198-40008-10119 JFK Assassination System Date: 6/24/201 Identification Form Agency Information AGENCY: ARMY RECORD NUMBER: — 198-10008-10119 ~ RECORD SERIES: CALIFANO PAPERS AGENCY FILE NUMBER : Document Information ORIGINATOR: ARMY FROM: JOSEPH A. CALIFANO, JR. TO: CAPT. ZUMWALT ET AL TITLE: ICCCA: ACTIONS TAKEN DURING JULY-AUGUST 1963 IN CURBING CUBAN SUBVERSION DATE: 10/14/1963 PAGES: 20 SUBJECTS : COUNTERSUBVERSION PROGRAM TRAVEL OF LATIN AMERICANS TO CUBA CUBAN SUBVERSION DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION: — Secret , RESTRICTIONS: 1A;4 CURRENT STATUS: — Redact DATE OF LASTREVIEW: 06/01/1998 OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS : Califano Papers, Box 2, Folder 25. Memo No. 71 from Joseph Califano with attached report of Subcommittee on Subversion. : SEK K AW eo SSbecaly © Escule EY Een Authority © Refer To Review Date 2AUGIS By LldeD fp 9 NO STATE OBJECTION TO DEGLASSIFICATION BY. DATE oigV/e v9.1 8 HW 50955 Docld:324274608 Page i
HY 0955 SEGRE] 8 2 OCT RES | MEMORANDUM NO. 71 FO F ALGER, uaa tl RAL 3. We. ” GARPENTER, i, USAr BRIGADIER GENERAL W. Bw. JONES, GSM. 4] wa gehen Den Coordinating Committes of Guban Aétaizat. Actions Taken During July~Augast 1963 ta Curbing Cuban Subversion in Latin America Attached is the finel report of the Subcommittee on Subversion on Actions Taken During July-Augest 1¢63 in Curbing Coban Subversion in Latin America, ‘Signed Joseph A. Califano,Jr. Joseph A. Galifane, Jr. Geseoral Counsel Attachment? As Stated Noe, Yermabinuhge (2 <>) cc: DIA (Col Nigra) 7 : Mr. Califano Mt Col Hai Be ASG Q9VEE Cy yh ue wt RECRADED UNCLASSIFIED WHEN SEPARATED SECRET FROM CLASSIFIED INCLOSURES id Docld: 327474608 Page 2?
was a This oe cons / sist / ¢ SECRET "043.0 ff Coins 68. — Pages ~~ 8S, Series 6 REPORT OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON CUBAN SUBVERSION: ACTIONS TAKEN DURING JULY-AUGUST 1963 IN CURBING CUBAN SUBVERSION IN LATIN AMERICA SECRET AeA. ASG Control No.2 3 2G E.. . downgrading declassif; Om automatic and Cation HY 50955 Doold:324274608 Page 3
HY 0955 SECRET 1. Control of Travel to and from Cuba Central Intelligence Agency a. Developed highly useful information on frequency of Cuban "chartered"' flights to Brazil, names and nationali- ties of passengers and crew, and lax measures of control followed by Brazilian authorities. Transmitted this informa- tion to station chiefs in the Latin American countries of the non-Brazilians travelling on those flights. b. Maintained close watch over travel to and from Cuba. See Annex B for table of known travel of Latin Americans during July and August. c. As a result of information furnished to him by the CIA Station in Buenos Aires | lindicated that he would make every effort to prevent Argentine delegates from attend- ing the International Union of Architects Congress in Havana. d. At the urging of the CIA Station and the Embassy, the Bolivian Minister of Interior issued in mid-July an order prohibiting the granting of travel permits to Cuba or other bloc countries to Bolivian nationals. e. | | | |the Government of Chile prohibited the entry into Chile of organizers of the Cuban-sponsored Second Latin American Youth Congress, which had been scheduled to take place in Santiago in August. This was one of the factors which led to postponement of the Congress. . £, After considerable prodding by the CIA Station and the Embassy the Minister of Public Security of Costa Rica presented legislative proposals to the Costa Rican Assembly which will require all persons intending to travel to Communist countries to have their travel approved by a newly created Costa Rican security agency. g. CIA Station in Mexico City developed information concerning the clandestine arrival of passengers in Vera Cruz GROUP 1 SECRET BDocld: 327474608 Page 4
SECRET =~ De on Cuban merchant ships. Efforts are being made to obtain more information and to encourage stricter controls by the Mexican authorities. Department of State a. Instructed Embassy Conakry to try to persuade Guinean authorities to deny use of airport facilities by flights on Habana-Moscow route. These efforts achieved a temporary withholding of permission for future regular flights, at least until such time as the Soviets develop their own refueling facilities at Conakry. b. Instructed Embassy Rio to approach Brazilian authorities to express our deep concern at the growing frequency of Cuban non~scheduled flights to Brazil and request their cooperation in curbing them. Also instructed our Embassies in several Latin American countries to work with CIA station chiefs in furnishing the names of nationals of those countries travelling on these flights to local authorities and urging