Visions of Freedom: New Documents from the Closed Cuban Archives

CWIHP e-Dossier No. 44

• Introduction by Piero Gleijeses

• Key Abbreviations

• List of Documents

Introduction

The Cuban archives for the post-1959 period are closed. I am the only foreign scholar who has been allowed to conduct research in them – after years of effort and failure. I began my research in these archives in 1994, and a first book using them, Conflicting Missions: Havana, Washington, and Africa, 1959-1976, was published in 2002 by the University of North Carolina Press. A second book, Visions of Freedom: Havana, Washington, Pretoria and the Struggle for Southern Africa, 1976-1991, has just been published – in October 2013 – also by the University of North Carolina Press.

Over time, my access to the closed Cuban archives improved, in quantity and in quality. I gathered 3,500 pages of Cuban documents forConflicting Missions, and 15,000 for Visions of Freedom, with more than 3,500 pages of conversations of Fidel Castro with his closest aides or with foreign leaders, including Mikhail Gorbachev. I also gained access to two very important archives: that of the Consejo de Estado and the personal archive of Raúl Castro.

There is no established declassification process in Cuba. Mindful of the fact that the documents I cited would not be readily available to my readers, I decided from the outset that I would never use a document unless the Cubans gave me a photocopy of the original. I badgered Cuban officials relentlessly, arguing that in the United States their word has no credibility unless supported by documents. Jorge Risquet, a member of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist party who was assigned to the task of dealing with me, understood. His intelligence, sensitivity and courage made my research possible and enabled me to have photocopies of every Cuban document I use in Conflicting Missions and Visions of Freedom.

Initially the Cubans would deny me a document if it included a sentence or even one word they did not want to make public. Soon, however, they discovered the glory of redaction: they simply deleted the offending word or words and gave me the document. Since I was allowed to read the documents before they were sanitized, I know what was deleted: sentences or paragraphs that dealt with the domestic situation in Cuba or statements of a friendly leader about delicate internal problems in his own country. Thus, for example, 29 pages are deleted from the transcript of the January 26, 1979 conversation between Fidel Castro and the president of Angola, Agostinho Neto, because Neto began addressing internal issues of the government of Angola. But this is an extreme case. Overall, the Cubans sanitized very sparingly. The vast majority of documents were not sanitized at all.

When I began my research the declassification process was haphazard, but eventually it was systematized. The Cuban authorities created two commissions to review my requests. One was responsible for documents from the Consejo de Estado and the Oficina Secreta 2do Sec CC PCC – Raúl Castro’s archive – and the other for documents from the archives of the Armed Forces, the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party, the Technical Assistance Program, and the Foreign Ministry. I would read documents, select those I wanted to have, which would then be reviewed by either of the two commissions. Sometimes the Cubans would tell me their decision in one day; at other times, I would wait for weeks or months. On extremely rare occasions, I would be told I could not have the document at all. (The only instances I recall were a few documents about military measures taken by Cuba in the 1980s to defend against a US attack.)

This collection includes approximately 3,400 pages of documents I gathered for Visions of Freedom. In selecting the documents I was guided by several criteria: I privileged the years 1986-1988, which are the most important to my story, and I privileged documents of key protagonists, particularly Fidel Castro and his conversations (or exchanges of messages) with people such as Mikhail Gorbachev and Angolan Presidents Agostinho Neto and José Eduardo dos Santos. Furthermore, I sought to provide a sense of the extent of the redaction of the documents – this sample contains the two most heavily redacted documents in my possession. Finally, I wanted to provide a representative spread of the Cuban archives I use in Visions of Freedom. I have included documents from all the archives except the Foreign Ministry, which did not have any highly sensitive files; in Visions of Freedom I use very few documents from it.

I could not have written Conflicting Missions and Visions of Freedom without the Cuban documents, but neither could I have written either book with only the Cuban documents. Visions of Freedom is based not only on Cuban but also on US and South African archives. Additional documents from Yugoslavia, the former German Democratic Republic, the former Soviet Union, Poland, Britain, France, Italy, Zambia, Angola and Canada supplement them.

One of the joys of multi-archival research is to see how documents from countries that are hostile to one another support and reinforce each other. This was frequently true when I compared the Cuban documents with those from the US, South African and other archives. For example, the US and South African archives eloquently confirm the Cuban version of the military developments in Angola in 1988: the Cuban troops gained the upper hand over the South Africans.    

I thank Dr. Christian Ostermann, Professor James Hershberg, and Laura Deal for making this collection possible.

 Piero Gleijeses is professor of American foreign policy at the School of Advanced International Studies at the Johns Hopkins University. He uses archival sources, particularly from the United States, South Africa, and the closed Cuban archives, to provide an unprecedented international history of this important theater of the late Cold War in his latest book, Visions of Freedom: Havana, Washington, Pretoria, and the Struggle for Southern Africa, 1976-1991.  Key abbreviations

ACC - Archives of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party, Havana (Comité Central del Partido Comunista de Cuba)

ANC - African National Congress of South Africa

CECE - Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation, Havana  (Ministerio para la Inversión Extranjera y la Colaboración Económica)

CF - Archive of the Cuban Armed Forces, Havana (Centro de Información de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias)

FAPLA - People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola

MPLA - Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola 

OS - Secret Bureau of the 2nd Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, Havana (Oficina Secreta 2do Sec CC PCC)

SWAPO - South West Africa People's Organization

UNITA - National Union for the Total Independence of Angola

  List of Documents

View the Complete Collection on the Digital Archive

Note: Unless relevant I list only the two major interlocutors of a memorandum of conversation.

