180-10142-10404 DRAFT - 11/3/78 _ B. Palmer MANUEL RAY RIVERO When he first came into prominence as a Cuban exile. leader, Manuel Ray Rivero was described as "softspoken and unassuming", a person of "highest intellect, sincerity and conviction" -- in other words, a natural leader.” In 1947, the 23-year old Ray was granted a scholarship by the Cuban Ministry of Public Works to study civil engineering at the University of Utah. - Ray was in the United States for two years before returning to his native Cuba in 1949 and obtaining various positions in the engineering field, one of which was project manager for the construction of the Havana Hilton Hotel. Reacting to the excesses of the military rule of © Fulgencio Batista, Ray organized the Civic Resistance Movement in 1957. and began supervising sabotage and acts of terrorism against the government. — His political posture and active resistance to Batista was recognized by Fidel Castro who, upon assuming control: of the government of Cuba, appointed Ray his Minister of Public Works in February 1959. Within a few months of his appointment, Ray confided to two anti-Castro Cubans that he had recognized the symptoms of Communism in the Castro regime but was not prepared to conspire against "E1l Lider Maximo." 6 “~ Ray's tenure in Castro's government was short-lived. He was relieved of his official position in November 1959. No FOR RELEASE.
DRAFT - 11/3/78 = Manuel Ray Rivero B. Palmer ~- page 2 : definite reason for this severence has been documented but, - according to one source, Ray did not leave Castro because of ideological or policy discrepancies but rather because of a personality clash with Castro's Minister of Labor who: almost shot Ray after a stormy Cabinet meeting. ® Another theory about his leaving was that he opposed Castro's plan to declare Hubert Matos a traitor and execute the Cuban revolutionary hero with whom Ray had been associated.” For whatever reason, Ray did continue to permit his name to be associated with the Castro regime?? until May 1960 when he formed the Revolutionary Movement of the People (mRP}t The MRP. wasaanti-Castro organization which believed that the ideas and aims of the democratic left best suited the needs and aspirations of the Cuban people.?? It did not wish to reinstate the 1940 Cuban Constitution, rather it favored continuation of the laws passed by Castro at the beginning of 13 and advocated the regulation of private investment 14 his regime and nationalization of all utilities. Associated with Ray in this underground organization were Raul Chibas, Ramon Barquin, Rogelio Cisneros ,15 Rufo Lopez Fresquet and Felipe Pazos. organized in each of Cuba’s six provinces, the MRP was ° considered the most important: underground group.*’ Working in tightly organized cells, the leadership in one province was unaware of the identities of their counterparts in other
A DRAFT ~ MANUEL. RAY RIVERO - 11/3/78 Page 3 in other provinces. *° The MDC engaged in acts: of sabotage and was supplied with explosives sent by launches from the Florida Keys. 2? . 7 | ae Having waited until May, 1960 to organize his resistance group, Ray was criticized as being suspiciously tardy to the anti-Castro movmement. 7° Charges of "Pidelism without Fidel" were made against him and the MRP because of their leftist ideologies. “+ Perhaps for these reasons, Ray's background was questioned by some in the State Department?” and the Miami CIA station? when, in the summer of 1960, ‘he was being re- cruited by the CIA in Cuba to become a member of the Frente Révolucionario Democratico (FRD), a newly. formed anti-Castro organization sponsored by the cra.74 The Agency considered him ‘an important political asset and facilitated his clandestine entrance into the United States~° on November 10, 1960.7” Nevertheless, there was internal conflict within the CIA about Ray's political compatibility to United States government policy. In a CIA Memo for Record, dated November 21, 1960, one Agency officer declared, "ae Ray did not politically 028 A CIA officer who met represent anything to cheer about. privately with Ray in November, 1960 noted that his political posture was "doubtful" as far as U. S. government acceptance was concerned, *? and a further assessment portrayed Ray as so far "left in his thinking that he would be as dangerous to U. S. interests as castrd??
