180-10443-10449 a 4, * ‘Cisneros. who. had been active with him in antli-Batista operations and - name was tra Wolfe. "He was very close to me personally and © RETURN TO CIA Th iS re RR py Is NOT 7 Background Use Only Do Not-Reproduce MEMORANDUM - June 28, 1978 CIA HAS NO OB}ECT: 6 70 DECLASSIFICATION ANDJOR TO: | G. Robert Blakey RELEASE OF THIS Doce FROM: Fonz! & Gonzales AS SANITIZED RE; interview with MANOLO RAY RIVERO dob: June 13, 1924 Manolo Ray was Interviewed on June 7, 1978, In the offices of Ray and Associates, Eggineering Consultants, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Background file research Indicates that Ray recelved a’. graduate scholarship from: the Cuban Ministry of Publle | Works tn 1947 to study civil engineering at the University of Utah. He returned to Cuba In 1949 and was appolnted a designer for the Cuban Natlonal Development Corporation and then chlef of Its structural department In chargs of bridges and highways. In 1952 he bacame project manager for Frederick Snare Corporation of New York In construction of the Havana Hifton Hotel. $n May, 1957, he organtzed. the Civic Resistance Movement (MRC), an underground organization which supervised acts of sabetage against the Batista regime. Folttow!ng the Revolution, Ray was appoltnted Hintister of Public Works by Castro in February, 1959. He offictally resigned his position in November, 1959, Duriag the Interview, Ray sald that he had been active In anti-Castro activity, organizing underground activity In Havana, prior to his resignation as Minister of Public Works. His brother, who reportedly later committed sulcide, had been arrested by Castro tn March of 1959 for counter-. revolutionary activity. Ray sald his anti-Castro activity eventually led to his founding the Ravoluttonary. Movement of the People (MRP) around May of ©1960. Among | those Ray mentioned as beltng.also Instrumental. In the- founding of the MRP | were Bufo: Lopez Fresquet and Rogel to. When. asked, Ray sald there were no Americans Involved in the founding of: the MRP, He said, however, that there was one fater gave him support for his anti-Castro activities. His we considered him Tike a Cuban," Ray sald. At the time, Wolfe was a sales representatv¥e for a kitchen equipment firm and married to a Cuban. “After he left Cuba, he was. divorced and went to work for what -Ray described. as a : telephone company-related firm In Texas. He-.dled there about five years ago at about 55 years old. Ray described Wolfe as tall, heavily bullt, with black hair and a round face. jf O- fa. Ob LI
2 . . Although Ray sald he was not as close to him as he was to Ira Wolfe, another man who provided ant!l-Castro support and was active on his own In anti-Castro activity was Wolfe's brother-in-law, the brother of his Cuban wife. Ray sald he didn't at the moment remember his first name, but his last name was Rosello. Ray sald he had known him for a number of years because he worked for a firm that soid ceramic tile and that he had sold the tile for the tunnel through Havana which Ray had been tn charge of buliding In the mid-'50s. Roselfo, sald Ray, was somehow involved In the sale of weapons to Israel. Ray belleves - that Wolfe's ex-wife, Angela Roselio, may be Ifving tn the Hlami. area. , . Ray sald he had been. In touch with Individuals connected with the Amertcan Embassy [n Havana both before and after he Castrq Revolution. One contact he recalls was with dhe first of which was around September, (958. ~ Rey sald ofd him that he represented an agency Interested In Intell!lgence and propaganda and he wanted to excnange ideas and Information concerning the Z6th of July Movement. Ray sald he seemed particularly Interested In whether or not there any Communists with Castre In the Sterra Maestra. to meet wit bout the time he went underground with anti-Castro activities. That was a general meeting about what was happening at the time but [t+ resulted In the setting up of a channel for the passing of messages between them later. Ray sold that{ ata not offer him any financial support at the time, bat he later promised equipment which was supposed to be alr dropped to MRP guerlilas the Escambray mountains. The equipment never arrived andl. Plater fold him there was a "mix up?" sald Ray. . After the Revol utige Ray sald, he recelved another requost Ray said he was unfamillar with and had no contact with David Philftips or Col. Sam Kal! at the American Embassy. Ray sald he first met Antonio Veclana In Puerto Rico after Veclana came Into exile. Although Veclana was a mehber of his MRP movement at the time, Ray sald that Veclana'ts ‘attempt to assasstnate Castro In October, 1961, in Havana was not officially planned or sanctioned by the Movement. Ray explained that, as the leader of the MRP, he did not belleve that leadership, assassination should be a key part of the Movement's strategy. .He sald It had too many “bad aspects" to It as a strategy, the principal one being [ft misfed the members of the movement Into belleving that the movement would be successful as soon as the opposttion leader was removed, That, sald Ray, has a "weakening effect” on a movement's over-all strategy and the reason why he never. _~mMmore-
