Francesco/who-killed-jfk huggingface dataset:
[104-10302-10019.pdf — page 6]
# TOP SECRET DINARMILITARY DEVELOPMENTS:Three independent clandestine sources have reported the unloading of military equipment from a Soviet cargo vessel, probably the METALLURG BAIKOV, on 19 or 20 November. This vessel was suspected of carrying a military cargo long before its arrival in Cuba. (See Daily Summary of 12 November.) It carried what was probably the eighth full military cargo to arrive in Cuba since the 1962 missile crisis. One source, a retired civil engineer whose reporting has been factual and in most instances based on personal observation, reported that the METALLURG BAIKOV unloaded "large quantities of arms and military equipment" in Havana on 20 November and left the next day. Another source reported that Havana longshoremen had stated that a Soviet ship, which they did not identify, had unloaded arms at Regla Wharf, Havana, on 20 November. A third source, an educated Cuban of Western European extraction who is a resident of Havana, reported that tanks were among the equipment unloaded from a Soviet vessel that arrived in Havana on 19 November. The three sources are probably referring to the same shipment. If the report on the delivery of tanks is true, this would be the second consecutive reported shipment of armored vehicles to Cuba. The ORENBURG reportedly delivered some 45 tanks on 23 or 24 October. (See Daily Summaries of 28 and 29 October.) It has previously been reported that another probable military shipment, the ninth, is now en route aboard the SLUTSK. (See Daily Summary of 3 December.) (CIA TDCS-DB-3/658,289, 6 December, SECRET NO FOREIGN DISSEM/CONTROLLED DIS-SEM)The Soviet "coastal defense rockets" now belong to the Cuban Army artillery forces, according to a recent speech by Raul Castro. Cubans probably have been training in cruise missile operations since last spring, and the rotation and withdrawal of some Soviet naval personnel in September suggested that the cruise missile system was turned over to the Cubans at that time. (A Soviet communications net) which probably serves the cruise missile system remains active, however, indicating that some degree of Soviet involvement continues. (CIA FBIS, 14 November, UNCLASSIFIED and NSA 2/-/CURUN/R16-63, 28 August, 1963, SECRET KIMBO)
[104-10302-10019.pdf — page 7]
# TOP SECRET DINARFIDEL CASTRO'S SPEECH:Fidel Castro's speech of the night of 6-7 December was on the occasion of the graduation of women teachers for the literacy campaign. He devoted most of the 99 minutes to a discussion of the development of local education in Cuba. At one point, however, he made a moderately long digression to discuss Venezuela and the situation raised by Venezuela's discovery last month of a large cache of weapons, some of which have been traced to Cuba.Castro stated that, while "the imperialists and their lackeys" charge that Cuba is promoting subversion in Venezuela, rebellion and subversion cannot be promoted from without. The Venezuelan revolution, he maintained, stems from the Venezuelan people's own disgust with their government and with its permitting the "imperialists" to plunder Venezuela's wealth and resources. If subversion could, in fact, be promoted from the outside, why, he asked, have all the resources of imperialism failed to subvert the Cuban Government?Betancourt, "that miserable lackey," is trying to incite the United States to take military action against Cuba, Castro charged. As a pretext the Venezuelans say they have discovered arms from Cuba on the Venezuelan coast, Castro stated." "Some of the arms," he said, "are said to have borne an effaced Cuban seal, and other arms are said to be bazookas, recoilless cannon, mortars. But Cuban mortars perchance? No! Yankee mortars! Yankee bazookas! Yankee recoilless cannon! Arms which we did not manufacture; arms which we did not buy!" Castro then went on, without specifically denying that the weapons had come from Cuba, by implying that the CIA had obtained Cuban arms from Cuban deserters and that it would not be difficult to plant these weapons in Venezuela. (Here he is obviously referring to the Belgian-made light rifles and submachineguns which have been identified as among those shipped to Cuba in 1959 and 1960.) With respect to the US-made mortars, bazookas, and recoilless rifles, Castro challenged the OAS investigating committee to "investigate thoroughly," make laboratory tests, trace the serial numbers, and then "they will be able to reach only one conclusion: that they belong to the CIA."Castro then attempted to show the "brazenness" and inconsistency of those who would use the Venezuelan arms cache as a pretext to invade or to blockade Cuba when for more than four years the very same kind of subversive activity as is now being charged to Cuba has been perpetrated against Cuba--without any hemispheric attempt to punish the aggressors.-2-TOP SECRET DINAR
[104-10302-10019.pdf — page 8]
