Universal Declarations of Human Rights #2

Universal Declaration of Human Rights #1

John P. Humphrey prepared the first draft for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1947. He states in the Human Rights Quarterly, “Memoirs of John P. Humphrey, the First Director of the United Nations Division of Human Rights,” published by The John Hopkins University Press, Vol. 5, No. 4 (November,1983), pp. 387-439, “I was no Thomas Jefferson and, although a lawyer, I had had practically no experience drafting documents. But since the Secretariat had collected a score of drafts, I had some models on which to work. One of them had been prepared by Gustavo Gutierrez (Sanchez) and had probably inspired the draft Declaration of the International Duties and Rights of the Individual which Cuba had sponsored at the San Francisco Conference." (pp. 406). This, in fact, was correct. Dr. Gutierrez wrote a book entitled "La Carta Magna de la Comunidad de las Naciones in 1945, where the document mentioned above originated. In addition, his draft for the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was chosen as one of seven drafts presented by "private parties."

Below you will find the first three out of seven proposed drafts. The first draft by Hersch Lauterpacht was used as a basis by which the other texts were compared. The draft by Dr. Gustavo Gutierrez (referred to above) is to the right of Lauterpacht's followed by a draft proposed by H.G. Wells. The document below was obtained from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library in Hyde Park, New York. Click on the document in order to view it larger.

In 2008 Indiana University Press published "Human Rights at the UN, The Political History of Universal Justice," written by Roger Normand and Sarah Zaidi. Under the heading Chapultapec: Rebellion or Reaction? the authors write, "The dissatisfaction of Latin American governments found expression in an extraordinary meeting in February 1945 at Chapultapec Castle in Mexico City, where twenty Latin American countries and a large delegation from the United States participated in the Inter-American Conference on Problems of War and Peace. They reviewed the Dunbarton Oaks proposals in details and introduced 150 draft resolutions urging substantial reforms, many addressing human rights. (49)"..."Cuba submitted two detailed proposals for consideration, a "Draft Declaration of the International Rights and Duties of the Individual" and a "Draft Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Nations. (50)" These two drafts were written and published by Dr. Gustavo Gutierrez in a book entitled La Carta Magna de la Comunidad de Naciones. Please see blog entry for December, 2008 entitled "The Magna Carta of the Community of Nations, 1945."

Gustavo Gutierrez was part of the large Cuban delegation at the Chapultapec Conference. Please see blog entry for January 2009 entitled "Chapultapec Conference, Mexico City" for a list of Cuban delegation members as well as two photographs from the conference.

Normand and Zaidi continue. "These proposals were reintroduced in San Francisco and during the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Latin America's significant intellectual production supporting human rights is a major reason the region has been called "the forgotten crucible" of universal human rights. (51) Latin American jurisprudence was particularly well suited to bridging cultural divides in human rights by linking civil and political rights with economic and social rights...(52) With their dominant voting bloc, the Latin American countries would play a significant role in advancing human rights throughout the UN process."

"...These civil society proposals for human rights found strong support among non-European states, especially in Latin America. (96) Many of these states had recently written human rights into their own constitutions, and their delegations included prominent jurists whose primary focus was to advance human rights. Peace and security, they argued, could be based only on the protection of human rights, not just traditional civil and political rights but also economic and social rights. Chile, Cuba and Panama resubmitted the proposal for binding international bill of rights from the Chapultapec Conference."

Referring to the statements made in the above paragraph, it is interesting to note here that Gustavo Gutierrez had provided the first draft for the creation of the Cuban Constitution of 1940 and was considered among Latin America's most renowned jurists. For more information regarding this topic please see blog entries;

1) "New Constitutión Project", 1940. Blog entry April, 2009

2) "Proyecto Nueva Constitución, 1940", # 1, #2 and #3. Blog entry September, 2009

3) "Pioneer of 1940 Constitution" by Enrique Llaca. Blog entry June, 2008

"...The main challenge to the Big Three's (U.S.A., the U.K. and the U.S.S.R.) human rights strategy came from the insistence of Latin American countries, supported by civil society groups, on proposing a binding international bill of rights. With support from Cuba, Chile and Mexico, Panamanian foreign minister Ricardo Alfaro put forward the American Law Institute's draft bill of rights."

"...The idea of an international bill of human rights received particular attention. The UN Secretariat staff noted that as of 1946, it had received twelve different drafts submitted by the delegations of Panama, Chile, Cuba, and the American Federation of Labor as well as private drafts from Hersch Lauterpacht of Cambridge University, Alejandro Alvarez of the American Institute of International Peace, Prof. Frank McNitt of the faculty of Southwestern University, and H. G. Wells. (6)"

Gustavo Gutierrez' draft was among this group of seven "private" drafts mentioned above and at the top of this entry, including those by Wilfred Parsons and Irving A. Isaacs. Dr. Gutierrez' "private" draft was the one proposed by the Cuban delegation in San Francisco just like the draft introduced by Chile's delegation could have been that of Chilean, Alejandro Alvarez.

UN Conference on Refugees, Atlantic City 1943

The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) was the first international organization established by the newly created United Nations. It's primary purpose was to deal with the refugee problem (and other issues) created by the Nazi invasion of Europe. It's mandate: to assist and resettle displaced victims of war.

The UNRRA was inaugurated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House in Washington on November 9, 1943 and began it's committee work in Atlantic City, New Jersey from November 10 to December 1, 1943. Herbert H. Lehman, advisor to President Roosevelt on war relief and rehabilitation was appointed Director-General.

With forty four nations participating in this historic endeavor, Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez headed the Cuban delegation. He was also chosen to preside over the " Sub-Committee on "Political Assistance to Displaced Populations" due perhaps to his extensive experience and writings on international law. The following year he would publish a 589 page tome entitled La Carta Magna de la Comunidad de las Naciones where he would analyze this difficult problem related to displaced populations and from which the Cuban delegation would draw it's draft for the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in San Francisco in 1945. Please see blog title "Magna Carta for the Community of Nations, 1945" for December, 2008 and "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" for December, 2010, respectively.

Gutiérrez tells us that it was the Sub-Committee he presided over that was presented with the most complicated task and adds, " for it had the most amount of sessions, eight in all, none of which lasted less than three hours each and some even lasted over six hours. The fact that I was honored with the presidency allowed me to familiarize myself with the problem of uprooted populations." He states that the Belgian delegate petitioned the other delegates to unanimously accord Dr. Gutiérrez a congratulatory note for the success that Gutiérrez showed in conducting the deliberations. Gutiérrez adds that, " it would be unjust to accept this congratulation without expressing that the success was possible due to the great competency of the Relator of the Sub-Committee, Sir. George Rendel, member of the English delegation as well as the Secretary of the Sub-Committee, Mr. George L. Warren, the United States delegate..." 