DRAFT =~ MANUEL RAY, RIVERO - 11/3/78 Page 4 Some prominent Cuban emigres also expressed negative opinions about Ray, among them Dr. Jose Miro Cardona, president of the FRD. Miro opposed Ray because he considered his program too Marxist?1 and declared that Ray was bitterly anti-American as well as probably totalitarian in his think- ing.32 Manuel Artime, head of the Movimento Recuperacion Revolucionaria (MRR), noted that Ray's group was opposed to. banning the Communist Party and in favor of "nationalizing everything. "33 Although aware of his controversial political philosophy, the CIA continued to actively recruit Ray to join the FRD34 because the White House and State Department pushed for his inclusion.?° | Ray received{ £811 operational approval as a "political asset" Jon February 7, 196136 but resisted joining the newly formed Cuban Revolutionary Council (CRC) just as he had resisted inclusion into the FRD. He said he felt the members of the CRC were too restrained and he did not want to become a part of a situation in which someone else was running the show for the exiles.37 However, three weeks before the Bay of Pigs invasion, Ray was persuaded to join the CRC as a show of unity. 38 In recalling the events of this period, Ray told HSCA investigators that he was aware of the fact that certain in- fluential and wealthy Americans, among then former Ambassador William Pawley, were opposed to him and that a lot of heavy propaganda was being circulated accusing him of being a Communist. 39
DRAFT - MANUEL RAY RIVERO - ‘11/3/78 Page 5 , Ray withdrew from the CRC shortly after the Bay of Pigs invasion. In a Miami news conference on May 28, 1961, he said Pa the major reason for the MRP break with the CRC was that the Council had failed to live up to the written promises given it in March, outlining conditions Ray had insisted upon before 40 joining the organization. The first condition had been that . the Council was to give first priority to the underground fighters in Cuba during the Bay of Pigs invasion. Secondly, Ray had insisted that anyone too closely adsociated with the Batista regime would not be used in the invasion. Also, he said, he was to have been allowed prior approval of any appoint- 41 ment of invasion military leaders. Ray told the assembled newsmen that his program to overthrow Castro was based on maximum mobilization of the discontented people inside Cuba, and that he thought the leadership of this underground should come from Cubans who could prove they had access to such a potential force. 42 : / Ray sought CIA support for the MRP independent of the 3 claiming that the group had an effective underground 44 Council, 4 organization but needed material and financial support. Ray felt the MRP had to be allowed to plan its own operations and broaden its base of financial support.to include sympathetic 45 Latin American governments. He was totally opposed to another large invasion attempt. 4°
DRAFT - MANUEL RAY RIVERO - 11/3/78. Page 6 The Miami CIA station recommended Ray be given an initial $50,000 for operational expenses .47 Reaction at CIA headquarters was immediate: Within 24 hours a Memo for the Record was circulated, objecting to the Miami Station's recommendation and claiming that Ray did not ever produce any substantial military actions against Castro.48 Ray was told to submit a "prospectus" of his plans for the MRP and advised that no financial help would be forthcoming until such a plan was reviewed.49 | : Ray went to Puerto Rico about July, 1961, where he received sympathetic support for the MRP from the Governor of that island, Luis Munoz Marin, who personally liked Ray.°9 While Ray was in Puerto Rico, a member of the MRP underground in Cuba reported to the MRP Executive Council that he had been in contact with the CIA and was told by the Agency that no material resources would be available for the group until Manuel Ray was dismissed as general coordinator. °1 Charging the CIA with repeated interference in the affairs of the MRP, Ray resigned so that there wouldn't be any obstacle to the group's cohesion. °2- | In October, 1961, the Puerto Rican Planning Board an- nounced that Ray had accepted a $12,000-a-year position as consultant to that Board.53_ Although there was no evidence that the Puerto Rican government was supporting the MRP, Ray was looked upon with great favor by Puerto Rican officials 54 and he endeavored to rebuild the MRP with Cuban exiles residing there. °°
DRAFT ~. MANUEL RAY. RIVERO - 11/3/78. Page 7 Although reinstated into thé national leadership of the . : 56 3 .MRP in April, 1962, Ray began formulating plans for a new anti-Castro organization, Junta Revolucionario Cubana (JURE) >! which, he said, would be only political in nature.” _ Ray freely admitted that this group, organized in July, 1962 59 would .cooperate with the CRC but ultimately hoped to dominate it. 00 | Concurrent with his JURE activities, Ray began giving ‘information to the CIA regarding possible recruitment or defection of Castro officials?! Specifically, he discussed plans with the CIA to approach the Cuban Ambassador to Mexico. °? The CIA, deciding he had such capabilities, recommended he be given $84,000 over a six-month period to ‘get up an intelligence network inside Cuba and create a recruitment or defection capability in selected Latin American countries.°? The degree of Ray's success in this area is not documented, but his efforts continued into the summer of 1963 and involved recruitment activities in France and peigium. {| eas 0 impressed by Ray's abilities that he recommended he be used more extensively in this capacity. Tn June, 1963, the CIA inaugurated the concept of "Autonomous Operations", under which JURE could be financed independently, not through the crc. °° Military operations were also initiatea°’ with Rogelio Cisneros as JURE military coordinator.
