453. Telegram 2743 From the Embassy in Jamaica to the Department of State1
2743. Subject: CERP 0002: Visit to Cuba of PM Manley. Refs: (A) Kingston 2624; (B) Kingston 2711.
1. Summary: PM Manley has returned from his Cuban visit full of unrestrained praise for his Communist neighbor and scorn for anyone who would criticize the Cuban model or Fidel Castro’s leadership. Two agreements were signed, one cultural and another on economic, scientific and technical cooperation which establishes a joint Jamaican/Cuban mixed commission. Manley’s invitation to the Cuban premier to visit Jamaica was accepted, and Castro says he will be coming next year. A lengthy joint communiqué (ref B) was issued which called for Third World solidarity to promote the NIEO, combat imperialism, colonialism, and neo-colonialism, and declared Cuba an integral and important member of the Latin American and Caribbean community. End summary.
2. A euphoric Michael Manley returned to Jamaica and told a PNP audience assembled at the airport July 13 that “What we were able to see after 16 years of history is something amazing. No people in the world have such a feeling of happiness and contentment.” The PM described as “vicious, stupid, and irrelevant” the lies that were told about Cuba. They were designed to destroy, and were spread by stooges of certain forces of economic imperialism in the world.
3. Like Cuba, Jamaica must now take a Socialist road in which there was hard work and one in which the people will want to work to build a nation for themselves, said Mr. Manley. He warned, however, that in this process of national building there was no room for people who were seeking palaces and wanting to become millionaires and “invited them to note that there are daily flights to Miami where there is a different kind of society in which they might feel more comfortable.”
[Page 1163]3. Addressing a mass rally in Havana July 12 Manley declared that although Jamaica triumphed over imperialism in 1962, the country’s struggle against capitalism and neo-colonialism has just begun. “There is no future for mankind under international capitalism.”
4. A joint Cuban/Jamaican economic commission, through which the two countries will cooperate on economic, scientific, and technical matters, has been established under the economic agreement signed in Havana. The commission will meet at least once each year alternately in Cuba and Jamaica, with the first ministerial-level meeting scheduled for October in Jamaica. A cultural and educational agreement was also signed which will provide for organization of seminars and conferences, the granting of scholarships, the exchange of technicians, researchers and cultural groups, etc.
5. Four areas of technical cooperation are to be initiated as a result of the visit: fisheries development; establishment of sugar by-products industries; agriculture; and, tourism and foreign trade. In regard to fisheries, it was agreed that Cuba would send to Jamaica shortly a team of fishing experts to conclude arrangements to train young Jamaicans in all aspects of fishing. The Cuban experts will also look into the possibilities of setting up a joint project to build a ferro-cement boat of much larger dimensions than hereto constructed, for fishing off the Mexican bank. A number of Jamaican technicians are to examine the production in Cuba of paper from bagasse.
6. A release issued at the conclusion of the Castro/Manley talks stated that they covered the international marketing of sugar, the Belize independence question, the SELA, the new world economic order, recycling of petrol dollars, and the law of the sea. During an in-flight press conference on the way home, Manley told reporters that his talks with Castro, as well as those held recently with Mexican President Echeverria, were all aimed at preparing for the conference due to be held in Lima, Peru in September on a sugar marketing strategy for the region. The communiqué issued at the end of the visit was very similar to that which appeared following Forbes Burnham’s trip to Havana. However, there were some notable differences in the Manley communiqué: (A) The U.S. was not explicitly identified by name in the communiqué although it is implicit throughout that the U.S. is the leading threat to the non-aligned and Socialist camp. (B) Self-determination for Puerto Rico is mentioned but the formulation is rather mild and ambiguous. (C) The Manley communiqué not only condemns Allende’s overthrow, but it supports the just struggle of the Chilean people against the “repressive facist regime of Augusto Pinochet.” (D) Treatment of the Arab/Israeli dispute is much more muted than in the Burnham communiqué and reiterates the call for strict observance of Security Council Resolution 242.
[Page 1164]7. Comment: Without saying so specifically, there is in Manley’s statements in Cuba and on return, and in the communiqué issued, a rhetorical presumption of fundamental antagonism between the GOJ and the USG. This development has been evident, though muted, over the past few months and has emerged much more explicitly during the Cuban visit. The PM’s statements reflect a sense of moral superiority, historical inevitability, and a fear of an “imperialistic” reaction to what he conceives to be his own “social revolution” in Jamaica. If, as the Embassy believes, Mr. Manley encounters increasing frustration in achieving his socialistic goals, largely due to his own mismanagement of the economy, the possibility of his striking out against the foreign boogieman (read USG) will be commensurately increased.
8. Manley’s gushing embrace of Castro and the social system he oversees has his conservative critics in Jamaica crying “I told you so” to any who will listen. The Embassy suspects many will listen and one result of the Cuba visit might be the stimulation of formerly passive Manley doubters into active opponents.
9. The Embassy would appreciate receiving a copy of the communiqué as released in Havana July 13, if available from FBIS or elsewhere. The communiqué was not released locally until the evening of July 15, and the Embassy would like to do a comparison of the two to see whether the delay might have been attributable to editing for local consumption.
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Summary: The Embassy reported on a visit by Manley to Cuba, noting that many of the Prime Minister’s statements during and after the trip appeared to reflect a presumption of fundamental antagonism between Jamaica and the United States.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D750247–0647. Confidential; Priority. Repeated to Bridgetown, Georgetown, Mexico City, Port-au-Prince, Port of Spain, and Santo Domingo. In telegram 2624 from Kingston, July 9, the Embassy reported on Manley’s departure for Cuba. (Ibid., D750237–0211) In telegram 2711 from Kingston, July 16, the Embassy transmitted the text of the joint communiqué issued by the Jamaican and Cuban Governments at the conclusion of Manley’s visit. (Ibid., D750246–0115) In telegram 3005 from Kingston, August 1, Gerard reported on a July 31 meeting with Manley in which the Ambassador expressed concern about the tone of the communiqué released by Jamaica and Cuba. (Ibid., D750266–1139)
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