sponsored a plan to assassinate Castro. "However," sald Ray, "that doesn't maan we should not take the opportunity: to do so If It arises." Ray sald fibat, although he never met Veciana In Cuba, he knew of him and his support of the MRP at the time. "I know that he was very close to Rufo Lopez-Fresquet, the Minister of Finance, and that he was working af the bank and that through Lopez-Fresquet he was able to get some contributions to the Movement. | know. he was very active." Ray sald that he heard through the underground that Veclana was planning the Castro assassination attempt and that he had gotten a bazooka for It. He later heard that Veclana himself had left Cuba the day before the assassination | attempt and that he later gave the excuse that he had to helptsome people escape In a boat and that he had to Jump into the boat himself to do so. "The story was that the attempt failed because of the confusion that followed after he. fett," said Ray. — Ray sald that thdre was no Indication at the time that an American was behind Veciana's planning of the assassination attempt. He knew of no American that Veclana might have been assoclating with at the time. Ray said he could not identify Maurice Bishop, nor did hls characterltstics or sketch resemble anyone he knew, although he-said there was some resemblance to a U.S. government official he met In Tampa-when he first arrived tn exile. He sald he met at least four government offictals In Tampa while belng put up In a motel there, but he wasn't told whether they- were CIA or FBI. Ray sald he doesn't recall! even the name given to him of the one who resembled Bishop and he doesn’t _ recall. that it was "Blshop." _ , ese te What Ray does recall about his Inttial debriefing tn Tampa when he entered the U.S. In October or November, 1[960,. was that he was eventually told that a Mr. Frank Bender wanted to talk with him. Bender then arrived and he had @ bong conference with him. Ray sald he got the Impresston - that Bender.was mostly Interested. In.his philosophy about how Cuba should be governmadn after the overthrow of. Castro, but: Ray satd he-found It a bit strange that Bender was. - specifically Interested In the future of the King Ranch. Jn Ray's viston of the future of Cuba. "I don't think: . he liked my answer.too much," sald Ray, "because | told” “him that the mostImportant thing.was to develop the. ~. overall economy-of ithe country, and that, although | had >. nothing agalnst.the King Ranch, they would have to contribute . “more to the economy-of the country. 1 don't think he IIked “that answer too much.” - 7 : -osmore-
4, (When asked, Ray sald he was not famlilar with the name of Jack Malone who, according to a fille review, was associated” with The King Ranch In Cuba.) Ray. sald he subsequently had a number of meetings with Bender In Miami, a few of which concerned his and the MRP's Jolning of the untted Frente prior to the Bay of Pigs Invaston. Ray was asked Tf he was aware at the time of the opposition of the CIA's political ftlalson, E. Howard Hunt, to his Joining the Frente. [Cin his book, _ Give Us This Day, Hunt points to Ray's Joining the Frente ~ as one of fhe key reasons he resigned his postition. “Ray sald he was not specifically aware of Hunt's opposItion to him at the time. He sald, In fact, that he never met -£. Howard Hunt, or “Eduardo,” but knew only that the CIA's "Golden Boy,” as he was known, Manolo Artime, had the personal support of a very Influential and powerful government offictal who, Ray sald he later found out, was Hunt. Pay em +h baa oe Fe oe om ames oe ns me en ne Be me fe $ sald . boesev by ¥ S&S pos Trayas of him th His Book and Go his relationship to the Frente was misleading. Ray sald he was not anxious to Jofn The Frente and that he resisted dolng so for some tims. “We were In touch with the feaders of the front at the time,” sald Ray, "people like Tony . Verona, and we told them, why should we Jolin and be so restrained as you, why should we want to become part of the sétuation Just to be [ike a poker chip with somebody else running the show and not knowing what you are fighting for?” Ray also sald that because his group was so well organized within Cuba at the time and had deep underground penetration, some other exiie Cuban groups were also not anxious to welcome him In the front because they were afraid he wold take control of It. Y pwd _ Ray said opposition to him also came from certaln Influential and wealthy. anti-Castro Americans who saw the Frente as : a 23a: “soctal club” where they could have Influence and, If. successtuls,’ “reap thelr. benefits. Vater In Cuba. He specifically clted— WEiTTam Fawley’ as one such. Ray sald he met Pawley only one "AT The Time,” he sald, "there was a tot of heavy propaganda -agalnst us golng around ‘Miami. They were saying 'Fidelisstm stn Fidel’ and that type of thing, accusing us of belng ‘Communists. One of-the members of our organization happened to have an office close to Pawley's. ‘and got to meet him and then arranged a meeting between us. “So | went to meet him, ; .It.was very Interesting because | found the man very arrogant. We started discussing Cuba and the future of Cuba and so forth, and then he sald -he:was gotng to be.sincere with me. He sald “he belleved that when. Fidel. was overthrown it would be. ‘better EE “A were: assassinated | and. That Somebody. might. Just do it. Ne