them: (1) to institute tighter controls on their own citizens travelling to Cuba, and (2) to express their concern to the Brazilian Government over Cuban use of Brazil as a way station for transporting subversives. ec. As a result of representations made to the British Government about Cuban flights to the Cayman Islands carrying Latin American subversives, the British developed an administrative scheme which will effectively prohibit the use of British Caribbean dependencies by Cubana as transit points for passengers. The British intend to require transit visas of passengers passing through their areas, and to reject applications: for such visas except in certain special cases. Persons not possessing visas would be prevented from leaving their aircraft, or would be returned to their point of origin. d. Instructed Embassy Mexico City on August 29 to inform the Mexican airline CMA that the United States is opposed to a proposal that CMA operate charter flights to . SECRET. HY 50955 DBocld: 3274274608 Page 5
HW 450955 SECRET =3- carry refugees from Habana to Central America. CMA, as a result, stated that they had no intention of proceeding further with this project. e. Instructed our missions in Curacao. and the Hague to investigate a report that KLM was planning to renew . scheduled Curacao-Habana flights and to reiterate US opposition to resumption of air service to Cuba. KLM assured our Embassy that there is no plan to initiate service, scheduled or non-scheduled, to Habana. £. Instructed Embassy Ottawa to express our strong objections to a proposal that a Cubana charter flight pick up a second group of U.S. students in Montreal to fly them to Cuba. The flight was not authorized. g. Instructed Consulate Georgetown to investigate Cubana approaches to secure flight facilities. Mission reported on August 1 that the Governor had no knowledge of any talks between the B.G. Ministry of Communications and the Cuban Government regarding landing rights for Cubana planes. The Governor indicated his intention to inquire further and to keep us advised. London reported that neither the Cuban nor the British Guiana Governments had raised the. issue of landing rights with H.M.G. h. Urged the governments of Mexico, Canada, Jamaica and the Netherlands to refuse to assist the Cuban Government in its efforts to find a short route for return of the 58 American students who illegally travelled to Cuba. Also informed Pan American Airways that we were opposed to a Cuban request for a PAA charter flight to fly the students from Habana to New York. i. Instructed our missions at Port of Spain and Barbados on several occasions to approach these governments to express the concern of the U.S. at indications of Cuban interest in the use of their aviation facilities. Embassy Port of Spain discussed with the Foreign Secretary of Trinidad various legal moves available that would enable SECRET Doclda: 3274274608 Page 6
HW 450955 SECRET “4 GOTT to control movements of aircraft within their territory, citing examples of such controls instituted by Mexico, Canada and Ireland. He indicated receptiveness to the proposal that the list of suggestions be made available to the aviation officials concerned. j. During a previous reporting period Embassy Santiago urged the government of Chile to refuse visas to Cuban delegated to a preparatory meeting for the II Latin American Youth Congress scheduled for August in the Chilean capital. Inability of Cuban delegates to chtain Chilean visas for this meeting is one of the contributing factors to the Cuben sponsors announcing during August that the meeting had been postponed. k. Sent general instructions to our missions in countries which participate in the International Union of Architects asking them to urge the coop:ration of governmental authorities in preventing or discouragins the attendance of their nationals to the VII UIA Congress in Habana, September 29 - October 4, 1963. Followed this up with instructions to individual posts to try where feasible to dissuade architects from free world countries from serving on the jury for the selection of a Bay of Pigs monument. 1. Urged Canadian Government to block a plan to commence food parcel shipments to Cuba on a commercial basis that would have required the establishment of scheduled weekly charter flights by Canadian planes. 2. Control of Movement of Cuban Propaganda Central Intelligence Agency | | police of the State of Guanabara seized large quantities of propaganda brought into Brazil by passengers on the special Cubana flights. For example, some 50 pounds of printed propaganda was taken from the various passengers who arrived on the 16 August Cubana flight. SECRET Doclda: 327474608 Page 7?
