from Dave Windsor
The Prime Minister of Cuba, Dr. Fidel Castro, was quick to publicly attack the leaders of the new regime in Algeria. On June 27th he described the overthrow of Ben Bella as "an inglorious coup." The overthrow could not be termed a revolutionary process, he said,in a nation-wide broadcast, Comparing it with the 1952 overthrow of King Farouk in Egypt, Castro said: "The Algerian coup was not against a king, a feudalist enemy of the people, but against a representative of the Algerian revolution." He praised Ben Bella and sharply criticised the new leader, Colonel Houari Boumedienne, and the foreign Minister, Abdel Aziz Bouteflika.
"Who could deny that 3en Bella was a leader of the Algerian people" he asked. "Who could deny his historic position in Algerian indpendence and the Algerian Revolution?" Of the new regime, he said: "If they decide to break off relations with us they would not be the first military putchists to do so." The Cuban Prime Minister said that to side with the new regime would be the worst form of opportunism (this appears to have been a criticism of the Chinese attitude and the speed with which they recognised the new regime).
"Who could say Ben Bella was not a revolutionary," Castro continued, "was not interpreting the sentiments of Algeria, that Ben Bella was a traitor to the revolution or was an imperialist, that Ben Bella was a reactionary or a despot?" Referring to Colonel Boumedienne, the Cuban Prime Minister said: "I am not judging Boumedienne as to what he has done. Let history judge him." He added: "Military despotism, political reactionaryism and repression cannot last in acountry whose people rose to independence through hundreds of thousands of dead and fought against an army much better armed than that of Boumedienne." Of Mr. Bouteflika, he said: "Bouteflika is not a revolutionary but a man of the right, an’. enemy of soeialism, an enemy of revolution, Bouteflika is reactionary."
Castro concluded by declaring: "If Ben Bella had been more ruthless, he would still be in power. Alas he too kind...Should the men who had made the coup repent and continue carrying out the Algerian Revolution, we shall not refuse them our support."