MANUEL RAY RIVERO
Originator: HSCA
From: CIA
Document date: 11/03/1978
Document type: REPORT

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2022 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

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B. Palmer

MANUEL RAY RIVERO

When he first came into prominence as a Cuban exile

leader, Manuel Ray Rivero was described as "softspoken and

unassuming", a person of "highest intellect, sincerity and

1

conviction" -- in other words, a natural leader.

In 1947,

the 23-year old Ray was granted a scholarship by the Cuban

Ministry of Public Works to study civil engineering at the

University of utah." Ray was in the United States for two

years before returning to his native Cuba in 1949 and

obtaining various positions in the engineering field, one of

which was project manager for the construction of the

3

Havana Hilton Hotel.

Reacting to the excesses of the military rule of

Fulgencio Batista, Ray organized the Civic Resistance Movement

in 1957 and began supervising sabotage and acts of terrorism

4

against the government.

His political posture and active

resistance to Batista was

recognized by Fidel Castro who,

upon assuming control of the government of Cuba, appointed

Ray his Minister of Public Works in February 1959.5 within a

few months of his appointment, Ray confided to two anti-castro

Cubans that he had recognized the symptoms.of Communism in

the Castro regime but was not prepared to conspire against

"El Lider Maximo." 6

Ray's tenure in Castro's government was short-lived. H

7

was relieved of his official position in November 1959.

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B. Palmer - page 2

definite reason for this severence has been documented but,.

according to one source, Ray did not leave Castro because of

ideological or policy discrepancies but rather because of a

personality clash with Castro's Minister of Labor who almost

shot Ray after a stormy Cabinet meeting.? Another theory

about his leaving was that he opposed Castro's plan to declare

Hubert Matos a traitor and execute the Cuban revolutionary

hero with whom Ray had been associated.?

For whatever reason, Ray did continue

¡ to permit his name

to be associated with the Castro regime!

until May 1960

when he formed the Revolutionary Movement of the People (MRP)!

The MRP was anti-Castro organization which believed that

the ideas and aims of the democratic left best suited the

needs and aspirations of the Cuban people. 12

It did not wish

to reinstate the 1940 Cuban Constitution, rather it favored

continuation of the laws passed by Castro at the beginning of

his regime13

and advocated the regulation of private investment

and nationalization of all utilities. 14 Associated with Ray

in this underground organization were Raul Chibas, Ramon

Barquin, Rogelio Cisneros, 15 Rufo Lopez Fresquet and Felipe

Pazos. 16

Organized in each of Cuba's six provinces, the MRP was

considered the most important underground group. I7 working

in tightly organized cells, the leadership in one province

was unaware of the identities of their counterparts in other

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in other provinces. 18 The MDC engaged in acts: Of sabotage

and was supplied with explosives sent by launches from the

19

Florida Keys.

Having waited until May, 1960 to organize his resistance

group, Ray was criticized as being suspiciously tardy to the

anti-Castro movement. 20 Charges of "Fidelism without Fidel"

were made against him and the MRP because of their leftist

ideologies.

21 Perhaps for these reasons, Ray's background

was questioned by some in the State Department22 and the Miami

CIA station23 when, in the summer of 1960, 'he was being re-

cruited by the CIA in Cuba to become a member of the Frente

Revolucionario Democratico (FRD), a newly formed anti-Castro

organization sponsored by the CIA.24 The Agency considered him

an important political asset 25

and facilitated his clandestine

entrance into the United States-6 on November 10, 1960.27

Nevertheless, there was internal conflict within the

CIA about Ray's political compatibility to United States

government policy. In a CIA Memo for Record, dated November 21,

1960, one Agency officer declared, "... Ray did not politically

represent anything to cheer about. "28 A CIA officer who met

privately with Ray in November, 1960 noted that his political

posture was "doubtful" as far as U. S. government acceptance

was concerned, 2g

and a further assessment portrayed Ray as so

far "left in his thinking that he would be as dangerous to

U. S. interests as Castro30

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Some prominent Cuban emigres also expressed negative

opinions about Ray, among them Dr. Jose Miro Cardona, president

of the FRD. Miro opposed Ray because he considered his

program too Marxist3] and declared that Ray was bitterly

anti-American as well as probably totalitarian in his think-

ing. 32

Manuel Artime, head of the Movimento Recuperacion

Revolucionaria (MRR), noted that Ray's group was opposed to .

