96. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter1
SUBJECT
- Cuban Refugees
Dave Newsom chaired a Mini-PRC meeting on Friday, April 25, 1980 to discuss U.S. policy on the Cuban refugee problem. There are now 1,000 ships enroute to Cuba or returning. Thus far 1310 Cubans have arrived on 17 boats. Today Castro said he would welcome airplanes to take the Cubans away and already one plane has returned. There have already been 70 distress cases, and the Coast Guard is fearful that bad weather this weekend might be disastrous.
Today Victor Palmieri briefed the Congressional staff, and found them generally aware of the difficulties of the problem. Saturday the Vice President will chair a Cabinet-level meeting to review an options paper and consider recommendations to you.2 After the meeting, he is planning to issue a statement indicating our deep interest in this problem and our hope that Cuban Americans will understand that their boatlift is unlawful and dangerous, and that their government is searching for alternative ways to rapidly evacuate the Cubans.
Cy will meet with 30 Cuban-American leaders Saturday afternoon to explain our policy and try to reduce the tension and confrontation, which seems to be building. After the meeting, Victor Palmieri and others will be travelling down to Florida to work to further defuse the situation. The Coast Guard is presently exploring the steps which it will need to take to prepare for the possibility of emergency conditions at sea this weekend.
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Brzezinski Office File, Country Chron File, Box 9, Cuba, 12/79–4/80. Secret. Sent for information. Carter initialed at the top of the page.↩
- See Document 97.↩