U.N. speech against Franco #1 1949

The article above, written by Carlos M. Lechuga, appeared in the magazine Bohemia in 1949. In the photographs we see from left to right Alberto Inocente Alvarez with Gustavo Gutiérrez; the American ambassador, Waren R. Austin; the journalist Carlos M. Lechuga with Ambassador Alvarez; Mr. Lechuga with Soviet ambassador Yakov Malik. Finally we see the historic photograph of the final vote for the creation of the state of Israel. Cuba was presiding over the Security Council for this historic occasion.

1948-49 were very important and crucial years for the newly created United Nations. This young international organization was confronted with many difficult post war challenges. The Cold War was intensifying, the Marshall Plan was in full swing, the crisis in Berlin was still tense, the creation of the state of Israel had just taken place, the inclusion of Franco's Spain into this international body was coming up for debate, etc. In March of 1949, Cuba presided over the Security Council sessions for one month, as rotating member of said council until 1951. Alberto I. Alvarez was at the time head of the Cuban delegation and Gustavo Gutiérrez was sub-head or alternate (both pictured above, left). In May Dr. Gutiérrez would assume the presidency of the Cuban delegation where he would deliver a passionate speech against the inclusion of Franco's fascist government into that world body. Below is the speech in the original Spanish.

In May of 1949, Gustavo Gutierrez was the head of the Cuban delegation at the United Nations. Spain was attempting to join the international body and had been denied entrance due to it's fascist government under Generalisimo Francisco Franco. Spain's inclusion was gaining support by certain member nations, among them Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, and Dr. Gutiérrez gave a speech supporting the continued exclusion of Franco's Spain into the United Nations.