MOM
ACTION
DEPARTMENT O F S T A T E
4*.
,1 • •••
pel,
2- &##Z^
FORQ&
A-818
TO
ONLY
CONFIDENTIAL
HANDLING
5
USE
INDICATOR/
?
1
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
INFO
: Amembassy
PRAGUE
iRAHCH
FROM
: Amembassy
RIO DE JANEIRO
DATE:
866
M A R > C H
k$
J-966
SUBJECT : MemCon w i t h Czechoslovakia]! O f f i c i a l s
REF
RMY
CIA
Enclosed i s a memorandum o f c o n v e r s a t i o n between Embassy
3 _
3 /
~1
o f f i c e r s and t h e Commercial C o u n s e l l o r and A d m i n i s t r a t i v e
775 Cj
O f f i c e r o f t h e Czech Embassy.
I n i t t h e Commercial C o u n s e l l o r
expresses h i s a d m i r a t i o n f o r t h e C a s t e l l o Branco government
and b o t h Czech o f f i c i a l s t a k e a "pragmatic" view o f communism.
CM
Q
C
oI
Enclosure:
As s t a t e d ,
(X.
CD
o
L_
J
CONFIDENTIAL
lewis ces:
J)
/
POL:FCCarl^i
POL:MVKrebsi
t
eIc
F O R DE
C o n t e n t s and C l a s s i f i c a t i o n Approved by:
3-3-66
Charge:P.Raine
USE ONLY
^
CONFIDENTIAL
E n c l o s u r e t o A-fryJ?
Rio de J a n e i r o
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION
SUBJECT
Najman's Views on B r a z i l i a n Government
DATE: F e b r u a r y 2 6 , 1 9 6 6
PLACE
Residence o f EmbOff Edmund Andrews
PARTICIPANTS:
J a r o m i r Najman,
Pavel Voda,
Commercial C o u n s e l l o r ,
Czechoslovakian Embassy
Administrative Officer,
Czechoslovakian Embassy
Frank C. C a r l u c c i , F i r s t S e c r e t a r y
Edmund L. Andrews, Embassy A t t a c h e
1.
Najman t o l d t h e r e p o r t i n g o f f i c e r t h a t he was f o r m e r l y head
of t h e s e c t i o n on underdeveloped c o u n t r i e s i n t h e Czechoslovakian
M i n i s t r y o f Trade, i n which c a p a c i t y he had a t t e n d e d t h e r e c e n t
Trade and Development Conference. He expressed a d m i r a t i o n f o r a
speech by U n d e r s e c r e t a r y B a l l i n which t h e l a t t e r c a l l e d on t h e
underdeveloped c o u n t r i e s t o assume more r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r t h e i r own
progress.
2.
Najman had h i g h p r a i s e f o r t h e e f f o r t s o f t h e C a s t e l l o
Branco government t o b r i n g about economic and s o c i a l r e f o r m i n B r a z i l ,
s t a t i n g t h a t t h i s i s t h e o n l y Government t h a t "has ever t r i e d t o
s t r a i g h t e n t h e s i t u a t i o n o u t ' . He s i n g l e d o u t Roberto-Campos and
O t a v i o Gouveia da BulhOes as e x t r e m e l y capable men who are f o l l o w i n g
an e n l i g h t e n e d p o l i c y . I n Najman's judgment i t w i l l t a k e a n o t h e r
t h r e e o r f o u r y e a r s , however, b e f o r e t h e B r a z i l i a n economy can become
f u l l y s t a b i l i z e d . Najman spoke p r i n c i p a l l y i n economic terms and h i s
r e s p e c t f o r t h e p r e s e n t B r a z i l i a n Government appeared genuine. A t
one p o i n t he asked t h e r e p o r t i n g o f f i c e r whether C a s t e l l o Branco was
r e a l l y / ^ p a b l e as i t appears o r whether he j u s t has e x t r e m e l y good
a d v i s o r s . The r e p o r t i n g o f f i c e r r e p l i e d t h a t C a s t e l l o Branco and h i s
a d v i s o r s were a l l competent l e a d e r s .
3. Najman appeared t o be g e n u i n e l y i n t e r e s t e d i n i n c r e a s i n g
t r a d e w i t h B r a z i l . He s t a t e d t h a t Czechoslovakia p r e s e n t l y buys more
from B r a z i l t h a t i t e x p o r t s t o B r a z i l . He has had c o n s i d e r a b l e
d i f f i c u l t y i n c o n v i n c i n g Czechoslovakian m a n u f a c t u r e r s t h a t t h e y
should s e t up s u b s i d i a r i e s i n L a t i n America and i s convinced t h a t t h i s
i s one reason t h a t American c o m p e t i t i o n has beaten o u t t h e Czechs i n
c e r t a i n f i e l d s ( i . e . p e n c i l s ) . Over t h e l o n g - r u n Najman sees B r a z i l
as an e x t r e m e l y i m p o r t a n t market and i s c o n f i d e n t t h a t he can i n c r e a s e
Czechoslovakian i n v e s t m e n t here.
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
E n c l o s u r e t o APage 2
Rio de J a n e i r o
g/£
4. I n a subsequent c o n v e r s a t i o n b o t h Najman and Voda c l a i m e d
t h e y t o o k an e x t r e m e l y p r a c t i c a l v i e w o f communism. Pure communism,
t h e y a d m i t t e d , seems t o p r o v i d e s i m p l e answers t o t h e problems o f
t h e w o r l d and i s t h e r e f o r e a t t r a c t i v e t o s t u d e n t s . However once
people e n t e r i n t o c o n t a c t w i t h r e a l i t y t h e y r e a l i z e t h a t pure
communism, l i k e pure c a p i t a l i s m , must be m o d i f i e d i f i t i s t o p r o duce r e s u l t s .
CONFIDENTIAL