banning the Communist Party and in favor of "nationalizing

everything. "33 Although aware of his controversial political

philosophy, the CIA continued to actively recruit Ray to join

the FRD34 because the White House and State Department pushed

for his inclusion. 35

Ray received Eùll operational approval as a "political

asset." on February 7, 196136 but resisted joining the newly

formed Cuban Revolutionary Council (CRC) just as he had

resisted inclusion into the FRD. He said he felt the members

of the CRC were too restrained and he did not want to become

a part of a situation in which someone else was running the

show for the exiles. 37 However, three weeks before the Bay of

Pigs invasion, Ray was persuaded to join the CRC as

a show of

unity. 38

In recalling the events of this period, Ray told HSCA

investigators that he was aware of

the fact that certain in-

fluential and wealthy Americans, among then former Ambassador

William Pawley, were opposed to him and that a lot of heavy

propaganda was being circulated accusing him of being a

Communist. 39

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5

Ray withdrew from the CRC shortly after the Bay of Pigs

invasion. In a Miami

news conference on May 28, 1961, he said

the major reason for the MRP break with the CRC was that the

Council had failed to live up to the written promises given

it in March, outlining conditions Ray had insisted upon before

joining the organization. 40 The first condition had been that

the Council was to give first priority to the underground

fighters in Cuba during the Bay of Pigs invasion. Secondly,

Ray had insisted

that anyone too closely associated with the

Batista regime would not be used in the invasion. Also, he

said, he was to have been allowed prior approval of any appoint-

ment of invasion military leaders. 41 Ray told the assembled

newsmen that his program to overthrow Castro was based on

maximum mobilization of the discontented people inside Cuba,

and that he thought the leadership of this underground should

come from Cubans who could prove they had access to such a

potential force.

42

Ray sought CIA support for the MRP independent of the

Council, 43 claiming that the group had an effective underground

organization but needed material and financial support. 44 Ray

felt the MRP had to be allowed to plan its own operations and

broaden its base of

financial

- support. to include sympathetic

He was totally opposed to another

Latin American governments. 45

large invasion attempt. 46

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The Miami CIA station recommended Ray be given an

initial $50,000 for operational expenses.4? Reaction at

CIA headquarters was immediate: Within 24 hours a Memo for

the Record was circulated, objecting to the Miami Station's

recommendation and claiming that Ray did not ever produce any

substantial military actions against Castro.48 Ray was told

to submit a "prospectus" of his plans for the MRP and advised

that no financial help would be forthcoming until such a plan

was reviewed. 49

Ray went to Puerto Rico about July, 1961, where he

received sympathetic support for the MRP from the Governor

of that island, Luis Munoz Marin, who personally liked Ray 50

While Ray was in Puerto Rico, a member of the MRP underground

in Cuba reported to the MRP Executive Council that he had been

in contact with the CIA and was told by the Agency that no

material resources would be available for the group until

Manuel Ray was dismissed as general coordinator. 1 Charging

the CIA with repeated interference in the affairs

of the MRP,

Ray resigned so that there wouldn't be any obstacle to the .

group's cohesion. 52.

In October, 1961, the Puerto Rican Planning Board an-

nounced that Ray had accepted a $12,000-a-year position as

consultant to that Board. 53

Although there was no evidence

that the Puerto Rican government was supporting the MRP, Ray

was looked upon with great favor by Puerto Rican officials 54

and he endeavored to rebuild the MRP with Cuban exiles residing

there. 55

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Although reinstated into the national leadership of the

56

MRP in April, 1962,

Ray began formulating plans for a new

anti-Castro organization, Junta Revolucionario Cubana (JURE) 57

which, he said, would be only political in nature.

58 - RaY

freely admitted that this group, organized in July, 1962

would. cooperate with the CRC but ultimately hoped to dominate

it. 60

Concurrent with his JURE activities, Ray began giving

information to the CIA regarding possible recruitment or

defection of Castro officials!1 specifically, he discussed

plans with the CIA to approach the Cuban Ambassador to

Mexico, 62 The CIA, deciding he had such capabilities,

recommended he be given $84,000 over a six-month period to

set up an intelligence network inside Cuba and create a

recruitment or defection capability in selected Latin American

countries. 63 The degree of Ray's success

in this area is

not documented, but his efforts continued into the summer of

1963 and involved recruitment activities in France and

Belgium. 64 the Chief of station in paris/was so impressed

by Ray's abilities that he recommended he be used more

65

extensively in this capacity.