DRAFT —- MANUEL RAY RIVERO - 11/3/78 Page 8 ~e Under his interpretation of the "Rules of Engagement of the Autonomous Operations", Cisneros felt that JURE was not obligated to report its military or political plans to the CIA but that the Agency was obligated to finance JURE's purchase of military equipment. °? . By the. fall of 1963, Ray was devoting his full time to JURE, /9 traveling extensively in Latin American countries to gain support which would allow JURE to mount resistance operations inside Cuba/? Ray told this Committee that he and Cisneros were in Caracas for this purpose on November 22, 1963. He remembers that the assistant to the President of Venezuela came into the JURE meeting shortly after lunch that day and announced that President Kennedy had been shot. 72 In January, 1964, Ray's organization was making plans 73 and, at the same time, 74 to move their operations to Costa Rica He also 75 establish a guerrilla training base in Venezuela. began to formulate plans for his own infiltration into Cuba declaring that he would turn the operation of JURE over to Rogelio Cisneros during his absence. /®
DRAFT - Manuel Ray Rivero Page 9 : Ray's plan was delayed until May, at which time he quit his job in Puerto. Rico and dropped out of sight’ His in- | filtration plans were known throughout the Miami Cuban exile community. /8soon the story spread to Cuba where Castro ordered a full-scale military alert and rounded up scores of suspected Ray supporters. 79 After several days of bad weather and dodging Cuban patrol boats, Ray and his crew of seven? including. a reporter- photographer team from LIFE magazine, °= landed at the Anguilla Cays, 40 miles off the Cuban coast. ° There Ray intended to make a final equipment check and a final radio transmission. Because of their proximity to Cuba, the Anguilla Cays ; wére heavily patrolled by Castro forces and by the British who owned them. °4 The British discovered Ray and his group and their cache of weapons and explosives, arrested them for illegal entry into the Bahamas and took them to Nassau.°> The minimal fine of $14 was levied on each member of the group and each was admonished to never tresspass again. Upon his release, Ray said that he was as determined as ever to infiltrate Cuba: "Fidel knows fe," he said, “and he : 87 knows I'm coming”
DRAFT - MANUEL. RAY RIVERO Page. @'j0 , Compounding Ray's: problems: was: the reyelation by: the FBI and U.S. ‘Treasury that Rogelio Cisneros: had illegally purchased $5.0, 000 worth of arms fer JURE ‘from a California arms manu-.. @y®7 facturer, Ft also caused tHe. CIA considerable. embarrassment, The Agency® denied Knowledge of the purchase to Revenue. officials and, because. of the autonomous: nature of its relation- ship with. JURE, aid not make. any: attempt to stop Revenue ' Ss qo investigation, The Agency: nowy. however ;. told Ray that he — qi would have. to move. all his operations outside vu. Se - territory. In erder te shore up fiiis waning credibility within the — Cuban exile community, Ray again tried to infiltrate Cuba in July, 1964 but, again, his boat developed motor trouble and _, eat the plan was aborted, The failure this time led three . 138 BS exile. groups: to withdraw: from JURE... All tHese events, from May through. July, resulted. in a CIA decision to stop financing Ray until he ceased all | - 74 activities from the U.S. mainland. °° The Agency authorized a BRIT final payment of $75, 00 to the group to facilitate the move, | S8- thereby “closing the. books“*:on JURE. 76 Re anbe wean’ ithe ahha ace Sait Ray kept his organization together until August, 1968 - although it was relatively ineffective. He personally main- tained an. interest in anti-<Castro activities. In 1969, he > Fite see
DRAFT- MANUEL RAY RIVERO - 11/3/78 Page t&\\ called togethera congress of Cuban exiles to create a new %. organization. °* As late as 1972,,. he was actively engaged in the formulation of the People's Revolutionary Party, hoping to reinvigorate the anti-Castro movement, >> but it, too, failed ; 100 to make an impact. Ray still resides in Puerto Rico and heads his own 0 ; 0 engineering consulting firm in San Juan.
