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# BOSCH AVILA, URLANKOvi. 22 Apr 76 CUBABF## 'FORMER CIA AGENT' MANUEL DE ARMAS HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCEHavana Domestic Radio/Television Services in Spanish 0109 GMT 22 Apr 76 FL/PA(Press conference held by "Former CIA Agent" Manuel de Armas in Havana on 22 April 1976--videotape)(Text) First of all, I would like to explain that I am going to read a written statement which I have great interest in presenting in such a way that there is no doubt about the quality of its contents. That is why, due to a problem I have in expressing myself in Spanish, I would like to proceed in this manner.I would like to take this opportunity to denounce what has been a phase of my life, also to briefly explain my presence in this country. My objective: is to openly denounce all immoral acts carried out, directly or indirectly, against Cuba under the sponsorship of the North American government, of which I have knowledge.I left Cuba 2 years after the triumph of the revolution for family reasons. Thus I was a member of a family which did not know how to or was not able to adapt itself to the life here and opted to live abroad. I attended secondary school and college in the United States until 1969 when I was recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency. My relations with the CIA and a number of U.S. repressive organizations began then.In doing this, great difficulties arise in cases such as mine. There are always many unanswered questions as to my possible motives or political affiliation. My motivation has been created over a period of 5 years of personal, political and ideological degradation resulting in a high degree of personal frustration. Regarding my political affiliation, I unfortunately have none.I know that many who listen to this press conference abroad will identify me as part of this system. Nevertheless, I would like to make a brief explanation. I want to make it very clear that it is not directed to those who accuse me of being allied to the system, because I do not owe them an explanation. Perhaps, the thing I would like best now is that those who accuse me would be right, but unfortunately their concept of identification, just like mine during the past 5 years, has no meaning in this revolutionary system.The past 17 years of revolution have not been based on identifications but on principles, principles that many are not capable of recognising precisely because they lack them.As a North American intelligence agent and, of course, functioning at the service of North American political interests, I lived approximately 5 years in a world of opportunism in an immoral manner of ideological degradation and in an antiprogressive position which have forced me to come to Cuba to denounce these facts from a totally personal viewpoint and under my responsibility, and thus denounce the activities of the CIA and other U.S. governmental organisations which work for that system's interests.It is necessary to explain certain characteristics which are common to them as part of such a system. In that system I lived, grew, studied and finally functioned as an active part of the intelligence community, and that is why I consider it my right to make the following comments.In the environment that I lived in until very recently, like others, I was never able to adjust. I do not believe there is any other system like that, capable of developing a lack of personal and social identity due to its capitalist nature, which does not grant values to any type of ideology or social progress but only to an apathetic materialism characteristic of the already degraded interests of that system.FBIS DIRM 79 (LA) 22 APR 76