1976

• Raúl Castro, Report on Cuban Technical Assistance to Angola, “Acerca de la necesidad de una masiva ayuda técnica (civil) a RPA,” 23 April 1976, CF [7 p.]

Cuba’s minister of defense Raúl Castro recommends granting technical assistance to Angola

• Raúl Castro, Report on his Visit to Africa and the Soviet Union, “Informe al Buró Político del Segundo Secretario del Comité Central del Partido Comunista de Cuba acerca de su visita a la República Popular de Angola, República Popular del Congo, y República Popular de Guinea, además de su visita a la URSS (19 de abril a 7 junio de 1976),” June 1976, OS [184 p.]

Cuba’s minister of defense Raúl Castro reports on his visit to Angola, the USSR, Congo Brazzaville and Guinea Conakry, 19 April - 7 June 1976

• Jorge Risquet to Fidel Castro, 13 July 1976, ACC [13 p.]

Jorge Risquet was the head of the Cuban Civilian Mission in Angola

1977

• Senén Casas to Abelardo Colomé, 20 January 1977, CF [1 p.]

General Senén Casas was Cuba’s first deputy minister of defense; General Abelardo Colomé was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola

• Cuban Intelligence Report on the Situation in Ethiopia, “Síntesis analítica sobre la revolución etiopica. Proposiciones,” [March 1977], CF [8 p.]

• Memorandum of Conversation between Fidel Castro and Agostinho Neto, 23 March 1977, Consejo de Estado [23 p.]

Agostinho Neto was the president of Angola           

• Abelardo Colomé to Senén Casas, [April 1977], CF [7 p.]

General Abelardo Colomé was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola; General Senén Casas was Cuba’s first deputy minister of defense

• Raúl Castro to Fidel Castro, 14 June 1977, OS [4 p.]

Raúl Castro was Cuba’s minister of defense

• Jorge Risquet to Fidel Castro, 23 September 1977, ACC [5 p.]

Jorge Risquet was the head of the Cuban Civilian Mission in Angola

• Memorandum of Conversation between Levy Farah and Carlos Rocha (Dilolwa), [October 1977,] ACC [9 p.]

Levy Farah was a senior Cuban aid official; Carlos Rocha (code name Dilolwa) was a member of the political bureau of the MPLA

• Memorandum of Conversation between Jorge Risquet and Sam Nujoma, 12 October 1977, ACC [8 p.]

Jorge Risquet was the head of the Cuban Civilian Mission in Angola; Sam Nujoma was the president of SWAPO

• Cooperation agreement between Cuba and Angola, “Acuerdo especial sobre condiciones generales para la realización de la colaboración económica y científico-técnica entre el gobierno de la República de Cuba y el gobierno de la República Popular de Angola,” 5 November 1977, CECE [12 p.]

• Memorandum of Conversation between Raúl Castro and Samora Machel, 13 December 1977, CF [13 p.]

Raúl Castro was Cuba’s minister of defense; Samora Machel was the president of Mozambique

1978

• Jorge Risquet to Agostinho Neto, [February 1978], ACC [12 p.]

Jorge Risquet was the head of the Cuban Civilian Mission in Angola; Agostinho Neto was the president of Angola

• Jorge Risquet to Fidel Castro, 21 February 1978, ACC [4 p.]

Jorge Risquet was the head of the Cuban Civilian Mission in Angola

• Agostinho Neto to Jorge Risquet, 21 February 1978, ACC [1 p.]

Agostinho Neto was the president of Angola; Jorge Risquet was the head of the Cuban Civilian Mission in Angola

• Memorandum of Conversation between Jorge Risquet and Sam Nujoma, 12 May 1978, ACC  [12 p.]

Jorge Risquet was the head of the Cuban Civilian Mission in Angola; Sam Nujoma was the president of SWAPO

• Memorandum of Conversation between Senén Casas and Agostinho Neto, 19 May 1978, ACC [10 p.]

General Senén Casas was Cuba’s first deputy minister of defense; Agostinho Neto was the president of Angola

• Memorandum of Conversation between Jorge Risquet and Sam Nujoma, 11 June 1978, ACC [6 p.]

Jorge Risquet was the head of the Cuban Civilian Mission in Angola; Sam Nujoma was the president of SWAPO

• Military agreement between Cuba and Angola, “Convenio sobre los principios de colaboración en la rama militar, entre la República de Cuba y la República Popular de Angola,” 14 September 1978, CF [10 p.]

• Memorandum of Conversation between Jorge Risquet and Sam Nujoma, 5 October 1978, ACC [10 p.]

Jorge Risquet was the head of the Cuban Civilian Mission in Angola; Sam Nujoma was the president of SWAPO

1979

• Memorandum of Conversation between Fidel Castro and Agostinho Neto, 26 January 1979, Consejo de Estado [63 p.]

Agostinho Neto was the president of Angola. The Cuban government redacted from the transcript 29 pages in which Neto addressed internal issues of the government of Angola

• Memorandum of Conversation between Raúl Menéndez Tomassevich and Agostinho Neto, 21 February 1979, CF [5 p.]

General Raúl Menéndez Tomassevich was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola; Agostinho Neto was the president of Angola

• Memorandum of Conversation between Agostinho Neto and Senén Casas, 4 May 1979, CF [9 p.]

Agostinho Neto was the president of Angola; General Senén Casas was Cuba’s first deputy minister of defense

• Senén Casas to Pedro García Peláez, 16 July 1979, CF [1 p.]

General Senén Casas was Cuba’s first deputy minister of defense; General Pedro García Peláez was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola

• Pedro García Peláez to Senén Casas, 24 July 1979, CF [2 p.]

