November 19, 1962
Letter from Dutch Embassy, Havana (Boissevain), 19 November 1962
This document was made possible with support from Leon Levy Foundation
Received: 30 November 1962
No. 2510/583.
Havana, 19 November 1962.
Cuba “on a war footing.”
I have the honor of offering Your Excellency, apart from the latest edition of “Verde Olivo” d.d. 18 of this month, the attached page of the Sunday supplement of the daily newspaper “El Mundo” with pictures of various posters that currently brighten up the townscape of Havana. Below a translation of the texts of these posters:-
“Supreme commander: command!”
“On a war footing”
“We are going to crush them and we are going to fire at them with every mortar and every cannon”
“To destroy the enemy!”
“Camilo—We will drive them back!”
“Death to the intruder!”
“The attack on Cuba will be the beginning of the end of imperialism” (loosely after Winston Churchill!)
“We will stop the intruders, drive them back and bury them”
“We are all one”
“To arms”
“Cuba will prevail”
“Against the blockade—More production”
“Every building, every labor center - a trench in defense of the fatherland”
“And… your blood will save a life.”
The Ambassador,
G.W.Boissevain.
Boissevain reports to Amsterdam the current domestic situation in Cuba, with attention being paid to Havana. In his words, Cuba is "on a war footing," and describes the various posters with propagandistic slogans urging the people to stand strong against a possible American invasion.
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