Latin American Network Information Center - LANIC

-DATE-
19610329
-YEAR-
1961
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
INTERVIEW
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
CASTRO CRITICIZED FOR PARDO ASSOCIATION
-PLACE-
CUBA
-SOURCE-
HAVANA RADIO MAMBI
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19610330
-TEXT-
CASTRO CRITICIZED FOR PARDO ASSOCIATION

Havana, Radio Mambi, in Spanish, Mar. 29, 1961, 2330 GMT--F

(Armando Nunez commentary:  "Observations about the Pardo Llada case)

(Summary) Pardo Llada was never a revolutionary; he only gave that
impression.  It is odd that Pardo Llada embraced and lunched with Carlos
Rafael Rodriguez.  In private, he talked disparagingly about the
communists.  Pardo applauded Fidel in public, but privately he criticized
him and his conduct.  We have heard things from him many times which, if
they had been said by someone else, would have evoked public reaction.

Pardo Llada had planned ahead.  Before turning over his office to Leon at
Radio Cadena Oriental, he took with him all his personal documents.  When
Leon left in turn, he too took all his papers and some letters left behind
by Pardo.  During the two months preceding his defection, Pardo Llada had
negotiated the admission of his daughter into a religious college in
Madrid.  He was able to do this by committing himself not to attack
seriously the clergy in Cuba and to tone down the campaign against the
church hierarchy.  For this reason, Pardo spoke about many unimportant
topics.

It is a fact that the leaders of the Cuban Government, including Fidel, did
not realize these facts which become more obvious with the accentuation of
the crisis between the revolution and the counterrevolutionaries in
clerical garb.  The people listened to Pardo, but they did not believe him.
The enemies of Cuba say today that most people saw in Pardo the spokesman
of the government.  The fact that Pardo became the only one to speak to the
people during the days of danger for the fatherland with the organization
of the Liberty Network reinforced that belief.

We of Radio Mambi protested against this measure to the leaders of the
Liberty Network.  We told the under secretary of communications that we
were opposed to Pardo being the only person authorized to speak over the
network on the grounds that Pardo was a politician without principles who
sooner or later would defect.  However, we were told by an official
connected with the Prime Minister's office that we had to accept the
directive for reasons of revolutionary discipline, but that we could
protest after the danger had passed.

Our protest over the suppression of newscasts for political and
revolutionary orientation during the emergency and the role assigned to
Pardo has been vindicated by recent events.  Fidel must acknowledge that
Pardo was viewed abroad as the spokesman of the government and of the
revolution because of the fact he--Fidel--had given him all the facilities
which were denied to others.

-END-


LANIC |