General Pedro García Peláez was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola; General Senén Casas was Cuba’s first deputy minister of defense

• Fidel Castro to Political Bureau of the MPLA, 15 September 1979, CF [3 p.]

The MPLA was Angola’s ruling party

• Military Intelligence Section Chief, Cuban Military Mission in Angola, Report on Conversation with Oliver Tambo, “Entrevista sostenida con Oliver Tambo,” 22 September 1979, CF [18 p.]

Oliver Tambo was the president of the ANC

• Fidel Castro to Jaime Crombet, 16 October 1979, OS [1 p.]

Jaime Crombet was the Cuban ambassador to Angola

• Pedro García Peláez to Raúl Castro, 16 October 1979, CF [1 p.]

General Pedro García Peláez was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola; Raúl Castro was Cuba's defense minister

• Cuban Ministry of Armed Forces, Meetings with Agostinho Neto on Reduction of Cuban Troops, “Cronología de las conversaciones sobre la reducción de tropas cubanas en la R.P.A. por el presidente Agostinho Neto y el ministro de defensa Enrique Tieles Carreira (Iko),” 17 October 1979, CF [2 p.]

The Cuban Ministry of Armed Forces lists and summarizes conversations with Angola’s President Neto and Neto’s defense minister about withdrawing some Cuban troops from Angola

1980

• Report of Conversation between Pedro García Peláez and José Eduardo dos Santos, “Versión conversación con el Presidente de la RPA,” 2 January 1980,  enclosed in Matas Colombo to Colomé, 4 January 1980, CF [4 p.]

General Pedro García Peláez was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola; José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

• Report of Conversation between Pedro García Peláez and José Eduardo dos Santos, “Versión entrevista sostenida con presidente R.P.A. el sabado 15 de marzo de 1980,” 15 March 1980, CF [5 p.]

General Pedro García Peláez was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola;  José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

1981

• Memorandum of Conversation between Senén Casas and Nikolai Ogarkov, 14 May 1981, OS [5 p.]

General Senén Casas was Cuba’s first deputy minister of defense; Marshal Nikolai Ogarkov was the chief of the Soviet General Staff

• Memorandum of Conversation between Senén Casas and Dmitri Ustinov, 14 May 1981, OS [4 p.]

General Senén Casas was Cuba’s first deputy minister of defense; Marshal Dmitri  Ustinov was the Soviet minister of defense

• Memorandum of Conversation between Senén Casas and Nikolai Ogarkov, 17 May 1981, OS [2 p.]

General Senén Casas was Cuba’s first deputy minister of defense; Marshal Nikolai Ogarkov was the chief of the Soviet General Staff

• Report of Conversations with Dmitri Ustinov and Nikolai Ogarkov, “Contenido de las Reuniones Sostenidas con el Ministro de Defensa de la URSS y el Jefe del Estado Mayor General,” 20 May 1981, [3 p.]

Marshal Dmitri Ustinov was the Soviet minister of defense; Marshal Nikolai Ogarkov was the chief of the Soviet General Staff

• Remarks by Fidel Castro to an MPLA delegation led by political bureau member Lúcio Lara, “Contenido fundamental de la intervención del primer secretario del CC del PCC, compañero Fidel Castro, en las conversaciones sostenidas en Cuba con la delegación del Movimiento Popular para la Liberación de Angola - Partido del Trabajo (MPLA-PT), encabezada por el compañero Lúcio Lara,” 30 December 1981, CF  [9 p.]

1982

• Memorandum of Conversation between Dmitri Ustinov and Abelardo Colomé, 20 January 1982, CF [12 p.]

Marshal Dmitri Ustinov was the Soviet minister of defense; General Abelardo Colomé had been the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola in 1975-77

• Memorandum of Conversation between Samora Machel and Jorge Risquet, 25 January 1982, ACC [9 p.]

Samora Machel was the president of Mozambique; Jorge Risquet had been the head of the Cuban Civilian Mission in Angola in 1975-79 and was subsequently Castro’s point man for Angola in the 1980s

• Memorandum of Conversation between Jorge Risquet and Julius Nyerere, 27 January 1982, ACC [4 p.]

Jorge Risquet had been the head of the Cuban Civilian Mission in Angola in 1975-79 and was subsequently Castro’s point man for Angola; Julius Nyerere was the president of Tanzania

• Report on Visit to Mozambique by a Cuban Delegation, “Informe de la visita a la Republica Popular de Mozambique ....," 10 September - 2 October 1982, ACC [45 p.]

• Memorandum of Conversation between Jorge Risquet and António José Maria, enclosed in Risquet to Chomi, 17 December 1982, ACC [52 p.]

Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola; Major António José Maria was a close aide to Angola’s president dos Santos

• Memorandum of Conversation between Raúl Castro and Yuri Andropov, 29 December 1982, OS [13 p.]

Raúl Castro was Cuba's defense minister; Yuri Andropov was the general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

1983

• Memorandum of Conversation between Fidel Castro and Oliver Tambo, 13 May 1983, Consejo de Estado [31 p.]

Oliver Tambo was the president of the ANC

• Fidel Castro to José Eduardo dos Santos, 10 August 1983, CF [2 p.]

José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

• Fidel Castro to Polo Cintra Frías, 11 August 1983, CF [2 p.]

General Polo Cintra Frías was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola

• Raúl Castro to Rodolfo Puente Ferro, 11 August 1983, CF [1 p.]

Raúl Castro was Cuba’s minister of defense; Rodolfo Puente Ferro was Cuba’s ambassador to Angola

• Rodolfo Puente Ferro to Fidel and Raúl Castro, 11 August 1983, CF [1 p.]

