Secretariat Resolution. Send the El Salvador Communist Party in September-October 1980 an air shipment, from Hanoi to Havana, of 60-80 tons of Western-made small arms and ammunition. [R 20 August 1980, St 225-5] total 5 pp.

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[page one of five]

No St 225/5, 20 August 1980

Top Secret
SPECIAL FILE

RESOLUTION
of the Secretariat of the CPSU Central Committee

A request from the El Salvador Communist Party

1. Meet the request of the leadership of the Communist Party of El Salvador and charge the Ministry of Civil Aviation to arrange, in September-October, the delivery of a consignment of 60-80 tons of Western-manufactured firearms and ammunition from Hanoi to Havana, to be passed on to our Salvadorian Friends via Cuban comrades.

Expenses connected with the delivery of the firearms from Hanoi to Havana should be charged to the State budget as gratis aid to foreign countries.

2. Approve the texts of telegrams to Soviet ambassadors in Cuba and Vietnam (appended)

(signed: A. Chernyaev)

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[page two]

Top Secret
SPECIAL FILE
Attachment 1

Urgent

To HAVANA

SOVIET AMBASSADOR

662. Inform the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the El Salvador Communist Party, Comrade Shafik Handal, or, in his absence, a representative of the leadership of the El Salvador Communist Party, that the request for the transport of Western-manufactured firearms from Vietnam via Cuba has been examined at the appropriate level and received a positive response. Also inform the Cuban Friends’ leadership of the above, stressing that we took this decision knowing that Comrades F. Castro and S. Handal have reached agreement on this matter.

For your information: the firearms will be delivered by Aeroflot. Give all necessary assistance in organizing the transfer of this cargo via Cuban comrades to our Salvadorian Friends. Report upon completion.

(signatures: Chernyaev, Rusakov)

Tell the leadership of Cuban Friends about this. In doing so say that the decision we have taken is based on an agreement reached on this matter between Comrades F. Castro and Sh. Handal.

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[page three]

Top Secret
SPECIAL FILE
Attachment 2

Urgent

To HANOI

SOVIET AMBASSADOR

Comrade Shafik Handal, Central Committee General Secretary of the El Salvador Communist Party, tells us that the Vietnamese leadership has reported its readiness, from 1 September onwards, to begin loading a batch of Western-made weapons to be sent to Salvadorian comrades in Havana.

Make contact with the Friends and find out who the Aeroflot office must establish contact with in order to receive the said weapons. Provide the necessary support in ensuring that this cargo is received and despatched.

Report when the task is completed.

[pages four and five – 8 August 1980 report by Chernyayev to Central Committee about El Salvador Communist Party’s requests]

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NOTES

[1] See the decision of 18 August 1980 to meet the El Salvador Communist Party’s request for training.

General

1. Notes by translator and editor are bracketed, thus [ ]
2. Text written by hand is indicated in italic script, and
3. by underlined italic script when a handwritten phrase, figure or word has been added to a previously typed document.

Translation, John Crowfoot