Document III-9 Statement by the President (Johnson), Issued June 3, 1966" "The Central American Common Market [Is] One of the Brightest Success Stories in Latin American Development" On this fifth anniversary of the Central American Common Market,3 we salute our Central American friends for what they have accomplished by placing the common good of the region above more narrow interests. The facts speak for themselves: Trade between the five partner nations has more than quadrupled since the Common Market came into being 5 years ago. In 1960 intraregional trade amounted to $32 million; in 1965 it amounted to $130 million. This is a triumph for idealism plus good business sense. It is no coincidence that in 1965 the Central American region as a whole achieved an increase of 21⁄2 percent in gross national product per capita, which is the yearly minimum target of the Alliance for Progress. This achievement stems from the same spirit of enlightened statesmanship and imaginative self-help which has made the Central American Common Market one of the brightest success stories in Latin American development. We hail the Central American Common Market as a giant stride toward the eventual goal of Latin American regional economic integration. What it has accomplished in so short a time should serve as a stimulus for the achievement of the larger goal. We pledge our continuing support for this young, progressive Central American institution and for the Latin American regional movement, which are so fully Department of State Bulletin, June 27, 1966, pp. 1004-1005. See American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1961, pp. 268–278. in keeping with the Charter of Punta del Este.' CUBA Document III-10 General Political Resolution, Adopted by the First Afro-Asian-Latin American Peoples Solidarity Conference (the "First Tricontinental Conference"), Havana, Cuba, January 3–15, 1966 (Excerpts) 5 "In the Face of Imperialist Limited-Warfare Tactics... the Effective Answer Is the Promotion of Liberation Wars" The First Solidarity Conference of the Peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin America, assembled in the capital of Cuba, marks the first occasion on which the representatives of the peoples of the three continents gather in an International Conference to acquaint themselves with common problems and goals, and exchange experiences that will make possible the necessary solidarity, in order to put an end to colonialism and neo-colonialism and to assert the right to selfdetermination of the peoples. This Tricontinental solidarity is necessary to face the increasingly aggressive policy of imperialism, especially North American imperialism. This confers great relevance to this Conference, the convening of which has been made possible by the successes achieved by the struggle for national liberation in the three continents. 4 Text ibid., pp. 395-409. 5 U.N. doc. A/6611/Add.1, pp. 13-20. This document, submitted by the Permanent Representative of Cuba at the U.N. (Alarcón Quesada), contains the texts of all the resolutions adopted at the Conference. The General Political Resolution was considered "of the greatest importance and political implications" and served as the basis for all the others, according to the Report on the Conference prepared by the Special Consultative Committee on Security of the OAS. See post, doc. III-16. The First Solidarity Conference of the Peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin America meets precisely at a time when the imperialists can no longer contain the emancipating wave of the peoples. As a result of their struggle for liberation, a vast and powerful group of countries has emerged that opposes imperialist exploitation and its aggressive policy, and endeavours to consolidate their independence and defend their sovereignty. The strengthening of the world socialist system and the overwhelming development of National Liberation Movements in Asia, Africa and Latin America hastened the disintegration of the colonial system. This has been the great triumph of the peoples in their struggle for national liberation. A new stage of the fight has arrived when the countries who have attained political independence are faced with new tasks, which are the obtaining of economic autonomy on the basis of the development of national resources, raising the standard of living, and multilateral development of culture and education. The completion of these tasks is inseparably joined to the fight against imperialism, which hinders social and economic progress. If the peoples of the three continents fight unswervingly against imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism, headed by North American imperialism, they will be able to defeat any enemy, no matter how powerful. The Conference has stressed the fact that imperialists have stepped up their aggressive activities, unleashing wars against the peoples and desperately trying to save themselves. For imperialism, because of its very nature, opposes the national emancipation of the peoples; its system has been and is based on plundering and the unlimited exploitation of the riches of the countries they have subjected. In order to reach victory it is necessary to open the appropriate channels for the heroism of the people. Revolutionary anti-imperialist vanguards have upon their shoulders the historical responsibility of leading the revo lution when the people are already on the march. Not only prestige, but the very reason for the existence of these vanguards is committed in this implacable struggle against the forces which want to stop the progress of mankind. The Conference clearly establishes that in the face of imperialist limitedwarfare tactics, where conditions are already mature, the effective answer is the promotion of liberation wars, in every region where the conditions are ripe, of which the supreme example is Vietnam, where the United States, upon increasing their intervention, create the conditions for a later and more overwhelming defeat. But the struggle should not be limited to Vietnam. Imperialism should be struck wherever it intervenes, and also those who may imitate its aggressions against the peoples. The battle against oppressive imperialism must be total. Imperialists continue to ignore the right of all peoples to self-determination. With incredible cynicism, imperialists pretend that the increasing struggle of the peoples for their national liberation is the result of external factors. They have used this argument in an attempt to justify their criminal intervention in Vietnam and the Dominican Republic, Congo, Cyprus and in other places. The U.S. House of Representatives recently proclaimed the alleged right of the United States to intervene with armed forces in any Latin American country in order to crush the people's rebellion." The Conference solemnly proclaims that all progressive countries, as well as all revolutionary movements, will extend a consistent and unconditional aid to all peoples engaged in a struggle for national liberation or subjected to an imperialist aggression in any part of the world. The Conference further proclaims the necessity for establishing closer relations of cooperation with socialist countries, the working class and other revolutionary and progressive Reference is to the "Selden Resolution" (H. Res. 560, 89th Cong., 1st sess.), adopted Sept. 20, 1965, which stated that it was the sense of the House that an American Republic could take unilateral action against "the subversive forces known as international communism." organisations of the peoples of Europe and of North America. Faced with the