-DATE-
19840627
-YEAR-
1984
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
MESSAGE
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
PROBLEMS OF LATIN AMERICA
-PLACE-
CUBA
-SOURCE-
HAVANA PRELA
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19840128
-TEXT-
Further Account

PA271844 Havana PRELA in English 1826 GMT 27 Jun 84 -- FOR OFFICIAL USE
ONLY

[Text] Havana, Jun 27 (PL) -- The president of the Councils of State and
Ministers of Cuba, Fidel Castro, last night said that the serious problems
of Latin America cannot be resolved through military interventions. In a
press conference held here late last night in the main hall of the Council
of State which was attended by U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful Jesse
Jackson, the Cuban leader said the root of Latin America's problems was
poverty. Nobody can face social changes, Fidel Castro told the reporters
covering Reverend Jackson's three-day visit to Cuba. Fidel Castro praised
the visitor's great human quality, his honesty and deep feelings. We have
not received him here as Democratic U.S. presidential hopeful, or as member
of a specific party, but as a prominent U.S. figure, who is concerned about
civil rights and social development.

He also praised the visitor's political courage in the face of the current
anti-Cuban campaigns and said that Jackson has shown interest in improving
relations between Cuba and the United States and in finding solutions to
the area's conflict. Fidel Castro said that during his talks with Jackson
on the international situation, they both expressed their concern for the
growing tension and the constant danger of a world war. That is why the two
sides agreed on the need to eradicate such problems which could have
catastrophic results. He said the huge sums of money and resources devoted
to the arms race was one of the main problems to be resolved. Asked about
his possible visit to the United States at the invitation of Jesse Jackson,
Fidel Castro said that although it was made on behalf of broad sectors of
U.S. society, it would have to be thought over and carefully analyzed.
Concerning the U.S. prisoners in Cuba, he said that all 22 would be
released. Except the highjackers, and that the cases of Cubans imprisoned
for crimes against the state would be analyzed although no commitment was
made regarding this.
-END-