Rodolfo Puente Ferro was Cuba’s ambassador to Angola; Raúl Castro was Cuba’s minister of defense

• Rodolfo Puente Ferro to Raúl Castro, 11 August 1983, CF [1 p.]

Rodolfo Puente Ferro was Cuba’s ambassador to Angola; Raúl Castro was Cuba’s minister of defense

• Memorandum of Telephone Conversation between Ulises Rosales and Polo Cintra Frías, 11 August 1983, CF [6 p.]

General Ulises Rosales was Cuba’s first deputy minister of defense; General Polo Cintra Frías was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola

• Memorandum of Conversation between Fidel and Raúl Castro, “Analisis sobre la situación en Angola,” 14 August 1983, CF [66 p.]

Raúl Castro was Cuba’s defense minister

• Memorandum of Conversation between Jorge Risquet, Abelardo Colomé and José Eduardo dos Santos, “Reunión con la dirección angolana ...,” 18 August 1983, CF [24 p.]

Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola; General Abelardo Colomé had been the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola in 1975-77; José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

• Fidel Castro to José Eduardo dos Santos, 20 September 1983, CF [14 p.]

José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

• José Eduardo dos Santos to Fidel Castro, 28 October 1983, CF [5 p.]

José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

• Agreement between Cuba and Angola, “Acuerdo Especial sobre las Condiciones Generales para la Realización de la Colaboración Económica y Científico-Técnica entre el Gobierno de la República de Cuba y el Gobierno de la República Popular de Angola,” 28 October 1983, CECE  [12 p.]

Protocol on Cuba's technical assistance to Angola

• Cuban Ministry of Armed Forces, Report on the Battle of Cangamba, “Experiencias de las acciones combativas de Cangamba,” 9 December 1983, CF [33 p.]

• Polo Cintra Frías to Ulises Rosales, 29 December 1983, CF [1 p.]

General Polo Cintra Frías was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola; General Ulises Rosales was Cuba's first deputy minister of defense

• Fidel Castro to José Eduardo dos Santos, 7 January 1984, CF [2 p.]

José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

• Memorandum of Conversation between Fidel Castro and Petr Demichev, 8 January1984, Consejo de Estado [42 p.]

Petr Demichev was a nonvoting member of the Soviet Politburo

• Memorandum of Conversation between Abelardo Colomé and Dmitri Ustinov, 10 January 1984, CF [3 p.]

Cuban general Abelardo Colomé followed Angolan affairs closely; Marshal Dmitri Ustinov was the Soviet minister of defense

• Memorandum of Conversation between Jorge Risquet and Valentin Varennikov, 25 January 1984, CF [41 p.]

Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola; General Valentin Varennikov was the third highest ranking officer of the Soviet Army

• Memorandum of Conversation between Abelardo Colomé, Ulises Rosales and Konstantin Kurochkin, 8 February 1984, CF  [13 p.]

Cuban general Abelardo Colomé followed Angolan affairs closely; General Ulises Rosales was Cuba’s first deputy defense minister; General Konstantin Kurochkin was the head of the Soviet Military Mission in Angola

• Memorandum of Telephone Conversation between Víctor Schueg and Elio Avila Trujillo, 29 March 1984, CF [18 p.]

General Víctor Schueg of the Ministry of Defense in Havana and General Elio Avila Trujillo of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola discuss the 25 March battle of Sumbe in Angola.

• Memorandum of Conversation between Jorge Risquet, Polo Cintra Frías and Konstantin Kurochkin, “Versión de la conversación sostenida en el Estado Mayor de la Misión Militar Cubana en Angola, efectuada a las 1600 horas del día 6 de junio de 1984,” 6 June 1984, CF [39 p.]

Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola; General Polo Cintra Frías was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola; General Konstantin Kurochkin was the head of the Soviet Military Mission in Angola

• Memorandum of Conversation between Jorge Risquet, Konstantin Kurochkin and José Eduardo dos Santos, “Versión de la conversación efectuada en Futungo de Velas el día 18 de junio de 1984,” 18 June 1984, CF [15 p.]

Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola; General Konstantin Kurochkin was the head of the Soviet Military Mission in Angola; José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

• Cuban Ministry of Armed Forces, Special Operations Section, Postmortem on the Battle of Sumbe, “Análisis de las acciones combativas en Zumbe,” 9 July 1984, CF [17 p.]

• Cuban Talking Points for Conversation with General Varennikov, “Consideraciones a los aspectos planteados por el general de ejército Varennikov, durante su visita a la RPA, agosto de 1984,” [August 1984,] CF [12 p.]

General Valentin Varennikov was the third highest ranking officer of the Soviet Army

• Memorandum of Conversation between Polo Cintra Frías and Valentin Varennikov, 12 August 1984, CF [42 p.]

General Polo Cintra Frías was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola; General Valentin Varennikov was the third highest ranking officer of the Soviet Army

• Memorandum of Conversation between Konstantin Kurochkin and Elio Avila, 12 September 1984, CF  [ 9 p.]

General Konstantin Kurochkin was the head of the Soviet Military Mission in Angola; General Elio Avila was a senior member of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola

• Memorandum of Conversation between Pedro Maria Tonha, Konstantin Kurochkin and Polo Cintra Frías, “Versión de la conversación sostenida en el Ministerio de Defensa de la RPA el 12 de septiembre de 1984,” 12 September 1984, CF  [10 p.]

Pedro Maria Tonha "Pedalé" was the defense minister of Angola; General Konstantin Kurochkin was the head of the Soviet Military Mission in Angola; General Polo Cintra Frías was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola

• Memorandum of Conversation between José Eduardo dos Santos, Konstantin Kurochkin and Polo Cintra Frías, Versión de la conversación sostenida en Futungo de Velas el 29 de septiembre de 1984,” 29 September 1984, CF [17 p.]

