Mr. President, it is a great honour for me to convey to you the congratulations of my Government on your well deserved election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifteenth session.
190. The brilliant and constructive work which the Irish delegation has accomplished in this world Organization, and the unquestionable personal qualifications and the energy and equanimity which have always been characteristic of your decisions, are excellent auguries for the successful outcome of the important labours of this Assembly.
191. At the opening meetings of this great world Assembly year after year for the last fifteen years, we who have been responsible for the conduct of the international policy of each country have expressed, almost in the same words, the desires of our people for the full observance of human rights, respect for the integrity and independence, of nations, and the eradication of ignorance, fear and misery; in a word, we have expressed the desire to live in peace with justice and freedom. At these opening meetings year after year we have, on behalf of our Governments and peoples, expressed with unquestionable sincerity the most profound faith in the world Organization and the most staunch support for the lofty principles and ideals which guide it, always in the hope that its high purposes and aims will be achieved for the benefit of all mankind. Today, on behalf of the Government and people of Guatemala, I once again reaffirm those ideas and feelings.
192. I believe though that the moment has come to say something more and to call a spade a spade. A harsh reality has begun to appear on the horizon for all peoples. On the one hand, we find the world divided into two large antagonistic ideological groups without any solutions having been found up to now to ensure their peaceful and lasting coexistence. On the other hand, we see that the great scientific and technical advances of the present era, far from serving legitimate desires for peace, security and economic and social betterment, tend to be used for purposes of threat and intimidation and as ways of solving disputes which rightfully should be resolved only by the principles and rules of international law.
193. This harsh reality has lately tended to acquire a dramatic character in America, the so-called continent of peace. Peoples who ever since the beginning of the second quarter of the past century have, with the staunchest possible faith in their destiny, been making great efforts to build up an ordered system of juridical bonds so that they might be able to continue to live together in peace, have now begun to experience intervention in their internal affairs by an extra-continental Power. This endangers not only their peaceful relations, but also their traditional institutions that give effect to legal systems for the defence of freedom and the moral dignity of man, which in America constitute the highest good.
194. After the First World War, when, with the advent of the totalitarian systems, the conflict of ideologies began, the American peoples kept faith with their traditional principles and unhesitatingly took the side of those who were defending the freedom and dignity of man, so that the threats of intervention by extracontinental Powers were never carried out. However, after the Second World War, when the gigantic conflict of ideologies now taking place in the world began to grow more acute, the American people no longer received mere threats of intervention, but were subjected to the effects of a co-ordinated plan of violence and subversion aimed at changing their democratic institutions into a totalitarian, materialistic and atheistic system, a system which attempts to establish dominance not only over nations but also over the innermost thoughts of their citizens.
195. No one can be unaware of the fact that international communism, with important bases of operation on the island of Cuba, is attempting to establish its influence over the other peoples of the American hemisphere. No one can be unaware of the fact that the Soviet Union has offered Cuba all kinds of military assistance, and that it is rendering such assistance, as well as economic and technical co-operation, with the perverse intention of destroying the liberties and fundamental freedoms of the other American peoples.
196. This is the ominous reality which is beginning to confront the American peoples. This is the dramatic ideological division of the world, viewed from the standpoint of the American continent.
197. Guatemala’s position in this regard has been perfectly clear and well-defined. As my country is aware of its responsibilities, respects its international commitments and is faithful to the ideals of the United Nations Charter and to the great principles that enable nations to live together in peace, it has always endeavoured to maintain the most cordial relations with all countries of the world, and especially with its sister nations of the American continent. That is why, when the present Cuban régime came into power, Guatemala on various occasions reaffirmed its policy of neutrality and non-interference in the internal affairs of that island and did not allow its territory to be used for any kind of activity directed against that Government; it did this in the hope that relations between the two countries would continue on the traditional plane of friendship and mutual respect that is proper to and characteristic of the American peoples. We can only regret however, that the Cuban Government has not appreciated this friendly attitude on the part of Guatemala. Quite the contrary, it has responded with all kinds of unfriendly acts; it has made calumnious attacks against the Guatemalan Government; and it has fomented agitation and subversion by small communist groups on our national territory which have led to disturbances that were, however, rapidly brought under control. I must place on record the fact that in due course Guatemala informed the Council of the Organization of American States of these regrettable acts and repeatedly sent vigorous protests and warnings to the Cuban Government. Having obtained no positive results, it was obliged to recall its diplomatic representatives from Cuba.
