RELATIONS WITH MANOLO RAY AND THE MRP.
Originator: CIA
From: WITHHELD
To: MFR
Document date: 06/01/1961
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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

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RETURNTO CIA

Background Use Only

Do Noi Reproduce

- June 1961

MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECUND

SUBJECI: Relatons with l'anolo RAY and •ho MRP

i. For backgruund seo my memorandum of lá May 1961, rejorting on

my long sossion with Lianolo RAY, HOgalio CISNEROS (Eugenio) and Ernesto

BETANCOUPI. An will be nored in thas niemorandurn, Manolo promisad lo:

como up vich a prospectus within approxiniacoly len days' llme, alter con-

sulting with bio leaders la Cuba.

¿. On) June 1961 2i5. Earnes called me lo say lbas Mr. Goodula had

been viaited by Mr. Erneso BETANCOUNI wio asked for Immediaio ilnanclal

suppore for cortain activitlos of the MRP ihlcb would run around siü, 00u

dollars.

Mr. Barnes asted Mic i0 contic BETANCOURT for tho purpose of

ascertaling what the funda were to bo used lor, exactly hou niuch needed, ete.

I called BESANCOURI and he loid me lar I should get theso details from

CISNEROS (Eugenlo), Who was daying al room 549 al cha Washtagion Horal.

I called. Eugenio and mado a daia for sie and Ray DuBola (Ray Adans is tha

naino ho ures with Ray and Cisneros) to call upon blia.

We called on CIsNEROS

al approximataly 18,5 houra l Juno, and be iniormed us thas he sad urjene

need for pedos lor use in suuport of his sabotage and underaround esciviive

in Cuba.

Ho sald bis people vero absolurely without funds, needed monay lor

livias expenses, transportation, purciass of sabotage equipment, air lares for

couriers, and lor assistlay peoplo to dei out of prison. He said that it was

10m possiblo los peopie to buy ibelr way out of prison by bribing one of tho

many 'coinmunist lawyero and judges. Ho thought thai iu, dou or sü, vue

would moet immediate needs and that some sort of arrangement should ba madu

10 receiva fuada - 3i, Coó monthly or thereabouts - on a fired and permanent

baslo.

Wo mado no commitment lo Eugenio other than lo say ihas no would

pass hia plea along to the interested peopie. I raniladod him thai we bad acked

Aim and Manolo to prepare a

plan for consideration and that we were still

waiting for thas plan.

I said l personally doubted that anything could be done

unill the plas was racalved irom RAY, tie sald Manolo was planning to como to

Vashtagon on ike afiernoon of i June witi the plan, bu: that he himsell pas

having to returo to Miami iminediately and le was vital he be ablo io sate the

money mila bin, arrange iu iniaii dui purcidão dí the poses fet reto alool -

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sonej already In Cuba - dollars would be dellvered lo ownora of the pesos who

are la island). I lold him l would call hiir. in the morning lo let hiri know how

things siood.

+.

I discused our moeting with CISNFROS with Iracy Barnes on the

moralag of i Juno. li was Iracy'o opinion, In which I heartily concils, that

we should put out so money whatsoever until we have had a cinco lo oxamino

Masolo a plan and lo grudy juar mbat ropercussiono or ramilicaliono there

would be, polly-wide and orherwise, lo a decioion io audia, the MRP

untlaterally, at lo, outside the Council and presumably without MIRO'a

knowledge of consent. Since RAY has withdrawn his group frum lie Couachl

with a groas deal of fanfaro, le la mon: unllkely that MiRO would look kindly

on any audiaranco to RAY, especially since he fonlo he bao a salber firm

promise from the Proaldent to deal only through MIRO.

5.: RAY, upon arrival In l'aBbingion, will preournably tato his plan (along

with BETANCOURI) direculy to Mr. Goodwin and I would alao presunsa tnat

Goodwin will jasa lt down to Iracy and Tracy ¿o ua. Ray DuBois, who has

beon tianolo's cass officer, la sianding by in lbe event he should be seeded.

B. ¡ personally leal very airongly that ve should do solhing to support the

plan, whatever. it is, 'until we havo roceived from the White Mouso and the

Dopartment clear-cul, unequivocal polley guidance on the overall plan, I also

feel sore now la the limo, lí mo are go ing lo auppore le ill unilaterally, ¿o

insert a con-official cut out lato tho operasion. I wouid rocommend that con-

sidaration be given to ualriz Mr. Harry Pleper (a #AVE contract enployee)

on thlo job, liarry is compermontally aulied, bas a good businesa head, la

iluent in Spaniah (lived 48 years in Cuba), la cloared, followa directions,

completely borest asd tremendously conscientious; ll would be harder to

find a better person.

7. Also, I would llie to point out the security riake Inherent in any arrange-

mento with the RAY-BETANCOURI-CISNEROS irlo. Theso iollows have had

easy access to the White House and lo the Depariment, are notorlous for their

"planned lesks', will probably presumn all the Department oificials they doal

wich are privy to the arrangement, and belore we know it the whole exile

community will bo well awaro that we aro providing (inancial and material

support to the RAY grOup. I am not arguing agalnst providing auch aupport,

bur am merely polallad out the real porential for ainbarrasiment lo ua lf ii

matter lo nos handled with the greatest of precautions. I feel they have becorne

100 clogoly identified with U.S. -officialdom, includine myself, and that the

piausible donial aspecto, to dalo at least, are almost non-existene.

03

-James A. Noci,

CC: A/DDP/A

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