José Eduardo dos Santos was the President of Angola; General Konstantin Kurochkin was the head of the Soviet Military Mission in Angola; General Polo Cintra Frías was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola

• Memorandum of Conversation between Konstantin Kurochkin and Polo Cintra Frías, “Versión de la conversación sostenida con el coronel general Konstantin, iniciada esta en el automovil cuando salíamos de la entrevista con el presidente,” 29 September 1984, CF [10 p.]

General Konstantin Kurochkin was the head of the Soviet Military Mission in Angola; General Polo Cintra Frías was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola. Conversation held in the car after leaving a meeting with Angolan president José Eduardo dos Santos

• Memorandum of Conversation between Konstantin Kurochkin and Polo Cintra Frías, “Versión de la conversación en el estado mayor de la Misión Militar Cubana en Angola, el 7 de octubre de 1984, a las 11 horas,” 7 October 1984, CF [27 p.]

General Polo Cintra Frías was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola; General Konstantin Kurochkin was the head of the Soviet Military Mission in Angola

• Meeting between the Delegations of the United States and Angola, Morning Session, “Conversaciones celebradas entre las delegaciones de Estados Unidos y de Angola,” 16 October 1984, ACC [35 p.]

Conversation between US and Angolan officials about the withdrawal of the Cuban troops from Angola

• Memorandum of Conversation between Konstantin Kurochkin and Polo Cintra Frías, “Versión de la conversación sostenida en la Misión Militar Soviética en la RPA el 23 de octubre de 1984,” 23 October 1984, CF [17 p,]

General Konstantin Kurochkin was the head of the Soviet Military Mission in Angola; General Polo Cintra Frías was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola

• Meeting between the Delegations of the United States and Angola, “Versión de las conversaciones EEUU - RPA,” 3 December 1984, ACC [35 p.]

Conversation between US and Angolan officials about the withdrawal of the Cuban troops from Angola

1985

• Memorandum of Conversation between Raúl Castro and Mikhail Gorbachev, 20 March 1985, OS [28 p.]

Raúl Castro was Cuba’s defense minister; Mikhail Gorbachev was the General Secretary of the Communist party of the Soviet Union

• Polo Cintra Frías to Ulises Rosales, 17 September 1985, CF [1 p.]

General Polo Cintra Frías was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola; General Ulises Rosales was Cuba's first deputy minister of defense

• Fidel Castro to José Eduardo dos Santos, 16 October 1985, ACC  [5 p.]

José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

• Cuban Military Mission in Angola, Report on Combat Operations, “Informe del desarrollo de las acciones combativas en la dirección ‘Cuito Cuanavale - Mavinga,’ dentro del marco de la Operación II Congreso del MPLA-PT,” 18 October 1985, CF  [9 p.]

Report of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola on the FAPLA offensive in southeast Angola against the UNITA rebel forces led by Jonas Savimbi

• Memorandum of Conversation between Fidel Castro and José Eduardo dos Santos, 25 October 1985, ACC [125 p.]

José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

• Memorandum of Conversation between Fidel Castro and Eduard Shevardnadze, 28 October 1985, Consejo de Estado [36 p.]

Eduard Shevardnadze was the Soviet foreign minister

• Memorandum of Telephone Conversation between Fidel Castro and Mikhail Gorbachev, 15 November 1985, OS [12 p.]

Mikhail Gorbachev was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

• Memorandum of Telephone Conversation between Fidel Castro and Mikhail Gorbachev, 27 November 1985, OS [15 p.]

Mikhail Gorbachev was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

1986

• Meeting between Cuba and the Soviet Union, “Reunión Bilateral Cuba - URSS,” 24 January 1986, ACC  [84 p.]

• Meeting between Cuba, the Soviet Union and Angola, “Tripartita Cuba - URSS - RPA,”  27 January 1986, CF [99 p.]

• Memorandum of Conversation between Fidel Castro and Oliver Tambo, 25 March 1986, Consejo de Estado [63 p.]

Oliver Tambo was the president of the ANC

• Memorandum of Conversation between Jorge Risquet and Oliver Tambo, 26 March 1986, ACC [11 p.]

Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola; Oliver Tambo was the president of the ANC

• Memorandum of Conversation between Jorge Risquet and Joe Slovo, 9 June 1986, ACC [37 p.]

Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola; Joe Slovo was the general secretary of the South African Communist Party and the chief of staff of Umkontho We Sizwe , the military wing of the ANC

• Memorandum of Conversation between Raúl Castro and Jorge Risquet, 17 June 1986, CF  [35 p.]

Raúl Castro was Cuba’s defense minister; Jorge Risquet was Fidel Castro’s point man for Angola           

• Arnaldo Ochoa to Konstantin Kurochkin, July 1986, CF [13 p.]

General Arnaldo Ochoa was Cuba’s deputy minister of defense in charge of military missions abroad; General Konstantin Kurochkin was first deputy head of the Main Directorate of Personnel of the Soviet General Staff and a former head of the Soviet Military Mission in Angola

• Memorandum of Conversation between Polo Cintra Frías and Konstantin Kurochkin, 17 July 1986, CF [16 p.]

General Polo Cintra Frías was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola; General Konstantin Kurochkin was first deputy head of the Main Directorate of Personnel of the Soviet General Staff and a former head of the Soviet Military Mission in Angola

• Memorandum of Conversation between Arnaldo Ochoa, Polo Cintra Frías and Konstantin Kurochkin, 19 July 1986, CF [14 p.]

