MEETING WITH MANUEL RAY.
Originator: CIA
From: JAMES A. NOEL
To: MFR
Document date: 1961-05-12 00:00:00
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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104-10193-10041

Released under the John F. Kennedy

Assassination Records Collection Act of

1992 (44 USC 2107 Note]. Case#: NW

65997 Date: 10-29-2021

RETURN TO CIA

Background Use Only

Do Not Reproduce.

12 may 1961

MEMORANDUM FOR THE REOCRO

SUBJECT

Nieriing with leg. Manuel May

PARTICIPANTS: Ing. Manuel Ray

Rogallo Cissaros

DAS A. NoT 03

•Ray did nor ratura lo. Hashlagion until early morning on Friday.

12 May 1961. Ho called me al 0700 from lbe alrport. tia was unable

so fix a dolinita dour for us to ses togethes due to la lact that ha mas

expacting an aypoininsan mila a pornon ho did sot samé somo line

during tse moralag. He latar called à numder of flans from the lose!

Ambassados to advise no rhas he atill bad had no mord on his appoint-

ment. Ao 1115, Mr. Betancourt called to say chas do was with Ray

and "Ingenio" (Rogolio Claporos) and could re ser togolhor. 'I iug-

gastad thay drive ous ia doe Clarendon Hotel Court on Wilson Boulevard

where I barl taker a room los holding our maciing. Thay arrived in

Mr. Belancourt's car at approximaialy liú sova dio dur ma 11=3:

wont só the saarby Mojale restaurant in l'laos Boulerard for luich

bofoxo we for doma lo loo busineds of the prospactua.

2. ' Durtag lunch to did not discuss the plaa bus l did saho the op-

portunity lo strasa la a mose aprons way she nood for absoluro secrocy

conceralas our discussions today and say, (uturo dincussions or doval-

oppunis which mili leie place la the futura with raspect to our rolallas.

ablp. All a8roed us lãs nood for tight socurity.

So. Altar Junch to drova to the Holel Court sad from approximataly

1330 until 1730, ma discussad the prospocias..

Using 14.r. BarBos' out-

¡tee so a general guldo, l atrassed lbe importance al bolag able do prosens

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to the propor paoplo al the earliesl posaible timo a carefully thougil.

out plan al actlos which would sel forta clearly the objectivas -whet

tbe projoct hopod lo achieve; a starement of lbe problam: the arrongtar

of the Casiro rozine folloming lo ill-larad Invasion: lhe starus of the

underground and its morale and capadillios; the oxtent of interaal

support for end Aleccasent lit the regime, oic., sic.

1. I also spoto of the neod lor describing too kind of activities

which the day organleaiion planed lu angage in and tha sasers and

capabilitiao whico they bavo or can acquire lo do the Job.: The sood lor

explainiay the raiationabip and coordinallot of the plan mies le Rovolu-

Blonary Council nas discussod al some longeb.

3. I nuggasted that be include in tho pian an 1lemizaslon of the kinda

os support which ho mould expoci us to supply immediately as n'oll as tho

kind and quantity o! suppor: which could be requirad of ua as tha projact

developod.

3. I almo suggestad last lho plas include their vlems on how U. S.

liaisun and coordination could boat bo worked out; hos funda mould be

luanoled into tha project; what commo and other training would be so-

7. Ray ostlined some of his thoughts razarding his proposad plan

oí action. Accordias lo bir it cuntomulates action in shrao broad ile!do:

(a) Underground activity - principally sabotago -- in the

urbao arase.

(b) Gradual buildup - Paigoly through clandestine inillira-

¡jons al smail bodios ol mon --ol querrilla forces in mouritain-

ous and dolonsiblo aroas.

(e) A psychological warlaro carnualin within Cuba and abroad

almed at diacrediting Castro and at lbe aame timo providing lho

paopla of Cuba somalalag lo figbe for.

ô. It is Ray'a icieniion to depend almost extirely on maritime opara-

toas for tha Infiltration of personnel and indiariel into Cuba. Ho alao

rulas out of his plas ino creation al another invasion army bui does con.

template lbe traladag a groups il portape up so 150 iron in ulaar (riondiy ..

