1988 Fidel Castro autograph letter signed (military instructions during the Angolan Civil War)
SKU:
£2,350.00
£2,350.00
per item
Fidel Castro, four page ALS "F", to generals Ochoa and Polo; giving tactical instructions for the military campaign during Cuba's 1988 intervention in Angola. Very good condition with fold lines, staple holes and related rust stains along the top edge. One section crossed out but still legible. The US diplomat and Soviet spy, Maurice Halperin, affirms in his book Return to Havana that these messages sent by Castro to the Angolan front were classified top secret.
Following their original military intervention in 1975, Castro once again agreed to join a Soviet-led People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) offensive against the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). The campaign against UNITA, who were supported by South Africa and the United States, culminated in the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. Fought intermittently between August 1987 and March 1988 the Battle ended with an inconclusive military outcome; both sides suffered heavy casualties and claimed victory. History credits the Battle with ushering in the first round of trilateral negotiations, mediated by the United States, which secured the withdrawal of Cuban and South African troops from Angola and Namibia by 1991.
Leopoldo "Polo" Cintra Frias (born 1941) was the time Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces at the time of this letter; Arnoldo Ochoa Sanchez (1930-1989) was a prominent Cuban general, later executed for corruption related to the sale of diamonds and ivory from Angola and the misappropriation of weapons in Nicaragua.
Following their original military intervention in 1975, Castro once again agreed to join a Soviet-led People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) offensive against the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). The campaign against UNITA, who were supported by South Africa and the United States, culminated in the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. Fought intermittently between August 1987 and March 1988 the Battle ended with an inconclusive military outcome; both sides suffered heavy casualties and claimed victory. History credits the Battle with ushering in the first round of trilateral negotiations, mediated by the United States, which secured the withdrawal of Cuban and South African troops from Angola and Namibia by 1991.
Leopoldo "Polo" Cintra Frias (born 1941) was the time Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces at the time of this letter; Arnoldo Ochoa Sanchez (1930-1989) was a prominent Cuban general, later executed for corruption related to the sale of diamonds and ivory from Angola and the misappropriation of weapons in Nicaragua.
1 available
Translated in full:
"Ochoa and Polo:
We must remain in the next few hours and days in a state of maximum alert while awaiting a possible reaction from the enemy. We must pay special attention to Namibe [Angolan province]. It is also advisable to think about where the next ships using anti-aircraft defences will land. Maybe it would be useful to think about the sweet spot depending on what will happen in the coming days. You must be prepared to hit the enemy bases north of Namibe hard. For this also we must decide on the most practical: will it be necessary to strike simultaneously several targets or only the main one but with force, causing the maximum damage in vital forces by destruction and massacre. Perhaps this last solution will be the most practical so that our pilots can move forward. I would like to know your opinion on this subject. However, you should not rule out the possibility of hitting two or three points simultaneously if you can ensure your safety. That is to say, prepare for a massive air strike from the enemy. In this case, we must raise the possibility that we commit more living forces to destroy the enemy. The R. hydroelectric complex will be targeted first, or later, depending on the various situations that may arise. Although, logically, in the event of a serious enemy attack, we will have to hit military targets as a priority. We have already given a first answer. For now, it's up to them to decide if they want to take it into account or if they want to continue escalating.
Greetings,
F. "
"Ochoa and Polo:
We must remain in the next few hours and days in a state of maximum alert while awaiting a possible reaction from the enemy. We must pay special attention to Namibe [Angolan province]. It is also advisable to think about where the next ships using anti-aircraft defences will land. Maybe it would be useful to think about the sweet spot depending on what will happen in the coming days. You must be prepared to hit the enemy bases north of Namibe hard. For this also we must decide on the most practical: will it be necessary to strike simultaneously several targets or only the main one but with force, causing the maximum damage in vital forces by destruction and massacre. Perhaps this last solution will be the most practical so that our pilots can move forward. I would like to know your opinion on this subject. However, you should not rule out the possibility of hitting two or three points simultaneously if you can ensure your safety. That is to say, prepare for a massive air strike from the enemy. In this case, we must raise the possibility that we commit more living forces to destroy the enemy. The R. hydroelectric complex will be targeted first, or later, depending on the various situations that may arise. Although, logically, in the event of a serious enemy attack, we will have to hit military targets as a priority. We have already given a first answer. For now, it's up to them to decide if they want to take it into account or if they want to continue escalating.
Greetings,
F. "