Latin American Threat To Western Position

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29380, 6 December 1960, Page 22

Latin American Threat To Western Position

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.)

WASHINGTON, December 4.

A new word has been added to the international political vocabulary to accompany a new threat to the Western position in this hemisphere. It is “fidelismo,” a Latin American word which means an exportable revolution in the Castro style.

It is likely to be heard often in the coming months, especially since the ideological battle has been joined by the United States putting a Communist label on Cuba and appropriating funds to assist the many thousands of Cuban refugees in America, most of them in Florida.

It is rather ironic that this Administration has now taken steps advocated during the election campaign by Mr Kennedy and so roundly denounced by Mr Nixon and others. The general impression seems to be that the steps have been taken none too soon for what has been happening in Venezuela could conceivably happen in oilmost any Latin American state. I Fidelismo is a Castro product ■ which promises economic and social reform to neighbouring [countries including land reform, better housing, better education, full employment and medical care to the poverty-stricken peasants. However, it also aims at the establishment of left-wing Com-munist-influenced, and eventually Communist-controlled government such as Cuba itself now endures. It was Fidelismo that made such a big splash in Venezuela but it is now expected that Betancourt’s government will survive the siege if only because the Army is behind him and the Army seems willing to stick with Betancourt rather than risk a Communistcontrolled regime. Little Doubt There is also little doubt that the American naval action saved Nicaragua and Guatemala from a similar attack. ! What makee Fidelismo even more dangerous is that it apparently is perfectly willing to foment a left-wing revolution where that promises better results than a left-wing rebellion. Advocates of Fidelismo feel, apparently, that any political overturn is good enough to create conditions wherein the Communists can benefit and eventually establish control. There was some scepticism in Washington that Cuba had anything to do with the upset of the governments in Nicaragua and Guatemala. This view has recently undergone a complete change as new evidence has arrived from various Latin American centres and the shock of this discovery apparently had a good deal to do with pasting the red label on Havana and the appropriation of funds for Cuban refugees. For a long time there has been a considerable body of American opinion which has held that Castro must become anathema to Cubans who will unseat him as they have unseated other dictators. But, lately, the realisation hes been creeping in that today’s circumstances are different from yesterday's, that a Communistcontrolled dictatorship is not quite the same as its predecessors, and that Cubans may come to detest Castro, and do so already. Castro has the most heavily armed Army in Latin America and no reports from Cuba that have been published indicate any serious defections in Army ranks Many believe his weakest point

is that he is a young man in a great hurry and that be has begun exporting his type of revolution before he has completely consolidated his position in his own country. But he is certainly working very hard at exporting some of revotutionary Cuba's spare arms, plenty of ideas and a great deal of propaganda. As one correspondent puts It "Fidelismo is not yet a forest fire raging through Latin America. But several bonfires are lit. In Haiti, Castro-inspired students have been demonstrating. In Bolivia, there were anti-Yanqui outbursts a few weeks ago.

Elsewhere embers are smouldering—in poverty-stricken areas of Brazil and in the Honduras where United States officials fear the next central American flare-up.’’ Venezuelan Example

Venezuela can serve as an example of the ground where Communist seeds can be, and are. sown.

Although it is the richest nation in South America with enormous government income from oil and iron ore and with Latin America’s highest wage scale, it was milked for years by the dictator Prez Jimenez. Now, it has very high

unemployment, one of the highest birth rates in the world and> vast numbers of poverty-stricken people shockingly housed. Betancourt cannot produce a miracle overnight and the Communists are promising much more than he can possibly provide at short notice. The Communists cannot provide an instant millennium either but they came reasonably close to overthrowing Betancourt, The Administration’s action has been well received in the press, which, however, asks for further positive action quickly by making sure foreign aid to Latin America goes to improve economic conditions by providing technical and training Latin American technicians in industry and agriculture. The press alri asks for a genuine effort to stabilise prices of Latin American commodities.

The Government is also being urged to export democracy as Castro is exporting Fidelismo. Some newspapers are reminding this and the next administrations that arms alone cannot blight Castro's potential harvest and that a democracy that does not assuage the pangs of hunger has little to offer a man with an empty stomach.