General Arnaldo Ochoa was Cuba’s deputy minister of defense in charge of military missions abroad; General Polo Cintra Frías was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola; General Konstantin Kurochkin was first deputy head of the Main Directorate of Personnel of the Soviet General Staff and a former head of the Soviet Military Mission in Angola

• Report of Conversation between Oliver Tambo and Angel Dalmau, “Informe sobre el encuentro entre Oliver Tambo, presidente del ANC y Angel Dalmau – 22 de julio de 1986. Asuntos bilaterales,” 22 July 1986, ACC [6 p.]

Oliver Tambo was the president of the ANC; Angel Dalmau was a senior staff member of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party working on southern Africa

• Memorandum of Conversation between Oliver Tambo and Angel Dalmau, “Conversación de Dalmau con Oliver Tambo el 22 de julio de 1986 en el sur de la RDA. Aspectos políticos,” enclosed in Risquet to Castro, 30 July 1986, ACC  [12 p.]

Oliver Tambo was the president of the ANC; Angel Dalmau was a senior staff member of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party working on southern Africa.

• Arnaldo Ochoa, Report on Visit to Angola, “Informe sobre la visita de trabajo en la RPA,” 31 July 1986, CF  [7 p.]

General Arnaldo Ochoa, Cuba’s deputy minister of defense in charge of military missions abroad, reports on his visit to Angola in late June 1986

• Memorandum of Conversation between Fidel Castro and Konstantin Kurochkin, 8 September 1986, CF [31 p.]

General Konstantin Kurochkin was first deputy head of the Main Directorate of Personnel of the Soviet General Staff and a former head of the Soviet Military Mission in Angola

• Memorandum of Conversation between Fidel Castro and José Eduardo dos Santos, [8 September 1986], CF [55 p.]

José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

1987

• Meeting between Cuba and the Soviet Union, “Reunión Bipartita Cuba-URSS,” 10 March 1987, ACC  [55 p.]

• Memorandum of Conversation between Raúl Castro and Sam Nujoma, 10 Apr. 1987, CF [47 p.] 

Raúl Castro was Cuba’s minister of defense; Sam Nujoma was the president of SWAPO

• Meeting between the Delegations of the United States and Angola, “Conversaciones entre la RPA y EE.UU., Futungo de Belas, 14.7.87. 16:00 - 19:40," 14 July 1987, ACC [26 p.]

Meeting between Angolan and US delegations to the talks about the withdrawal of the Cuban troops from Angola. 

• Meeting between the Delegations of the United States and Angola, “15/7/87. Conversaciones Angolano/Norteamericanas, Luanda (10:15 am),” 15 July 1987, ACC [14 p.]

Meeting between Angolan and US delegations to the talks about the withdrawal of the Cuban troops from Angola..

• Angolan Delegation, Memoranudm, “Proposición para la apertura por los angolanos de la sesión del miércoles,” [15 July 1987], ACC  [3 p.]

Memo by the Angolan delegation to the US delegation

• Meeting between the Delegations of the United States and Angola, “Continuación conversaciones EE.UU. - RPA. 15/7/87 (17:00),” 15 July 1987, ACC [13 p.]

Meeting between Angolan and US delegations to the talks about the withdrawal of the Cuban troops from Angola

• Memorandum of Conversation between Fidel Castro and José Eduardo dos Santos, 31 July 1987, CF [79 p.]

José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

• Meeting between the Delegations of the United States and Angola, “Versión de las conversaciones Angola/EEUU. 8/9/87 (16:00 a 19:00 horas),” 8 September 1987, ACC [11 p.]

Meeting between Angolan and US delegations to the talks about the withdrawal of the Cuban troops from Angola

• Meeting between the Delegations of the United States and Angola, “Versión Conversaciones RPA/USA, 9/9/87 (20:00 horas),” 9 September 1987, ACC [6 p.]

Meeting between Angolan and US delegations to the talks about the withdrawal of the Cuban troops from Angola

• Jorge Risquet to Alejandro [Fidel Castro], 9 September 1987, ACC  [4 p.]

Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola; Alejandro was Fidel Castro’s code name

• Meeting between Cuba and the Soviet Union, “Reunión Bipartita Cuba - URSS, 15-9-87 (17:00) sobre el ANC,” 15 September 1987, ACC [24 p.]

• Memorandum of Conversation between Jorge Risquet and Anatoly Dobrynin, 18 September 1987, ACC [24 p.]

Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola; Anatoly Dobrynin was the head of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

• Meeting between the Delegations of the United States and Angola, “Conversaciones Angola - Estados Unidos realizada [sic] en Bruselas, Bélgica, el 24 de septiembre de 1987,” 24 September 1987, ACC [14 p.]

Meeting between Angolan and US delegations to the talks about the withdrawal of the Cuban troops from Angola

• Jorge Risquet, Notes for Discussion with the Angolan Delegation, “Notas para la discusión con la delegación angolana M’Binda - N’Dalu,” [13 October 1987], ACC [8 p.]

Memo by Jorge Risquet, Castro’s point man for Angola. Afonso Van-Dúnem "M’Binda" was Angola’s foreign minister; António dos Santos França “Ndalu” was the FAPLA Chief of Staff   

• Memorandum of Conversation between Fidel Castro and M’Binda, 15 October 1987, CF [65 p.]

Afonso Van-Dúnem "M’Binda" was Angola’s foreign minister.

• Memorandum of Conversation between Mikhail Gorbachev and Fidel Castro, 6 November 1987, Consejo de Estado [26 p.]

Mikhail Gorbachev was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

• Meeting of Fidel Castro with Top Aides about the Situation in Angola, “Reunión de análisis de la situación de las tropas cubanas en la RPA, efectuada a partir de las 17:25 horas del 15.11.87,” 15 November 1987, CF [182 p.]

