180-10142-10223) / _£otioeiog November, he was arrested and relieved of his (Fox K> (POL DEve. ASK wx ff DRAFT -— 10/24/78 MANUEL RAY RIVERO / Manuel Rav Rivero was born in Cuba in 1924. (HSCA #009005 Memo to G. Robert Balkey, 6/28/78, Interview with K Manolo Ray Rivero from Fonzi/Gonzalezha Because of his A e47, outstanding performance as a civil engineer, he was granted a scholarship trc-t& by the Cuban Ministry of Public Works Jo. Roe (sas to, studgsat the Univerbity of Utah. ciisca 006468, p.9, Item 8, a ee ‘ FBI Manolo Ray References, Section 2) Ray was in the United moh ~Th ° Howy : . te . States for two years but did not complete his work for a ! bd To Guo, Masters Degree. (Ibid) , fe held various positions in the engineering field, one of which was Project Manager for the So construction of the Havana Hilton Hotel. (Ibid) In May 1957, he organized the Civic Resistance Movement which supervised sabotage and acts of terrorism against the Batista regime. (Ibid) Fidel Castro appointed him Minister of Public Works in February 1959. (Ibid) we 14s 7 Conger official position. (HSCA 005990, p. 2, FBI Correlation Study, Manolo Ray file, #97-4546, Section 1.) (ray deserted Castro . . . . i ait Cot because of his communist connections. (Ibid)J Hegfounded the : Movimento Revolucionario del Pueblo (MRP) in 1960, serving as its Chief with the following individuals completing the leadership: Raul Chibas, Special Assistant to Ray; Juan Esteves Ramires, Secretary; Ramon Barquin, Military Intelli- gence Matters; and Rogelio Cisneros, Chief of MRP in Cuba. (CIA/Deputy Director of Operations, Manuel Ray Rivero file, Volume IT)
eo os calhiasesorse: Manuel Ray - 10/24/78 oh = -2\ Page 2 ae a8 = |z chile . Ke 3 t In the Summer of 1960,aRay was actively recruited my 8 : et e YY ; by the CIA to become a member of the FRD, app : ws Cabte. hade—thseugh—Raul_Cchtbers. (CIA/DDO, Ray Vol I) Ray's back- ground was questioned by the State Department. (CIA/DDO Ray (en Vol 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) and by the Miami CIA office (CIA/DDO Ray Vol I, Cable from MASH to WH9, 9/29/60) Despite these objections, Ray was granted Provisional Operational Approval owt wth ty ad @ th Oh wae by the CIA on 25 October 1960/7 (CIA/DDO Ray Vol I, POA form) His personnel papers contain the following assessment: "Subject has definite political action potential, is a pro-democratic official of government who is not in sympathy with aims of international Communism and 4%@ is interested in strengthening ties between Cuba and U.S. (CIA/DDO, Ray Vol , (erowtorm, Part -2,) wed Not everyone in the CIA who Knew Ray were in agreement Section VI) with this assessment. In a Memo for Record dated 11/21/60, it was reported that, "...Ray did not politically represent anything to cheer about." (CIA/DDO Ray Vol II, Memo for Record, 11/21/60, Subject: Meeting with King and Esterline on Subject ‘ of Handling MRP) Another CIA officer who met privately with Ray in November 1960 stated that his political posture was doubtful as far as U.S. Government acceptance is concerned. (CIA/DDO Ray VOL II, Cable to Director from MASH, 11/17/60) aL
Manuel Ray - 10/24/78 Page 3 - Still another Memo for Record states that Ray's action. all seemed directed toward making him the future power in Cuba rather than overthrowing Castro. (CIA/DDO, Ray Vol V, Memo for Record, 2 June 1961, Subject: Relations with Manolo Ray and the MRP from Ganés A. noey) The memo further pointed out that it was believed Ray was so far "left" in his thinking that: he would be as dangerous (or more so in the long run) to U.S. interests as Castro, if he ever got to be a power in Cuba. (Ibid) Ray made his mien position very clear during a. be gd LD private meeting with a CIA officer on November 15, 1960.” (CIA/DDO, Ray Vol II, Cable to Director from MASH) He said the MRP did not wish to reinstate the 1040/Cuban