(tost0t03-t0t@7]. = cuban 3 od t on | : 13 April 1966000 NAME a Rolando CUBELA Secades DPOB | 49 January 1933, Cuba ——- - MARITAL STATUS _ Twice married. Was divorced by his first wife | _by whom he had one child. Has one child by . | second wife. - BIOGRAPHIC DATA — Rolando CUBELA Secades was one of the activist student leaders who assisted in the overthrow | a - - -Of Batista and later turned against the Castro — regime because of disaffection with communism. . L. As early as March 1952, CUBELA was working 4 against Batista. With student friends, including | the four Humboldt Street martyrs made famous in the Marcos Rodriguez trial, .CUBELA re-instituted ‘the University Student Federation or Directorate - FEU or DR, as it is called. In 1956, CUBELA ~ participated in the assassination of Lt. Col. Antonio. BLANCO Rico of. Batista's. Military So Intelligence (SIM). Fleeing to the USA, he |. 4 ‘became involved in military planning and purchasing arms until 1 February 1958, when he and 16. other — ' Students returned clandestinely and into the Escambray to fight. He led a famous column, - ee became the overall DR military leader. (Although = a! oe the DR joined military forces with Castro's © ; 26 July Movement, they refused Ernesto: "Che" Guevarra's military leadership, fighting’ only under CUBELA'S orders. They occupied the - ' Presidential Palace when Batista: fled on. a 1 January 1959 and initially declined to. ‘urn | it over to Guevara and Castro... In October 1959, oo - ; _ CUBELA became. president of the. government— OY = ~~ "=. Sponsored-FEU,- after—resiming=Iris-medical_.- a _ Studies at Havana University. -In 1961, after os ; his term ended, he terminated his ‘connection — a with Uhe-repine—pecause-of sé serious disagreements ~ with Castro and Guevara. wo 7 “OPERATIONAL | SUMMARY: I. In March 1961, CUBELA went to the Latin. __ - __Americar Peace Conference in Mexigg=—wher ee "he was contacted by a personal friend "== os ee © (AMWHIP/1) who knew. ee - (in true name) from Havana. Re . ‘and introducéd them. The KUBARK objective — Of the meeting. was to determine whether . | : CUBELA was anti- Castro and, if so, to bring his views to the: attention of the authorities in the United States. oe an
14-00000 “OPERATIONAL SUMMARY: ~A f ba ee oe 2. World Youth Festival whe: re he was met hy Tepedino who introduced under the alias William “Bill” Thompson... This was a follow up to the first meeting with the objective of inducing and . facilitating CUBELA'S defection. ‘However, due to CUBELA'S plans, the objective became | an attempt to set up an internal dissident — group for the overthrow of the Government and sabotage. CUBELA said he was not in- | terested in any small undertaking, and declared | the assassination of Fidel. and. other leaders ‘would be the most effective way to rescue — the revolution from the Communists. Later in. August. 1962 CUBELA "went on vacation" in Paris where he met "Bill Thompson" again and KUBARK sought more information on his proposal to overthrow Castro. CUBELA also discussed the need for the U.S. to become more deeply involved with LA students who, ten years: later, would be on the road to - becoming key figures in LA governments. 'Tepedino was present at most of these meetings. In late August-early September 1962, - CUBELA was taken to a U.S. Air Force Base’ in. southern France where he was given'a demonstration in. explosives. CUBELA had _ thought of blowing up an oil refinery and- was also considering the elimination of | Carlos. Rafael Rodriguez, the Soviet Ambassador, and Fidel. himself, CUBELA was not. given any sabotage equipment but was trained in SW. Alegre, Brazil, by “BILL Thompson’! and by true name) accompanied JA on this ‘rip but was always called ~~ * Jadme “py: ‘CUBELA. Jack *Ked”" Stent (as Jack Stevens) and a TSD SW technician under the assumed name -of Capt. David. Lb. Harper. De also _ accompanied CUBELA . ae LOSS, CuBELA was™ wee ~in -B ox cS: ves "Nicolas a Tepedino was aise” pre ent at these meetings. CUBELA claimed he had - written two SW messages with FI (one was a: received) but. nothing significant had been... | - happening in Cuba. He said he was reluctant ‘to use SW because he feared the. efficiency of the cubag Sether ° censorship. — 2o/- OS. 2229 8 SORT
