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Rapprochement with Cuba: Four decades ago Jimmy Carter tried to come to terms with Havana

Sunday, October 23rd 2016 - 06:50 UTC
Full article 2 comments
In a long article, Granma reveals that Carter (1976/1980) was the only US president who set in writing his intention to promote Washington-Havana dialogue. In a long article, Granma reveals that Carter (1976/1980) was the only US president who set in writing his intention to promote Washington-Havana dialogue.
In October 1979 the international context forced Carter to sign Directive NSC-52, which focused on reducing Cuba's military forces deployed abroad In October 1979 the international context forced Carter to sign Directive NSC-52, which focused on reducing Cuba's military forces deployed abroad
In the late eighties Carter resorted again to secret diplomacy and promised to normalize relations with Cuba if he was re-elected, but he lost to Ronald Reagan. In the late eighties Carter resorted again to secret diplomacy and promised to normalize relations with Cuba if he was re-elected, but he lost to Ronald Reagan.

Four decades ago, U.S. ex president James Carter tried to do in secret what Barack Obama finally achieved publicly and in a less adverse context: to start a process to normalize relations between the United States and Cuba. In a long article, the Cuban newspaper Granma reveals that Carter (1976/1980) had been the only US president who set in writing his intention to promote dialogue between Washington and Havana.

 The newspaper states that in Presidential Directive NSC-6, Carter was intent in finding a consensus in matters like combating terrorism and eroding relations between Cuba and the Soviet Union. For that purpose, the Democratic president established a broad agenda of talks on maritime and fishing borders, an agreement against hijackings, Cuba's external activities in Angola and other regions, and actions regarding Puerto Rico.

Such rapprochement would include sports, cultural, scientific and cultural exchanges, as well as the compensation for U.S. properties confiscated after 1959 and the possibility of establishing commercial relations.

After an exploratory round of talks, the National Security Council would submit to Carter its recommendation on how to proceed. However, despite the positive aspects of the Presidential Directive, the proposed agenda mixed bilateral and multilateral issues and expressed Washington's interest in undermining Cuba's foreign policy.

Therefore, the talks started well, and even secret meetings were held in 1978 in New York, Washington, Atlanta, Cuernavaca and Havana. At a certain point, they stagnated and were eventually interrupted in the late 1980s. In October 1979, the international context forced Carter to sign Presidential Directive NSC-52, which focused on reducing Cuba's military forces deployed abroad and undermining Havana's leading presence in the Third World.

 That situation led to the Mariel migration crisis, when Carter resorted again to secret diplomacy and promised to normalize relations with Cuba if he was re-elected, but he lost to Republican candidate Ronald Reagan.

 However such rapprochement had already been confirmed by the Washington-based independent organization National Security Archive, which presented documents proving the contacts promoted by the controversial ex secretary of State, Henry Kissinger.

 

Top Comments

Disclaimer & comment rules
  • Briton

    One knows very little about Cuba,
    but is it not time Cuba came in from the cld,
    just saying like.

    Oct 23rd, 2016 - 07:56 pm +3
  • Kanye

    It's a strategically located, accessible, big island with 11m people. It is already well connected to Europe and SA.
    The Chinese are investing a lot in the island - it's time the US acted more positively.
    There is already great optimism and speculation on the island, along with inflation, in anticipation of US tourism.

    Oct 23rd, 2016 - 09:30 pm +1
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