Today I have informed the international press and the United States government that in the general headquarters of the Rebel Army in the Sierra Maestra no report has been received on the case of North American citizens allegedly arrested. That zone of operations, which is situated one hundred miles away, has no radio transmitters, and if it is true that the United States citizens are being held by rebel forces their release will be ordered.

I have informed them that it is possible that such a thing might have occurred as a reaction to the recent delivery of l00 rockets from the North American naval base at Caimanera to Batista's planes, with which civilian populations are being bombed in the territory occupied by the rebels. I have been able to gather fragments of these rockets, some of which have complete serial numbers. Despite all this, today I am publicly ordering their release. The order should be received and carried out, if it is true that North Americans are being held by some revolutionary troops, because I believe that these North American citizens cannot be blamed for the shipment of bombs to Batista by the government of their country.

I am certain that no rebel forces would make hostages of United States citizens so they could observe the results of the inhuman bombings of Cuban civilians with weapons sent by the United States. However, in view of the difficulty of communications, we cannot be certain that they are not in the hands of our troops.

I have stated also that the z6th of July Movement is fighting for the respect of human rights. We believe that individual freedom is one of the inviolable rights of every human being and therefore no one should be arrested without a just cause. We hope that the United States government will, in like manner, respect the lives and liberty of Cubans and will not interfere in any manner whatsoever in the internal affairs of Cuba by sending weapons to Batista, which he uses to kill our fellow citizens. This is the necessary condition for the continuation of the present friendly relations between the two countries.

In accordance with my statement, should any of the rebel troops operating in this sector be holding all or any United States citizens as claimed, I order that command to contact the United States military authorities at the Caimanera Naval Base or the United States diplomatic representatives in order to turn these persons over to them, at the same time taking the necessary measures for their personal safety.

If none of the mentioned United States citizens is in the hands of the rebel troops, the foreign press and the United States government must be given available information in order to prevent the police and gangsters in the pay of the dictator from attacking the citizens of the United States and so casting doubt on the responsible conduct of the rebel forces.