In June, 1963, the CIA inaugurated the concept of

"Autonomous Operations", under which JURE could be financed

66

independently, not through the CRC.

Military operations

were also initiated? with Rogelio Cisneros as JURE military

68

coordinator.

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Under his interpretation of the "Rules of Engagement of

the Autonomous Operations", Cisneros felt that JURE was not

obligated to report its military or political plans to the

CIA but that the Agency was obligated to finance JURE's

purchase of military equipment.

69

By the fall of 1963, Ray was devoting his full time to

JURE, 70 traveling extensively in Latin American countries to

gain support which would allow JURE to mount resistance

operations inside Cuba?! Ray told this Committee that he

and Cisneros were in Caracas for this purpose on November 22,

1963. He remembers that the assistant to the President of

Venezuela came into the JURE meeting shortly after lunch that

day and announced that President Kennedy had been shot. 72

In January, 1964, Ray's organization was making plans

to move their operations to Costa Rica 73

and, at the same time,

establish a guerrilla training base in Venezuela. 74 He also

began to formulate plans for his own infiltration into Cuba 75

declaring that he would turn the operation of Jure over to

Rogelio Cisneros during his absence. 76

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Ray's plan was delayed until May, at which time he quit

77

his job in Puerto Rico and dropped out of sight.

His in-

filtration plans were known throughout the Miami Cuban exile

community.

Soon the story spread to Cuba where Castro ordered

a full-scale military alert and rounded up scores of suspected

79

Ray supporters.

After several days of bad weather and dodging Cuban patrol

boats, Ray and his crew of seven,

8 including a reporter-

photographer team from LIFE magazine, 81 landed at the

Anguilla Cays, 40 miles off the Cuban coast. 82 There Ray

intended to make a final equipment check and a final radio

83

transmission.

Because of their proximity to Cuba, the Anguilla Cays

were heavily patrolled by Castro forces and by the British who

owned them.

84 The British discovered Ray and his group and

their cache of weapons and explosives, arrested them for illegal

entry into the Bahamas and took them to Nassau.

85 The minimal

fine of $14 was levied on each member of the group and each

86

was admonished to never trespass again.

Upon his release, Ray said that he was as determined as

ever to infiltrate Cuba: "Fidel knows me," he said, "and he

knows I'm coming!" 87

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Compounding Ray's problems was the reyelation by the FBI

and U.S. Treasury that Rogelio Cisneros had Illegally purchased

$5.0, 000 worth of arms for Jure from a california arms manu-

facturer.

It also caused the CIA considerable embarrassment.

The Agency denied knowledge of the purchase to Revenue.

officials and, because of the autonomous nature of its relation-

ship with JURE, did not make any attempt to stop Revenue's

investigation, 82%

The Agency now, however, told Ray that he

83%'

would have. to move all his operations outside U.S, territory.

In order to shore up his waning credibility within the

Cuban exile community, Ray again tried to infiltrate Cuba in

July, 1964 but, again, his boat developed motor trouble and

8492

the plan was aborted.

The failure this time led three

9385

exile groups to withdraw from JUrE.

All these events, from May through Julye resulted in a

CIA decision to stop financing Ray until he ceased all

activities from the U.S. mainland.

d48a The Agency authorized a

8795

final payment of $75,000 to the group to facilitate the move!

88-96

thereby "closing the books" on JURE:

8997

Ray kept his organization together until August, 1968

although it was relatively ineffective.

He personally main-

tained an interest in anti-Castro activities. In 1969, he

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called together a congress of Cuban

exiles to create a new

organization.

As late as 1972, he was actively engaged in

the formulation of the People's Revolutionary Party, hoping

to reinvigorate the anti-Castro movement,

9'9t but it, too, failed

to make an impact. 92100

Ray still resides in Puerto Rico and heads his own

engineering consulting firm in san Juan. 9gro

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FOOTNOTES

MANUEL RAY RIVERO

1. CIA/Deputy Director Operations (DDO), Manuel

Ray Rivero (Ray)

Volume II, Cable to Director From MASH, 11/17/60:-

2. HSCA #006468, p. 9, Item 8, FBI Manolo Ray References,

Section 2

3. Ibid

4. HSCA #009005, Memo to G. Robert Blakey, 6/28/78,

Interview of Manolo Ray Rivero from Fonzi/Gonzales

5. Ibid

6. Give Us This Day by E. Howard Hunt, Popular Library

Edition, p. 91

7.