!..

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countrlos of soul America Do meatluñod Venazuela do a possibllity)

and said be mould exploro the jussibility of basing maritime oparallons

da non-U. s. poris..

% Ray aild some messe, olser than Sman laland, must be lound

for reaching the Cubas populaida by raddo broadcasts, He spoke of

Rho poosibility of abort dare briadcasta irom Vonosuela and utslisa-

sion of a conamercial dission is dilari which do un leralasda con bo

clearly beard la Cuba.

10. Ray spoko of the desirability of atimulating the organization

of "Pro-Irua Cuban Harolutioery' stulent prous la many couatrios

of Lalla America (he said a sicessiul organisation has beon formed

in Puerto Ricol and of sandias quallfied reprosentativas to eboro Latia

Aerican counsrios whoro ibere ls soviet diplomalic represonialion lo

coniact student and labor grouas and leaders la an effors lo predant to

shem the true picture of the sorry state of students, workers, and

intolloctuala la Castro's Cuba.

11. Ray la slao Interested in lan possibility of puiring out a "Norus

Loiter" under MAP aponsorabi, which would discuss various aspècts of

the Cuban picture and sel forth plana for Cuba alter the fall al Castro.

Ho thought ouch a newo lottor could yo a long way towarda correctiug

miataton Impressions amony inerican unlversity profiasore and la

other circlay as lo lho true natura ol lo Castro regimo, He pointed

so lue rocent letter from 61 Harrand profoadoro wüich vas receally

publishod in the N. Y. Timos as a "horriblo example' as to how mia.

Informod evon unirersity proiesente are en pragoni day Cuba.

12. Than the discuasions sos around to the need lor conducing

operations al loast 'undor the umbralla" of the Rovolutiorary Couscil,

and the nood for obtalala; Dr. Miro's concurrenco before the U.S.

would be able to support say operailor, le was obvious that noither

laj. Ray nor Nit. Batancourt boide a blia improasion of tho Council.

Bata (aal that there 1s a sisons possibilily thal lae close public

identilication of tho Couscil wila tho recent Invasion may wall saro

diocroditod the Counci! lo such da axient lhat lt carmands so support.

or respect within Cuba.:

For she sake of arguneni le; wore silling to concodo thal the

poillical advantajeo of maictaicia; sno Councii for the purpose of forciag

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walty of the rarlous erlio groupe may tell outmelgh lie othar obrious

aboricomin:8..

Howevor, Doth fool, and Air. Bolancours was quite

amphelle on shin polt, that to Council an a budy la nos capabie al

dirocting clandostine actions açalnal Castro and as a maltar of fact

is opposed lo any lurthor alforts al ororthrowing Cassro by sabotago

anil other subvoralvo actions since thoy are complaraly "nold" on

dos racelo thai Castro cao only be removed by direct U.S. military

acion and thorefore a continuation of Cuhan usdergrouad actinitios

cas only result la needless and fuille loos of lle, In the fact al cala

atilludo, Ray said ho does not expoct to recelve much encourajemont

for bla plan from tha Councll, although be la fairly condident eras

Dr. tilro's approval can eventually be catsinod.

Ms. Botascourt thought that a workable sulution mijht be found

to their problen ll the Council mould agree to concern laall exclusivaly

with (a) fbe currons laak of willying the opposition, and fo) planning los

¡to luluro assumptloa ol poror as the provisloual guratamont. Under

tho arrasgoment, oporatione almed al she duwalall al Castro could bo

entrusiad lo those loadere and groups (auch as the hiMP, ARA, arel

possibly the MUC) shich bave both tho arsolo and the mill to do the

Joli, Sir. Ray thought thas li mighi be lassibla to croato an operationa

planning bosrd or command aron, tho groups with demonatraled sadoto

and thus avoid unnocessary duplication and confuslon and mako possible

overall olarning. It vas obvious, howover, thas he monid prefer to act

autoriomously in the exacution of ll9 program.

dis. Ray

was very critical of Artime and clalmed ho was la possassion

of sudlicient "Yacts" lo convince bina ibal Artima, la collusion mits ele-

menta ol sho camps, were plaanias lo allminato the MRP and its leadora

from tão picturo, unsa the intasion succoriod. ls paid in "badas"

tha? Artime was balag finascially supported by wealthy ex-Basistianos

al tba Milani area.