SECRET ~5= 3. Control of Clandestine Movement of Guerrillas and Arms Department of Defense a. Continued surveillance of the area surrounding Cuba during the months of July and August at the same rate and with the same emphasis as prior to 1 July 1963. b. Continued to maintain U.S. Forces, primarily from within the Atlantic Command, available to assist other Caribbean governments in the interception of suspicious craft in territorial waters, as might be requested. No such requests were received from any other government during the period covered by this report. However, U.S. Forces did keep track of the location of the Soviet merchant freighter MITCHURINSK, which was suspected of carrying subversives and arms from Cuba to British Guiana in mid-July. MITCHURINSK was under U.S. surveillance from its departure from Habana. until United Kingdom forces assumed the task of keeping this ship under surveillance upon its approach to Georgetown, British Guiana. Subsequently, British police search of MITCHURINSK in British Guiana waters revealed nothing of a suspicious nature. Central Intelligence Agency the Peruvian Government late in August published a new anti- terrorists law providing a penalty of no less than five years imprisonment for persons who participate in guerrilla activities or in the illegal manufacture of weapons or explosives. The Peruvian_National Intelligence Service is working on a lead furnished concerning a 290 ton vessel reportedly involved in arms traffic. Department of State Instructed our Consulate General in Georgetown to investigate reports that commercial cargoes (which could SECRET BW 50955 Docld:32424608 Page 6
HW 450955 SECRET -6- conceal illicit arms traffic out of Cuba) had developed between British Guiana and Cuba. Investigations to date have been negative. &. Control of Transfer of Funds Department of State Cooperated with the Foreign Assets Control Office of the Treasury Department in developing blocking controls with respect to Cuba which went into effect on July 9, 1963. 5. Strengthening of Counter-Insurgency Capabilities Department of Defense a. Continued the installation of military communica- tions facilities in Latin America. Operational dates for the multi-channel radio stations to be installed in Managua, Nicaragua and Tegucigalpa, Honduras have been delaved to 15 October 1963 and 15 December 1963, respectively because of new engineering and contractual requirements. Negotiations are continuing with Colombia and Ecuador for installation of U.S. military radio facilities. Completion of a new commercial trans-isthmian cable in the Panama Canal Zone within the coming month is expected to improve military communications within the United States and the Commander- in-Chief, U.S. Southern Command. b. Continued the surveillance of Cuba by U.S. Forces, reporting as before to U.S. commanders, organiza-~ tions and agencies. Reports of surveillance have been disseminated to all who have a requirement to know. c. Established a 24 hour per day, 7 day per week duty watch at the U.S. Military Groups in the Caribbean countries in conjunction with implementation of the military alerting system. Continued efforts to staff the U.S. Southern Command Intelligence Center with properly cleared, trained personnel (this center is the military focal point for relaying information concerning the movement of subversives). Filled, partially, the authorized billets in SECRET Doclda: 327474608 Page 9
HW 50955 SECRET -J- the U.S. Southern Command Intelligence Center and took under consideration the problem of an increase in the billet structure in the Center. The Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Southern Command together with his intelligence officer visited Honduras and Nicaragua and determined that no Significant problems existed which would interfere with effective operations in those countries. d. Action previously initiated by the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Southern Command (COMUSNAVSO) to establish a Small Craft Inspection and Training Team (SCIATT) as a contribution to the Caribbean Surveillance System is progress- ing satisfactorily. Permanent assignment of U.S. Coast Guard personnel to SCIATT in the Canal Zone has been approved and the U.S. Coast Guard has taken appropriate implementing actions. e. During the period of this report, the SCIATT con- ducted an on-the-job training course at Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Training was given to 135 members of the Guardia Civil of Costa Rica who were either newly assigned to the 40 foot Coast Guard utility boats (CGUBs) or were to be assigned as replacement crew members. £. A quarterly inspection and evaluation of the CGUBs provided other Central American countries was conducted during the period 17 to 31 August by a mobile training team (MTT) made up of SCIATT personnel. g- Continued efforts to improve the internal security of Latin American armies through the provision of Intelligence Advisors. Presently there are such advisors assigned to 14 Latin countries, emphasizing counterintelligence and counter- subversion. h. During the reporting period MTITs conducted train- ing in counterinsurgency for the armed forces of Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Peru and El Salvador. i. Civic Action MITs were sent to Guatemala, Bolivia, Colombia, El Salvador, Jamaica and Ecuador. SECRET Boclda:32474608 Page i160
