(1o4-10275-10176] cs rn 2 August 1963 MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD SUBJECT: Meeting with AMBANG-1 1, I met with AMBANG-1 on 27 July 1963 in Miami. The following is a resume of the business transacted at that meeting. a. Request for High Explosives AMBANG-1 stated that in view of my outline of atrategic targete inside Cuba during our last meeting which took place in Washington on 21 June 1963, he had decided to attempt a sabotage operalion against the Havana power plant. He informed me that he has a man employed in the power plant in Havana who is capable of launching this operation. In this connection AMBANG-! asked if we could make available twenty pounds of high explosives as well as six to eight thermite grenades. AMBANG-I asked if it were poscible to have the twenty pounds. - broken into smaller lots. In our further discussion of this subject, it became apparent that A-1 would be willing to receive the materie} either in San Juan or inside Cuba, but that he definitely. preferred the latter if thie were possible. Like in mést other instances during j our conversation, I advised AMBANG-1 that I would need to discuss thie matter with my superiors but that I could tentatively assure . him of our ability and willingness to furnish the high explosives in ; San Juan and possibly inside Cuba, At this point I asked AMBANG-1 if he could foresee the need for matericl of this type inside Cuba. I told him that I asked this question because if his group were prepared now or in the near future for meaningful sabotage action ineide Cuba it was conceivable that we could begin the caching of needed materiel] inside Cuba. AMBANG-1 assured me that they _ won we °
er POON BnW Ms MR hw as were in a position to sabotage the electrical plant in Havana. (I did not ask, neither did he specify which plant.) He did not promise immediate action, adding that he wanted to assure himselt of the details of the planned operation and the safety-odds of the man involved. A-1 then indicated that he would certainly be in a position to accomplish this mission and others in the future and would be most grateful for any materiel we could put in place. I left the matter with him with the understanding that if it were possible we would proceed with caching the high explosives in the general area of Havana, He assured me of their capability to service and retrieve the cache. b, Request for Contact in Guantanamo AMBANG-1 asked me if it would be possible for ug to arrange some means for Rogelio Cisneros to visit Guatanamo and talk to his brother who is an employee of the Naval Base and another agent of theirs likewise employed there. The reason A-i gave for the request was that they wished to inform Ramon Cisneros Diaz of the JURE plans to begin the implementation of their plan of resistance and overthrow of the Castro Regime. I advised A-1 that whereas I would look into this matter aa I could tentatively tell him that the chances of accomplishing this were remote, ce, AMBANG-1 Political Plans AMBANG-1 informed me that he was planning at this time to be in New York on or about 10 August and that following this trip he intended to go to Sante Domingo and Caracas. In Santo Domingo he hoped to set up a small base for operations such as a emall house on a farm near the shore which could be used for boat travel to Cuba. Once he had made such arrangements he intended to talk to President Juan Bosch telling him of the plan and asking his acquiescence if not support. AMBANGe-! intends to tell Bosch that he will not embarrass him and will go about his business in a secure and professional manner adding that if he should embarrass Bosch, the latter could disclaim him and A~l would desist from any further activity there. So far ae AMBANG-I's trip to Caracas ia concerned, that. will be principally devoted to orienting the JURE representation
ary ta ea recs or thi ben kt Rom in that city. In addition, AMBANG-1 will attempt to see and talk to Venezuelan Government officials including President Betancourt. Some time after this trip AMBANG-] intends to visit Central America principally Costa Rica and if he can procure a visa, Mexico, The purpose of all his travel is the raising of funds, the general tightening of his organization and discussions neccessary to coordinate their efforts. d. Jeolation of Cuba. AMBANG-I made it exceedingly clear that the lifeline to his assets inside Cuba had been severely restricted when PAA flights were suspended, Nothing could suit AMBANG-1] more than to have these flights resumed. AMBANG-1's obviously great interest in the resumption of these flights was the most eloquent statement yet of his belief that he has a network, or that he can revive a network within Cuba, At least at this stage of JURE operations, AMBANG-! does not appear to consider the infiltration of manpower as necessary. AMBANG-1 stated that the use of flights from Spain and Mexico to Cuba was difficult and costly whereas the Miami-Havana run had been most useful in maintaining contact within Cuba. It was AMBANG-I's opinion that the resumption of PAA flights would be an operational boom to JURE and that whereas he could see Castro making some political capital out of the flights, he believed that some appropriate statement such as "there is no political significance but only a humanitarian and compassionate reason for the reestablishment of this link, ' would be sufficient to negate any political advantage by Castro. e. AMBANG-1 Phasing Out of his Employment AMBANG-I gave me to believe that he is cloeing shop and giving up his position with the Corporacion de Renovacion Urbana y Viviendas where he is employed as an engineer in charge of building pre-cast concrete houses. AMBANG-1I stated that during the past week Governor Munoz Marin gave final authority for the erection of a plant to produce these houses in Puerto Rica. AMBANG-1 is