# TOP SECRET DINARFIDEL CASTRO'S SPEECH - cont'd"Things have changed quite a bit," Castro declared, "to attack or to blockade Cuba now would not be easy; we can defend ourselves; we are calm; we know what we have to defend ourselves with." Then, in an implied reference to the Soviet shipment of strategic missiles to Cuba last year, Castro declared: "When we hear some of these lackeys of imperialism talking so calmly about invading Cuba, when it has been only one year since the October crisis, they are once more proving us right and are once more justifying Cuba's taking defensive measures; this talk led to the October crisis." Castro then declared that "these men are so deceived by their own propaganda that...they cannot conceive of what any invader would meet here." A war against Cuba, he said, "would not end while there was a single mercenary soldier treading on our soil."Castro then returned briefly to his views as to how peace can be assured in the Caribbean. "Whatever they want to discuss with Cuba," he said, "let them come and discuss honestly with Cuba; because we have stated the indispensable prerequisites for a peaceful atmosphere...in the Caribbean." Thus far, however, "they have answered with aggressions on top of aggressions." This course, he said, "is doomed to failure." (CIA FBIS Havana, 7 December, OFFICIAL USE ONLY)## CUBAN INTERNAL SITUATION:A shake-up in the Cuban cabinet has moved Faure Chomon Mediavilla to the post of transportation minister; he succeeds Capt. Omar Fernandez, whose ministry was recently under attack by Castro for alleged inefficiencies and "vices." Major Jesus Montane Oropesa is replacing Chomon as communications minister. Chomon, who served as Castro's first ambassador to the Soviet Union, took over as communications minister in March 1962. He is currently a member of the National Directorate of PURS. Fernandez, his predecessor, is reportedly moving to an unspecified position in the Ministry of Industries under Che Guevara.Montane took part in the attack on the Moncada Barracks in 1953 and followed Castro to exile in Mexico. He took part in the GRANMA expedition of 1956 when he was captured and imprisoned. After the revolution, he reportedly received only a minor post in the government because he had talked too much in prison. His most recent post, dating from at least August 1962, has been as number two man in the Tourism Institute (INIT). He is said to be an ardent Marxist-Leninist, who preaches it at every opportunity. (UPI 63, 6 December, UN-CLASSIFIED; background information: SECRET)# TOP SECRET DINAR
[104-10302-10019.pdf — page 9]
# TOP SECRET DINARCUBAN INTERNAL SITUATION - cont'dIntercepted Cuban military messages of 7 December indicate that *serious (rain) damage* has occurred in both (Pinar del Rio) and (Oriente) provinces. (Five unidentified) military units in (Pinar del Rio reported the extent of damage to their defensive fortifications and facilities in messages to the operations officer, apparently at (fourth army headquarters) in (Pinar del Rio). More than half the (trenches) had been destroyed, the shelters and command posts at most of the units reporting had suffered serious damage, and (division headquarters) reported that, while its facilities were still in good condition, the roads leading to it will have to be repaired. Meanwhile, in (Oriente Province) intercepts indicate that (torrential rainfall) had caused the (rivers to flood) making travel difficult and had forced the closing of the (Baracoa) airport. (USN-856, 2/SL/CUM/R302-63, 8 December, SECRET KIMBO)THE PRESIDENT'S ASSASSINATION:The Reuters correspondent in Madrid has advised the US Embassy that he has been