(tos-toteo-0063] . yy ' ‘ Filiherte Rubero < . : Casah2, 315 - ; Mestimtr/om, Support Br., CD/00 2270 13 Apr 65 ; (4 This is on your ald case on G2 Ms Filiberto Ray. -_—_—_——- ) | } | y8R
Oy 1A -294 -65 4: f 7 April 1965 ile i l. The follow and the enclosure, presumably ere of interest to WH Division, et al. 2. The enclosure, for retention, is the edited resulte of a@ meeting dur the lete evening and the early morning of 28-25 Mar 65 betveen{ ot the LAFO and Fil Rivero. The latter gust be a familiar nane those involved in Cuban activities. The weeting was taped, transcribed and edited, all of which took much more time than had been anticipated; ergo, the delay. 3. In resume, enclosure reports the background of various attempts, or opportunities missed, to overthrow the Castro regime, Rivero’s opinions of why they failed, and his intention of initiating a final try. On the basis of encouraging responses to a couple of spot radio announcements in Ios Angeles and similar experiences in Miami and New York, he has plans to poll all Cuban exiles in Southern California. in a rather well thought out electio on Sunday, 25 Apr 65. Qualified voters will select some 20 or so anti-Castro Cubans from possibly 100 eligibles who, in essence, will represent the Cubans in exile aad, when politic, a government ‘in exile. The enclosure seta out the mechanics of the election, anticipated activities of the representatives in the US and in Tatin American countries, the formation of Cuban-latin brigades, training facilities, and invasion preparations. 4, Since preparation of the above, Rivero advised on 7 Apr 65 that Prio has proposed an alternate plan for elections on 2 May of a group of 25 people to be chosen from a pre-selected 50. There will be 16 nominees of political or revolutionary background from which eight will be elected; 10 from the “new generation" ~ 5 will be chosen; 3 from 6 industry-commerce nominees; and the same number - frou labor, the professions and the press. ‘The man with the greatest nucber of votes will be the “Delegate” of the exiles, patterned somevbat on Jose Marti’s “delegate” status prior to the Spanish American War. The remaining ¢c4 will be his committee, DISK
14-00000 oS IA-296-65 7 April 1965 56 ivero regards the above as one more Prio device to assure himself effective control of the exile movemcnt's operations, and the election a dishonest affair in that voters really have no choice. 6. Rivero, despite Prio's plans, is going ahead with his own 25 April belloting. He has since, with the help of forwer Cuban jurists, modified as follows the plan as presented in enclosure» a. Each of the Caribbean Governments willing to assist in providing facilities (when the éperation gets to thet point) will be invited to provide a delegate who with the other Caribbean representatives will constitute a Council of the Caribbean to sit with the exiles’ junta. In sddition to being the focal points for liaison, they will also have pover to veto exile activity they believe not to be in the best interests of the Caribbean. Appeal would be through OAS for resolution. b. If and when the exiles invaded Cuba, the junte and the Council would together oversee a provisional government until a constitutional assembly could create a formal government, 7. Rivero is discouraged by Prio's plans as well aa by what he suspects are efforts by elements of the US Government to keep the exiles divided and to make impossible any organiza- tion remotely resembling a government in exile or even - of exiles. It is his intent, at least at the moment, to criticize Pric!s plans in his next radio program. 8. In the event interested parties might prefer to hear the tape in addition to the edited transcript attached, we will forward it. _ . ~ end = Encl: Transcription of Tape by Fil Rivero
.tO @ny organizations whatsoever. 4 Enclosure to LA-298 -65 5 April 1905 1. For your information, I am Filiberto Rivero. I am a citizen of Cuba by birth; born 29 Aug 1913, and a permanent resident of the US fu since 1949. I an warried to an American, have an American daughter, and . I've lived in California practically since I arrived in the US, except for two or three short visits to Cuba prior to 1959. At present I have no political affiliations either in: @gpa.or elsewhere, and I do not belong For a time, however, I was President of the Cuban Catholic Center in Ios Angeles, an archdiocesan organization ' greated to provide Cuban refugees with a place to weet, and help each other find jobs, ete. 2 2, Atout four years ago I started a lecture tour, prompted by people like