HW 450955 SECRET -8- 6. Exchange of Intelligence on Cuban Subversion Central Intelligence Agency CIA Stations throughout Latin America continued in a great majority of countries to furnish to the local internal security organizations with whom they are in liaison informa- tion concerning travelers to and from Cuba, as well as such information as came to CIA's attention concerning the movement of funds, arms and propaganda material. In many instances, the furnishing of information to the internal security service by the CIA Station was paralleled by the furnishing of similar information to the Foreign Office by the Ambassador or his representative. The response to this information has varied greatly. The Central American countries, in general, began to pay greater attention to the information and act on . it. At the other extreme, the Brazilian Government during the reporting period showed little inclination to follow up on the information. . Department of State a. Reiterated to the Foreign Minister of Peru our interest in having the facts of the Puerto Maldonado incident | brought to the attention of the OAS, and urged that this action be taken as soon as possible. b. Urged the Government of Guatemala to submit evidence of communist activity to the OAS. 7. Surveillance of Cuban Diplomatic, Commercial and Cultural Missions Department of State Instructed Embassy La Paz to follow up closely on charges of involvement by the Cuban mission in internal policies of Bolivia, and, at the Embassy's discretion, to point out to Bolivian officials the opportunity for a possible break in relations with Cuba. Embassy La Paz was not able to SECRET Doclda: 327474608 Page iL
HY 0955 SECRET -9- press for a break when the evidence of Cuban intervention did not prove to be as conclusive as originally reported. 8. Other Special Actions Department of State a. Obtained action by the COAS on July 3 on the Lavalle Committee Report transmitting the document to the governments and urging them to implement the specific and general recommendations contained therein as soon as possible. b. Through Embassy Managua informed the Nicaraguan Government of the matters which we wanted to have considered “during the informal meeting of the Ministers of Security and Intericr of the Isthmian countries held in Managua, August 26-28 in preparation for the second formal meeting of the Managua Security Conference countries later this year. c. Explained in detail the nature of the Cuban threat and the related policy objectives of the U.S., during conversation in London and in Washington with Mr. Adam Watson, newly appointed British Ambassador to Cuba. United States Information Agency a. The Agency's press service during the reporting period transmitted 12 articles, commentaries, and back- grounders on its wireless file service to USIA posts through- out Latin America for placement in the local newspapers and the Voice of America Spanish broadcasts to Latin America carried a total of 28 commentaries and features on the subject of Cuban-based subversion. These stories were designed to alert people in Latin America to the dangers of this subversion. b. In response to standing Agency instructions to give special attention to developments related to Cuba-based subversion, USIA posts in Latin America were prompt in reporting incidents and in providing editorial comments from SECRET Bocld: 327474608 Page i2
SECRET -10- the Latin American press, all of which was used in the Agency's radio and press output. The main developments treated in the Agency's radio and press coverage included Castro's July 26 speech urging revolutions in Latin America, the discovery of terrorist weapons factories in Guayaquil, the Ecuadcrean Vice President's accusation of Cuban responsibility for terrorism, the Cuban use of Grand Cayman as a way station for subversive elements from Cuba, the expulsion from the University of a Bolivian youth leader for receiving funds from Cuba, Castro-trained guerrillas in Honduras, and Bolivian protests against meddling by the Cuban Embassy in the miner's strike. A Voice of American roving reporter in Latin America provided several reports on the subversion picture in coun- tries he visited. c. In support of the Agency's effort on Cuban-based subversion, the publicaticns center in Mexico began work on three pamphlets during the period based on Castro's report of his visit to the Soviet Union (showing that he contradicted himself in some of his extravagant claims of Soviet progress), the losses suffered by Cuban labor under Castro, and the fate of political prisoners in Cuba. When completed, these pamphlets will be reproduced and distributed in quantity throughout the area. SECRET HY 50955 DBocld:3274274608 Page 13
