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Activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Cuba 1958–1962

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2010

Françoise Perret
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Extract

On 26 July 1953, a group opposing the regime of General Fulgencio Batista, led by Fidel Castro, made an abortive attempt to storm the Montecada barracks at Santiago de Cuba. Castro was captured and sentenced to 15 years in prison. In May 1955 he was released under a general amnesty; he left Cuba and emigrated to Mexico.

Type
Research Article
Information
International Review of the Red Cross (1961 - 1997) , Volume 38 , Issue 325 , December 1998 , pp. 655 - 670
Copyright
Copyright © International Committee of the Red Cross 1998

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References

1 Record of the ICRC Presidential Council meeting of 10 April 1958, ICRC Archives.

2 Telegram of 3 July 1958 from Fidel Castro to the ICRC, ICRC Archives — 200 (40). — Original Spanish: ICRC translation.

3 Telegram of 6 July 1958 from Fidel Castro to the ICRC, ICRC Archives — 200 (40).

4 Instructions dated 9 July 1958 from Roger Gallopin, Executive Director of the ICRC, to Pierre Jequier for his mission to Cuba, ICRC Archives — 200 (4).

Resolution XIX, relating to relief in the event of internal disturbances, states:

“The XIXth International Red Cross Conference,

considering it necessary to ensure maximum efficiency and equity in the distribution of relief supplies in the event of internal disturbances,

declares that relief supplies of all types must be distributed equitably among the victims by the National Red Cross Society, without hindrance on the part of the local authorities,

considers that, in the event of the National Red Cross Society being unable to come to the assistance of the victims, or whenever it may be deemed necessary or urgent, the International Committee of the Red Cross should take the initiative for the distribution of relief supplies, in agreement with the authorities concerned,

requests authorities to grant the Red Cross every facility in carrying out relief actions.”

5 Appeal of 16 July 1958 from the Sierra Maestra: Fidel Castro presented a photocopy of the handwritten appeal to ICRC President Cornelio Sommaruga during the latter's official visit to Cuba on 13 September 1988. — Original Spanish: ICRC translation.

6 Note of 12 July 1958 from Pierre Jequier to the ICRC, ICRC Archives — 200 (40). Radiogram of 15 July 1958 from Ernesto Capo (Caracas) to the ICRC, ICRC Archives — 200 (40). Internal note of 20 April 1958 from Pierre Jequier to Pierre Vibert, ICRC Archives — 200 (40).

7 The dollar was worth much more then than it is now.

8 Note of 24 July 1958 from Che Guevara, ICRC Archives — 200 (40). Telegram of 26 July 1958 from Pierre Jequier to the ICRC, ICRC Archives — 202 (40). Record of the meeting of the Presidential Council of 14 August 1958, ICRC Archives. See Revue Internationale de la Croix-Rouge (RICR), No. 476, August 1958, pp. 413–414, and “Le Comité international de la Croix-Rouge et le conflit de Cuba”, RICR, No. 485, May 1959, pp. 227–236.

9 Telephone call of 28 July 1958 from Pierre Jequier to Roger Gallopin, ICRC Archives — 251 (45).

10 Professor Agramonte's report to the ICRC of 13 August 1958, ICRC Archives — 200 (40).

11 Record of the meeting of 14 August of the Presidential Council, ICRC Archives. Note of 14 September 1998 from Maurice Thudichum to the ICRC, ICRC Archives — 200 (40). Record of the meetings of 13 November and 11 December 1958 of the Presidential Council, ICRC Archives, RICR, No. 485, May 1959, pp. 232–234.

12 ICRC's message of 30 December 1958, ICRC Archives — 200 (40). RICR, No. 485, May 1959, p. 234.

13 ICRC press release of 9 January 1959, ICRC Archives — 200 (40). Mission report of 14 January 1959 by Pierre Jequier, ICRC Archives — 200 (40).

14 Mission report of 18 January 1959 by Pierre Jequier, ICRC Archives — 200 (40).

15 Note of 30 January 1959 from Pierre Jequier to the ICRC, ICRC Archives — 202 (40). RICR, No. 485, May 1959, p. 235.

16 Record of the meeting of the Presidential Council of 12 February 1959, ICRC Archives.

17 Now the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

18 Record of the meeting of the Presidential Council of 26 February 1959.

19 Mission report of 19 March 1959 by Pierre Jequier, ICRC Archives — 200 (40).

20 Record of the meeting of 23 July 1959 of the Presidential Council, ICRC Archives, RICR, No. 488, August 1959, pp. 392–394 Google Scholar . Le CICR et le conflit de Cuba 1958–1959, Geneva, 1963, pp. 16–19.Google Scholar

21 “Action du CICR en faveur des victimes de guerres civiles et troubles intérieurs”, RICR, No. 491, November 1959, pp. 571–578. “Humanitarian aid to the victims of internal conflicts”, International Review of the Red Cross, No. 23, February 1963, pp. 79–91. Record of the meeting of the Presidential Council of 15 October 1959, ICRC Archives.

22 Letter of 11 February 1960 from Roger Gallopin, ICRC Executive Director, to Gilberto Cervantez Núñez, President of the Cuban Red Cross, ICRC Archives — 225 (40). Record of the meeting of 25 February 1960 of the Presidential Council, ICRC Archives. Letter of 6 April 1960 from Gilberto Cervantez Núñez, President of the Cuban Red Cross, to Léopold Boissier, President of the ICRC, ICRC Archives — 225 (40). Letter of 29 April 1960 from Léopold Boissier to Gilberto Cervantez Núñez, ICRC Archives — 225 (40).

23 Letter of 6 June 1960 from Gilberto Cervantez Núñez, President of the Cuban Red Cross, to Léopold Boissier, President of the ICRC, ICRC Archives — 225 (40). Record of the meeting of 28 July 1960 of the President's Council, ICRC Archives. Letter of 4 August 1960 from Roger Gallopin, Executive Director of the ICRC, to Gilberto Cervantez Nunez, ICRC Archives — 225 (40). Letter of 22 August 1960 from Gilberto Cervantez Nunez to Roger Gallopin, ICRC Archives — 225 (40).

24 Letter of 20 February 1961 from Léopold Boissier, President of the ICRC, to Fidel Castro, Prime Minister, ICRC Archives — 225 (40).

25 Telegram of 24 April 1961 from the ICRC to Fidel Castro, ICRC Archives — 225 (40). Note of 12 July 1961 from Roger Gallopin to Pierre Jequier, ICRC Archives — 225 (40). Telegram of 19 July 1961 from Pierre Jequier to the ICRC, ICRC Archives — 225 (40). Note of 9 October 1961 from Pierre Jequier to the ICRC, ICRC Archives — 225 (40).

26 Telegram of 23 March 1962 from the ICRC to Fidel Castro, ICRC Archives — 225 (40). See also letter of 3 November 1961 from Roger Gallopin, ICRC Executive Director, to Raúl Roa, Minister for Foreign Affairs, ICRC Archives — 225 (40), and letter of 18 January 1962 from Raul Roa to Roger Gallopin, ICRC Archives — 225 (40).

27 Letter of 6 April 1962 from the (Swiss) Federal Political Department to the ICRC, ICRC Archives — 225 (40).

28 Record of the conversation of 6 June 1962, ICRC Archives — 225 (40).