Report by Czechoslovak Embassy, Havana, on July 1960 Visit of Czechoslovak Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Jiri Hajek to Havana

On 4 July, the state deputy, accompanied by the ambassador, visited Foreign Minister Raul Roa, with whom he engaged in lengthy exchanges of opinions on the current situation in Cuba, the next approaches of the revolutionary government, its current position among Latin American countries, and certain international questions.

Around noon, the state deputy, accompanied by the ambassador, paid a courtesy visit to the President of the Republic, Dr. O. Dorticos, with whom he had become acquainted in Argentina.

In the evening, Dr. Roa organized a dinner in honor of the state deputy, which was attended by all prominent officials of the Cuban foreign ministry, the designated Cuban ambassador to Prague, and employees at the Czechoslovak embassy. Later that night, the state deputy and the ambassador visited the chairman of the National Bank, Dr. [Ernesto “Che”] Guevara, with whom they held very lengthy and interesting political conversations on the present international standing of Cuba, possible ways to thwart United States aggression, and the support Cuba looks forward to receiving from other Latin American countries. It is interesting that, at this time, Guevara was convinced of planned American aggression. It is worth mentioning that this conversation was one of the best political conversations during the state deputy’s visit to Havana.

Ambassador Pavlíček