-DATE-
19840627
-YEAR-
1984
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
CONFERENCE
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
CASTRO, JACKSON PRESS CONFERENCE
-PLACE-
CUBA
-SOURCE-
HAVANA PRELA
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19840628
-TEXT-
PRELA REPORTS CASTRO, JACKSON PRESS CONFERENCE

PA271842 Havana PRELA in English 1825 GMT 27 Jun 84 -- FOR OFFICIAL USE
ONLY

[By Victor M. Carriba]

[Text] Havana, Jun 27 (PL) -- The release of U.S. citizens imprisoned in
Cuba, the demand for restoration of relations between Cuba and the United
States, and support for political solutions in Central America are the main
results of Jesse Jackson's visit to Havana. These decisions and several
more are included in a ten-point declaration read very late last night to
more than 200 reporters during a press conference given by Cuban President
Fidel Castro and the contender for the U.S. Democratic presidential
nomination, Jesse Jackson.

The main aspects were entitled, "normalization of relations (between Cuban
and the United States)," "exchange of ambassadors," "immigration-family
reunification," "visit to a Cuban prison," "release of U.S. prisoners (in
Cuba)," "released former Cuban prisoners," "march for peace on July 1," and
"support for the Contadora Group." The rest of the points refer to "the
situation in southern Africa" and "an invitation to Fidel Castro to visit
the United States."

The declaration includes Cuba's agreement to release 22 U.S. citizens
imprisoned in Cuba jails to leave with Reverend Jesse Jackson Thursday. It
also demands the normalization of relations between the United States and
Cuba, calls for the immediate exchange of ambassador without preconditions
and for the return to Cuba of the antisocial elements who are imprisoned in
a jail in the City of Atlanta. It also established the beginning of talks
with U.S. authorities to get visas for former prisoners who are guilty of
crimes against the security of the state, who were released and are still
in Cuba.

The document explains that Cuba has agreed to allow the imprisoned officer
of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Andres Vargas Gomez, to
leave Cuba. The declaration confirms support for the Contadora Group and to
search for political and negotiated solutions in Central America. It also
demands the implementation of UN Resolution 435 for the independence of
Namibia. Speaking during the press conference, Fidel Castro said the
critical problems currently affecting Latin America can not be resolved by
military interventions. "No one can force social changes," he said.

The Cuban president stressed that poverty is the root of Latin America's
problems and referred to the huge sums of money and resources devoted to
the arms race. Regarding the release of U.S. citizens imprisoned in Cuba,
he said that all of them would be released except the plane highjackers.

On his possible visit to the United States on Jackson's invitation, Fidel
said that even though it was made on behalf of a broad sector of U.S.
society it would have to be thought over and analysed. He added that
Jackson was received "not as a presidential nominee or as a member of a
specific party, but as a prominent U.S. figure." During the press
conference, Reverend Jackson made a call for a moral offensive to promote
peace in Central America and to bring the U.S. and Cuban people closer
together. He said he had had "a long, detailed, frank and open
conversation" with the Cuban president and said his visit to Havana should
be interpreted as a step towards a dialogue between Cuba and the United
States.

"Peace and equality are inseparable," he said, and called for an end to
what he described as mistakes of the past which have drawn both nations
apart. "I hope my visit to friendly and beautiful Cuba breaks the cycle of
misunderstandings and brings the two neighboring countries together," he
added. Regarding Central America, he spoke against the mining of the
Nicaraguan ports by the CIA, and rejected any kinds of violence to topple
the Sandinista government as well as the militarization of Honduras. He
finally said to have found the will on the part of the Salvadoran
Revolutionary Democratic Front and the Farabundo Marti National Liberation
Front to find a peaceful solution to their country's conflict.
-END-