(404-10179-10182 eS Neeser RT ned ee Tk 888 3 5B 3 2a o$ bey dow 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 strategic targets inside Cuba during our last meeting which took place in Washington on 2) June 1963, he had decided to atternpt a sabotage operat on 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-1 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 materiel elther in San Juan or inside Cuba, but that he definitely. preferred the latter if this were possible. Like in mést other instances during our conversation, I advised AMBANG-] that I would need to discuss this 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. Itoid him that I asked this question because if his greup were prepared now or in the near future for meaningful sabotage action inside Cuba it was conceivable that we could begin the caching of needed materiel inside Cuba. AMBANG-1 assured me that they
+ RRO ¢ het 1 FEBS a Bipeatans TIGR EY ote Re REP ot BAS EE rok were in a position to sabotage the electrical plant in Havana. (1 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-l 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. Tleft 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-l 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 J] would lock into this matter as I could tentatively tell him that the chances of accomplishing thie were remote, ¢ 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 thie trip he intended to go to Santo 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 net support. AMBANG-1 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 disclairn him and A-l would desist from any farther activity there, : So far as AMBANG-I's trip to Caracas is concerned, that will be principally devoted to orienting the JURE representation
14-00000 Spr ema oe ene oer ea ke) a in that city. In addition, AMBANG-] will attempt to see and talk to Venezuelan Government officials including President Betancourt. Some time after this trip AMBANG-1 intends to visit Central America principally Costa Rica and if he can procure a visa, Mexico, The purpose of ail his travel is the raising of funds, the general tightening of his organization and discussions neccessary to coordinate their efforts. d, Isolation of Cuba. AMBANG-1 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-1 does not appear to consider the infiltration of manpower as necessary. AMBANG-I atated 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. Jt _ 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-1 gave me to believe that he is closing 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-1 stated that during the past week Governor Munoz Marin gave final authority for.the erection ef a plant to produce these houses in Puerto Rica. AMBANG-1 is ia er | a,
Ham ew 1 men aRh oat ~$- 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 ig 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, 4 £ A JURE Radio Link AMBANG-1 asked me if I would be able to assist 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 presume that he will seek to establish such radio communications without our assistance, g. Aerial Maps of Cuba AMBANG-~-1 informed me that the JURE membership had brought out of Cuba an entire series of maps showing key roads, bridges, industrial plants, et al, which they had copied by the Aero Service Corporation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. AMBANG-1 stated that they had received most of these photes from the Aero Service Corporation but that the 101 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, ia a copy of the missing photos in question, h, JURE Organization and Strength AMBANG-! ipformed 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.
oT - $- In addition there are large JURE organizations in Caracas, Venezuela and Dallas, Texas. There are according to AMBANG-! a total of thirty delegations in Latin America, the U.S, A. and Europe. He cited ag an example the delegation in San Francisco which had recently purchased a typewriter through the collection of green stamps, He added that Rogelio Cieneros had travelled to San Francisco some time ago to communicate with that group and to tighten its organizational activities, i. AIMBANG-1 Asks About ARTIME and the Activities _ in Central America AMBANG-I 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 frorn the non-Communists elements in Cuba. Whereas, J had expected AMBANG-! to go into a long harangue as to the positive damage that ARTIME's actions with Somoza could cause, he left the matter at about this point. lagreed that the Somozas did not have a liberal political reputation throughout Latin America, but added that whatever Cubans coi ld do from that or any vantage point against Communism in Cuba would in my estimation be helpful, -- while lam sure AMBANG-! did not agree with me, he did not say so, In 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 ae he figured he had suffered enough. Insofar as ARTIME was concerned IJ 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 himself 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- mats abroad while we were in Paris, I 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 addresses of each of the Cuban installations. Speaking of diplomats, AM BANGe-! wanted to