Constitution and that the Castro laws passed at th¥ beginning of his regime would further informed the CIA officer shold regulate private invest- wy ¥ ments and utilities shoyvld be n tionalized. (Ibid) cease “ysl 2 be_peemulgated. (Ibid) Ray that he believed the Sta ot, of “Fidelismo without Fidel" wer made: against Ray's MRP (CIA/DDO, Ray Vol II, contact report crom(watlace, A. pariett) 10/17/60, Subject: Meeting with(guan stevez) ana 1 (so%s" Berufe,) 10/18/60) The CIA received negative information about Ray from prominent exiled Cubans. Ray was described by one exile as highly dangerous because of his ambition to play a prominent
Manuel Ray - 10/24/78 Page 4 ~ role in the Cuban government after Castro's overthrow. (CIA/DDO, Ray Vol II, Memo for Record,(John D. Peters) 11/8/60, Subj: Contact Report on Neeting with(Rogelio Gonzalez). Miro Cardona was opposed to Ray, believing his program was too Marxist. (CIA/DDO Ray, Vol. III, Information Report from U.S. Citizen, Free-lance writer and part-time sugar broker, 12/22/60) and also stated that Ray was bitterly anti-American as well as | probably totalitarian in his thinking. (CIA/DDO, Ray Vol IV, Memo to S$ ~ Dr. Berle from ARA - Philip W. Bonsal, March 16, 1961, Subject: Recent Cuban Developments) Manuel Artime,advised that Ray's group, MRP, was opposed to banning the Communist Party and in favor of “nationalizing everything". (CIA/DDO, Ray Vol IV, Cable to Bell from JMWAVE, 3/1/61) Although pati the CIA actively recruited twe aware of his controversial, esHua, /Ray was-aectively—-reerutted to join the FRD. (CIA/DDO Ray Vol II, Cable to Director from MASH, 11/17/60) Ray-was—described—as;— v7 a-naturat-teadex- of-ha i ay est sine : hesmreerirrtetts (LD 1) need - : z Ray received full operational approval as a“ political Ton" by assetf. on 7 February 1961 (CIA/DDO Ray Vol IV) and accepted appointment to the CRC on 27 March 1961. (CIA/DDO Ray Vol IV, Memo for Record, 27 March 1961 by Gerald Droller, Subject: Ray Accepts appointment to Council ....) Ray had resisted joining the CRC because he felt the members 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. (HSCA #0¢fooS, Memo to G. Robert Blakey, 6/28/78, Interview with Manolo Ray Rivero, from Fonzi/Gonzalex)
e Manuel Ray - 10/24/78 Page 5 . Within a week, Ray met with a CIA officer and complained that Miro was backing away from his commitments and ‘was not willing to give Ray any voice in the Council. (CIA/DDO Ray Vol V, Cable from JMWAVE to Bell, 4/3/61) He Lig Aner Khe panco dL Salads -that OSS to HSCA investigators that certain influential and wealthy Americans, among them William Pawley, opposed him and a lot of heavy propaganda was circulated at this time os: aa accusing him of being a Communist. (HSCA #009005, Memo to G. Robert Blakey, 6/28/78, p. 4, Interview with Manolo Ray Rivero, from Fonzi/Gonzales) mm was-persuaded_to remain . Kay— in-the-CRe-as’a@ Show of-untty—but withdrew from the organization -7- ac C/A / DIO Ray Vk ET ~ Cth ® shortly after the Bay of Pigs invasion and requ to give him support independent of the CRC, Vol V, Memo -for~Record, 2— , Romulo 1961, Subject: Relations with In October 1961, the Puerto Rican Planning Board Manolo Ray and the MRP, Signed(Jamési* announced that Ray had accepted a position as consultant to Drarin PF that Board, @m@ Ray took up residency in Puerto Rico. (CIA/DDO Ray Vol VI, Memo for Chief/WH Division, 10 October 1961 i i from | | Subject: General - Cuban Matters; Specific - Manuel (Manolo) Ray) He was looked upon with great - nenos goo floral ate ly Gomes Wranix Keg 4 fororer Prauidend % Oo _ foce Fieger a favor by the Puerto Rican government ./ (¢¢n/DDO Vol VII, Cable dated 2 July 1962 to pirector (From san gusty Ome poidenercthad gout wes eupprleaa MRP. (Obit Manuel Ray became actively engaged in recruitment of Castro defectors in the summer of 1962. (CIA/DDo Ray Vol VII, Cable dated 25 July 1962) His efforts were initially directed ae yng. a7, 1167 Lin tero
