Latin American Network Information Center - LANIC

-DATE-
19711111
-YEAR-
1971
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
INTERVIEW
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
11 NOVEMBER PRESS CONFERENCE
-PLACE-
CHILE
-SOURCE-
SANTIAGO PRENSA LATINA
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19711112
-TEXT-
11 November Press Conference

Santiago Chile PRENSA LATINA in Spanish to PRENSA LATINA Havana 1830 GMT 11
Nov 71 C--FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

[Excerpts] Santiago, Chile, 11 Nov--by PRENSA LATINA Correspondent Jorge
Timossi-- Cuban Prime Minister Maj Fidel Castro and the high-level group
accompanying him had lunch today at the private residence of Chilean
President Salvador Allende.

Prior to the luncheon, the diplomatic corps greeted Maj Fidel Castro at the
residence of Cuban Ambassador Mario Garcia Inchaustegui at exactly 1200
[1500 GMT].

Maj Fidel Castro greeted each of the chiefs of foreign missions, among
which were the apostolic nuncio, the dean of the diplomatic corps, and the
Peruvian ambassador.

The Cuban minister held a frank and informal conversation with the
diplomats for one and one-half hours in the embassy garden.

Once members of the diplomatic corps had departed, a group of foreign
reports succeeded in entering the gardens and the Cuban leader agreed to
answer several questions on international affairs.

The first question dealt with a subject about which the Cuban leaders and
government have spoken on many occasions: Cuba's interest in joining the
Organization of American states. Maj Fidel Castro said: No, we have no
interest whatsoever, not even if we were asked by all of the OAS
member-countries.

Asked how he views the current situation in Latin America, he answered: "I
have always been optimistic that in the long run our peoples will
progress."

A correspondent of an Argentine magazine asked if he was willing to visit
Argentian and Uruguay if invited. Fidel answered: "It depends on the
circumstances."

Answering another question Fidel Castro said: "U.S. imperialism is on the
way to total deterioration. This deterioration stems from the
irreconciliable differences between imperialism and the Latin American
people."
-END-


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