At one point Gustavo Gutiérrez found himself in a curious predicament. As President of the Sub-Committee his position was not sanctioned to vote and a vote was being cast whether to allow displaced populations to return immediately to their home countries or whether to wait until the occupying German populations were removed first from the occupied towns and cities. The delegates that represented the occupied nations wanted immediate action. The delegates from the non-occupied nations preferred a slower paced approach providing the occupying German populations time to move back to their original German towns and cities.

This Sub-Committee was thus responsible, among other things, for creating a plan that would begin returning more than 20 million people back to their home countries. The British delegate, Sir. George Rendel proposed not to move the displaced populations to their home countries until the Allied authorities, the UNRRA and the military governments had taken appropriate measures in evacuating the German "colonizers" back to Germany. The Yugoslavian delegate, Sr. Foticht, stood up and gave an impassioned speech warning that waiting was a dangerous proposition, that the Nazis were incurring horrible suffering upon the uprooted populations and added, "Gentlemen, I understand that we can not elaborate on a plan of revenge; I understand that we can not commit the same errors and atrocities as these Nazi-fascists, but Gentlemen, we can not be such humanitarians towards the enemy nor forget the things that have occurred...Are we going to tell these displaced populations to wait down there in Greece, or where ever, where they have hardly food to eat or a place to sleep, to just wait until the Aryan colonizers are calmly and comfortably transferred by the United Nations back to German soil?" This caused a split right down the middle between the six occupied and six non-occupied country delegates with the American states abstaining.

Just then Dr. Gutierrez recommended to break for lunch and vote upon returning. But then the United States delegate proposed an option that would put Dr. Gutiérrez at the heart of the impasse. She proposed that the Dr. Gutiérrez temporarily abandon his position as President and step down momentarily, take his place as delegate from his home country of Cuba and cast the deciding vote. Gutiérrez states, "This was not within the rules of the conference and it also placed an enormous responsibility upon me, the delegate from Cuba. We thought it best to place the decision upon the Assembly and began discussing the American proposal...But the Assembly unanimously agreed that the President act as delegate and vote without abandoning the Presidency. The Cuban delegate agreed to cast the deciding vote under the condition that he be able to draft an amendment stipulating that since it was not possible to repeat the Nazi methods and that the problem was a delicate one, that the displaced populations should be returned immediately to their homes and that a "special session" should be called to resolve the problem concerning the "Aryan colonizers." The voting was repeated. Gutiérrez cast the deciding vote and the occupied nations triumphed.

In 1944 Gustavo Gutiérrez published a 107 page work entitled El Problema de los Refugiados, Editorial Lex, 1944 (The Problem of Refugees) based on his contribution as delegate from Cuba and President of the above mentioned Sub-Committee. The Vice-President was Andres Frihagen (Norway); the Potent was Sir. George Rendel (United Kingdom); the Secretary was George L. Warren (USA). In this blog we are only including the introduction to this work given by Dr. David Avram, a Rumanian international lawyer and founding member of the Society of Philosophy of Law. Below you will find the speech he gave before introducing Dr. Gutiérrez. Apparently, El Problema de los Refugiados is based on not only the findings and conclusions of those 10 days of committee work in Atlantic City, but also as a result of a post conference presentation given by Gutiérrez in Havana before a group of European immigrant organizations. These groups were Austria Libre, Unión Belga de Cuba, Unión Checoslovaca de Cuba, Comité Francia Libre, Asociación Democrática de Refugiados Hebreos, Unión de Refugiados Hebreos, Asociación Pro-Hungría Libre y Democrática, Asociación Polaca de Cuba, Amigos de Yugoslavia.

Below is my feeble English translation of the speech that Dr. David Avram gave in Havana after the UNRRA conference in Atlantic City. The original Spanish is included above and and at the end of this English translation. If you speak Spanish I encourage you to read the original Spanish.

Sir Ministers, Authorities, Ladies and Gentlemen:

"I have the honor and satisfaction of greeting you on behalf of the nine associations which have organized this act, and of the Hungarian Federation which enthusiastically came to us yesterday requesting to become one of the organizing associations, a request we were happy to accept..."

"I have been asked to introduce Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez and I should say some brief words about this evenings' speaker. I'm speaking now to those present who have not concerned themselves with the problems of International Law for they know the achievements of Dr. Gutiérrez quite well. It is not possible to present a biography here of Dr. Gutiérrez because his success as university professor, within his legal profession and at the level of national politics, is so varied and so profound that I would have to dedicate long hours to this task. Yet this is not necessary because what interests us especially now is his work as an internationalist.

We know that one month ago an international organization was specifically created of great interest to us that deals with our problems: the UNRRA, and we also know that the Sub-Committee which was specifically dedicated to our problems, the problems of uprooted populations, was presided over by Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez. This fact is of extraordinary transcendency to each one of us. Thus, I am sure that some, skeptical Europeans that you are, may question who is Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez? Who is this Cuban who has taken on the weight of our fate? Who is this man who has concerned himself with our future and has more to share this evening?

The fact is that this is not about a simple curiosity but rather a natural anxiety because we all know that organizations do not exist based on the content of their regulations and laws but rather the personality of the men that inspire and apply them. There are good laws that produce nothing good because they lack men to apply them and there are mediocre laws that produce magnificent results because the men that apply them are good. (The above in bold letters was taken from a previous speech given by GG) So, who is Gustavo Gutiérrez?

Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's speaker is a distinguished Cuban figure: former Minister of Justice, former President of the House of Representatives, former President of the Cuban Maritime Committee, Organizer and Secretary of the Economic Commission on War, and has carried out many other important functions, however alien to the actual interests of displaced peoples. It, thus, may be important to look back in time and add that at the age of 21 he began his professional career in the courts of law and shortly afterwards, as a natural consequence, moved into the world of politics. This is to say, the fight for just causes in the community. At the same time, at the age of 22, he was named Assistant Professor of International Law at the University of Havana and months later, obtained through competitive exam the position of Assistant Chair.