10. il. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 18. 19. 20. 21. "10/17/60, Subject: Meeting with Juan Esteve FOOTNOTES MANUEL RAY RIVERO CIA/Deputy Director Operations (DDO), Manuel Ray Rivero (Ray) Volume II, Cable to Director fron| MASH 11/17/60... HSCA #006468, p. 9, Item 8, FBI Manolo Ray References, Section 2 Ibid HSCA #009005, Memo to G. Robert Blakey, 6/28/78, Interview of Manolo Ray Rivero from Fonzi/Gonzales Ibid Give Us This Day by E. Howard Hunt, Popular Library | Edition, p. 91 HSCA #005990, p. 2, FBI Correlation Study, Manolo Ray, File #97-4546, Section 1. CIA/DDO Ray Volume VII, Memo from Jack Malone, former manager, Kings Ranch, Cuba, dated 7/16/62- CIA/DDO, Ray Volume IV, Information Report, 3/16/61, Subject: Background, Character and Economic Concepts of Manuel Ray Rivero Give Us This Day by E. Howard Hunt, Popular Library Edition, p. 92 HSCA #009005, Memo to G. Robert Blakey, 6/28/78, Interview of Manolo Ray Rivero from Fonzi/Gonzales CIA/DDO, Ray Volume VI, 6/9/62 study of program for liberation of Cuba submitted by Ray CIA/DDO, Ray Volume II, Cable to Director fropl MasH,] 11/17/60 Ibid CIA/DDO, Ray Volume IT, Organization of MRP Give Us This Day by E. Howard Hunt, Popular Library Edition, p. 92 New York Times, April 10, 1961, Castro Foes Map Multiple Forays, by Tad Szulc Ibid . a Ibid Give Us This Day by E. Howard Hunt, Popular Library. Edition ¢ CIA/DDO, Ray Volume II, Contact Report fro] Wallace pariett, | and Jorge Beruff, 10/13/60
22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33.. 34. 35. 36. 37 38. 39. Footnotes - Manuel: Ray Rivero ‘Page @, CIA/DDO, Ray Volume I, Memo to WH/4 Chief from Acting Chief, WH, 9/27/60, Subject: State Approval to Include Manuel Ray Rivero into the FRD Complex. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume I, Cable fron MASH: |to WH/9, 9/29/60 CIA/DDO, Ray Volume 1, Meeting with Raul Chibas, 9/7/60 Ibid | CIA/DDO, Ray Volume II, Cable to Director fron{ MASH; | 11/5/60 CIA/DDO, Ray Volume II, Cable to Director fro JMASH,| 11/11/60 CIA/DDO, Ray Volume II, Memo for Record, 11/21/60 Subject: Meeting with King and Esterline on Subject of Handling MRP F CIA/DDO, Ray Volume II, Cable to Director fron{“AsH, | 11/17/60 ; CIA/DDO, Ray Volume V, Memo for Record, 6/2/61, Subjects Relations with Manolo Ray and the MRP from James A. Noel | CIA/DDO, Ray Volume III, Information Report from U.S. Citizen, Free-lance writer and part-time sugar broker, 12/22/60 CIA/DDO, Ray Volume IV, Memo to S - Dr. Berle from ARA - Philip W. Bonsal, 3/16/61, Subject: Recent Cuban Developments CIA/DDO, Ray Volume IV, Cable to Bell from JMWAVE, 3/1/61 CIA/DDO, Ray Volume II, Cable to Director froft Masi] 11/17/60 Give Us This Day by E. Howard Hunt, Popular Library Edition, pp. 172-73 -CIA/DDO, Ray Volume IV, administrative form HSCA #009005, Memo to G. Robert Blakey, 6/28/78, Interview with Manolo Ray Rivero, from Fonzi/Gonzales CIA/DDO, Ray Volume IV, Memo for Record, 27 March 1961 by Gerald Droller, Subject: Ray Accepts Appointment to Council .... é HSCA #009005, Memo to G. Robert Blake, 6/28/78, p. 4, Interview with Manolo Ray Rivero, from Fonzi/Gonzales
Footnotes, ~. Manuel Ray Rivero Page 3 40. New York Times, 5/28/61, One Cuban Group Quits Exile Body by Sam Pope Brewer 41. Ibid ee 42. Ibid . 43. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume V, Memo for Record, 6/2/61, Subject: Relations with Manolo Ray and the MRP, from James A. Noel } 44, CIA/DDO, Ray Volume V, Cable to Bell from JMWAVE, 4/29/61, #0923 45. Ibid 46. Ibid 47. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume V, Cable to Bell from JMWAVE 5/4/61, # 1312 . . 48. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume V, Memo for Record, 5/5/61 from Calvin. Hicks, WH/4/PM/Operations 49, _. CIA/DDO, Ray Vglume V, Memo for Record, 6/2/61, from James A. Noel io 50. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume VI, Memo for Record - SECRET, 12/19/61 Subject:-Miscellaneous Items Discussed with Dr. Miro on 18 December 1961 51. New York Times, July 17, 1961, Cuba Exile Group Criticizes CIA, by Peter Kihss , 52. Ibid 53. 10/10/61 fro Subject: General - Cuban Matters; Spe fic —- Manuel (Marrblo) Ray — CIA/DDO, rofl VI, Memo for Chief/WH Division, | 54. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume VII, Cable, 7/2/62 to Director from 55. 56. 57. San, Juan] CIA/DDO, Ray Volume VI, Memo for Record, SECRET, 19 December 1961, Subject: Miscellaneous Items discussed with Dr. Miro on 18 Secember 1961 CIA/DDO, Ray Volume VI, Revolutionary Movement of the People: National Leadership, 4/20/62 CIA/DDO, Ray Volume VII, Memo for Chief, Task Force W from Alfonso Rodriguez, 7/25/62, Subject: Manolo Ray Meeting in New York