- organized by Antonio Veclana, Ray sald he was not assoclated Ray also revealed another Instance concerning- mention of assassinating him. That was shortly after March, 1961, and the formation of the Cuban Revolutionary Counsél was announced, with Ray as a key member, Ray sald he had a very close friend who had been a detective under Batista and had also had contact with the FBI both before and after the Revadéution. Ray characterized the friend as "a very honest man," despite the fact he worked under Batista, and one he trusted. After the Councl! was announced, Ray sald, this friend called him and told him ‘he had been at a meeting composed of former members of Batista's Bureau of Investigation, called BRAC, which Ray characterized as "a repressive organization." Ray. sald: "One of those at this meeting In this house in Milam! told my friend that they belleved that Castro was golng to be overthrown by the United States and that since | was. getting too much power, they should eliminate me. My friend warned me that | should be careful. He sald They made mention of using an American to do the job of kifiing me instead of a Cuban. Even now ji do not know If the CIA had anything to do with that, or whether it was Just-thls group of Batisthdtes." Ray sald that at the time he was told that-the fteader of the group was named Faget (first name unrecolflected), who Is now dead. (Ray said he belleves his son Is working for U.S. Customs In Miami. Q : Ray sald he had heard of Frank Flortni about that time but he never met him. "I heard of Flortnt,*" he sald, "and |. was’ told that he was something IIke an adventurer, aman of action with many contacts, but | had no direct knowledge of him. He was tnvolved more with the BatIistianos." Ray sald he knows of no relationship between E. Howard. Hunt and Frank Fiorini at the Time. * Concerning the Castro assassination attempt In Chile in 87 with It nor did he know of anyone, except for Vectana himself involved with It who had previously worked with him. He was. told, however, that Luts Posada may have been Involved, and ke remembers Posada as someone Cisneros once recrulted for an Inflitration misston Into Cuba, "Later," sald Ray, "I fou out he was so closs to the CIA | decided not to use him : anymore,” Ray sald he does not know Luclfo Pena. or his Involvement tn the Chite attempt. Speculating as to who could have Introduced Maurice Bishop to Veclana, Ray said there Is the possibitity that Rufo pale Fresquettcould have been the IInk without knowing it "Rufo Ts a good friend of mine,” sald Ray, "but he _-more-
6. usually talks too much to be directly Invo¥ved In clandestine activity. But at the time Rufo had very close assoclation with high government offictals and the CIA and | know that he and Vectana were very good friends and In the same business sphere. | would say he may have mentioned Veclana's name to some of those people and they contacted Veclana as a result, knowtng from Rufo of Veciana's feellngs about Castro.” Ray's feelings. toward Veclana took a negative turn tn 1972, > he sald, when he was organizing the Parte Partido Revoluclonario de Pueblo (People's Revolutionary Party) In Puerto Rico. ~ ThTs was, sald Ray, a great effort to reinvigorate the anti-Castro movement. Ray sald that Vectana wanted to become part of the group. “At that time," said Ray, "we knew he was working In Bolivia and traveling around Latin America ‘and we thought he could be of help to us." _Ray sald that Vectans promised that he could. get $10,000 to contribute to the movement, but the money was never « produced. . "Ra&lmost as soon as he Jolned,” sald Ray, “he began participating In an attempt to divide the “movement. He made a declaration accusing us of being’ ~ Un consortment with Castro and he knew that was a Ile. -. Everything he said was Just so unbellevable and he had .- things printed about me In Replica accusing me of everything. He Just made everything up. Ray blames Veclana for the lack of success of the movement and says he does not _ understand why he attacked him. Baslicalyy, he sald, he “belteves Veclana.Is an opportunIst. ae _ Ray .was asked If he was famiilar with the Moa Bay Mingng Company. He sald he was. He recalls a meeting around June, 1959, when he was stil tn Castro's cabinet. "We .wobeld meet at the Banco International everytThursday tn . the afternoon with a group that dealt with the economic problems of the new government," he sald. "“Lopez-Fresquet _ _ .was the Finance Minister at the time. At one meeting,.f *— «| remember Regino Botl, who was Minister of Economics, 'satd iothat the people from Moa Bay had contacted him to see what could be ‘dore with the government to re-establish thelr “operation... They had about a $70 millfon Investment. But - Castro sald not to. deal with them because they had worked ‘too. close with the Bat$sta government.” 90° ‘Ray was asked If he remembered where he was on November 22,1963, Around that. time, he sald, he was spending most ‘of his time In Puerto Rico but flying regularly to varfous ~. countryes In Latin America. The day that Kennedy was killed, he sald, he was-at a°JURE meeting tn Ceracas,: Group leaders from varlous countries were there, he sald, and he remembers the assistant to the President of Venezuela coming In after dunch with the news that President Kennedy was shot. oo -mere-