404-1018540117 . . tert aver en hme Sm A OM AP RTE A Bee UA ON) thean lag ¢ ef 96m Eagunage dawe Tlie wh Ya. Swe TER Bed ine uéSep ust o? mvedisiion of WA 60 Buy MANLAr tH Ba KREUIb eed tere ke peohint.c wy law. | . " * SECRET * NO FOREIGN BDISSEM REPORT NO. CHI 316/00693-64 countiy Cuba eee Suse FRRe AdGsS Oare OSTR 2) August 1964 NO. PAGES 3 . REFERENCES Poa us CIA pare oe 136 NFO. + : mace g Washington, D.C. . ° care acg. August 1964 FIELO REPORT NO. ce os THIS 18 UNEVALUATED (INPORRANOM. SOURCE CRADINGS ARE DEPINITIVEL ApPhaiial OF CONTENT #3 Tintative, . souece. A former Cuban IS officer who served with the Cuban ‘ yo Intelligence Service until Apri 1964. oy ; , Headquarters Comments ae - 8 ’ _ , fhe following report i@ one of a series containing personality information provided by the source and includes supps mental fuformation from tho records of thig: Agency. . Fee e oy one" . it ‘ta “Fequested ‘that the “addressees take no action on any of- - . only the individuals mentioned in the personality reports without F firet checking with this Agency. an Source identified a photograph of Comandante Jose FERNANDEZ and aaid that hie nickname ie "El Gallego.” — . ‘ FERNANDEZ is the chief of all army training schools from . cadets up. Ho is not connected with Cuban Intelligence.1,2,3,4,5,6, ‘ Headquarters Comments 1. In a report dated 11 May 1960, from an untested source, : it was reported that one Jose FERNANDEZ, possibly identical with the above Subject, was a Cuban Ambagsador on an aras buying missions in Rome, . ‘ : 2. In June 1962 a Cuban national, untested, whose father was an old army friend of Jose FERNANDEZ, aka "E1 Gallego," reported the following information: rn as FERNANDEZ ie Chief of Artillary Schools in Habana Province; he frequently gives lectures on artillery weapons at a School for Membera of the Western Army (La Escuela para los Miembres de Ejercito Occidente). 6 : 3 2 3 “SECRET |. . oe NO FOREIGN DISSEM pornk o> Ob 66 oe OM eS . | BD PROJECT (AMMUG/1) 7c re eH eal : SCI~316/00693-G4 a rf & A Pe Fi . HOSE Ay i a a . DOGO aT tes prre rey roress WSA 7 (1), WE 1 (2), CI 4, RID1 mtanen @ in: Ree nk AN-3 53 A1E Spy
14-00000 is ie rr fle wes a captain in the arar dcring BATISTA’s time and wat, in prison for his par<cy in the 4 April Movement until his reiease. by CASTRY. FERNANDEZ sas rot known to be a Communist and, at the tige of this report (1962), : was not considered to be one He attended artillery * achcels in the United States (dates and places unknown) and speaks English well. He is well educated and well trained for the position he holds. He is often referred to as "£1 Gallego Fernandez." FERNANDEZ allegedly was chief of the operation agaiost the invaders of: Playa Giron in April 1961. 8s sas described as having been born about 1921, being eix feet one inch tall, (185 pounds, having light grayish eyes, light brown hair, a fair complexion, waite even tceth, and an oval face. He speak# with a Castillian accent. - A fairly reliable source, ip a report dated 17 July. 1962, ‘* a po ~ stated that Major Jose Ramon FERNANDEZ was the Chief of the - . Soccion Preparacion y Organizaciona Combativa (Section for | the Preparation and Organization of Warfare - SPOC), the «9 .-in Cuban Army’a key man for defense against invasion, and the” ~.° military brains of the country. He had access to all secret — information. FERNANDEZ received his imtructions exclusively froa Fidel and Raul CASTRO with when he.ia in personal contact.-- cs, He received hie military education in the United States. . He is intelligent and reportedly not a Coamunist. oo “% Cuban national, untested, reported in September 1962, that the facilities of the Military Acadesy at Camp Managua were being utilized ag a training center for officers, officer- candidates and non-commissioned officers. Major Jose FERNANDEZ, .. aka “El Gallego," has an office on the ground floor of the first building as you enter the camp. FERNANDEZ and a.General Enrique LISTER prepared all the training schedules, pamphlets, and training aides, as well as joint exercisea in which air ground (armor and infantry) have participated. In a 14 November 1962 report, an untested source said that Comandante (fnu) FERNANDEZ is the only Cuban official who is completely within the eonfidence of the Sovieta with respect to the military fortifications of the Habana area. 2 . ith - in a report dated 18 May 1963, state ‘ugsualiy reliable source” said that Major Jose Ramon FERNANDEZ, known as "El Galiego," is the one who made the preparation for CASTRO's trip to the Soviet Union in February 1963. FERNANDEZ arrived in Habana from Moscow two days before CASTRO'’s surprise departure. SECRET («| NC POREIGN DISSEN te Rpt eT
14-00000 Le emen wA . . =3e 2B fairly reliabie source, im a repert dated 7 August 1963, stated that she did sot think FEENANDEZ was a Communist es he has always had Catholic tendencies bit that he te a correct -¢9ldier and puts the military above everything. He is divorced asd his ex-wife is living in Miami with their two daughters, vancis, bora in 1951, and Alicea, born in 1853. & source who ia al lofficer who haa good contacts among Cuban officials (he has sot submitted many reports, but they appear to have been accurate) reported in — September 1963 that Major Jose Ramon FERNANDES Alvarez, Chie? of Training, General Staff of the Cuban Rebel Aray, ig anti- Communist and a military typé in the strictest sense of the word. He sticks to his military duties acd scrupulously avoids politics; he keeps himself completely iaolated .from all political elements. He ig proud of his present status and thankful to CASTRO for it; for fear of losing it he adpears whwilling to undertake any kind of activity against ‘the CASTRO regime. CASTRO is undoubtedly knowledgeable of ' FERNANDEZ’ attitude and has sufficient confidence in him to. retain hig in his present position. CASTRO also is aware that he has few officere with the gilitary disciphine, know-how, and experience posseased by FERNANDEZ. _ SECRET NO FOREIGN DISSE he Me ee or OE Gee, 0h, er ae 7 wena a ba Se FBI DRG. 4 & 4 . 8 f.:4 zo deat a4 % 74 ‘4 Lape etoe ‘Doty te tte Smart Rey vee ee ; x