198. There is, however, something even more serious. The Cuban Government, already publicly moving within the Soviet orbit, continues to intervene openly in the internal affairs of Guatemala and affords assistance to those who are preparing aggression against it.
199. We have proof that the communist ex-President, Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán, is receiving all kinds of economic and military aid from the Cuban Government in preparing an invasion force to overthrow the present Guatemalan Government. Fortunately, the Guatemalan Government can count on the unanimous support and unstinting efforts of all social classes in the country and is prepared to repel any attempt at aggression. During the recent celebrations which took place in Sierra Maestra in Cuba in commemoration of 26 July, the communist ex-President of Guatemala, Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán, was seated on the dais together with the Cuban leaders and on that occasion said, amid the applause of the highest officials in that Government and directing his remarks to the assembled crowd, that he would soon be in the Guatemalan Government Palace speaking to his beloved people. The thousand men who are being trained in Camagüey province by Cuban communist leaders to invade my country are a living proof of the truth of these words. I make this public denunciation in order to place on record what may happen later. If this is not intervention, I should like to ask what is.
200. At the Seventh Meeting of Consultation of the American Ministers of Foreign Affairs, which was held at San José, Costa Rica, in August 1960, there; was issued the Declaration of San José, and when signing the extremely important resolution which was then adopted, the Guatemalan delegation had the following statement included in the Final Act: "The Delegation of Guatemala, in voting in favour of the Declaration of San José, Costa Rica, does so in an eminently American spirit, although it is convinced that the action of the Government of the Republic of Cuba in adopting a policy disposed toward the Soviet Union and contrary to the inter-American system is jeopardizing the peace and the security of America, and that the American states would have been justified in assuming a stronger attitude in order to protect the interests of the hemisphere, in compliance with the Charter, agreements, and resolutions of the Organization of American States."
201. In acting in this way, my country believed that. it had a sacred duty to defend the great achievements of the inter-American system on behalf of legality, liberty, security and justice in America, for it is convinced that only under such conditions should economic and social development designed to raise the levels of living of our peoples be pursued.
202. Guatemala considers that the regional organizations have their proper place and that the authority they exercise in resolving problems which do not exceed their sphere of action is binding on all their members. It therefore does not accept the argument put forward by some members of the present Cuban régime that the resolutions adopted by the Organization of American States are "soggy scraps of paper", and I should like once again, before this great world Assembly, to place on record our strongest possible condemnation of the attempt by the Soviet Union to interfere in American affairs.
203. The present Government of Guatemala is a popularly elected, constitutional government which provides complete safeguards to persons and property without discrimination of any kind. It raises its voice in protest today not only because it has been the victim of the first aggression perpetrated by the Cuban régime, but also because, in compliance with its duty of continental solidarity, it wishes to warn of the danger confronting its sister nations of the continent. If, moreover, the present state of affairs should continue after all the resources of our regional machinery have been exhausted, it hopes that the United Nations will bring its moral force to bear in order to maintain peace and justice and to prevent totalitarian aggression and the enslavement of the millions of human beings who still live a. free life in America. This hope of my country is based on its profound faith in the United Nations, whose efforts to check aggression are still too fresh in the memory of all of us for me to have to recall them.