14-00000 setae ye are aS ~4- torn with the thought of leaving this project which he believes will be most successful, and which would assure his livelihood, but he knows that he must devote himself to the fight against Castro. It ie obvious to me that AMBANG-1! will within the next two months phase out of this employment to devote full time to the liberation of Cuba, f, A JURE Radio Link AMBANG-I asked me if I would be able to assiat him in the establishment of a San Juan-Caracas-Miami radio link. He explained that the JURE has spent a great deal of money on telephonic communications between these points and were most anxious to set up a means of radio communication in order to economize, I guess that AMBANG-1 could tell from my reaction that I was not too sympathetic to his request for he withdrew it almost as soon as he had made it. He went on to say that this was a problem which they could overcome and I presurne that he will seek to establish such radio communications without our assistance. g. Aerial Maps of Cuba AMBANG-1I informed me that the JURE membership had brought cut of Cuba an entire series of maps showing key roads, bridges, industrial planta, et al, which they had copied by the Aero Service Corporation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. AMBANG-1 stated that they had received most of these photos from the Aero Service Corporation but that the 10l were still missing. He gave me the numbers of those missing and asked if we could procure them, Ihave since informed. AMBANG-1 that it would perhaps be best it he could, or his organization, do this instead but that we would pay the travel of one of his men, should this prove necessary.- Attached, hereto, is a copy of the missing photos in question, h. JURE Organization and Strength AMBANG-1 informed me that the membership of the JURE in San Juan was now at about 500 members and that each of these individuals makes a weekly contributionto the organization.
a «= § « In addition there are large JURE organizations in Caracas, Venezucla and Dallas, Texas, There are according to AMBANG-! a total . of thirty delegations in Latin America, the U.S.A. and Europe, He cited as an example the delegation in San Francisco which had recently purchased a typewriter through the collection of green etarmps. He added that Rogclio Cieneros had travelled to San Francisco some time ago to communicate with that group and to tighten its organizational activities, i. AMBANG-1 Aske About ARTIME and the Activities in Central America AMBANG-! raised the question of Manuel ARTIME's activities in Centra] America and particularly in Nicaragua. He stated that any association with Somoza would not help in creating the mistique and political coloration necessary to inspire revolution and resistance from the non-Communists elements in Cuba. Whereas, J had expected AMBANG-! to go into a long harangue ae to the positive damage that ARTIME's actions with Somoza could cause, he left the matter at about this point. J agreed that the Somozas did not have a liberal political reputation throughout Latin America, but added that whatever Cubans caild do from that or any vantage point against Communism in Cuba would in my estimation be helpful, -- while lam eure AMBANG-1 did not agree with me, he did not say 60, ln respect to ARTIME and Miro Cardona, whose name entered into the conversation Jater, AMBANG-1 took a fairly objective view. He stated that Miro had arrived in San Juan and that he wished him the best as he figured he had suffered enough. Insofar as ARTIME was concerned J gathered that AMBANG-L, might feel that the associ- ation with Somoza would not do ARTIME any good in a post-Castro Cuba. As AMBANG-1 is convinced that a government after Castro must be of a progressive liberal stripe, ARTIME was not doing himeelf any good by identifying himself with the Sornozas., j. A List of Cuban Diplomats As AMBANG-1 had asked for a list of Cuban Diplo- mate abroad while we were in Paris, ] advised him that such a list had been prepared and we would make it available to him. In this connection he asked if we could include the addresaes of each of the Cuban installations. Speaking of diplomats, AM BANG-I wanted to
