INFORMATION REPORT: JOSE FERNANDEZ
Originator: CIA
Document date: 08/21/1964
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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2023 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

JNPORMATIO

KEPORT

THEORM ATION REPORT

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

SECRET

NO FOREIGN DISSEX

COUNTRY Cuba

SUSECT JoSe FERNANDEZ

REPORT NO. CSCI 316/00693-64

DATE DISTR 21 August 1964

NO. PAGES 3

• REFERENCES

DATE OF 1964 -

INFO.

PLACE & Washington, D. C.

DATE ACQ. August 1964

FIELD REPORT NO.

THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION. SOURCE GRADINGS. AEE DEFINITIVE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.

SOURCE:- A former Cuban IS officer who served with the Cuban

Intelligence Service until April 1964.

Headquarters Comments

The following report is one of a series containing personalit.

Information provided by the source and includes supplèmental

Information from the records of this Agency.

It is requested that the addressees take no action on any of

individuals

mentioned in

the personality reports without

first checking with this Agency.

Source identified a photograph of Comandante Jose

FERNANDEZ and said that his nickname is "El Gallego."

FERNANDEZ is the chief of all army training schools from

cadots up. He is

not connected with Cuban Intelligence.,,3,*, g,o,

7,8

Headquarters Comments

1. In a report dated ll May 1960, from an untested source,

it was reported that one Jose

FERNANDEZ, possibly identical

with the above Subject, was a Cuban Ambassador on an

arms buying missions in Rome.

2.

In June 1962 a Cuban national, untested, whose father was

an old army friend of Jose FERVANDEZ, aka "El Gallego,

reported the following information:

FERNANDEZ is Chief of Artillary Schools in Habana

Province; he frequently gives

lectures on artillery

weapons at a School for Members of the Western Army

(La Escuela para los Membres de Ejercito Occidente).

3

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COOROINATINE RELEASIN

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He was a captain in the army during BATISTA's time

and was in prison for his party in the & April Movement

until his release by CASTRO. FERNANDEZ waS not known

to be a Communist and, at the time of this report (1962),

was not considered to be one.

He attended artillery

schools in the United States (dates and places unknown) and

speais English well.

He is well educated and well

trained for the position he holds.

He is often referred

"El Gallego Fornandez." FERNANDEZ allegedly

was chief of the operation against the invaders of

Playa Giron in April 1961.

He was described as having

been born about 1921, being six feet one inch tall,

185 pounds, having light grayish eyes, light brown

hair, a fair complexion, white even teeth, and an oval

He speaks with a Castillian accent.

3. A fairly reliable source, in a report dated 17 July 1962

stated that Major Jose Ramon FERNANDEZ was the Chief of the

Seccion Preparacion y Organizacion Combativa (Section for

and Organization of Warfare - SPOC), the

Cuban Army's key man for defense against invasion, and the

He had access to all secret

information:

FERNANDEZ received his instructions exclusively

and Raul CASTRO with whom he is in personal contact.

He received his military education in the United States. He is

intelligent and reportedly not a Communist.

1.

A Cuban national, untested, reported in September 1962, that

of the Military Academy at Camp Managua

being utilized as a training center for officers, officer-

non-comnissioned officers. Major Jose FERNANDEZ,

"El Gallego,"

has an office on the ground floor of the first

FERNANDEZ and a General Enrique

LISTER prepared

all the training schedules, pamphlets, and

training aides,

well as joint exercises

in which air ground

(armor and infantry) have participated.

5.

. 6.

In a l4 November 1962 report, an untested source said that

Comandante (fnu)

is the only Cuban official who

is completely within the confidence of the Soviets with

respect to the military fortifications of the labana area.

An official Spanish Service, in a report dated 18 May 1963,

stated that an unidentified

"usually reliable source"

that a a ma the preparation For cAst s trip to ne

• Soviet Union in February 1963.

FERNANDEZ arrived in Habana

from Moscow two days before CASTRO's surprise departure.

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7. A fairly reliable source, in a report dated i August 1963,

stated that she dia not think FERiANDEz sas a Communist as. he

has alvays had Catholic tendencies but that he 1s a correct

suldior and puts the military abore everything.

He is divorced

and his er-wife is irring in Miand ich their two daughters,

Francis, born in 1951, and Alicia, born in 1955.,

8. A source who is a biga ranking Cuban military officer who has

contacts among Cuban officials (he has not submitted many

reports,

appear to have been accarate) reported in

September 1963 that Major Jose Ramon FERNANDEZ Alvarez, Chief

of Training, General Staff of the Cuban Rebel Army, 1s

Communist and a military type in the strictest sense of the

woodds politics; he keeps himself completely crolated come

all political elemerts.

He is proud of his present status

and thankful to CASIRO for it; for fear of losing it he

appears unwilling 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 him in his present position.

CISTRO also is aware

that he has few officers

the military discipbine,

know-how, and experience possessed by FERNANDEZ.

NO

CR

FOREIGN

DISSEY

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