264. In one of the statements made last week, mention was made of the case of Guatemala, and yesterday [872nd meeting], the Cuban Prime Minister, Mr. Fidel Castro, in his brief five-hour speech, again mentioned the case of Guatemala, the implication being that my country has been the victim of aggression by a Power of the continent, I must state plainly that this is absolutely false.
205. It was the people of Guatemala who in June 1954 fought a battle of liberation to overthrow a communist type government dominated by an anarchistic group of leaders which had destroyed all fundamental freedoms. And, since we are speaking of freedom, the Government and people of Guatemala, through me and before the world, raise their voices to send to the valiant Hungarian people, vilely massacred by the soldiers and tanks of the hammer and sickle, the expression of our sympathy and hope.
206. Yesterday, we were aggrieved and pained to note that Mr. Fidel Castro, who spoke to us, as I have already, said, for five hours on imperialism, disarmament, monopolies, war-mongers and so many other important problems which afflict mankind, failed to mention one, and only one, of these problems: that of the millions of human beings who are at present groaning and suffering under communist Governments.
207. I should also like to place on record that the love of freedom and justice prevails in Guatemala and impels us to improve the economic and social lot of our peoples within a developing régime which is based on the rule of law and which guarantees to everyone peace and security of person and property. I should like to place on record that Washington, Bolivar and San Martin, great fighters all for American freedom, also drank from these crystal-clear waters. We of Guatemala do not wish to imbibe the mineral water which was so joyfully offered to us in this hall by the Soviet Union representative, a mineral water that enslaves and poisons.
208. My country wishes to place on record that it most decidedly supports the action which the United Nations is carrying out in the Republic of the Congo in accordance with the. resolutions adopted by the Security Council on 14 and 22 July and 9 August 1960, and by the Assembly at its emergency session [resolution 1474 (ES-IV)] a few days ago.
209. I should like to take this opportunity to express Guatemala’s gratitude to the Secretary-General for the prompt and impartial way in which he has directed the work of re-establishing and maintaining law and order throughout that young Republic. This effort, by excluding direct and unilateral action by States, will, if it is supplemented by the programme of assistance suggested by the Secretary-General himself, redound to the benefit of international peace and security and the future and well-being of the inhabitants of that region.
210. I must state that Guatemala maintains unchanged its position in regard to the problem of colonialism and will always give its support to every effort to settle such problems within the United Nations and in accordance with the basic objectives of the Trusteeship System as set out and defined in Article 1 and Chapter XII of the Charter of the United Nations — or, in other words, with due regard, among other things, to the furtherance of international, peace and security and to the promotion of the political, economic, social and educational advancement of the inhabitants of the Trust Territories and their progressive development towards self-government or independence and — something very important — to the encouragement of respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion, and the encouragement of recognition of the interdependence of the peoples of the world. Guatemala is convinced that only by faithful compliance with those objectives and purposes will the peoples who have already attained independence, or sure shortly to do so, be able successfully to consolidate their own institutions and achieve the happiness and prosperity of their citizens.
211. It was with these principles in mind and in a spirit of international co-operation, that Guatemala took part in the Trusteeship Council and the Committee on Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories and that it is now participating in the Committee on South West Africa.
212. I regard it as a duty to reaffirm before the Assembly that the Guatemalan delegation, in carrying out the honourable tasks which also devolve upon it as a member of the Commission on Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources, will continue to take as its sole guide the principles and objectives of the United Nations Charter and the fundamental interests and the social, economic and cultural betterment of all peoples.
213. My country has viewed with the greatest satisfaction the recent admission to this Organization of fourteen States which have just embarked on an independent life. I should like on behalf of the people and the Government of Guatemala, to take this opportunity to convey to these new Members a cordial welcome and to express every wish for the progress and welfare of their inhabitants.
214. We regret that the United Nations has not yet found a formula whereby such nations as Germany, Korea and Viet-Nam could be reunified and admitted to the Organization as befits peoples united by common aspirations and an identity of origin, language and customs. These nations should be allowed to decide their own destiny by means of a free plebiscite supervised by the United Nations.