Since that moment he crafted a career with multiple successes in both the professional and political arenas, about which I will not presently elaborate. I do insist that during this quarter of a century Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez has not, even during one week, abandoned the problems of international law. He has written more than 40 works related to this topic. I will not bother you in reading the titles but we must mention that in 1914 he wrote, "The Destruction of Poland;" (La Destrucción de Polonia) in 1915, "The Emancipation of Greece" (La Emancipación de Grecia) and in more recent years, "The Racial Discrimination before the Constituent Convention" (La Discriminación Racial Ante La Convención Constituyente) and "The Politics of the Good Neighbor" (La Politica del Buen Vecino). He collaborated in the creation of the Constitution of 1940 and created the Electoral Code of 1943 (El Codigo Electoral), both of which are currently in force. He has published a study regarding The New Democratic World Order (El Nuevo Orden Mundial Democratico) and many others of equally great scientific value.

All of this demonstrates that Dr. Gutiérrez is an expression of that brilliant American spirituality that believes in the existence and in the future of Law, who works with tenacity in obtaining practical results via the Law, only through this medium, and succeeding in his efforts. 

This vigilant and dynamic action reminds me of the conduct that the Europeans adopted at times when they would encounter peers and fellow statesmen from Latin America during inquiry and research regarding certain problems associated to the Old Continent. I must confess publicly that not always have I considered such persons with all the consideration that they deserved. In some cases that European pride has been transformed into reckless arrogance, fruit of that false conviction that these Latin Americans had not sufficient knowledge regarding our problems and their pretended complexities. And that these topics and issues were better reserved for us Europeans. I wish to publicly state that this opinion and this attitude have essentially been incorrect. No, gentlemen. It is not true that the statesmen from Latin America and America in general do not understand the "true problems of Europe." But rather, the truth is that, in general, the statesmen from America understand them better than we have been able to understand. And the proof is clear; we are here and not the Americans in Europe. We have failed. They have not. 

Gentlemen, tonight we have the satisfaction of presenting one of the brilliant representatives of this America that sincerely believes in International Law. In order to characterize the basic thinking of Dr. Gutiérrez, I would like to read from a report of his entitled, "The New Orientation of International Law," presented one year ago to the Cuban Society of International Law. These words were pronounced on the 27 th of April, 1943, at a time-seeminly odd-when the UNRRA was still in the phase of being created and nothing had been published regarding what was to soon unfold. Dr. Gutiérrez stated at that time, " It is indispensable to open the door to the idea that no one, not the individual nor the State, no matter how great or powerful it may be, is above the Law. The Law stands above everything. The strongest of nations are not above but, rather, below the Law." 

It is the formulation of the faith of a hemisphere. Is this the case of an illusionist idealism? Easy it is, ladies and gentlemen, to smile as a result of this phrase but that smile could easily lead us to be mistaken. For Cuba this conviction is not illusionism but rather, an effective reality. When the War of Independence ended and Cuba saw itself free of Spanish control it found itself with limited sovereignty imposed by the United States. The Isle of Pines' status as well as that of Cuba became questionable as a consequence of the "Platt Amendment." What happened next, ladies and gentlemen, between Cuba and the United States? The Cuban "illusionists and idealists" began analyzing, fighting and arguing with the United States, the texts and the agreements in force, as well as, the principles of international law. It wasn't easy or short in duration. But they achieved complete success. Thirty years later, and as a result of judicial action, the Cubans achieved that the United States government recognize Cuba's sovereignty over the Isle of Pines, authorized by a majority in the U.S. Senate. It was an impressive achievement not only for Cuba, but rather, and above all, for the United States because, ladies and gentlemen, there are few Great Powers that know to resist the temptation of power as we saw with the United States in this and in other instances. We have here proof of the strength of American judicial ideas. Listen now to another concept by Dr. Gutiérrez:

"Now all nations can declare with exactness that no basic problem affecting an individual nation can be received with indifference by any other nation."

All of the work carried out by the UNRRA, all the conclusions reached at the gathering during one month in Atlantic City, as well as, the particular functions of the UNRRA, could not be better defined than with the words I have just quoted. The truth is that the problem of one is the problem of all. What became in March of 1943 the doctrine of an idealist was transformed into reality by the actions of other idealists in the month of November of the same year and is the same reality that brings us together and overshadows us tonight.

Ladies and gentlemen, these few words are sufficient to explain to each of you why Cuba designated Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez as its delegate in the Council of the UNRRA and why the Council elected him President of the Sub-Committee in charge of the problems of displaces peoples. It is obvious that this comes not by chance but rather, as a natural consequence of the spiritual structure and the actions of our speaker. This means that while Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez and men like him work to resolve the problems of displaced populations, our problems, we can and should wait, with faith, in the final result."

Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez has the floor. 

(Great applause)

Cuba's Voice in Geneva and Petropolis 1954

In November 1954 the Contracting Parties to the GATT met again in Geneva and then in Petropolis (Brazil) to discuss developments since it's creation in 1947. G.G. had been Technical Director of the Cuban Delegation in 1947. Now in 1954 he served as head of the Cuban Delegation while Minister of Finance. He addressed the general assembly in both countries. Below are some of the declarations he made.

In Geneva: (English translation)

" My country, for instance, is faced with an uneasy economic situation as a result of international action for which the GATT seems to offer no remedy. With it's national economy depending fundamentally on the production of sugar, Cuba is forced to expand it's production in times of national emergency in order to supply the world with it's energy producing product at controlled prices, without compensation in normal times when prices drop, markets are closed by the existence of excessive internal taxes or import permits and the international monetary funds fail to solve the problem of lack of exchange for it's purchase. But in the meantime, our population continues to increase and with it unemployment..."

"We need to defend our sugar production but at the same time take it out of it's role of principal supplier of national economy by diversifying our agricultural production and seeking a reasonable industrialization of our country for the purpose of providing work for Cuba's labor force and increasing it's citizen's purchasing power..."

"It is necessary also to endeavor in some way to mitigate the adverse relation of interchange that takes place in our country---just as it does in all underdeveloped countries---as a result of exporting primary products at low prices, officially or extra-officially controlled, and of importing generally high priced products that are almost never subject to control."

"For this reason the Cuban government in March 24, 1954 began a tariff reform with a dual purpose: 1) to adjust the obsolete Cuban Customs Tariff to modern nomenclatures and techniques and, 2) to protect the economic development of the country..."

"Any attempt at an indefinite freezing or general and indiscriminate reduction of Customs duties, without taking into account the peculiarities of each under-developed nation, would constitute true economic aggression."

"Some representatives of industrialized countries with a large foreign trade seem to be fundamentally preoccupied in finding the way to sell more to others, without giving proper attention to the necessity others also have of selling, in order to be able to buy. In this sense the display of agility is really astonishing because of it's ingenuity; but we would feel more at ease if greater emphasis were placed on the need for raising the standard of living of all the peoples, beginning with the under-developed countries---which have the great majority of the population of the world---in order to achieve a general increase in the purchasing power of all the peoples."