queried by a New York client about an 8 December El Tiempo report that Spanish police have detained a Cuban national--45-year-old Enrique Pascual Ruedolo Gongora, alleged to have arrived in Spain via an IBERIA flight from New York on 23 November--in connection with a plot against the late President Kennedy. Local police have confirmed detention of Ruedolo. However, they claim that he arrived in Spain on 29 November and to the best of their knowledge has absolutely no connection with the assassination. They maintain that he was expelled from the United States for undetermined reasons and is being held because he has been unable to arrange onward travel to Cuba. CAS is pursuing the matter in Madrid. (Am Emb Madrid, 1155, 7 December, CONFIDENTIAL)INSURGENCY AND CIVIL UNREST:A fire on 6 December on a farm near (Cardenas, Matanzas) Province, destroyed approximately one acre of (henequen). The chief of the (Matanza's) Bureau of Public Order (BOP) informed (Havana) in an 8 December intercepted message that the fire, "supposed to be sabotage," was put out by the (Cardenas) fire department. (USM 603) 2/YJ/CUP/R146-63, 8 December, SECRET KIMBO)-4-TOP SECRET DINAR
[104-10302-10019.pdf — page 10]
# TOP SECRET DINARINSURGENCY AND CIVIL UNREST - cont'dOn 6 December the Department of State Security (DSE) unit in (Moron) informed (provincial headquarters in Camaguey) that on 5 December "they tried to shoot down the chief of the PURS in (Velasco). he escaped unharmed. Full details will be sent by letter." The message did not indicate to whom "they" referred. (USM 603, 2/YJ/CUP/T922-63, 6 December, SECRET KIMBO)The militiaman who was arrested in Guantanamo on 3 December for suspected counterrevolutionary activities (see Daily Summary, 6 December) has been freed. (Sector E headquarters in (Mayari Arriba) informed (First Army headquarters in (Santiago) on 5 December that Esteban Mendez Almaguer and Jose Joiret Aria, both identified as natives of Quijada, were released by the DSE. The reason for their release was not given. (USN 835, 2/LR1/CUM/R197-63, 6 December, SECRET KIMBO)The (DSE unit at Ciego de Avila) has captured one insurgent and reports the surrender of another. On 6 December the (DSE provincial headquarters) in Camaguey) was informed that the Insurgent Demetrio Armas Izquierdo was captured near Jatibonico. The message stated that Armas "was reportedly active in the Havana, Matanzas, and Santa Clara areas, and most recently in Camaguey. He belonged to an insurgent band led by one Carlo." The same message reported the surrender of Edmundo Almeida (see Daily Summary, 5 December), "previously associated with the bands of Juan Alberto," to the DSE unit at Jatibonico.In addition, on 7 December (Ciego de Avila) reported the arrest of Jesus Marquez, a 39-year-old resident of Jucaro. Marquez is said to have cashed an "out-of-circulation 50-dollar bill, which he received from the US on 4 December 1963." (USM 603, 2/YJ/CUP/R138-63, 6 December and 2/YJ/CUP/R140-63, 7 December, SECRET KIMBO)An undetermined number of residents of Vegas de Palmas, San Antonio de las Veultas and Agiada de Moya, Las Villas Province, recently fled the country from an unknown point of embarkation. Central Army headquarters in Santa Clara) informed (Havana) that the persons from Vegas de Palmas had been identified as: Lucina Manso, Rodobaldo Monteagua, and Moises Monson Garit, an ex-private in the revolutionary armed forces. Also mentioned as escapees were Feliz Perez, Inoes Lima. (USN 856, 2/SL/CUM/R301-63, 8 December, SECRET KIMBO)-5-TOP SECRET DINAR
[104-10302-10019.pdf — page 11]
# TOP SECRET DINAR## INSURGENCY AND CIVIL UNREST - cont'dIn possible connection with the preceding item, 32 people attempting to flee Cuba were captured by Cuban security forces on 8 December. (Fifth Army Headquarters) in (Camaguey) informed (Havana) that a maritime patrol of the coastal vigilance observation post captured a boat carrying 32 individuals in the area of Cayo Mariquibay, north of La Bahia de Punta Alegre. On the boat, which had left Caibarien three days earlier, government agents found Cuban and US monies as well as personal belongings. (USN 56, 2/SL/CUM/-R303-63, 9 December, SECRET KIMBO)A trained clandestine source who is a civil aviation expert with the Cuban Ministry of Transportation reports that several minor