180-10442-10242 a “ a Kk og yelar ; oe on gob be vie October 24, 1978 Dearest Chris, Funny you should have written me asking if I had ever heard about Manuel Rey -- he has been of interest to me in my work for nearly a year ~- so here is all you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask. / Manuel Ray Rivero was born in Cuba in 1924. He has ~ been described as softspoken, unassuming, almost humble -- a natural leader of the highest intellect, deepest sincerity a. and conviction. In 1947, because of his outstanding performance as a civil engiagner, he was granted a scholarship by the Cuban Ministry of Public Works to pursue graduate studies in engineering at the University of Utab. Ray was in the United States for } Sut. tw years put did not complete his work for a Masters pegree. ~s- em AUS HOT Jer. S- ee 7 “When he returned to Cuba, he held various positions in the engineering field, one of which was Project Manager for the & 0 ‘ construction of the Havana Hilton ‘Hotel. In May 1957 he organized the Civic Resistance Movement | which supervised sabotage and acts of terrorism against the nase q eog oes” GTM ceser’ Vawt Batista regime. Fidel Castro oppor n tee him Minister of pwede) , Castrofae- » Public Works in February 1959 -bme Stayt Te fe eay hea ~CptsSe OF his Conmunist—cemmecttons Stn November 1959, Ra _ Was avrosted and relieved of his—efticiat . then ' founded the anti-Castro Mov and served as its Chief. Othed indivi gompleting the _ leadership of the MRP were: Raul i pecial Assistant tt to Ray; Juan Esteves Ramires, Secreta y; Ramon Barquin, ae of MRP in Cuba.
In the Summer of 1960, while still in Cuba, Ray was actively recruited by the CIA to become a member of the rave So FRD. His background was questioned by the State Department STAT UeAy : — and the Miami CIA office. Despite their objections, Ray was granted Provisional Operational Approval by the CIA on October 25, 1960 and, with the aid of the CIA, he was brought clandestinely into the United States on November 10, 1960. Ray's personnel papers at the CIA contain the following fi" * assessment: "Subject has definite political action potential, is a pro-democratic official of government who is not in sympathy with aims of international Communism and is interested in strengthening ties between Cuba and U.S." | | Not everyone in the CIA {who knew Ray) were in agreement with this assessment. In a Memo for Record,. dated 11/21/60, it was reported that, "... Ray did not politically represent anything to cheer about." Another CIA officer who met privately with him in November 1960 stated that his political posture was doubtful as far as U.S. Government acceptance was concerned. CIA official Still another/assessment of Ray stated that his action all seemed directed toward making him the future power in Cuba rather than overthrowing Castro. It was believed that Ray was so far "left" in his thinking that he would be as dangerous (or more so in the long run) to U.S. interests as Castro, if he ever got to be a power in Cuba. | Ray made his political position very clear during a private meeting with a CIA officer on Névember 15, 1960 - five days after his arrival in the U.S.  H# said that the MRP did not wish to reinstate the 1940 Cuba onstitution/that the
continued. Ray further statad’/tHat he believed the State should regulate private invest nts andfutilities should be nationalized. Charges 0: "Fid lismo without Fidel" were made against Ray's group, fhe MRP, because of these "leftist" ideologies. Negative information about Ray was also voiced by ett She Cuban exile community and came to the attention of the CIA. [He was”described by one “exilé as highly dangerous.. because of his ambition to play a prominent. role-in~-the. cubens-¢ a one Whe Ae \ «government afterCastro! Ss overthrow: Miro Cardona was opposed to him on ‘the grounds that his program was too Marxist and further stated that Ray was bitterly anti-American as well as probably totalitarian in his thinking. Manuel Artime ~ said the MRP was opposed to banning the Communist Party and in favor of “nationalizing everything.” | : Although aware of his controversial political 3 philosophy, the CIA actively recruited Ray to join the FRD. Pecare se White House and State Department pushed for his inclusion. Ray received full/operational approval as a "political asset" on February 7, 1961 and accepted appointment to the CRC in March. He himself had resisted joining the CRC be- 4 cause he felt the members were too restrained and he did not a want to become a part of a situation in which someone else was running the show for the exiles. Within a week after agreeing to join, Ray met with a CIA officer and complained a, PROF hare Ok  EiPxepe¥f : that Miro was backing away ‘from his commitments and was not willing to give Ray any voice in the Council. He recalled
the events of this period to HScaA investigators in 1978, stating that certain influential and wealthy Americans, among them William Pawley, opposed him and a lot of heavy i propaganda was circulated at this time accusing him of being a Communist.
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