215. As a partisan of international peace and harmony, Guatemala would welcome a relaxation of the tension which exists in certain regions, particularly the Middle East and Africa, where co-operation among the various races would be of considerable importance for the development of nations that have been called upon to play an important part in the world’s future.
216. In view of the constantly increasing number of Members of the United Nations, Guatemala considers that amendments are called for in the Charter, particularly with regard to the number of members in the various Councils, so that the new States might be adequately represented.
217. Guatemala is not, however, in favour of altering the structure of the Secretariat in the way proposed by the Soviet Union, that is to say, by the appointment of three persons to head it representing, respectively, the Soviet bloc, the Western bloc, and the so-called neutral Powers. It considers that the Secretariat, as the executive organ of the United Nations, should be capable of speedy and effective action, since it was intended to take action whenever world peace was imperilled. Under the proposed collective structure, however, any decision would be weakened unless unanimity was reached, and thus the veto, which has so many times paralysed effective action by the Security Council, would be extended to the Secretariat.
218. As it has already done on innumerable occasions before this Assembly, Guatemala reserves all its rights with regard to the territory of Belize and places on record its most vigorous protest against the injustice committed by a large and powerful nation, a principal Member of the world Organization, against another country, a small and weak one, in occupying a large part of that country’s territory by force of arms in violation of the principles of international law. Guatemala once more comes before this Organization to ask its moral support and its co-operation in redressing that injustice, and it does so in the certainty that one of the fundamental purposes of the United Nations is to prevent large and powerful States from depriving small and weak States of their rights by force.
219. The panorama offered to us by certain branches of human activity in the contemporary world is truly awe-inspiring. During the course of the present century the increased effectiveness of human efforts in the scientific and technical fields has enabled man increasingly to dominate the forces of nature and has thus proved that this is the century of science and technology. Since, however, such efforts cannot, for obvious reasons, be exerted by all States in the same degree, the need for broader and more intense international co-operation is becoming steadily more imperative in order that all peoples may have equal possibilities of making progress and raising their level of living and of thus being able to contribute towards the maintenance of international peace and -security.
220. Hence, it should be a source of satisfaction that the item entitled "Economic development of underdeveloped countries" appears in the agenda of the present session. We are certain that if measures are taken for the economic expansion of the underdeveloped countries, not only will happiness be brought to many millions of human beings, but a contribution will be made towards solving many political problems which are a direct cause of the frictions which endanger international peace and security.
221. As a form of co-operation along these lines, the Central American Republics are making great efforts to integrate their economies. The old bilateral treaties on free trade and economic integration have now been augmented by a new international instrument which gives effect to an economic association setup by Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras and which provides for the establishment of a common market, a customs union and a development and assistance fund. Moreover, some Central American countries, including Guatemala, have already approved an agreement on the equalization of import duties. We are certain that financial aid given in accordance with the principles of co-operation to which I have just referred would be a very important factor in furthering the successful outcome of these efforts and would hasten the improvement and transformation of this under-developed region of the continent.
222. The ultimate aim of this effort at integrating the economies of the Central American countries is the achievement of the fondest desire of the people of Central America, namely, political integration. It was to this end, and in the spirit of the San Francisco Charter, that the Charter of San Salvador setting up the regional organization known as the Organization of Central American States was signed in 1951.
223. Guatemala has considered that this regional organization should undergo some structural changes so that it might become a more functional and effective instrument for, the attainment of its aims and purposes; it has accordingly drafted a new instrument which is at present under consideration by the illustrious Governments of its sister Republics of the Isthmus.
224. In conclusion, permit me to express, on behalf of the Government and people of Guatemala, the most earnest hopes for the success of the labours of this fifteenth session of the General Assembly, which, we are sure, will redound to the benefit of the whole international community.