incidents of sabotage have been discovered on CUBANA aircraft. On 15 November a CUBANA IL-14 made a round-trip flight from Rancho Boyeros Airport to Nueva Gerona without a storage battery. The source comments that serious trouble would have resulted if one engine had stopped or had been feathered while en route. This incident may be related to various acts of subtle sabotage against CUBANA aircraft, such as stuffing exhaust tubes with rags or obstructing carburetor intakes.In addition, the source reports that a CUBANA Britannia aircraft was sabotaged by Algerian personnel during a recent flight to Algiers. The hydraulic line was fractured forcing the crew to use manual controls to lower the landing gear for a stop in Madrid. (CIA IN 75941, 8 December, SECRET NO FOREIGN DISSEM/CONTROLLED DISSEM)Press dispatches from Mexico City report that a leader of the Revolutionary Students Directorate (DRE) announced that 126 Cuban militiamen had been killed in a clash with guerrillas 12 miles south of Sancti Spiritus, Las Villas Province. Angel Gonzales said that "belated underground reports just received" indicated that the clash took place in mid-September when a guerrilla force ambushed a militia unit and killed ll militiamen. The guerrilla forces lost 18 men, including Negro guerrilla leader Andre Startabull and three captains identified as Carlos Roca, Julio Garcia, and Sergio Perez. The Castro regime then sent 5,000 men supported by tanks, mortars, and helicopters to destroy the guerrillas. After two weeks of fighting, the entire guerrilla unit was destroyed but not until 115 other militiamen had been killed. There is no confirmation from COMINT or other sources of any action of the magnitude reported by the DRE. (AP-131, Mexico City, 7 December, UNCLASSIFIED)
[104-10302-10019.pdf — page 12]
# TOP SECRET DINARCUBAN AIR FLIGHT CONNECTIONS:(Spain) has approved regularly scheduled Havana (Madrid) flights by CUBANA airlines, according to an intercepted message of 7 December. It was previously reported that the (Spanish) Government was unwilling to reduce these flights because it believes the connections are vital to (Spain); however, the (Foreign Ministry) said it would limit CUBANA flights to Havana-Madrid-Havana without stops in (Algiers) or (Prague), and would refuse landing to Soviet-built CUBANA aircraft. (See Daily Summary of 18 November.) It has also been reported that CUBANA is assured of capacity passenger loads for the Havana-(Madrid) service and plans to (pool) air freight from all of Western Europe, for delivery to Havana via (Madrid) thus assuring full payloads both ways. (See Daily Summary of 4 December.) (NSA 2X/O/QOD/T211-63, 8 December, SECRET SABRE; Background information: NO FOREIGN DISSEM)SHIPPING SUPPORT FOR CUBA:Argentina is reportedly attempting to stop one of its ships--the SS ANAMAR--from delivering a cargo of coffee to Cuba, despite the fact that there are currntly no legal restrictions against Argentine ships calling anywhere in the world. The ANAMAR left Brazil on 1 November with a cargo of Brazilian coffee, purchased by the USSR and destined for Cuba. (See Daily Summary of 8 November.) The Argentine Foreign Ministry informed US Embassy officials that it was determined to prevent the ANAMAR from going to Cuba because of potential unfavorable press reaction. Argentina wants to avoid legal and financial entanglements in the matter; however, it is determined to stop the ship and is reportedly even considering some type of provocation which would force the ship to put into Puerto Rico. The owners of the ANAMAR are equally adamant that the ship will not go to Cuba; reportedly they had agreed to ship coffee from Brazil to some Central American country to pay some back bills, and were only informed later that the shipment would go to Cuba. According to the owners, the ship is now lying off the coast of Brazil awaiting resolution of the problem. The owners reportedly stated they will sink the ship rather than go to Cuba. (Am Emb Buenos Aires 1017, 4 December, CONFIDENTIAL)(OAS) DEVELOPMENTS:(Brazilian OAS delegate Penna Marinho) reported to his government from (Washington) on 5 December that several (OAS delegates) have been impressed by the Cuban claim that the weapons found in Venezuela last month had actually been planted there by the United States.