In Petropolis:

"No podemos, los paises latinoamericanos buscar exclusivamente en el exterior la solucion de nuestros propblemas."

"Nuestro pais practica con hechos el principio del auto-desarrollo. Utilizando exclusivamente nuestros recursos economicos y financieros, hemos financiado por 120 millones de pesos (sabido es que el peso cubano esta en paridad con el dolar americano) la retencion del excedente de nuestra zafra azucarera de 1952; hemos construido en este ano de 1953 mas de cuarto mil kilometros de caminos vecinales, cientos de kilometros de carreteras, y varios acueductos y hospitales; hemos adquirido de los propietarios ingleses en 13 millones de pesos los Ferrocarriles Unidos de La Habana y utilizado mas de 7 millones de pesos en su reabilitacion, que estamos llevando a efecto; estamos dragando los puertos; estamos desarrollando a un costo de 14 millones de pesos la primera Central Hidroelectrica del Hanabanilla y contemplamos la inversion de unos 15 millones de pesos en el establecimiento de fabricas de glicerina y de papel utlilizando el bagazo de cana; hemos creado la Financiera Nacional de Cuba, el Banco Cubano del Comercio Exterior y estamos organizando el Instituto Cubano de Investigaciones Tecnologicas; estamos realizando la reforma aranceleria con objeto de adecuar los obsoletos aranceles de aduana cubana a las modernas nomenclaturas y tecnicas de la materia, y de defender el desarrollo economico del pais; y hemos iniciado un Plan de Desarrollo Economico y Social que representa una inversion de 350 millones de pesos en 4 anos. Al observar este gigantesco esfuerzo que significa una mobilizacion de mas de 500 millones de dolares sin la cooperacion, hasta el presente, de ninguna de las agencias internacionales de credito, se comprende hasta que punto preocupa a mi Gobierno la necesidad de combatir el desempleo en nuestro pais."

"Comprendemos perfectcamente que el "role" de lideres de la democracia mundial que actualmente desempena los Estados Unidos de America, los obligan a compromisos y cargas realmente grandes en todas partes del mundo (Japon e Europa post guerra), pero no debe olvidarse que sus mejores amigos estan en este Continente."

"El bienestar economico y social de los 170 millones de personas que habitan al sur del Rio Grande sera la defensa mas efectiva contra las penetraciones exteriores. Pero al propio tiempo, la desatencion de ese bienestar constituiria una linea de intensa y creciente peligrosidad." (En el ano 1948 G.G. le comento a un pariente que temia que Cuba podria ser el primer pais de America Latina a caer en manos de los comunistas).

(English translation)

"We, the Latin American countries, cannot look abroad exclusively for the solutions to our problems...We believe that the economic development of a country depends fundamentally as much on it's own efforts as upon it natural resources..."

"Our country practices the principle of self-development. By using exclusively our economic and financial resources we have financed at 120 million pesos ( and it is known that the Cuban peso is on a par with the American dollar) the retention of the surplus of our 1952 sugar crop; we have constructed during this year, 1953, more than 4,000 kilometers of feeder or side roads, hundreds of highways and several aqueducts and hospitals; we have acquired the United Railways of Havana from it's English owners for 13 million pesos and have spent more than 7 million pesos in it's rehabilitation which is now underway; we are dredging our ports; we are putting up at a cost of 14 million pesos, the First Central Hydroelectric Plant of the Hanabanilla River and are contemplating the investment of 15 million pesos in the establishment of glycerine and paper plants using sugar cane bagasse as raw material; we have organized the Financiera Nacional de Cuba, the Cuban Foreign Trade Bank, and are organizing the Cuban Institute of Technical Research; we are undertaking revision of our tariffs for the purpose of putting our obsolete Customs Tariffs in line with modern nomenclatures and techniques on the subject of protecting the economic development of a nation; and we have started a Plan of Economic and Social Development that represents an investment of 350 million pesos in 4 years. In observing this gigantic effort, which involves the mobilization of more that 500 million pesos without the cooperation up to the present time of any of the international credit agencies, the extent to which my Government is preoccupied by the need for combating unemployment in our country can be understood."

"We realize perfectly well that the role of leader of world democracy, at present being held by the United States of America, obliges it to undertake truly large commitments and burdens all over the world, ( post war Europe and Japan) but it should not loose sight of the fact that it's best friends are on this Continent."

"The economic and social welfare of the 170 million people who live south of the Rio Grande will be the most effective defense against foreign penetration. But at the same time, failure to look after that welfare would create a line of intensive and growing danger" (In 1948 G.G. commented to a relative that he feared that Cuba could become the first country in Latin America to fall into the hands of communism.)

Argentina Economic Conference 1954

In 1954 Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina as head of the Cuban delegation for a United Nations conference on commerce and employment. He was Minister of Finance at the time, a post he held from August 1, 1953 until 1955.

U.N. Technical Assistance 1952

The above photographs were taken (top) in December of 1952 and (bottom) on July 31, 1952 in the offices of Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez. He was president of the Junta Nacional de Economia (National Board of Economy) and Minister without Portfolio. The following year he would accept the post of Minister of Finance.

In the top photograph we see the United Nations envoys with the Cuban officials toasting. Gustavo's daughter, Yolanda who worked at the time as his Administrative Assistant, can be seen in the lower left hand corner. In the bottom photo we see Senator Miguel Suarez Fernandez, Jose Luis Avalos, Miguel Penabad among others. The reason for this gathering was the result of a United Nations mission on technical assistance for Cuba.

These offices were originally the residence of the former president of Cuba, Miguel Mariano Gomez. It is situated on the corner of Prado and Trocadero streets.

President Prio honors Int'l Bank of Reconstruction and Development 1950

On August 7, 1950 President Carlos Prío Socarrás honored the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development with a luncheon on the third floor of the Presidential Palace. Gathered for the luncheon with the President were the Prime Minister Dr. Manuel A. de Varona; Minister of Finance, José M. Bosch; Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Hevia; Minister of Public Works, Manuel Febles; President of the National Bank, Dr. Felipe Pazos; President of the National board of Economy (Junta Nacional de Economia), Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez; José Alvarez Diaz, José Camacho and others. Among the members of the Bank's delegation from Washington, D.C. were Francis A. Truslow, Mr. Russell, Mr. Wood, Mr.Stanley, Mr. Mather and Mr. Lees.