‘toward the (Gawail Ambassad6é Manuel Ray - 10/24/78 Page 6 ar é @xico) (CIA/DDo Ray Vol VII, cable(tormexiedicity) trom Director, 23 August 1962) and later Cuban officials in Paris and Brussels. (CIA/DDo, Ray file Vol Ix, Cable to Director(' ari) 19 June 1963, #77272) File reviews failed to ascertain if any of his endeavors were fruitful. (quote. Lia Copardtior ) In the two months preceeding the assassination of JFK, Ray was travelling in Lating America -- Honduras, (CIA/DDO Ray Vol XI, Field Information Report, 1 October 1963) Costa Rica in late September 1963, (CIA/DDO Ray Vol XI, Dispatch to Chief /wap (Exon S7/pariaiils), 3 October 1963) and Venezuela in October (CIA/DDO Ray Vol XI, Memo for Record, 2 October 1963 from Alfonso Rodriguez) devoting his full time to JURE, (CIA/DDO Ray Vol XI, Draft, 4 October 1963 by Rodriguez, Subject: Manuel Ray Rivero) On November 1, 1963, he met with a CIA officer on St. Thomas Island to discuss JURE plans to begin operations inside Cuba by the end of December. (CIA/DDO Ray Vol. XI, Memo for Record from AlfonSo Rodriguez, Subject: Meeting with Ray in St. Thomas, 31 October - 1 November, 1963) JURE was to be involved in an infiltration plan known as Operation Bola, (CIA/DDO Ray Vol XI, Cable to JMWAVE, from Director, 12/3/63) to commence when the CIA cached materials for JURE on 25 November. (CIA/DDO, Ray Vol XI, Cable to JMWAVE from Director, 18 Nov. 1963) Ray told HSCA investigators that he was in Caracas on November 22, 1963 with Rogelio Cisneros and could not recall the dates \ e450. Quant wruld Jr (eor’ bw
Manuel Ray - 10/24/78 Page 7 7 ‘the CIA/JURE operation was to have taken place. (HSCA #009005, Memo to G. Robert AAykey, 6/28,78, Interview with Manolo Ray Rivero, by Fonzi/Gonzales, pp 6-7) The JURE ship failed to pick up the cached materials on 25 November 1963 as scheduled and Ray gave the CIA. no full explanation for this failure. (CIA/DDO Ray Vol XI, Memo for Record, 13 December 1963, from Alfonso Rodriguez) The Western Hemisphere division of the CIA received wor in April 1964 that in the late 1940's, Ray had been closely associated with a.known Puerto Rican Communist and was friendly with the Puerto Ricans who were working on the rennovation of the White House and the group that tried to assasSinate President Truman. (CIA/DDO, Ray - Assorted documents, Dispatch to Deputy Chief WH/SA from Chief of Station, JMWAVE, 14 April 1964 in Mexico, D.F.) The source _of this information was referred to by cryptonym and when 0 HSCA researcher requested the identily of the individual in APELIALSTS , the CIA indicated that he was a “current asset" of theirs and his identity~could not be revealed. This information on Ray was dissiminated to the Secret Service (HSCA #008290, Item 3, Secret Service Administrative Profiles | Bw 3/27-75 on Manuel Ray Rivero, Case # COz 33115, Subject: #0031]) and the FBI (HSCA #006468, Item 5, page 1, FBI #97-4546, Memo from San Juan - Secret, dated October 12, 1964, Re:JURE) Ray's primary activities the first half of 1964 involved infiltration plans into Cuba and are discussed in
Manuel Ray - 10/24/78 Page 8 . the JURE section. The failure of the attempt brought Ray's prestige to a near absolute. low point among the Cuban exiles ™ (CIA/DDO, Ray Vol XV, Cable to Director from JMWAVE, 6/10/64 n an effort to enable JURE to move its activities from U.S. territory, the CIA made a final payment to Ray's group of $75,000 for the period of 1 October - 31 Dec. 1964. (CIA/DDO, Ray Vol XVII, Autonomous Operations - Operating Plan.) (50 sca Sneunty Pile 092, JFK, Fer Ser stad, doe. Vol 32, Vim Ze, 47-40-87 ) Sud that Rey , ae a+ neentt J big faluras TD wp lta Cuber , Apt Conn l ths Dao Bh OY UmprrtormenA J hang tn Oo AeMoweig ~~ Urar Oepe-Lered a port J ths, “sad poet, (Obed, ps)