270. Telegram From the Embassy in Cuba to the Department of State1
1141. Department pass interested posts. Re Embtel 1131.2 Fidel Castro devoted about half hour of four hour TV appearance night April 2 to violent attack on Figueres and his statements which he said were unacceptable. Furiously denied he took pills. Said Figueres not invited by him but by Ministry of State and that he had treated Figueres courteously to extent of going to airport at 6 a.m. to see him off after being up until 2. Said Figueres had behaved badly here, attempting to lecture Cubans about their own affairs like a professor of revolutions. Castro compared this with his own behavior in Venezuela where he claimed he had avoided comment on local political scene and had said only what he felt would be acceptable.
Castro said Figueres should have supported small Cuba in its just defense of its own interests against US. Instead Figueres had suggested that US was tolerating irresponsibility and possible danger in Cuba, and had even incited US to be more vigilant.
Castro said Figueres was intriguing against Cuba in his comment that Cuban attitude toward US was largely due to Communist influence. Said no true democrat or revolutionary would make such charge which only serves to promote and encourage aggressions against a sister people. Castro did not deny charge and in spite of prodding by moderator of program likewise avoided discussion of “third position” limiting himself to saying Figueres was imprudent to bring up question of international relations.
Castro charged that Figueres was not true revolutionary but an idol with clay feet and pseudo-democrat who had lost recent elections because people had realized his real nature. Said no true revolutionary would have left large estates and specific interests untouched and even have increased size his own holdings.
Castro concluded his blast saying “I wish to record here my protest against the words of Mr. Figueres and I hope that no one regrets this little incident because I have lost nothing since Figueres will not come to our defense when we have to defend the revolution and it is more probably that we will have to defend, not him, but the [Page 448] Costa Rican people”. Continued that it did not matter whether people took exception to his words or not, that Figueres had been of little help during revolution and that while revolutionary forces were fighting hard Figueres was enjoying the good life on his coffee plantation.
Embassy comment: Attack was violent, passionate, rude and personally insulting. Represents complete and definitive break between Castro and Figueres.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 737.00/4–359. Official Use Only; Priority.↩
- In telegram 1131, April 2, the Embassy reported that local press treatment of Figueres’ March 31 broadcast indicated that he had made a harsher judgment regarding Communist influence in Cuba than reported by the Embassy in San José. The Embassy also reported that the Communist daily Hoy on April 2 had again attacked Figueres as the tool of the “Yankee imperialists.” (ibid., 737.00/4–259)↩