Differences with the Soviets

[... ] Some of these questions are of a military nature, and it is necessary to treat them extremely carefully. In any event, I am going to explain something, by means of example: the strategic weapons for our defense were not Cuba’s property. That is not the case of the tanks and a whole series of weapons which are our property. The strategic weapons were not our property.

The agreements in virtue of which they were sent to our country to strengthen our defenses in the face of threats of attack specify that those strategic weapons, which are highly complex and require highly specialized personnel, would remain under the guidance of Soviet personnel and would continue being the property of the Soviet state. For that reason, when the Soviet government decided to withdraw those weapons, which are theirs, we respected that decision. I am explaining this so that it will be understood why their withdrawal was decided by the Soviet government.

[... ] It has to be said that during the course of this crisis, during the development of the crisis, certain differences arose between the Soviet government and the Cuban government, but I wish to say one thing to all Cubans: the place where we must discuss those problems is not here; not here where it could be very useful to our enemies, who would take advantage of such discussions. We have to discuss all of this with the Soviets, at the level of government and at the level of the [Communist] Party, we have to sit down and discuss with them everything that is necessary, in the light of reason and in the light of principles.