know if Ambassador Gustave Arcos had returned from Prague. linformed him that I did not know. AMBANG-! was most interested to learn that Franqui'e wife and children had actually come out of Cuba, and indicated that he would intensify his efforts to maintain contact with Cuban Diplomat Cabrera Infante in Brueagels ae a means toward the eventual recruitment of Franqui. k. AMBANG-1 Relation with Jorge Volsky In conjunction with questions regarding propaganda sent to Cuba, and the JURE‘s general plang in this ficid, I asked A-! about his relation with Jorge Volsky. A-1 stated that he con- sidered Volaky to be an extremely able, serious newspaperman. He added that whereas he saw Volsky frequently on his trips to Miami, the latter did not work for him, A-l stated that Volsky's work was a full-time job which left him little time to do anything elee. A-l stated that JURE propaganda was produced by a twelve - man board. A-1 added that the JURE expected to shortly introduce a atatement on its position into Cuba. 1, AMBANG-] Asks about Two Man Underwater Craft A-l asked if ] knew anything about a two man type craft which travels through the water. I presume A-l was talking about the "sea-sled," I advised him that I knew little about thig . type craft, but in my opinion ite usefulness for the type activity he had in mind was limited. AMBANG-I would use this craft for. the final phase of an infiltration effort. A-l stated that this craft was being used at the hotel beaches in San Juan as a type of sporting activity. I will adviee him that he could pursue this matter himeelf as all knowledge on this subject is publicly available. m. AMBANG-I Trained ing 1 a A WAVE technician] —~«| under the narne of Mr, Lane trained A-] to use at jf S/W. A-l Fie
14-00000 eT. was given some eighty pills with which he will be able to make the “ink" used in this system of S/W. A-)] was pleased with the 6yetéers, el geciassy tH winipicity. He wils ude tae systera to communicate with his chief delegate in Parise and undoubtedly other persons in Cuba as well as in the other JURE delegations. — n, AMBANG-1is Writing an Articie for Cuadernos At the request of German Arcienegas, the farmed Colombian intellectual, A-lis preparing an article which is to be published in Cuadernos, The article will dea! with the problems facing Latin America and how they can be resolved. A-1 will be in eelect company as Arcienegas has asked a number of prominent Latin American intellectuals for their views. . e. Communication Between AMBANG=! and Case Officer AMBANCG-1 gave me the following addresees at which he can be reached: Corporacion de Renovacien Urbana y Viviendas PARADA 3) Ponce de Leon, Hato Rey Puerto Rico Telephone No. 723-1671 (NOTE: This is not AMBANG's office or home, but that of a friend who is always able to reach A-1. } Also: Mr. Jaime Mitrani 1260 W. 61] Place Hialeah, Florida AMBANG-1 was given the following means of contacting me: Mr, Alfred Fernandez P.O. Box 1104, Main Post Office Washington, D. C. Telephone No. 737-8294 AMBANG-I wili uge the name "Tony" as a signature in mail a] to me,
| 2. General Observations I beleive AMBANG-1 is planning to return to Cuba, He indicated that he would give the matter serious thought to even goin, disguised, a6 a legal traveller if that road were generally open, i.e,, if rather large numbers of travellere were , going in via PAA flights. This line seemed a bit out of character for A-l, for it seeme unrealistic and somewhat remindful of Macaulay's references to the state of mind that exilesdevelop, I also detected what we consider to be a somewhat unrealistic appraisal of the Cuban situation in A-l's estimate that Castro has conelderably less than 40% of the Cuban people with hira, A-l may be losing more than a little touch with Cuban reality. A-l remaing convinced that he is on the right track in working for the eventual overthrow of Castro. He is convinced, however, that two to three years is all the time left for actually destroying the Castro regime, believing that there will be a favorable turn in the Cuban economic situation by late 1965. A-]l is likewise convinced that Castro cannot add to the improvement of Cuba, to the contrary that so long as the principal decisions are made by Castro, the genera] trend will be confusion arising from a fallure to concentrate on specific problema until they are corrected. ANBANG-I is kewise convinced that the JURE is building a political group and general outlook which will have an impact on Cuba for many yeare to come. He is especially concerned with the need to carefully conaider cach position of his grow in order to create the lasting impression that JURE knows where it is going and that ite leadership ie composed of men who know how to "run" a country without the false starts, confusion and chaos identified with the Castro regime. AMBANG-1 is Hkewise greatly concerned with the neceasity of not creating an impression inside Cuba that the JURE will return to mete out “justice, It is essential, A-1 states, to convince the general populace that the overthrow of Castro will not result in a bloodbath, rather that the sole aim is to save the revolution that has been betrayed, He is anxious that the people inaide Cuba see . me
- Je the JURE as a reaponsible, intelligent and dispassianate group which is capable of bringing to Cuba all that the revolution promised. Alfonso Rodrigues SAS/SO ‘Distribution: 1 + C/SAS 1 - SAS/ Bolten; Heckeher} 1 - Chrono 1- RAY File bere tee Te ape atte tee te