HW 450955 SECRET ANNEX A CIA Intelligence Annex 1. Travel to and from Cuba Chartered Cubana airlines flights between Cuba and Brazil have become a major means of transporting non-Cuban Latin Americans to and from Cuba. The five such flights since late July have carried nearly 400 non-Cubans. The first of the recent series -- on 25 July -- brought 7i Latin American passengers to Havana for the 26 July celebrations. The other four flights -- on 15, 22, 28 and 29 August -- transported over 200 Latin Americans to Brazil frem Hevana. Some of the aixcraft involved returned to Cuba with smaller numbers cf passen-~ gers. Many of the 200 Latin American passengers had been delegates to the 26 July ceremonies, but others had apparently been in Cuba for longer periods and some had probably received training there. Of the passengers on these four flights to Brazil, 75 were natives of Caribbean area countries. Their circuitous travel through Brazil was evidently designed to help conceal the fact that they had been in Cuba. Costa Rica Two Costa Ricans were among the passengers on a chartered Cubana plane which was turned back to Havana at Grand Cayman on 11 July 1963. One was Luz Marina Hernandez Salazar, the only Costa Rican woman known to have been sent to Cuba for training as a guerrilla warfare instructor. She had been in Cuba since September 1962. The other Costa Rican passenger was Carlos Guillen, former head of the Costa Rican Society of Friends of the Cuban Revolution, who had been in Cuba since November 1962. . SECRET Docld: 32494608 Page 14
BW 50955 SECRET Ecuador The CIA Station in Quito reports that the military junta, which assumed power in Ecuador on 11 July, can be expected to follow the guidance of the Embassy and the Station in controlling travel to and from Cuba and the Soviet bloc. The activities of Cuban subversives in Fevador, at least for the present, have been greatly inhibited by the mass arrests of Communists and pro- Cubans and by the outlawing of the Comuunist Party by the junta. Honduras It is rerorted that the Ponduran Communist Party has issued orders to its members not to attempt to travel to Cuba at the present time. This action is apparently the result of the increasing vigilance of the Honduran government and the greater implementation of stricter travel controls. 2. Movement of Cuban Propaganda Guatemala According to an unconfirmed report received in July, a Bureau of Information of the Communist Party of Guatemala is being formed in collaboration with Prensa Latina and is to be managed clandestinely. It expects to receive news by shortwave radio from Cuba and print bulletins for distribution by radio stations. This may indicate a pattern by which Prensa Latina will attempt to distribute on a more clandestine basis in other areas in Latin America. Honduras It was reliably reported that in mid-July 1963, a small coastal freighter landed 14 large boxes of Communist propaganda on the northern coast of Honduras, the boxes having been transferred at sea from a larger vessel. The report has not been confirmed. SECRET Boclda: 32474608 Page 15
HW 450955 SECRET - 3 = 3. Movement of Guerrillas and Arms Argentina Extremist members of the Peronist Party, apparently under the leadership of such figures as Hector Villalon and John William Cooke, were reported to be receiving encovragément and-promises of large sums of money from Cuba in support of their efforts to train and crganize subversive groups in Argentina. Villalon has stated that his plan calls for expanding and accellerating subversive activities in Argentina culminating in a complete take over within two years. There is no indica- tion that Peron himself has agreed to this pian. It has been reported that leaders of the Communist Party of Argentina have been greatly annoyed by the tendency of the Castro regime to support the revolutionary Peronists without having consulted the Communist Party of Argentina. It is reported that the so-called Army of National Liberation (ANL) of Argentina, which is a relatively small Castroist organization directed from Cuba by John William Cooke, has in recent weeks been negotiating for the purchase of arms and has been offered submachine guns, bazookas and other weapons by two or three private suppliers. It was reported, however, that the ANL was | having difficulty getting enough dollars from Cuba to make significant purchases possible. Bolivia The Bolivian Ministry of Foreign Relations on 23 August protested formally to the Cuban Chargé d'Affaires in La Paz against the Cuban Embassy support to the miners during the recent crisis. Subsequently, however, Foreign Minister Fellman informed the Cuban Chargé that he need not fear that the Government of Bolivia would break diplomatic relations with Cuba. There has, in fact, been no hard information linking the Cuban Embassy with the present mining crisis in spite of some unconfirmed reports of Cuban support. SECRET Doclda: 327474608 Page 16