HSCA #005990, p. 2, FBI Correlation Study, Manolo Ray,

File #97-4546, Section 1.

8.

CIA/DDO Ray Volume VII, Memo from Jack Malone, former

manager, Kings Ranch, Cuba, dated 7/16/62

9. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume IV, Information Report, 3/16/61,

Subject: Background, Character and Economic Concepts of

Manuel Ray Rivero

10.

Give Us This Day by E. Howard Hunt, Popular Library

Edition, p. 92

11. HSCA #009005, Memo to G. Robert Blakey, 6/28/78, Interview

of Manolo Ray Rivero from Fonzi/Gonzales

12.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume VI, 6/9/62 study of program for

liberation of Cuba submitted by Ray

13. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume II, Cable to Director Exor MASH, 11/17/60

14. Ibid

15. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume II, Organization Of MRP

16. Give Us This Day by E. Howard Hunt, Popular Library

Edition, p. 92

17.

New York Times, April 10, 1961, Castro Foes Map Multiple

Forays, by Tad Szulc

18.

Ibid

19.

20.

21.

Ibia

Give Us This Day by E. Howard Hunt, Popular Library Edition

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume II, Contact Report from Wallace Parlett

10/17/60, Subject: Meeting with Juan Esteves and Jorge Beruft,

10/13/60

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Footnotes - Manuel Ray Rivero

• Page 2

22.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume I, Memo to WH/4 Chief from Acting

Chief, WH, 9/27/60, Subject: State Approval to Include

Manuel Ray Rivero into the FRD Complex.

23.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume I, Cable From MASHIto WH/9, 9/29/60

24. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume 1, Meeting with Raul Chibas, 9/7/60

25. Ibid

26. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume II, Cable to Director fron MASHi 11/5/60

27. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume II, Cable to Director Exof JMASH] 11/11/60

28. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume II, Memo for Record, 11/21/60

Subject: Meeting with King and Esterline on Subject.of

Handling MRP

29.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume II, Cable to Director From MASH,]

11/17/60

30.

31. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume III, Information Report from U.S.

Citizen, Free-lance writer and part-time sugar broker,

12/22/60

32. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume IV, Memo to S - DI. Berle from

ARA - Philip W. Bonsal, 3/16/61, Subject: Recent Cuban

Developments

33.. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume IV, Cable to Bell from JMWAVE, 3/1/61

34. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume II, Cable to Director from MASH,| 11/17/60

35. Give Us This Day by E. Howard Hunt, Popular Library

Edition, pp. 172-73

36. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume IV, administrative form

37

HSCA #009005, Memo to G. Robert Blakey, 6/28/78, Interview

with Manolo Ray Rivero, from Fonzi/Gonzales

38.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume IV, Memo for Record, 27 March 1961

by Gerald Droller, Subject: Ray Accepts

Appointment to

Council ....

39.

HSCA #009005, Memo to G. Robert Blake, 6/28/78, P. 4,

Interview with Manolo Ray Rivero, from

Fonzi/Gonzales

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Footnotes - Manuel Ray RIvero

Page 3

40. New York Times, 5/28/61, One Cuban Group Quits Exile Body

by Sam Pope Brewer

41. Ibid

42. Ibid

43.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume V, Memo for Recora, 6/2461, Subject:

Relations with Manolo Ray and the MRP,

from James A. Noel

44.

CIA/DDO,

Ray Volume V, Cable to Bell from JMWAVE,

4/29/61,

#0923

45.

Ibid

46. Ibid

47. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume V, Cable to Bell

from JMWAVE

5/4/61, # 1312

48. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume V, Memo for Record, 5/5/61 from

Calvin Hicks, WH/4/PM/Operations

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume V, Memo for Record, 6/2/61, from

James A. Noel

50.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume VI, Memo for Record - SECRET, 12/19/61

Subject: Miscellaneous Items Discussed with Dr.

Miro on

18 December 1961

51.. New York Times, July 17, 1961, Cuba Exile Group Criticizes

CIA, by Peter Kihss

52. Ibid

54.

55.

