnThurs-daywearrivedinMontevideoandIwasinvitedtoabirthdaypartyforthelocalBraziliandelegatetotheFreeTradear
ea.;:
AfterIarrived,andhadbeenthereforaboutanhour,oneoftheArgentinespresent(whohadbeenontheArgentinedelegation)informedmetheywerein-vitingChetotheparty.Hearrivedabout2A.M.andtoldEdrnundoBarbosaDaSilvaofBrazilandHor
atdo-Lar
rettaofArgentinethathehadsom.ethingtosayto
rries.
Thefourofusenteredaroom,andthefollow-ingisasummaryofwhattookplace.(TheArgentineandBrazilianal-ternatedasinterpreters)Chewaswearinggreenfatigues,andhisusualovergrownandscragglybear-d;'Behindthebeardhisfeaturesarequitesoft,almostfeminine,andhismannerisintense.Hehasagoodsenseofhumor,andtherewasconsiderablejokingbackandforthduringthemeeting.'Heseemed
It
veryillatease~enwebegantotalk,butsoonbecamerelaxedandspokefreely.'Althoughheleftnodoubtofhispersonalandintensede-votiontocomrnunisrn,hisconversationwasfreeofpropagandaandbombaat;:Hespokecalmly,inastz-atghtfo'rwardmanner,andwiththeappearanceofdetachmentandobjectfvity.:Heleftnodoubt,atanytime,thathefeltcompletelyfreetospeakforhisgovermnentandrarelydis-tinguishedbetweenhispersonalobservationsandtheofficialpositionoftheCubangovernrnentsIhadthedefiniteimpressionthathehadthoughtouthisremarksverycarefully-..theywereextremelywellorganized.
DECLASSIFIED
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SECRET
SECRET
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ItoldhimattheoutsetthatIhadnoauthoritytonegotiatemycountr-y+sproblems,butwouldreportwhathesaidto
drite
restedoffi'cialsofourgovernme
nt,
Hesaid"good"andbegan.GuevarabeganbysayingthatImustunderstandtheCubanrevol.u-tion.:Theyintendtobuildasocialiststate,andtherevolutionwhichtheyhavebegunisirreversible.TheyarealsonowoutoftheU..
:S.
sphereofinfluence,andthattooisirreversible.They
will
establishasingle-partysystemwithFidelasSecretary-Generaloftheparty.TheirtieswiththeEaststernfromnaturalsympathies,andcommonbeliefsintheproperstructureofthesocialorder.Theyfeelthattheyhavethesupporto£themassesfortheirrevolution,andthatthatsuppor,t
will
growastiInepasses.HesaidthattheUnitedStatesmustnotactonthefalseassumptionsthat(a)wecanrescueCubafrom.theclawsofcommunism(hemeantbyotherthandirect:militaryaction);(b)thatFidelisamoderatesurroundedbyabunchoffanaticandaggressivemen,andmightbemovedtotheWe'sternside;(c)thattheCubanrevolutioncanbeover-thrownfromwithin--thereis,hesaid,diIninishingsupportforsuchaneffortanditwillneverbestrongenough.HespokeofthegreatstrengthoftheCubanrevolution,andtheimpactithashadonliberalthoughtthroughoutLatinAmer
ica,
Forexample,hesaid,
all
theleftwingforcesinUruguaywerejoiningforcesunderthebannerof
Cuba.:
Hesaidcivilwarwouldbreakoutinmanycouu-trie's:
if
Cubawereindanger--andsuchwarm.ightbreakoutinany
events
HespokewithgreatintensityoftheimpactofCubaonthecon-tinentandthegrowingstrengthofitsexample.
d,,11
Hesaidthatinbuildingacommuniststatetheyhadnotrepeated~oftheaggressivemovesoftheEast•
!
TheydidnotintendtoconstructanironcurtainaroundCubabuttowelcometechniciansandvisitor
s.
from
all
countriestocomeandwork.,'jHetouchedonthematteroftheplanethefts.,Hesaidhedidnttknow
if
Iknewbuttheyhadnotbeenresponsibleforanyhija.ckmgs
s.
Thefirstplanewastakenbyayoungfellowwhowasagoodboybutalittlewildandwhoisnowin
jail.
Theysuspectedthatthelastplanewastakenbyaprovocateur(aCIAagent}.1Heisafraidthat
if
these.theftskeepupit
will
beverydangerous.
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White House, Memorandum for the President Conversation With Command Ante Ernesto Guevara of Cuba, August 22, 1961
In this memorandum of conversation, aide Richard Goodwin recounts for President Kennedy his conversation with Ernesto "Che" Guevara, who seeks to establish a "modus vivendi" with the U.S. government. This document is noteworth for the Bay…
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