The report from the World Bank stated the following; August 16, 1951 – The Report of the Truslow mission to Cuba is transmitted to the Cuban government. (A preliminary version of this report was issued in January 1951.) The report was based on the Cuban survey mission, and advocated immediate privatization of Cuba’s railways. Francis Truslow Adams, President of the New York Curb Exchange, was the chief of the survey mission, which made a comprehensive survey of the Cuban economy. The privatization issue was given some urgency by the fear that the 1951 and 1952 sugar crops might suffer from inadequate transport. The primary problems with the existing railway systems included high costs, over-age, deferred maintenance, increasing labor costs, competition from highway transportation, obsolete and inefficient equipment and over-capitalization in relation to earnings or real asset value. (Cuba withdrew from IBRD membership on November 14, 1960.)

Dr. Gutiérrez is in the bottom photograph seated third from the left.

John Foster Dulles letter, 1950

On October 23, 1950 Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez sent a telegram to John Foster Dulles excusing himself from an invitation by Mr. and Mrs. Dulles to lunch with them at their country home due to a fever. Above please find the telegram from Dr. Gutiérrez to Mr. Dulles. At top is the response on October 25, 1950 by Mr. Dulles to Dr. Gutiérrez, who at the time was the President of the Cuban delegation to the United Nations, as well as, the president of the Economic Committee. Mr. Dulles was Secretary of State at the time.

I would venture to say that Secretary John Foster Dulles and the American delegation at the United Nations would have been pleased with Ambassador Gutiérrez's excellent work at the U.N. for the past three years, thus, perhaps, the invitation by Mr. Dulles to lunch with him and his wife.

GG Chairman U.N. Economic Committee 1950

Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez was unanimously appointed chairman of the Economic Committee of the United Nations for the 5th Session of the General Assembly in Flushing Meadows, New York in January, 1951. Dean Acheson was Secretary of State of the United States at the time. Dr. Gutérrez can be seen in the series of portraits in the bottom left hand corner of the photograph above. He's the only delegate wearing glasses.

The second document, "Personalidades de la Asamblea, Los Presidentes de las Comisiones" is a publication (October 15, 1950) introducing the new elected United Nations chairmen (presidentes) of various committees (comiciones). We see Dr. Roberto Urdaneta Arbeláez (Primera Comisión) of Colombia, Dr. Victor Andres Belaunde (Comisión Ad Hoc) of Peru and Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez (Segunda Comisión) of Cuba.

One month earlier in December of 1950 Dr. Gutiérrez attacked the Soviet Ambassador for his country's support of the Chinese invasion of Korea and for attempting to justify China's actions by misquoting the 1907 Convention of the Hague. Please see January 2009 blog entry "GG Attacks Soviet Vyshinski at the U.N. 1950" to read the article in the original Spanish and for a "remedial" English translation please see blog entry from March 2010, "GG Accuses Soviet Vyshinsky at the UN 1950."

GG Accuses Soviet Vishinsky at UN 1950

On December 19, 1950, Nicolas Rivero y Machado wrote an article for the Cuban newspaper, Avance, reporting that the head of the Cuban delegation to the Fifth General Assembly of United Nations, Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez, had accused the Soviet Ambassador, Andrei Vyshinsky of conducting himself like a circus clown and declared that, "the aggression in Korea by Red China doesn't only constitute a worrisome rupture in international security, creating a non-declared state of war between China and the United Nations, but rather is something graver that forms part, in my opinion, of a gigantic, bold and ambitious plan by Soviet-communist imperialism to impose communism in all the nations of the world." The reporter added that, "Gutiérrez is one of the few delegates in the United Nations, perhaps the only one, that has destroyed Vyshinsky's pseudo legal argument, putting the former Stalin prosecutor of the Trotsky purges of 1938 on the defensive."

For a better resolution of the above original Spanish article, please see blog entry from January 2009 "GG Attacks Soviet Vyshinsky at the UN, 1950." My apologies for a less than adequate English translation below.

"During these sessions both the Soviet Foreign Minister, the most agile and talented representative of the Soviet bloc, and the head of the Cuban delegation confronted one another on numerous occasions. In defense of the newly created "Acheson Plan," which authorized the General Assembly to take action in case of an act of aggression on the part of a member nation, thus over-riding the veto power of any Security Council member, in this case that of Soviet Ambassador Malik, Gutiérrez infuriated Vyshinsky when the former exposed the contempt the USSR has for smaller nations. Gutiérrez stated, "If Vyshinsky's criteria was allowed to prevail the world would fall back to the times of the Congress of Vienna when a handful of great powers and influential statesmen imposed their will over Europe and reorganized the map of Europe at their whim."

"In addition, Vyshinsky, whose sarcasm and cynicism didn't fail to unnerve American ambassador, Senator Warren Austin, and other delegates, was put in his place when Dr. Gutiérrez accused him of falsely interpreting the legal texts of the 1907 Convention of the Hague and by conducting himself like one of those circus clowns that plays those "now you see it, now you don't" parlor tricks. And when Vyshinsky had the audacity to read certain Articles of the Hague Convention to justify China's invasion of Korea, Gutiérrez, who possesses a thorough knowledge of international judicial law couldn't contain himself and exclaimed, "the legal passage he is quoting is not correct, it's incredible, without precedent, what this man is doing!" The following day, with the assistance of fellow Cuban diplomats Guy Perez-Cisneros, Dr. Herminio Rodriguez, eminent judicial expert and Colonel Borel, a specialist on the Hague, Dr. Gutiérrez embarrassed Vyshinsky by discrediting his claim. Before a stunned audience Gutiérrez exposed the fantastic falsification of legal texts by the Soviet delegate. Gutiérrez quoted from A.P. Higgins' book, Article VI of the Hague Convention and revealed that Mr. Vyshinsky had substituted the word "individually" with "separately" with the intention of justifying China's invasion of Korea."

"Dr. Gutiérrez added that Vyshinsky omitted Article IV which prohibits a neutral country from getting involved militarily. And finally destroyed Vyshinsky's futile attempts to fool the delegates present by reading Colonel Borel's report which states that Article IV is concordant with Article VI which Ambassador Vyshinsky neglected to mention, which prohibits the crossing of national boundaries en masse by foreign military."

"Vyshinsky's response, two days later, was quite weak. He recognized that, "the delegate from Cuba is a parliamentarian who has a way with words," but counterattacked Gutiérrez for citing texts in English and French and not in Spanish, explaining that Gutiérrez's argument was invalid since the translation from Russian to French was incorrect. The Cuban delegate smiled widely and didn't respond because everyone knows that the only official languages of the Hague are French and English. Later, Gutiérrez commented that it wasn't worth the effort prolonging a debate in which such an aggressive and intelligent adversary had become so soft and deficient."

