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78. Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Current Intelligence, Current Intelligence Memorandum, “Timing of the Soviet Military Buildup in Cuba,” 22 October 1962 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Office of Current Intelligence 22 October 1962 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE MEWORANDUY SUBJECT: Timing of the Soviet Military Buildup in Cuba 1. The Soviet decision to embark on the cur- rent military buildup in Cuba probably was nade in April 1962. The decision paralleled polltical and economic moves which greatly strengthened the Soviet- Cuban relationship. The program probably was planned and set in motion during the period April through June. In the second week of July the first shipments of materiel began to leave Soviet ports, accompanied by passenger ships carrying military personnel. These units arrived in Cuba during the last week in July and by 1 August work had begun at several lo- cations in Cuba. . 2. Prior to April 1962 the USSR's policy to- ward Castro's self-proclaimed adherence to Communism waS still unclear and its support of Cuba was within the bounds of "normal" Soviet trade and aid policy, i.e., ties governed by long-term credit agreements and Cuba's ability to pay. In early April, however, Moscow chose to acquiesce in Castro's assertion of his authority over the so-called “old Communists" and to acknowledge the "socialist" character of the Cuban regime. Shortly thereafter, negotiations for the bloc to come to the aid of Cuba's faltering economy were initiated, and in early May agreements were signed for the bloc to provide additional amounts of foodstuffs, consumer goods, raw nate- rials, and other badly needed imports, A decision to undertake the current nilitary buildup probably was made along with these econonic and political moves. In return, agreement evidently was reached for stationing Soviet strategic forces on the island. 269