74-90000 nn a nn en ED “OPERATIONAL SUMMARY: _ © He cited a group of Cuban military officers - , 7 '. and discussed ways to approach them... The a - problem was, he explained, that. although many of them were anti-Communist, they were —. loyal to Fidel or they were so afraid, they were reluctant to discuss any conspiracies _ for fear they might be provocations. | CUBELA - was of the opinion that there was no ‘organized conspiracy within the military or in other groups in the country. Internal security - .and controls were effective and. improving -@aily. At this meeting CUBELA volunteered the_informati that he thought highly CAMTR: /10) who was. ; (AMICE/14, an _ . ADL I t On ; was sent in to recruit _ and_ did so). CUBELA said he planned — | to use but he was concerned about his ~hervous condition.and the fact he drank. heavily. -CUBELA was told to. assist [> 7 and let him remain in Cuba rather tnan—nelp wo . to leave the country as CUBELA proposed. “6, From Porto Alegre, CUBELA went to Paris on | ; 14 September 1963 where he met with Tepedino, "Nicolas Sanson", Jack “Red' Stent, Richard Long.. CUBELA was attending the Alliance - Francaise in Paris at the time. It.was: __ learned the French were unilaterally . . -.- ‘survéilling CUBELA whereupon we advised ~ em our contact with him was an attempt re to“defect him. On 15 October CUBELA insisted — that he meet U.S. Attorney General Robert . ot : Kennedy because he believed Kennedy ran Cuban | |; affairs. “Sanson's" position at the time was: ‘We do not consider CUBELA is working for us | ‘but since we have a common objective, we are willing-to—rendér support'—_ . -———__. Ss - |.  ° CUBELA went on vacation and on his return. - _ on 29 October 1963, _it was arranged for | TT — Desmond FitzGerald; tinder thé fame. "James oo. ;Clark", to meet CUBELA at Stent's home that a ~ ——= = | Seen << a3) SS irc | : *;the Government. "Clark" made the following — ~- | $$$ SS —Siatement—UTke-U.S,_is prepared to render. 3.2) 7 - -  . all necessary assistancé to any anti-Communi ‘ _Cuban group which succeeds in neutralizing: ‘the present Cuban leadership and assumes sufficient control to invite the U.S. to render . . the assistance it is prepared to give."Clark!. °° assured CUBELA of moral support for any = =~ © _getivity in this direction which. CUBELA might take. -
14-00000 ad oo s+ SEGRET AQ s.° - : s . +} : yee: mo + ae Pee - E oh ow : a a: cae * OPERATIONAL SUMMARY: 7. The highlights of CUBELA'S reaction to this. ! ‘ proposal were: ; , 4 a a. The majority of the Cuban people are ee / against. Castro, but mainly because of fear they — did nothing about it. Castro's primary support comes from the young teenage militia group. - |b. Many high ranking military officers are anti-Communist and many are convinced Castro must. - go but they are afraid to organize or even talk against Castro to other people. This fear and _ Castro's control of the Government apparatus (security, military, defense committee,. econony, etc.) make it extremely difficult to organize a _ coup against him. a - c. If Castro falls, the military will _ probably break up into four or five groups... Without Castro, the present regime will dis- integrate. Unless there is-strong and immediate Support, the situation can easily become chaotic. Nothing of an operational nature was discussed at this meeting. | After the meeting, CUBELA. — . stated he was satisfied with the policy discussion but he now desired to know what technical support we could provide him. So oo 8. On 19 November 1963 it was decided at Headquarters that we would advise CUBELA . _. would receive a cache inside Cuba. If he a - po _ ‘requested it, the cache would include sabotage ae _ material, C-4 and equipment, high. power rifles with scopes, hand grenades, pistols, etc. oe “9. On 22 November 1963, "Sanson" met CUBELA who _- @sked for 20 hand grenades, two- high powered rifles with scopes and approximately 20 pounds of C-4 and related equipment in the. 7 ; . Cache. He had refused to carry any in- ee eect ann criminating eyuipmeut-with<tim on bis—zseturn ' to Cuba. CUBELA spoke again about _jan - —— — his concern for| secur we anever . been admitte UBELA tha was So 88 . recruited byt When the meéting broke up, © iil estiiiamenn "Sansou"-and-CUBELA-were—informed about. | President Kennedy's assassination.  