CIA/DDO,

Ray

• Volume VII, Cable, 7/2/62 to Director from

san, Juan

CIA/DDO, Ray

Volume VI, Memo for Record, SECRET,

19 December 1961, Subject: Miscellaneöus Items discussed

with Dr. Miro on 18 Secember 1961

56. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume VI, Revolutionary Movement of the

People: National Leadership, 4/20/62

57. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume VII, Memo for Chief, Task Force W

from Alfonso Rodriguez, 7/25/62, Subject: Manolo Ray

Meeting in New York

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12.

Footnotes - Manuel Ray Rivero

Page 4

58.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume VII, Memo to Chief, Task Force W.

from Alfonso Rodriguez, 7/12/62, Subject: Manolo Ray

Rivero

59.

CLAn TO SURE Volume I, Cable to Director Front-San

Juan, 77/25/62

60.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume VII, Memo for Chief, TAsk Force W

from Alfonso Rodriguez,

7/12/62, Subject: Manolo Ray Rivero

61. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume VII, Cable 7/25/62

62. Ibid

63.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume VII, Memo to Chief, Task Force W

from Alfonso Rodriguez, 8/24/62, Subject: Operationsl

Use of Ray Expenditure of Funds

64. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume IX, Cable to Director from Paris.]

6/19/63, #77272

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume IX, Dispatch to Chief, WE,

from

Cos/Paris, 1/2/63, Contact Report,on Meeting with Manolc

Ray in Paris 13 June 1963, signed Elbridge O. Jervay

66.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XVI, Memo to Director from Chief/WH

Division, 7/9/64, Subject: Chronology of Concept of

Autonomous Operations and Summary of Financial Support

to Manuel Artime

67.

68.

69.

70.

71.

72.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume X, Memo for Record, 8/23/63 from

Alfonso Rodriguez, Subject: Ray Contact Report

HSCA #009005, P. 7, Memo to G. Robert Blakey, 6/28/78,

Interview with

Manolo Ray Rivero by Fonzi/Gonzales

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume X - Cable to Director Erom JMWAVE,

9/11/63

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XI, Draft, 10/4/63 by Rodriguez,

Subject: Manuel Ray Rivero

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XI, Cable to Chief, Special Affiars

Staff from JMWAVE/CS, 10/22/63

HSCA #009005, Memo to G. Robert Blakey, 6/28/78,

Interview with Manolo Ray Rivero by Fonzi/Gonzales

73.

74.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XII, Cable to Director Erom JMWAVE

1/14/64

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XII, Intelligence Information Cable,

2/4/64

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Footnotes - Manuel Ray Rivero

Page 5

75.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XIII, Cable to Director from JMWAVE

3/28/64

76.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XIII, Memo for Chief, WH Division

4/14/64

from Alfonso Rodriguez, Subject: My Meeting

with Ray on 13 April 1964

77.

Time, The Hemisphere - Cuba, page 48, June 12, 1964

78. Ibid

79. Ibid

80. Ibid

81.

CIA/DDO Ray Volume XIV, Cable to Director from JMWAVE,

5/20/64 and Ray Volume XV, Cable to Director from

JMWAVE, 6/3/64

82.

Time, The Hemisphere - Cuba, page 48, June 12, 1964

83. Ibid

84. Ibid

85. Ibid

86. Ibid

87. Ibid

88.

89. Ibid

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XIV, Memo for Record, 5/20/64 from

Samuel Halpern, Subject: JURE Purchase of Arms

90. Ibid

91. CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XV, Memo for Recora, 6/29/64 Erom

Alfonso

Rodriguez, Subject: Establishment of Base

Abroad, Manuel Ray Rivero

92.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XVI, Cable to Director Exon IMBARR,)

93.

94.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XVI, Wire service printout, Miami,

Florida, July 24, 1964

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XV, Memo for Record, 6/29/64 from

Alfonso Rodriguez, Subject: Establishment of Base Abroad,

Manuel Ray Rivero

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Footnotes - Manuel Ray Rivero

Page 6

95.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XVII, Autonomous Operations -

Operating Plan

96.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XVII, Memo for Record, draft,

9/22/64

from Alfonso Rodriguez

97.

CIA/DDO, Ray Volume XVIII, Cable, Cite WH/Miami, #2233

6/4/69

98. Ibid

99. HSCA #009005, Memo to G. Robert Blakey, 6/28/78, Interview

with Manolo Ray Rivero by Fonzi/Gonzales

100. Ibid

101. Ibid

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