Release Of Cuban Captives Arranged

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29797, 13 April 1962, Page 11

Release Of Cuban Captives Arranged

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) HAVANA, April 12. The Cuban Prime Minister (Dr. Castro) has readied agreement with a Cuban exile mission about payment of indemnities for the release of 1179 prisoners captured in last year’s abortive invasion of Cuba.

No details of the agreement, reached yesterday, have been issued. Reliable sources said 54 ill and wounded prisoners would be flown to Miami, Florida, on Saturday morning. It was not known how soon the rest of the prisoners, for whom Dr. Castro has demanded indemnities totalling 62 million dollars, would be released. The hostess to the exile mission, Mrs Berta Barreto, told reporters: “All I can say is that we are satisfied with the agreement and we hope it will benefit all the prisoners.”

The exile mission consists of three fathers of prisoners and the wife of another prisoner.

About 40 relatives of prisoners were invited by the mission last night to Mrs Barreto’s Miramar villa, where details of the agreement were announced. Commenting on the indemnities demand. President Kennedy told his press conference yesterday: "I think all of us had hoped that the day when men were put on

the block had long ago passed from this hemisphere.” He added that the United States could not engage in a negotiation like that suggested by Dr. Castro.