CUBELA was SS————— —uisibty moved and asked: "Why do such things ~~ happen to good people?" At this as well’as earlier meetings, CUBELA was given small sums of money to cover personal expenses. - re
14-00000 ra . . . ° . : . ae . aol, ~ mand : co : : - ‘ + ® eo, an ead “ih : : . ag . - - LF + a ov, t * wae ns we , : aa . : : 4 foo BO gi » 8 er . . : ows ‘a . . ’ ‘ . an on : OPERATIONAL SUMMARY: .10. On 17 March 1964, the following items were included in two caches put down for CUBELA. 2 Belgain FAL rifles and ammo 2 UZI 9 mm. SMG and ammo a 2 Browning pistols with. silencers and: ammo 10 -handgrenades. (fragmentation) , 10 handgrenades (white phosphorous) 20 lbs of C-4 with firing devices and allied equipment including time pencils and clocks. © 11. On 3 May 1964, CUBELA asked for. an FAL. - . silencer. According to the news, the cache - Oo was discovered by a small boy. In February ° ' 1965, CUBELA said portions of the cache were recovered by a fisherman.. The pesos were — not usable due to type. He never received ‘any part of the cache, he said. 12. On 30 August 1964, Jorge Carlos ROBRENO (AMLASH/2 "El Mago", a Cuban refugee in . Madrid, and Cdte. Efigenio Ameifeiras,: Vice . , Minister of Special Affairs MINFAR, put out feelers to AMWORLD saying they were out of) step with the regime and wanted to talk to. Then Alberto ‘BLANCO Romar iz (AMLASH/3) arrived - in Madrid on 2 September 1964 as a refugee. He talked to Mr. | band Sileo on 15 Sept rr “with . | |making the introduct 16H fe spoke vaguely about CUBELA'S plan to assassinate Castro. He said that Tepedino 4 - was. responsible for delivering into Cuba one : oe | FAL with SiLencex CUBELA was to be the ro trigger man with th : prt of unidentified | — — military officers. el ean Sileo reprimanded | . -BLANCO and said their conversation | was all. a waste of time. a Ot tt ents na annette me 7 rr ‘es Pra a AaAt. Aaropeg?e
14-00000 . . co . . . * . +e i . ., ° e oo . 8 . ° . . . & f@ r ~6— ; a - OPERATIONAL SUMMARY: 13. On 11 ‘November 1964, CUBELA went to. “Prague - wo _ ; _ aS -a special guest of the International: Union of Students (IUS). His’ trip was arranged at his request by Jose VENEGAS Valdespino, a Cuban vice president of 1US and a personal friend. On 13 November. Artime agreed to talk to Cubela;. as the outside contact of the internal 26th of July . and DR internal dissidents. At a. meeting . with "Sanson" on 6/7 December, Cubela told . Coe te tS NSONM he was going to meet _Artime.. The meeting with Artime took place’ on 27 December | ‘1964. Present were CUBELA, ARTIME, Jorge — Carlos ROBRENO, Alberto BLANCO. Romariz, Nilo Messer and Miguel "Cuco" de Leon. During the meeting, after toe lage ees ore explained his position, plans, needs, etc. to Artime and an agreement. was reached. Artime provided Cubela with a silencer for an FAL. 14, On 1/2 February 1965, ‘Cubela requested ~ $10,000: from "Sanson" to finance his © operations. It was refused on 3 February. Instead Tepedino gave Cubela $7,000, $5,000 of which had been provided by KUBARK and $2, 000 by Tepedino. 15. Cubela returned to Cuba on 23 February 1965. CIA has had no further direct contact with . Cubela, and he has not utilized his SW to us since that time. 16. On 23 February 1965, CA/PA passed a. letter | through the AMSNEAK operation to{UNSNAFU/25 implying that Cubela, i:e., “one of the - . ' Comandantes" had recently. received an ee Te termes additional 95,666 in nis secret bank account. al  eenmemamartet an - ee ne Sori uienidawe . ain gee NRGNa £2 we se _mocemmmasesene erie nO STR I os “ . a