-DATE-
19720706
-YEAR-
1972
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
CONFERENCE
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
DETAILS ON CASTRO-LED CUBAN DELEGATION'S ACTIVIT
-PLACE-
CUBA
-SOURCE-
BUDAPEST MTI DOMESTIC SV
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19720607
-TEXT-
FURTHER DETAILS ON CASTRO-LED CUBAN DELEGATION'S ACTIVITIES

Press Conference Held

Budapest MTI Domestic Service in English 1455 GMT 6 Jun 72 L

[Fidel Castro's press conference--MTI headline]

[Text] "If the USA carried a more realistic policy, Cuba would not object
to the establishment, different from what has been, of relations between
the two countries," Fidel Castro said at the press conference which, as we
reported earlier, he held Monday-Tuesday night before his departure from
Budapest.

Before the representatives of the Hungarian press and foreign
correspondents, Fidel Castro spoke about his talks in Hungary, Cuba's
foreign policy, the relations between Cuba and the USA, the situation in
Latin America, and a number of other questions.

As to the Cuban-American relations, Fidel Castro called to mind that the
USA had blockaded Cuba and committed aggressions against her. Then he said,
"Cuba has not fulfilled U.S. demands that she break off relations with the
USSR and the socialist countries and stop backing the revolutionary
movements in South America, and shall not do so in the future. We are part
of Latin America, and the problems of that continent--which are also our
problems--concerns us, too. We support the political movements which
safeguard national interests in the face of imperialism. We will not make
any concessions to the USA."

Fidel Castro mentioned that Cuban trade relations with Japan and also with
some European capitalist countries registered an increase recently.

In answer to the question whether any change can be expected in the U.S.
anti-Cuba policy, Fidel Castro reminded questioners that in the
Organization of American States just recently the Peruvian motion was
discussed which proposed that every American state should have the
sovereign right to decide for herself whether to enter into relations with
Cuba or not. "The USA," Fidel Castro added, "has absolutely no moral basis
to oppose this, except strength and power."

In reply to the question in regard to the present position and perspectives
of the Latin American revolutionary forces, Fidel Castro explained that
since the victory of the Cuban revolution, penetrating changes had taken
place in the consciousness of the Latin American peoples. To this was
contributed also the fact that the debts of Latin America are over 20,000
[20 billion] dollars, and at the same time the profits of the monopolies
are astronomical. The revolutionary ideal has reached even strata like the
professional soldiers or the religious.

"Of course, the struggle for freedom may appear in various forms," Fidel
Castro went on. "But we should by no means nurture illusions that the
liberation of the peoples of Latin America is close at hand. Even in the
course of the revolutionary movement there were relapses and failures. A
case in point is Bolivia, where also various reforms were initiated, but
imperialism prevented the large-scale evolution of the movement. The
influence of imperialism is still very strong, and for the time being we
cannot entertain hopes for the proximity of liberation for the Latin
American peoples. The signs indicate that this will be a longer-range
process. What is certain is that the revolution of the peoples of Latin
America is an irreversible process which the USA certainly cannot stop."

In connection with Chile, Fidel Castro asserted that Cuba was supporting
this South American country in all possible ways. "This is genuine
revolutionary solidarity between our peoples," he said.

Speaking about his visit to Hungary, Fidel Castro said that in the course
of it he had "positive and useful impressions." In the course of the
discussion with the Hungarian leaders he experienced "fraternal and
friendly feelings." Fidel Castro said his meeting with Janos Kadar was
especially of outstanding significance, for as he said, he was able to
consult with him not only in the political sense but also personally in a
very cordial atmosphere.
-END-