When asked about the other members of the Cuban delegation Gutiérrez had nothing but praise for Carlos Blanco and Alberto Espinosa who shared with him the duties in the Committee on Politics. Cuba was a co-sponsor of various important resolutions; to authorize General Mc Carthur to go beyond the 38th parallel; demand that Peking withdraw it's troops from Korea, a similar resolution to the one Soviet ambassador Malik vetoed in December (1949) in the Security Council. According to the N.Y. Herald Tribune's correspondent Rogers, "Gustavo Gutiérrez has been the only delegate to expose Vyshinsky in the Committee on Politics.

Gutiérrez also praised Francisco Ichaso (Special Committee on Politics), ambassador Manuel Baraña and Herminio Rodriguez (Commission on Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs), Guy Perez-Cisneros (Commission on Fiduciary Affairs), José Miguel Ribas and Manuel Hevia (Commission on Administrative and Budget Affairs), Francisco Garcia Amador and José Manuel Cortina (Judicial Committee). Ambassador Gutiérrez, who was voted unanimously to preside over the Committee on Economics, also congratulated Julio Le Riverand for his work. In this committee an important proposal from Poland was debated regarding agrarian reform and the national rent, as well as, various proposals from Cuba: affects of commercial exchange on economic development; statistics on employment, sub-employment and unemployment and one very important proposal to underdeveloped countries such as Cuba who is trying to mechanize certain industries, ie., tobacco and it's affects on labor. "All of Cuba's proposals", Dr. Gutiérrez tells us, "were approved."

GG Didn't greet Gromyko #3 (daughters mobilize) 1949

Three of Gustavo's four daughters mobilized in Havana to "right the wrong" committed by The Associated Press and subsequently, el Diario de la Marina by reaching out to newspapers, magazines, university students and radio. The first letter below was written by daughter Yolanda (shown in the photograph above on the left) to her father on May 9, 1949, one day after el Diario de la Marina wrote it's scathing article, attacking Gustavo Gutiérrez, accusing him of greeting and congratulating Soviet ambassador Andrei Gromyko and calling him "un arribista de la diplomacia," (a diplomatic social climber) and referring to him as "ese Gutiérrez," (that Gutiérrez). Dr. Gutiérrez did not greet Gromyko since he was not on the General Assembly floor at the time. He was serving as Cuban (alternate) ambassador to the Security Council of the United Nations in Lake Placid, New York. Following Yolanda's letter will be letters written by the other two daughters, Marta and Berta, shown above, center and right, respectively, as well as one letter by Gustavo and one by his wife Dulce Maria.

The final outcome resulted in Spain not being admitted to the United Nations.

Letter excerpts from daughter Berta dated May 9, 1949. (Original Spanish)

Querido Papá,

Estamos muy interesados en saber si has logrado la rectificación del cable de la Associated Press o de la United Press. En algunos periódicos aparece como de la AP y en otros de UPI. Todo el ataque parece como de la AP y en otros de UPI. Todo el ataque parece basado en ese cable y, si tu logras que lo aclaren, le callas la boca a la Marina y a José Agustín Martínez.

?Qué te pareció el articulo del viejo verde ese? Marta te lo mandó temprano así como las notas que Lomberto Díaz al salir del despacho de Prío (Presidente de Cuba en ese momento). Alguien, en la sombra, esta tratando de ponerte a mal con Prío para que te destituya. ?Tu no puedes hablar con él o conocer su impresión sin que sea por medio de Hevia (Dr. Arturo Hevia). Este nunca estuvo completamente a tu lado.

!Sería todo tan distinto si estuvieras aquí! Nosotros hemos hecho todo lo imposible pero, a ratos, nos sentimos desconcertados y, como es natural, lo que podamos hacer es bien limitado. Podemos cumplir tus instrucciones pero no podemos influir con los "pejes gordos." Me imagino que tu estáras, probablemente, más al corriente del fondo del asunto.

"Mamabella" (madre de GG) me cuenta que "un señor" le dijo en el Biltmore que lo que pasaba era que ciertas personas habían influído con Prío para variar su política. No quiero ser más explícita por razones obvias. ?Como es posible que se cuenten estas cosas públicamente?

Manolito (Vidal, yerno de GG) fue esta mañana a ver a Quevedo (Director de la revista "Bohemia") pero todavía no había llegado a su oficina. Yolanda fue con Fili Rivero a la AP y le enseñaron el cable en inglés donde dice que tu saludaste a Gromyko. "Información" de hoy trae esa nota que te adjunto. Todavía no tengo "El Mundo." "La Marina" hace resaltar la nota de Lomberto Diaz sin mas comentarios. Anoche el locutor de CMQ (estación de radio) leyó la carta admirablemente y luego Pardo Llada también la repitió en su hora de la tarde esta vez completa y, a continuación, la declaración de la FEU (Federación Estudiantil Universitaria) que, por cierto, no ha aparecido en ningún periódico. El articulo de José A. Martinez pone en relieve su parentesco con Guillermo Belt. No puede estar peor escrito ni con mas malas intenciones. Afortunadamente. tiene muy pocos lectores. Lo que más me preocupa es que tu nombre quede bien y no como lo quieren poner. Estoy muy desilusionada con todo, papá. Aquí en Cuba todo es inútil."Palo porque bogas y palo porque no bogas." Los idealistas como tu podían buscarse, como el hombre de Diógenes, con una linterna. Me dicen que el editorial de "La Marina" lo escribió Gastón Baquero.

Anoche llamaron anónimamente por telefono a Jose (Montalvo, yerno de GG) y le dijeron: "Que no fuera tan guapo el Doctorcito Montalvo porque ellos no le tenían miedo a nada y sabían lo que tenían que hacer." De mas está decirte que no le hemos dado importancia alguna y lo hemos tirado a choteo. Si hubieras estado te hubieras divertido un poco porque, en medio de todo, siempre hay algo de risa. Nosotras tres (Berta, Marta y Yolanda) con Jose y Manolito nos hemos repartido lo que teníamos que hacer. Es un pequeño ejército organizado que funciona bien. Como te dijo Yolanda anoche, nunca se han cumplido tus órdenes con más rapidez.