[104-10302-10019.pdf — page 13]
# TOP SECRET DINAR(OAS) DEVELOPMENTS - cont'dThese (delegates, Penna Marinho) stated, "are wondering whether the Cuban Government would be so stupid as to send to Venezuela arms with the inscription 'Cuban Army' and the insignia of Cuba engraved on them" as indicated by the Venezuelan photographs shown at the (OAS) These (delegates) believe, (Penna Marinho) went on, that if Cuba had actually sent the arms to Venezuela it would first have removed any indication of their origin. This account indicates that the (Brazilian delegate) and the others of whom he speaks are apparently unaware that considerable effort had, in fact, been made to erase all evidence of the Cuban origin of these arms. The 31 submachine guns found in the cache had their serial numbers and other identifying marks recently ground off. Venezuelan technicians, using a highly technical process, were able to raise the serial numbers and the Cuban shield on some of the weapons. In independent tests, US technicians were able to raise the numbers and shields on three of these weapons. The numbers correspond to those of weapons known to have been delivered to Cuba from Belgium in 1959 and 1960. Similarly, in the case of the 81 light automatic rifles of Belgian manufacture found in the cache, all identifying marks had been obliterated. In this case, one-fourth inch of molten brazing alloy had been used to cover the places where the numbers had been ground off and it was not possible to restore the numbers. However, Venezuelan military authorities have noted that these weapons are unique to those manufactured expressly for the Cuban Government by Belgium's Fabrique Nationale in 1959, when Cuba ordered 22,500 such weapons. (NSA 3/0/BLD/T2041-63, 6 December, TOP SECRET DINAR; background data: ASECRET NO FOREIGN DISSEM)The (Venezuelan OAS delegate) dispatched a "personal, urgent, and confidential" message to his foreign minister on 6 December expressing certain misgivings as to the attitudes of members of the special (OAS) fact-finding committee with respect to the Venezuelan charges against the Castro regime which the committee was named to investigate. The (ambassador) reported that he had just received "strictly confidential information" that the prevailing opinion within the committee is that it must investigate the entire subject of Cuban subversive activities in Venezuela, not limiting itself to the evidence on the Cuban origin of the arms cache found in Venezuela last month.-8-TOP SECRET DINAR
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# TOP SECRET DINAR## OAS DEVELOPMENTS: - cont'dThe committee members, the (ambassador) stated, insist that it is essential for the Venezuelan Government to "present proof of the general Cuban conspiracy" against the Venezuelan Government if the case against Cuba is to be proven. The (Venezuelan ambassador) added that "one of the most important members of the committee" had stated that the Venezuelan evidence on the Cuban origin of the arms cache is not airtight and that the arms could actually have been resold by Cuba to someone else some years ago or stolen from Cuban arsenals.The (Venezuelan OAS ambassador) then stated that the editor of a "very important US magazine" had asked him in all seriousness on 6 December whether the arms could not have been planted in Venezuela by the CIA, as Castro has charged. The editor added that this question had been asked of him by "important persons" with whom he had discussed the problem. The (Venezuelan ambassador) used this to emphasize to his (foreign minister) that he believes the Venezuelan Government must not dismiss this suspicion lightly. He pointed out that important persons in the United States, both in government and the press, have pointed out (Venezuela's evidence on the arms cache may provide "the first opportunity" to confront the threat of Cuban subversion in the hemisphere. These individuals may be critical of the Venezuelan Government, the ambassador) warned, if its sticks to its demand that the investigation be limited to the arms cache evidence. (NSA 3/0(VED)T514-63, 7 December, TOP SECRET DINAR)The (Brazilian delegate) to the (OAS) was informed of his country's position on the investigation of the Venezuelan arms cache, according to a 2 December intercepted message. The (Foreign Ministry) informed him that he was to "avoid any attitude which might seem to leave (Brazil) isolated in a position which could be interpreted as one of sympathy or excessive understanding in relation to Cuba." On the other hand, he was instructed not to "openly state the opinion that the matter falls exclusively under the competence of the Venezuelan security authorities." The (delegate) was advised to delay his departure "until the situation is clarified." (NSA 3/0(BLD) T206-63, 6 December, TOP SECRET DINAR)SOVIET-CUBAN RELATIONS:Fidel Castro may have been in Moscow about 15 November for talks with Premier Khrushchev, according to a civil aviation expert who is apparently passing on a rumor he heard in Cuba. The source reported as background that Castro has not appeared on Cuban TV and did not meet people he apparently would have met if he had been in Cuba.-9-TOP SECRET DINAR