• Fidel Castro to Gorbachev, 1 December 1987, CF  [4 p.]

Mikhail Gorbachev was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

• Mikhail Gorbachev to Fidel Castro, 5 December 1987, CF  [2 p.]

Mikhail Gorbachev was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

• Jorge Risquet to José Eduardo dos Santos, 26 December 1987, ACC  [23 p.]

Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola; José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

1988

• Memorandum of Conversation between José Eduardo dos Santos and Martín Mora, “Notas tomadas de la audiencia concedida por el presidente José Eduardo dos Santos al enviado especial de Cuba el día 3 de enero de 1988,” January 3, 1988, ACC [16 p.]

José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola; Martín Mora was Cuba’s ambassador to Angola

• José Eduardo dos Santos to Fidel Castro, 11 January 1988, ACC [6 p.]

José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

• Fidel Castro to José Eduardo dos Santos, 23 January 1988, ACC [8 p.]

José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

• Meeting between the Delegations of the United States and Angola, “Conversaciones Angola/EEUU, Futungo de Belas, Luanda, 29/1/88," 29 January 1988, ACC [14 p.]      

Meeting between Angolan and US delegations to the talks about the withdrawal of the Cuban troops from Angola

• Meeting between the Delegations of the United States and Angola, “Conversaciones Angola-Cuba-EEUU realizadas en Futungo de Belas, 29-1-88 (16:40),” 29 January 1988, ACC [9 p.]

Meeting between Angolan and US delegations to the talks about the withdrawal of the Cuban troops from Angola

• Jorge Risquet to Alejandro [Fidel Castro], 29 January 1988, ACC [4 p.]

Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola; Alejandro was Fidel Castro’s code name

• Memorandum of Conversation between José Eduardo dos Santos and Jorge Risquet, enclosed in Risquet to Fidel Castro, 30 January 1988, ACC [9 p.]

José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola; Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola

• Fidel Castro to José Eduardo dos Santos, 3 February 1988, ACC  [4 p.]

José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

• Fidel Castro to José Eduardo dos Santos, 19 February 1988, ACC [5 p.]

José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

• Mikhail Gorbachev to Fidel Castro, 25 February 1988, CF  [5 p.]

Mikhail Gorbachev was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

• Fidel Castro to Mikhail Gorbachev, 3 March 1988, CF [21 p.]

Mikhail Gorbachev was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Unio

• Fidel Castro to José Eduardo dos Santos, 6 March 1988, ACC [7 p.]       

José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

• Meeting between the Delegations of the United States, Cuba and Angola, “Conversaciones entre la RPA y los EUA realizadas en Luanda el día 9 de marzo de 1988,” 9 March 1988, ACC [22 p.]

Meeting between US, Cuban and Angolan officials about the withdrawal of the Cuban troops from Angola

• Meeting between the Delegations of the United States, Cuba and Angola, “Las conversaciones realizadas entre la República Popular de Angola y los Estados Unidos del 9 al 11 de marzo de 1988 en Futungo de Belas, en Luanda. Segunda Sesión Bilateral, 3.10.88 – 10:08 AM ,” 10 March 1988, ACC  [20 p.]

Meeting between US, Cuban and Angolan officials about the withdrawal of the Cuban troops from Angola

• Meeting between the Delegations of the United States, Cuba and Angola, “Conversaciones realizadas entre la RPA y los Estados Unidos del 9 al 11 de marzo de 1988 en Futungo de Belas, Luanda. Tercera Sesión Trilateral, 10.3.88 – 16:00 horas,” 10 March 1988, ACC [18 p.]

Meeting between US, Cuban and Angolan officials about the withdrawal of the Cuban troops from Angola

• Fidel Castro to Alvaro [Jorge Risquet], 10 March 1988, ACC [2 p.]

 Jorge Risquet, who was code-named Alvaro, was Castro’s point man for Angola 

• Meeting between the Delegations of the United States, Cuba and Angola, “Acta de las conversaciones realizadas entre la RPA y los Estados Unidos del 17 al 18 de marzo de 1988, en Futungo de Belas, Luanda,” 17 March 1988, ACC [20 p.]

Meeting between US, Cuban and Angolan officials about the withdrawal of the Cuban troops from Angola

• Jorge Risquet to Alejandro [Fidel Castro], 19 March 1988, ACC [10 p.]

Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola; Alejandro was Castro’s code name

• Memorandum of Conversation between Fidel Castro and Anatoly Adamishin, 28 March 1988, ACC [102 p.]

Anatoly Adamishin was Soviet deputy foreign minister for Africa

• Instructions to the Cuban Delegation for the London Meeting, “Indicaciones concretas del Comandante en Jefe que guiarán la actuación de la delegación cubana a las conversaciones de Luanda y las negociaciones de Londres (22-4-88),” 22 April 1988, CF [12 p.]

Fidel Castro’s instructions for the Cuban delegation to the 3-4 May 1988 London meeting of the delegations of Angola, Cuba, South Africa and the United States to discuss the future of Angola and Namibia.

• Instructions to the Cuban Delegation for the London Meeting, “Indicaciones concretas del Comandante en Jefe que guiarán la actuación de la delegación cubana a las conversaciones de Luanda y las negociaciones de Londres (23-4-88),” 23 April 1988, CF [23 p.]

Fidel Castro’s instructions for the Cuban delegation to the 3-4 May 1988 London meeting of the delegations of Angola, Cuba, South Africa and the United States to discuss the future of Angola and Namibia.