Manolito acaba de llegar y me da las siguientes noticias: Núñez Pascual (periodista) le consiguió una entrevista con Quevedo a las 3:00 p.m. y con Lomberto Díaz a las 5:00 p.m. para aclarar la información. Habló ya con Lechuga (periodista) y éste dice que hará un comentario en la Sección "En Cuba" de Bohemia. Por medio de unos amigos de Manolito él se reunirá, a las 9:00 p.m., con la gente del Círculo Pro-Republica Española y Círculo de Miembros de Artes y Letras para ver si le mandan a Prío telegramas de felicitación por tu actuación.

Segunda carta de hija Berta. La Habana, mayo 9 de 1949.

"...Todo el mundo le da la razón a papá y ha sido muy criticada el actitud del Diario de La Marina; Pardo Llada leyó parte de la carta pero, en realidad, no tuvo tiempo de preparar nada. Nosotros queríamos que, hoy mismo se contestara el asunto. La COCO (estación de radio) la leyó íntegra y, por cierto muy bien. CMQ, con Cambó, la radiará a las 6:00 p.m. y, mañana, saldrá en todos los demás periódicos.

Cuando hablaron con Vasoncelos (Ramón, periodista) anoche, ya estaba preparando una nota que te la incluyo junto con la carta. Como notarás la enmendaron su poquito pero, ?quién no le quita la tijera a un periodista?...Los comentarios que llegan de la calle son criticando, duramente, a La Marina. Me parece que, "el señor", ha hecho un apelazo. Espero que los hayas recibido tan pronto como yo lo deseo."

Carta de hija Marta, La Habana mayo 11 de 1949.

"...Tu no sabes lo que me gustaría poderme sentar contigo y con mamá para con lujo detalles, poderles hacer los cuentos, que en medio del disgusto que pasamos, como todo en la vida tiene su parte cómica, esté también lo tuvo...Había que vernos a las siete de la noche encerrados en tu biblioteca. Ahí tomábamos acuerdo de lo que se había hecho, a quien había que ir a ver etc., con la misma cada uno salía para la calle a cumplir su cometido. Pero lo mas simpático de todo fué el domingo por la noche Manolito y Jose practicando esgrima en tu biblioteca, Yolanda se reía que lloraba. Bueno ya te contaremos mas cosas cuando te veamos...Ayer martes a las tres estaba citado (Manolito) con Quevedo el de (revista) Bohemia. Inmediatamente fue recibido y dice lo trató con un cariño bárbaro y que le habló de ti por las nubes. Ya tenia hecho un trabajo sobre el caso cuando Manolito le habló y te mandó a decirte que Bohemia estaba a tu disposición para lo que tu quisieras...De Quevedo Manolito se consiguió una entrevista con Lomberto Díaz en el Senado, y lo estuvo esperando hasta que se terminó la sesión. El habló con el y le dijo: "Yo soy el hijo del Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez y lo vengo a ver para que me explique en que Ud. se basa para hacer las declaraciones del periódico. El señor le dijo que no había dado a la prensa esa nota, que el salía del despacho del Presidente cuando los periodistas le interrogaron si él creía que se había excedido el Dr. Gutiérrez en lo de Gromyko, a lo que él contestó que sí. Entonces Manolito que llevaba con él la copia del cable de la A.P. le dijo: Yo quisiera que Ud. me hiciera el favor de leer este cable. El señor cambió de color mil veces, llamó a los demás Senadores y les leyó el cable. Le pidió mil disculpas a Manolito, que él te estimaba mucho, que iba a hablar hoy en el Senado a favor tuyo, que te mandaría una carta dándote una explicación y además le pidió a Manolito el cable para llevarselo a Prío."

Tercera carta de hija Berta. La Habana, viernes 13 de mayo de 1949.

Querido Papá,

Acabo de comprar "Bohemia" y me he dad un baño de flores. No necesita comentarios. Pero el "asunto" no ha terminado todavía. Nos han dicho que José I. Rivero quiere vernos el domingo en la playa (Habana Yacht Club) para darnos una explicación. Yo no creo nada de lo que me dicen hasta comprobarlo. "Nosotros no admitimos explicaciones privadas sino públicas, en el mismo espacio, lugar y con el mismo tipo de letra con que se publicó el editorial de marras," le contesté a la persona que me vino con el recadito. Rivero "dice" que él quisiera escribir algo sobre todo ésto y que lo haría con mucho gusto si hubiera un cable de la AP que desmintiera claramente que no habías sido tu el del saludo. Como el cable existe y lo han archivado muy cuidadosamente recortándole las últimas palabras, esta mañana fuimos Yolanda y yo a buscar una copia. Me costó Dios y ayuda conseguirla...pero lo logramos.

Lo más importante del cable para nosotros, que ellos recortaron y todos los periódicos callaron, fue lo siguiente: "Reporter said today he could not be certain it was Gutiérrez and that wrong identification was an honest mistake."

Se lo voy a mandar a Rivero...Ellos pueden atacar la política internacional de la Cancillería, pueden ser franquistas y todo lo que les dé la gana, pero no tienen ningún derecho a insultarte a ti en la forma que lo han hecho.

Si la Asamblea (ONU) aprueba la moción, o lo que sea, en contra de Franco todavía nos daremos más gusto. Es una pena que Prío se haya puesto en evidencia. Tenemos muchísimas ganas de que llegues. Probablemente se organice una recepción por los republicanos españoles. No hay nada seguro todavía. Me imagino el trabajo que habrás tenido los últimos días y la excitación que tendrás hoy con el debate de España. Cuánto nos gustaría poder oír todos los cuentos.

Pensamos poner los anuncios en el "Avance," "El Pais," y "Prensa Libre" del sábado por la tarde y en "Información," "El Mundo," y "El Pais" del domingo por la mañana anunciando la transmisión del disco (?) por Union Radio. Todo esto si llega hoy a tiempo "la platica" porque tenemos una brujería horrorosa. Los anuncios serán parecidos en tamaño, etc., a los que hacía Chibás para su hora del domingo. ?Te parece bien?

Recibe un cariñoso abrazo de tu hija No. 1

Berta

Carta de Gustavo Gutiérrez a sus yernos.

The Essex House, 19 Central Park South, New York City

Mayo 15 de 1949

Sres. José R. Montalvo y Manuel Vidal

Mis queridos yernos: En lugar de dedicar el domingo a descansar de una de las semanas de mas trabajo de mi vida, les hago estas líneas para darles una vez más las gracias más expresivas por la actividad y buena voluntad desplegadas en el caso de España. No necesito decir que hago extensivo ese agradecimiento a mis cuatro hijas. Este incidente ha servido para demostrar todo lo que valen. Me siento realmente orgulloso de cada uno de Uds.

