LATIN AMERICA: 8. PLANS FOR CUBAN MAY DAY RALLY; AND 9. BRAZILIAN OPINION S

Created: 4/18/1960

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

LATIN AMERICA

Castro seems de-lnemonstration lot only by tho Cuban masses the hemisphere and by

for Cuban May Day Rally:

termined "lo make the May Day rally of strong support for his regime but also by public sentiment throughout tbe Sino-Soviet bloc.

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parade by tbe armed forces and militia units is planned to show Cuba's capacity to repel the foreignCastro officials insist is being plotted by Previous plansarchrillionare rumored to have been abandoned becauseitter fight within the Cuban Labor Confederation (CTC) over the government's endorsement of efforts to purge non-Communist leaders. The Cuban Communist party has taken advantage of this situation to usurp CTC responsibility for organizing the May Day celebration, hoping thus to strengthen itswith Castro and within the CTC.

Delegations Invited from other Latin American countries include liberalof them widelyrecently signed a "statement of solidarity with the Cuban revolution." Their presence would be used to demonstrate support by nonofflcial hemisphere groups and to offset the coolness of most Latin American governments toward Castro and their concern over his rejection of tho Rio de Janeiro Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance.

The Cuban Government reportedly is payingand lodging costs forhinese Communists who will participate in the Hay Day rally. Along withoviet visitors and other bloc delegations, the Chinese willberominent place in the demonstration.

The American Embassy in Havana is convinced the rail] anti-US and Communist-line flavor

Brazilian Opinion Shifting Toward Positive View of Cuba: pril, wben opposition presidentialJanlo Quadros returned from his highly publicized visit to Cuba, there hashift in articulateopinion in Brazil away from almost universalof Cuba's Castro regime toward an essentially favorable

Apr 60

INTELLIGENCE DIGEST

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ccording to the American Embassy in lio de Janeiro. The chairman of the Senate foreign relationsa member of the opposition Democratic National Union party who accompanied Quadros to Havana,peech onpril in which he praised the "authenticity" of the Castro revolution, minimized Communist influence in the regime, and declared that the situation in Cuba is "historicallyif not inevitable." Onpril the important opposition newspaper Jornal do Brasil, formerly critical of Castro, stated that journalists who accompanied Quadros had brought backso impressive as to suggest that the International wire services haveistorted and unfair picture of the Castro regime.

It seems likely that these new public attitudes resultonscious effort by the pro-Quadros forces to justify the Cuban trip. Quadros' lieutenants have stated privately that the trip was intended to rid Quadros of the "Wall Street lackey" label he acquired in accepting nomination by thecorrect National Democratic Union party; the decision toCastro's invitation alienated many conservative backers, however, and also certain labor leaders who viewed it as "one more example of emotional instability." The government'scandidate, former War Minister Lott,imilar invitation.

A continued press campaign to justify Quadros' trip by justifying tbe Castro regime could build up pressure on the government to reverse its negative stand on Cuba's proposed "hungry nations" conference. Brazil has been Latin America's

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