• Memorandum of Conversation between Anatoly Dobrynin and Jorge Risquet, 10 May 1988, ACC  [14 p.]

Anatoly Dobrynin was the head of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union; Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola

• Fidel Castro to José Eduardo dos Santos, 18 May 1988, CF [6 p.]

José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

• Alejandro [Fidel Castro] to Rubén [Arnaldo Ochoa], 7 June 1988, CF [6 p.]

General Arnaldo Ochoa, code-named Rubén, was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola; Alejandro was Castro’s code name

• Alejandro [Fidel Castro] to Rubén [Arnaldo Ochoa] and Polo Cintra Frías, 7 June 1988, CF [1 p.]

General Arnaldo Ochoa, code-named Rubén, was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola; General Polo Cintra Frías was the commander of the Cuban troops in southern Angola; Alejandro was Castro’s code name

• Cuban Nota verbale to Alexei Zaitsev, “Nota verbal al asesor principal del MINFAR,” [7 June 1988,] CF [1 p.]

General Alexei Zaitsev was the head of the Soviet Military Advisory Group in Cuba

• Fidel Castro’s Meeting with Top Aides, “Reunión con el Comandante en Jefe el 17/6/88,” 17 June 1988, CF [24 p.]

• Fidel Castro’s Meeting with Top Aides, “Reunión con el Comandante en Jefe el 18/6/88,” 18 June 1988, CF [59 p.]

• Fidel Castro’s Meeting with Top Aides, “Reunión con el Comandante en Jefe (19/6/88),” 19 June 1988, CF [9 p.]

• Meeting between the Delegations of Angola, Cuba and the United States, “Conversaciones RPA-Cuba EEUU-RSA,” 24 June 1988, ACC [27 p.]

Meeting between delegations of Angola, Cuba, South Africa and the United States about the future of Angola and Namibia.

• Memorandum of Conversation between Jorge Risquet and Chester Crocker, 26 June 1988, ACC  [35 p.]

Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola; Chester Crocker was US assistant secretary of state for Africa

• Fidel Castro to Arnaldo Ochoa and Polo Cintra Frías, 26 June 1988, #91, CF [1 p.]

General Arnaldo Ochoa was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola; General Polo Cintra Frías was the commander of the Cuban troops in southern Angola

• Fidel Castro to Rubén [Arnaldo Ochoa] and Polo Cintra Frías, 26 June 1988, [no #,] CF  [2 p.]

General Arnaldo Ochoa was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola; General Polo Cintra Frías was the commander of the Cuban troops in southern Angola

• Fidel Castro to Rubén [Arnaldo Ochoa] and Polo Cintra Frías, 27 June 1988, #25398, CF [1 p.]

General Arnaldo Ochoa was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola; General Polo Cintra Frías was the commander of the Cuban troops in southern Angola

• Fidel Castro to Rubén [Arnaldo Ochoa] and Polo Cintra Frías, 27 June 1988, #25397, CF [1 p.]

General Arnaldo Ochoa was the head of the Cuban Military Mission in Angola; General Polo Cintra Frías was the commander of the Cuban troops in southern Angola

• Carlos Aldana to Fidel Castro, 11 July 1988, CF [7 p.]

Carlos Aldana headed the Cuban delegation at the 11-13 July 1988, New York meeting between delegations of Angola, Cuba, South Africa and the United States about the future of Angola and Namibia

• Cables Exchanged between Havana and the Cuban Delegation in Cape Verde, “Reunión de Expertos Militares, Cabo Verde, Julio 22 y 23/1988: cifrados recibidos y enviados," 22-23 July 1988, CF [46 p.]

Cables exchanged between Havana and the Cuban delegation at the meeting in Cape Verde between South African, Angolan and Cuban officers, and US Department of Defense officials about the withdrawal of the South African troops from Angola

• Meetings between Angola, Cuba, the United States and South Africa, “Reunión Cuatripartita Angola/Cuba/EEUU/RSA, Nueva York, Octubre 6-9 de 1988,” 6-9 October 1988, ACC [110 p.]

Meeting between delegations of Angola, Cuba, South Africa and the United States about the future of Angola and Namibia

• Meetings between Angola, Cuba, South Africa and the United States, “Reuniones para lograr una solución al conflicto de la región del suroeste de Africa,” October 1988, (#4-8) ACC  [72 p.]

Meetings between delegations of Angola, Cuba, South Africa and the United States about the future of Angola and Namibia: Geneva, 2-5 August 1988; Brazzaville, 24-26 August 1988; Brazzaville 7-9 September 1988; Brazzaville 26-29 September 1988; New York, 6-9 October 1988

• Memorandum of Conversation between Jorge Risquet and José Eduardo dos Santos, 27 October 1988, CF  [4 p.]

Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola; José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola  

• Jorge Risquet to Fidel Castro, 28 October 1988, CF [4 p.]

Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola

• Memorandum of Conversation between Jorge Risquet and Alexander Yakovlev, 28 October 1988, CF [10 p.]

Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola; Alexander Yakovlev was a member of the Soviet Politburo and the Central Committee secretary in charge of foreign relations

• Jorge Risquet to Fidel Castro, 2 November 1988, CF [2 p.]

Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola

• Memorandum of Conversation between Fidel Castro and José Eduardo dos Santos, 17 December 1988, ACC  [83 p.]

José Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola

1989

• Memorandum of Conversation between Jorge Risquet and Alexander Yakovlev on 29 January 1989, enclosed in Risquet to Fidel Castro, 31 January 1989, ACC [15 p.]

Jorge Risquet was Castro’s point man for Angola; Alexander Yakovlev was a member of the Soviet Politburo and the Central Committee secretary in charge of foreign relations