This photograph appeared in the newspaper El Mundo on Wednesday, August 9, 1944. According to Dr. Gutiérrez's resume (see blog entry Curriculum Vitae) his position was that of Secretary of this Commission. The purpose of this Commission was to address Cuba's concerns at the upcoming Conference on Peace and Security in Washington, D.C. In a speech he gave in Petropolis, Brazil 10 years later (see blog entry Cuba's Voice in Geneva and Petropolis 1954) one of his concerns regarding post war Latin America was that it's economy was placed at a disadvantage vis a vis the industrial nations. Gutiérrez lamented that the United States, after asking that it's Latin American neighbors, in solidarity with the Allied forces, maintain their war time export prices at pre war levels, did not return the favor after the War but instead raised it's export prices to Latin America. The United States grew richer as a result of the Second World War while Latin America grew poorer he says. He adds (English translation); "The present state of economic relations among the American countries is not entirely satisfactory. And this is not due to mere capriciousness but to very hard and realistic reasons regarding trade relations. As long as we do not try to mitigate in some way the adversity of that relationship for almost all the Latin American countries, as a result of exporting raw materials at low prices...and importing products generally at high prices, which are almost never under control, we very sincerely doubt that we are making any progress in the right direction."
English translation of photo caption: "The National Commission for the study of the problems of the postwar convened last night to decide what our country should suggest taking to the Conference on Peace and Security which will take place in Washington when the small nations are invited after the three great powers, England, Russia and the United States reach an agreement and China has been informed of their resolution which will be ratified. Those present were First Minister Doctor Alliegro, the Chancellor, Dr. Mañach, (invited as delegate representing Dr. Grau San Martin and possible future Minister of the Exterior), Dr. Guillermo Belt, Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez, engineer I. Montoulieu, Dr. Dorta Duque, Dr. Cosme de la Torriente and Dr. Enrique Guiral."
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