the Kiwanis, Chambers of Commerce, etc., to try to explain the Cuban situation. For the lest two years I have had a radio program on Station KWKW, Pasadena, Sundays, 1900-1936. It's a sort of nevacast of Iatin America called “Nuestre- America al Dia", or "Our America to Date", In that program I do a kind of resume of the important events of the week in Iatin America, concentrating cn Cuba. Cuba is in the headlines much of the time, legitimately ia important news and is the source of important news; aleo I'm extremely interested in the problens oF my country. I should aleo say that I am a strong believer in the American system of sovernment and vish that my little country could have done as well, i.e., had a two-party system with elections every four years, after which they would bury the political hatchets and go to work. But it hasn't worked out like that. I have strong views on some points of American politics. If I was a Republican I would be a Iiberal Republican; if I was a Democrat I would be a Conservative Democrat, That's as close as I can describe my political thinking. One final thing, I have never been in jail and I've never been in any trouble, 3. Now with that little background I should add that I have veen the only radio or TV voice in Los Angeles attempting to explain the ups and downs of latin American politics and this has given me a bit of recognition. Also since October 1964 on Monday nights, from 2100 to 2h00, I have had a program with a Mexican, Roberto Iglesias, who is an American citizen by convenience, in my opinion, that is, and not by conviction, although we are friends. We started a program of telephone conversations in which people would call and comment on any subject on politics ~- national, local, or Latin American -- as they pleased. This program, which is also on KWKW, has enjoyed a fantastic and unexpected success, and it brought me to some additional
Bnciosure to LA soy 65 5 April 1965 prominence in the Latin community of Los Angeles. I might say it has also wade we a center of controversy. I've taken some strong swipes at the Mexican Government because it did not go along with the reat of America in breaking relations with Castro. By the same token, I have also taken some rather @trong ewipes at certain areas of the American Government for things done in [atin America that I feel vere grave mistakes. kh, I consulted beforehand, hovever, vith a number of people on a personal basis to know if I had the right to discuss American politics, since I am not an Amrican citizen. I was told that this was @ free country, and that as long as I didn't violate any laws of the country I could speak on anything I pleased, and that it would be judged in regard to good taste, or bad taste; but not that I was doing anything illegal. So, being respectful of American laws, I've taken advantage of the fact that I live in @ free country, one z like very much, because I think I'm doing some good. 5. With reference to the Mexican community, in general, it's a matter of orienting ea million and a half people who were born with a hatred of the US. Most of those that come here from Mexico have been brought up with a deep-seated resentment against the Yankee. Our program has shown this to be tremendously strong and I make a special effort to tell them that the cause of their woes is not the Yankee; it's their own lack of education because thelr government for many yeare has kept them in a kind of an intellectual serfdom. So, I's not popular with many Mexicans, who accept whatever their government says is good for them. I argue that you do not accept the word of the government as the word of God; that you discuss and argue with your government if you don’t agree, and that is what keeps the administration on its toes. This is not the way it works in Mexico which is not a democracy, but a kind of a civilian monarchy in which the monarch or the king changes every six years, but the monarchy reigns on, that ie, the Partido Revolucionairo Institucional, the PRI. So much for Mexico. &. Now, regarding Cuba. The reason I. wanted to have a chat with you is because there is something iominent as far as Los Angeles is concerned, und due to our fricndly relations I want to inform you beforehand 60 that vou vould know from me and not from the press. XI refer to the fact that we're trying to create what will amount to a Cuban Government in exile. Thia is not news because it hae been going on for about three or four months, but what is iaportant is that I have jumped the gun on the leadérs in Miami, and am scheduling -2- re . me ovey