ofl ~6- know if Ambassadar Gustavo Arcos had returned from Prague. 1 informed him that I did not know. AMBANG-1 was most interested to learn that Franqui’s'wife and children had actually come out of Cuba, and indicated that he would intensify his efforts to maintain contact with Cuban Dip lomat Cabrera Infante in Brussels as a means toward the eventual recruitment of Franqui. k, AMBANG-1 Relation with Jorge Volsky In conjunction with questions regarding propaganda gent to Cuba, and the JURE‘s general plana in this field, I asked A-! about his relation with Jorge Volaky. A-l stated that he con- sidcred Volsky to be an extremely. able, serious newsapaperman. He added that whereas he saw Voleky frequently on his trips to Miami, the latter did not work for him. A-1 stated that Volaky's work was a full-time job which left him little time to do anything else, A-l stated that JURE propaganda was produced by a twelve - man board, A-! added that the JURE expected to shortly introduce a statement on its position into Cuba. i. AMBANG-1 Asks about Two Man Underwater Craft A-l asked if 1 knew anything about a two man type craft which travels through the water. I presume A-l waa talking about the "sea-sled." I advised him that I knew little about thia type craft, but in my opinion ite usefulness for the type activity he had in mind was HNmited. AMBANG-1 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 I will advise him that he could pursue this matter himeelf activity. as all knowledge on this subject is publicly available. te m. AMBANG-1 Trained in | A WAVE technician, under the name Tj S/w. A-l of Mr, Lane trained A-! to use ae a7
14-00000 -7- was given some eighty pilla with which he will be able to make the "ink" used in this system of S/W, A-l was pleased with the 6ysters, elveciaily 188 eampiicity, He wili use tne system to communicate with his chief delegate in Parie 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 famed Colombian intellectual, A-] is 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-l will be in select company as Arcienegas has asked a number of prominent Latin American intellectuals for their views. oe. Communication Between AMBANG-I and Case Officer AMBANG-1] gave me the following addresees at which he can be reached: Corporacion de Renovacicn Urbana y Viviendas _ PARADA 31 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.) Algo: . 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-1 will use the name "Tony" aa a signature in mall to me, a
-8- 2, General Observations J beleive AMBANG-I is planning to return to ‘Cuba. He indicated that he would give the matter serious thought to even go in, disguised, as a legal traveller if that road were generally open, i.e., if rather large numbers of travellers were going in via PAA flights. Thie line seemed a bit out of character tor A-l, for it seems unrealistic and somewhat remindful of Macaulay's references to the state of mind that exilesdevelop, I alse detected what we consider to be a somewhat unrealistic appraisal of the Cuban situation in A-l's estimate that Castro has coneiderably less than 40% of the Cuban people with him, A-l may be losing more than a little touch with Cuban reality. A-] remains 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, belicving that there will be a favorable turn in the Cuban economic situation by late 1965. A-lis Hkewise convinced that Castro cannot add to the improvernent of Cuba, to the contrary that so long as the principal decisions are made by Castro, the gencral trend will be confusion arising from a failure to concentrate on specific problems until they are corrected. AMBANG-1 is Ukewise convinced that the JURE is building & political group and general outlook which will have an impact on Cuba for many years to come. He is especially concerned with the -meed to carefully consider cach position of his grow in order to create the lasting impression that JURE knows where it is going and that its leadership is composed of men who know how to "run" a country without the falee starts, confusion and chaos identified with the Castro regime. AMBANG-1 le HNkewise greatly concerned with the neceasity of not creating an impression inaide Cuba that the JURE will return to mete out "Justice," It is essential, A-l states, to convince the general populace that the overthrow of Castro will not result in a bloodbath, rather.that the sole airn is to ‘save the revolution that - hae been betrayed. He is anxious that the people inside Cuba see
a eee raat rece Yen ee the JURE as a responsible, intelligent and dispassionate group which is capable of bringing to Cuba all that the revolution promised, Distribution: 1 - C/SAS 1 - SAS/ Bolten; Hecksher? 1 - Chrono l- RAY File a Alfonso Rodrigues SAS/SO oF PEA dat PS ot