Footnotes - Manuel Ray Rivero Page 4. 58. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume VII, Memo to Chief, Task Force Ww from Alfonso Rodriguez, 7/12/62, Subject: Manolo Ray Rivero 59, CIA/DDO, JURE Volume I, Cable to Director frof| | /25/62 ’ 60. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume VII, Memo for Chief, TAsk Force WwW from Alfonso Rodriguez, 7/12/62, Subject: Manolo Ray Rivero 61. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume VII, Cable 7/25/62 62. Ibid 63. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume VII, Memo to Chief, Task Force W from Alfonso Rodriguez, 8/24/62, Subject: Operationsl Use of Ray Expenditure of Funds 64. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume IX, Cable to Director frofl| J 6/19/63, #77272 65. . CIA/DDO, Ray Volume IX, nispatch to Chief, WE, from (1 1) 7/2/63, Contact Report.on Meeting with Manolo Ray in 13 June 1963, signe ‘Elbridge. O. Servay } 66. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XVI, Memo to Director from Chief/WH Division, 7/9/64, Subject: Chronology of Concept of Autonomous Operations and Summary of Financial Support to Manuel Artime 67. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume X, Memo for Record, 8/23/63 from Alfonso Rodriguez, Subject: Ray Contact Report , 68. HSCA #009005, p. 7, Memo to G. Robert Blakey, 6/28/78, Interview with Manolo Ray Rivero by Fonzi/Gonzales 69. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume X - Cable to Director from JMWAVE, 9/11/63 70. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XI, Draft, 10/4/63 by Rodriguez, Subject: Manuel Ray Rivero 71. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XI, Cable to Chief, Special Affiars Staff from JMWAVE/CS, 10/22/63 72. HSCA #009005, Memo to G. Robert Blakey, 6/28/78, Interview with Manolo Ray Rivero by Fonzi/Gonzales 73.  CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XII, Cable to Director from JMWAVE 1/14/64 74, . CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XII, Intelligence Information Cable, 2/4/64
Footnotes - Manuel Ray Rivero Page 5 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. CIA/DDO, Ray: Volume XIII, Cable to Director from JMWAVE 3/28/64 CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XIII, Memo for Chief, WH Division 4/14/64 from Alfonso Rodriguez, Subject: My Meeting with Ray on 13 April 1964 Time, The Hemisphere - Cuba, page 48, June 12, 1964 Ibid Ibid Ibid CIA/DDO Ray Volume XIV, Cable to Director from JMWAVE, 5/20/64 and Ray Volume XV, Cable to Director from JMWAVE, 6/3/64 Time, The Hemisphere - Cuba, page 48, June 12, 1964 Ibid Ibid Ibid Ibid Ibid CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XIV, Memo for Record, 5/20/64 from Samuel Halpern, Subject: JURE Purchase of Arms Ibid / Ibid — CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XV, Memo for Record, 6/29/64 from Alfonso Rodriguez, Subject: Establishment of Base Abroad, Manuel Ray Rivero CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XVI, Cable to Director fro JMBARR, } 7/15/64 7 ome CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XVI, Wire service printout, Miami, Florida, July 24, 1964 CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XV, Memo for Record, 6/29/64 from Alfonso Rodriguez, Subject: Establishment of Base Abroad, Manuel Ray Rivero
Footnotes - Manuel Ray Rivero Page 6 95. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XVII, Autonomous Operations - Operating Plan ; 96. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XVII, Memo for Record, draft, 9/22/64 from Alfonso Rodriguez 97. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XVIII, Cable, Cite WH/Miami, #2233 6/4/69 98. Ibid 99. HSCA #009005, Memo to G. Robert Blakey, 6/28/78, Interview with Manolo Ray Rivero by Fonzi/Gonzales 100. Ibid 101. Ibid