13. Pay binsad as various times that the MRP ruey al soma point

lind itsell lacod with the nacosaily of withdrawing from las Counchl and

golaz it alone.

Ho sayo that tho Council l9 composed of "¿Ood ren" but

¡boy have no asseta or significant follocings and 'havo nothiaz so alfer

¡be poople al Cuba" and aithougo the prociamation al the Coercil, 38

Inally draliad, was a jood ono the "progreasivo" aspace of ibe proclam-

allon moro forcad on the Council by the Americans saù do nol soprasons

the true feeliaga uf the majority of tha Council ineinbs rs.

5.C ET.

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Cuban propio aro so! Ilkoly to want to siax ubair lives on the basis of

pronice a nuade by tho prosent membership of the Couscil. He lools

thas accopiance of the Couscll would be improvad by addias to 119.

ineribe rahiptuo or three more people whuse namos tould be signlo

ficant and maauinsíul lo to Cubas prople, He did not saio any

specifie candidate

14. Air. Ray lot mo road a 11 or 14 pago report which he had

Just recoivad (rom ihe MRP: coordinator In Cuba (Ralsol Gonzales)

walch palated a dreary picture of condlisons la Cuba since the fallure

of the invasion, mas critical ol the inclusion of Batlullaros and "ainos

bunitos" ln the invasion furco, convoyod the sirons lealing that the

Cabar's had boon botrayod by tha Americans; and Indicated that vailo

to MRP organizatlos was ofill pratty nuch latact physically, moralo

tas almosi completoly abaliard. lit. lay aaid he would provida mo.

a sanitisad copy (chare vero soma operatlonal and personal dotalls).

al sho roport los our information.

15.. In vlow of this report frors wikhin Cubs, Mr. Ray said that

ha mill wish to doías submittiag his plan for our coasiderallos unill

ho lo abla lo rocalve word iron Cuba concerning the capabilitias,

milliagnoss and loastbility of carrylay ous somo of the activities ho

his In mind, Ho said It to usoless to suball a program of actlou 1f

tho human alenants to carry.it out aro lackirig as complately demoral-

leed. He lboüght be might be able to present its prospactus withla

approsimataly son days. He sald asturally he will not zire the people

¡naldo any ladicarlon thas he hsa boes discussing a plan of scilon with

us.

16, I urgod Hay to conaldor submitting al insal a prollinicary aud

admittedly testasiya prospoctus as thin time based on the ascumpsion

lhat bis assors are otill latact and mill be willlag to coopirate in ordos

that it may recalve early considaratios. Howavor, he sfuci to bis

bolial that ibio would nos ba pracilcablo and felterated lie seod for

prior avaluation of the strengta and morale of his followlag.

Ray saked concarning the detainees at McAllen, Texas, and

woaderod if they have been rolaasod.. He was told that as far da 1

know isay aro still undes detearlos.

Ho aald tir. Goodrin had taken

thair samos and prominod so look into tha master. Mt. Bessacours

L:

".7

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sald be would chock airactly with Mr. Goodula ro their alaras..

18. Ilariad Mr. Ray and/or Me. Belancourt to call me over

eso weekond la case althar should whal so discuor the mastor lurthor.

I had the foellas that Mr, Berancourt was persorally in lavor of sub-

raleilag nor a plan coverlos "shori sarm" noode of thair organiasiion

and is may do that such a paper will be submilled aller he bas as

opportaaisy so lalk wish Mi. Ray lo polvala.

03

(CRAMES A: NOEL

JAN/dia

Distzlballas::

Ortginal & 8 - A/DDP/A

1 - C/WHD

LT-ACIWHIS E ClICulULe

1 - Maniel Ray 201

...1.1

1010

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