criminal alliance of the reactionary forces, the peoples of the three continents respond with active, dynamic and militant solidarity and with the will to meet every imperialist aggression with revolutionary action, pledging themselves to this fight until they totally liquidate every form of oppression by imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism. Document III-11 Communiqué Issued by the Latin American Delegations Attending the First Afro-Asian-Latin American Peoples Solidarity Conference, Havana, Cuba, January 16, 19661 Establishment of the Latin American Solidarity Organization (OLAS) The 27 Latin American delegations that participated in the Tricontinental Conference agreed to establish the Latin American Solidarity Organization (OLAS). By unanimous approval of the representatives of the national liberation and anti-imperialist movements of the hemisphere, the headquarters of the new hemisphere organization will be in Havana. It was also decided to hold the First Latin American Peoples' Solidarity Conference in 1967, under the sponsorship of the organization, and, to this end, the organizing committee appointed will begin its work immediately. The meeting, which culminated with the establishment of the Organization, was presided over by Commander Pedro Medina Silva, Member of the National Liberation Front of Venezuela and Vice President for Latin America of the Tricontinental Conference, and was attended by Prime Minister Fidel Castro, Secretary General of the Communist Party OAS doc. OEA/Ser.L/X/11.12, pp. 77-79. of Cuba, and the members of the party Political Bureau: Dr. Osvaldo Dorticós, President of Cuba; Major Raul Castro, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of the Armed Forces; Dr. Armando Hart; Major Juan Almeida, Vice Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces; Majors Sergio del Valle and Guillermo García; Captain Osmany Cienfuegos, Secretary General of the Tricontinental Conference and Chief of the Cuban delegation to the conference; Dr. Raúl Roa, Minister of Foreign Affairs and President of the Tricontinental Conference. At this meeting, the Latin American delegates, working within the framework outlined by the conference when it established the Solidarity Organization of the African, Asian and Latin American Peoples and inspired by the same fighting spirit and desire to be of mutual assistance that had prevailed during the conference discussions, reviewed the problems of organization and, in general, of revolutionary tactics and strategy that made advisable the establishment of the hemisphere organization, which would unite, coordinate, and give impetus to the struggle against United States imperialism. As a result of the study made by the delegations, it was decided to establish the hemispheric organization as a necessity in view of the present conditions of the struggle in Latin America and the aggressive conduct of imperialism and of the duty to extend active and well-knit solidarity to the liberation movements of the other two continents. The meeting of Latin American delegates appointed an Organizing Committee, composed of Brazil, Cuba, Colombia, British Guiana, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela, whose function will be to orient the work of the new organization, in cooperation with national committees in each country, which will represent the anti-imperialist groups that are most active and have the most deep and extensive popular roots. An additional function of the Organizing Committee will be to organize the First Latin American Peoples' Solidarity Conference, which will be held next year, and which will be a great historic event in the long road our people have followed in their struggle for independence. In establishing the new organization, the Latin American delegates to the Tricontinental Conference have taken a decisive step toward integrating the movement for liberation in the hemisphere and toward its future progress, as well as in achieving unity in each of the countries. They know that they have assumed a great responsibility to their people and to the world, because this new organization, in which a broad representation of revolutionary elements of all our countries is meeting for the first time, will be the first-line trench in the struggle against imperialism, colonialism, and neocolonialism in Latin America. The Latin American Solidarity Organization will use all means within its reach to support the liberation movements; it will give firm support to the liberated countries of the three continents that may be the object of imperialist aggression, and will cooperate with them to ensure their independent development. It will link its action and that of participating organizations to the activities of the Tricontinental Organization; it will wage a constant campaign against Yankee imperialism's increasing policy of aggression and its false, cynical, and hypocritical propaganda, designed to mask its acts of vandalism in the hemisphere. Both the Organizing Committee and the national committees, in order to ensure the widest, most equitable representation of the revolutionary forces of each country, will immediately establish a method to consider new members that may be proposed to the Organization. The Organizing Committee and the national committees will work without interruption in this respect, until the meeting in 1967 of the First Latin American Peoples' Solidarity Conference. The agreement was adopted by the national committees of the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guadaloupe, Guatemala, Guiana-Cayenne, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Document III-12 Statement Made by the Alternate U.S. Representative (Allen) Before the Council of the OAS, January 24, 1966 United States Denunciation of the Decisions and Resolutions Approved at the First Afro-Asian-Latin American Peoples Solidarity Conference The Government and people of the United States share the concern and preoccupation here so brilliantly expressed by the distinguished delegates of Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, and the Dominican Republic who have just spoken concerning the statements of the Soviet, as well as of the Chinese Communist, Cuban, and other delegates, to the so-called "Tricontinental Conference" and the decisions and resolutions approved there calling for political and material assistance, including "arms and ammunition," to subversive movements in the territory of free member states of this organization." My Government joins its voice with those of the other American Republics in denouncing these declarations and actions as inadmissible intervention in the internal affairs of free and sovereign governments. The attitudes and actions of the Soviet delegate and the Cuban delegate offer unfortunate examples of cynical disregard for the pledged word. As the other distinguished representatives have already pointed out, barely 3 weeks previously the Soviet and Cuban delegations to the United Nations General Assembly professed strong support for and solemnly adhered to Resolution 2131, which includes the statement already cited that, and I quote: ". . . no State shall organize, assist, foment, finance, incite 8 Department of State Bulletin, Mar. 7, 1966, pp. 383-385. The Council had convened in special session at the request of the Delegations of Peru, Venezuela, and Colombia. Statements were made with reference to the denunciation formulated by the Delegation of Peru (OAS doc. C/INF639) against the "Tricontinental Conference" for violating the principles of nonintervention (see ante, doc. III-10). See footnote 13, below. |