Aquí se ha trabajado hasta las dos y las tres de la mañana con objeto de terminar la conferencia ayer. Pero fue imposible. Los casos de España y de las colonias italianas se han enredado de mala manera, y se estancaron. Se está trabajando activamente por solucionar los "impasses" y, probablemente, se terminará entre lunes y martes.

El caso de España es particularmente interesante, porque a muchas Delegaciones les ha pasado lo que a la nuestra. Franco ha movido su cuerpo diplomático, a través de los hombres de negocios y de los especuladores, y parece que ha ofrecido grandes perspectivas, a cambio de votos en las Nciones Unidas. En la Delegación de los Estados Unidos ha habido mar de fondo, porque quisieron llevarla a votar a favor de Franco. La reacción de Mrs. Roosevelt, John Foster Dulles y Benjamin Cohen, fue tan grande que el Secretario de Estado Acheson ha tenido que hacer declaraciones contrarias a Franco. En Cuba pasa algo raro alrededor del Presidente Prío, por cya razón les pedí que no transmitieran el disco. Ya hablaremos, cuando llegue a ésa el primero del mes entrante, cuando esperemos estar de regreso. (Mas tarde se supo que Prío tuvo un documento sobre su escritorio para despedir a Gutiérrez de su cargo antes la O.N.U. pero se negó a firmarla.)

Carta de Maria Vianello, esposa de Gustavo Gutiérrez

New York

Domingo 15 de mayo de 1949

3:00 p.m.

Mis queridas hijas Berta, Marta, Yolanda y Mariíta:

Esta mañana, cuando tomamos el desayuno nos llegó la carta de Berta con el recorte de Bohemia. Quisiera que hubieran palabras suficientes explicativas para poderles decir cuan grande es la satisfacción y el orgullo que sentimos Gustavo y yo respecto a uds. seis, incluyendo a Jose y Manolito. Al leer en Bohemia el párrafo que se refiere a la actuación de uds. todos, y la llamada a mi por teléfono, a mi se me saltaron las lágrimas, a tu padre se le ahogó la voz y tuvo que suspender, por un segundo, la lectura...

...Yo estoy tristísima porque el disco no haya podido salir en la hora radial de hoy por la mañana; pero por ciertas declaraciones hechas en los periódicos y consejos de algunos de aquí, diplomáticamente fue necesario suspenderlo. Ya les explicaremos en ésa.

...No dejen de darle a Vasconcelos la copia exacta del cable de la Associated Press para ver si se puede publicar junto con el artículo de Gustavo para que puedan ver la maldad del Diario de la Marina. A este se le acabó lo de "periódico serio" pues se ha vuelto el primer calumniador de la República...

Hay una gran expectación para mañana cuando empiece la votación del caso de España en la Asamblea General. Imagínense uds. que si se aprueba la votación en contra de Franco, Gustavo Gutiérrez va a ser el hombre más feliz de la tierra. Ha recibido y sigue recibiendo una cantidad enorme de cables y cartas felicitandolo por su civismo y por sus discursos. Entre ellos están los de Agustín Cruz, Senador, Círculo Republicano Español, Dr. F. Sordo, antiguo amigo de tu padre que no se hace 15 años, la FEU, y muchos más que no recuerdo...Ojalá organicen los Republicanos una recepción para cuando llegue Gustavo. Ya era hora que dejen de comer bola.

Carta de hija Marta La Habana 16 de mayo de 1949

Mi querido Papi:

"Te escribo ésta, pues hoy lunes por la mañana tempranito llamó el intermediario de Pepín Rivero, que Yoyo y yo le hemos puesto Mr. X, pues Berta no nos quiere decir quien es"..."lo de más es que este Mr. X le dijo a Berta que personas influyentes, a lo que yo supongo es Guillermo Belt, le estaban haciendo una fuerte presión a José Ignacio, para que siguiera atacándote en La Marina, prometiéndole una fotografía tuya saludando a Gromyko, a lo que Berta le contestó que nosotras no teníamos nada que decir ni tratar con ese señor y que ese asunto ella te lo dejaba a tí para que tu decidieras. Yo no he visto canallada más grande en mi vida, y estoy segura que el que está haciendo presión con José Ignacio es Guillermo Belt..."

AHora mismo nos llamó Núñez Pascual que en la pagina de Tiempo en Cuba quieren publicar esta semana en Bohemia tu biografía. No te quiero contar que entre Villar (secretario de GG) y Yolanda están dando carreras para ver que más datos pueden recopilar. Papi, dejame rectificar que no es Tiempo en Cuba sino la Marcha del Tiempo. Aqui nos volvemos locos cuando nos llaman para pedirnos algo, pues todo es un corre-corre fenómeno. Dice Yolanda que mal rico te pele por no haberle dejado tu biografía y que ya es hora que te que hagas una, palabras textuales.

El otro día cuando comimos en casa de Batista, me dijo que te dijera: "Estoy indignado con lo del Diario de La Marina, lo que han hecho con tu padre no tiene nombre, dile que a él le pueden decir cualquier cosa menos "ese Gutiérrez," que ese Gutiérrez tiene un nombre y de mucho prestigio," Entonces me llamó aparte y me dijo que si por este asunto Prío te sacaba del puesto, que entonces él tenía que hablar muy seriamente contigo. Ahora, antes de llegar uno a casa de Batista como a unos metros de la portada, hay una perseguidora del Ejército a la derecha y a la izquierda unos cuantos soldados con armas largas. Te paran la maquina, te preguntan quien eres y de donde eres. Lo apuntan en un papel y te dicen que siga, que te parece. Yo le llamaría a esto DICTADURA. El otro día pararon a Vasconcelos, Ministro del Gobierno y éste le dijo al soldado: "Soy Ramón Vasconcelos, Ministro del Gobierno y Director de Alerta y vengo a ver al General porque soy amigo de él. Dígaselo así a Genovevo." Como ves la situación está muy fea. Tu sabes lo que hacen Concheso, Benitoa, etc., cuando los soldados le preguntan quienes son? Le dan el nombre de un Autentico. No te quiero contar el rollo que se va a formar. Yo me imagino que como se está yendo tanta gente con Batista de todos los partidos, inclusive Auténticos, le han cogido miedo al hombre y el imbécil del gordo, quiera hacer un chequeo para ver quienes son los que van allá. Ya Batista puso su oficina en la calle 4 y la misma quinta avenida, la casa que hace esquina.

Bueno Papi te dejo por hoy, pues ya no tengo más nada interesante que contarte. Recibe muchos besos de los cuatro, tu hija que te quiere,

Marta.