Ford gives Cuba hint

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33626, 30 August 1974, Page 9

Ford gives Cuba hint

(N Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) WASHINGTON, August 29.

President Ford- has dropped a hint that the United States is about to soften its policy towards Cuba after more than 10 years of a political and economic boycott of the Caribbean island.

In his first press conference since taking office two weeks ago, Mr Ford said that the United States would change its policy towards Cuba only if the Prime Minister (Dr Fidel Castro) changed his policy towards the United States. On the surface this is the same as the old United States position — that there could be no relaxation of the embargo as long as Cuba continued to “export revolution” to its Latin American neighbours.

But virtually everyone, including senior United States officials, now concedes that Cuba has long since abandoned the export of revolution. Attention thus focused on the full context of Mr Ford’s carefully phrased remarks. He said:

"The policy that we have toward Cuba today is determined by the sanctions voted by the Organisation of American States and we abide by those actions that were taken by the members of that organisation (in 1964). “Now, if Cuba changes its policy toward us and toward

its Latin American neighbours, we of course would exercise the option, depending on what the changes were, to change our policy.

“But before we made any changes, we would certainly act in concert with the other members of the Organisation of American States.”

According to some Latin American tallies, 17 of the 24 Latin American and the Caribbean nations are all ready to end at least the economic sanctions against Cuba, if not restore diplomatic relations.

I Argentina has been ap!pointed to canvass the rest of the hemisphere on attitudes towards Cuba so that the’ sanctions question can he taken up at the O.A.S. meeting next March. ’ Responding to the more (moderate tone of Dr Castro’s 'government, seven nations — (Argentina, Peru, Mexico, Panlama, Barbados, Trinidad, and (Jamaica have alreadv restored diplomatic relations. I Costa Rica, Colombia, and! ’possibly Venezuela would next week ask the O.A.S. council to lift economic and political sanctions against Cuba, Costa Rica’s Foreign Minister (Mr Gonzalo Facio) said last night.

If the United States wants! to insist on the maintenance! of sanctions, it could count

(only on Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, ’Uruguay, and Guatemala to (support it but these five, plus (the United States, are not ‘enough to black a two-thirds kvote in favour of lifting the ! sanctions. With the departure of . President Nixon, the innate ; hostility of the United Stales ! Government towards better ! relations with Cuba has gone. [; Mr Nixon’s close friend. Bebe Rebozo, of Cuban descent and vehemently antill Castro, no longer wields any I influence. The United States is unI likely to take the lead in improving relations with the i Castro Government. i( But in the light of Mr Ford’s statement, it may en-

courage its neighbours to end the embargo—then say it is only following suit.