ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITED STATES.
Originator: CIA
Document date: 1960-01-15 00:00:00
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

# DOCID-32359440

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JEK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

-——————————————————~

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : CIA

RECORD NUMBER

: 104-10113-10158

RECORD-SERIES

JFK

AGENCY FILE

NUMBER

80T01357A

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

AGENCY ORIGINATOR : CIA

FROM

TO

TITLE

DATE

PAGES

ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITED STATES.

01/15/1960

14

SUBJECTS :

LEADERSHIP

ANTI-CASTRO

FINANCING

JEK ASSASSINATION

DIAZ PEDRO

NUMEZ EMILIO

PEDRAZA GENERAL

DOCUMENT TYPE :

PAPER

RESTRICTIONS :

CURRENT STATUS

DATE OF LAST REVIEW

RELEASED IN PART PUBLIC - RELEASED WITH DELETIONS

: E20: 20040225-1048791

Released under the John F. Kennedy

Assassination Records Collection Act of

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

65924 Date: 10-26-2021

[R]

— ITEM IS RESTRICTED

104-10113-10158

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ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITED STATES

(Summary)

15 January

1960

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I. ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITED STATES

Efforts of Cuban exiles based in the United States since

the fall of Batista and the assumption of power by the Castro

regime on 1 January 1959 have been characterized by continu-

ally shifting alliances aimed at securing for their leaders

a paramount position in any successor government in their

homeland.

Programs have been enunciated by individual leaders,

organization lists drawn up, and funds solicited. Consider-

able propaganda has been published, and leaflets attacking

Castro have been dropped over Cuba periodically. Some mili-

tary and paramilitary training has been undertaken, particularly

in the Dominican Republic where a force ranging from a claimed

80 men to several thousand has been

training for the past

nine months.

Some exiles claim to have armed followers

in

Cuba as well as a larger number of sympathizers.

There has

been one abortive invasion attempt.

These efforts have been weakened, however, by rivalries

between the more prominent exiles for

leadership of any for-

mal anti-Castro movement established, and their failure to

agree on any program. Their activities also have been affected

by the fact that most of the exiles

were connected either

actively or passively with the Batista regime.

They

recognize,

although they do not always admit this, that Batista's rule

1s still too unpopular with the mass of Cubans for them to

engage in a successful effort to overthrow Castro unless they

are supported by a force far larger than any can command.at

present.

These rivalries plus Castro's followers' long training

in revolutionary methods appear to have enabled Castro to

learn the plans of most of the alliances formed thus

far well

before they are put into action.

Nevertheless there has been, and continues to be, a general

recognition by most of the more prominent exiles that

they

must

unite if they are to succeed in removing the present re-

gime.

The

most important

potential leaders of any such move-

ment to emerge so far are listed below under separate headings.

1.

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A. General Jose Eleuterio PEDRAZA Y Cabrera

When mention is made of military measures to eliminate

the Castro regime attention inevitably focuses on General

Jose Eleuterio PEDRAZA y Cabrera.

While opinions differ

as to his

suitability for the role of leader of a military

attack on the Castro forces, he is regarded by the most

prominent and most active exile leaders in the United States

as the only military leader in a position to take effective

action in the field against Castro.

The forces at his disposal

in the Dominican Republic,

the loyalties he can command within Cuba,

and the help he

can

get from exiles in the United States

have been variously

estimated from a mere handful to several thousand. He,

himself, has stated in a memorandum to a prominent American

businessman that he hoped he could count on a force of 2,000,.

led by 100 former Officers and Non-Commissioned officers of

Cuban origin.

The remainder of his force would be made up

of Spaniaras, Yugoslavs, Germans, and perhaps a few Dominicans. (

PEDRAZA has

expressed his willingness to work with General

Martin DIAZ Tamayo and Colonel Ramon BARQUIN and would wel-

come their cooperation but he has never hinted that he would

turn over leadership of his forces to either.

who claims to have been one of the prime organizers of two

The Christian Democratic Action (ADC) has backed PEDRAZA as

the military leader ofzany expedition which should be launched

against Fidel Castro.

Rodriguez claims to have visited the

General late in October 1959 and to have reached an agreement

whereby Pedraza committed himself to clean up his force of

men in the Dominican Republic and put them under the direc-

tion and control of

the ADC.

Rodriguez asserts that the

agreement provides for the elimination of all but Cuban

nationals from the forces in the Dominican Republic under

Pedraza.

Fabio FREYRE, a wealthy young Cuban--who also claims

to be the founder

of the ADC--has made known his connections

vith pedraza and claims to have drawn up points of agreement

N1th him.

Freyre has

that General PEDRAZA is the

2.

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only Cuban general whom the constitutional army would follon.

He adds that Pedraza was not closely identified with

Batista's

coming to power but when the Dictator needed help Pedraza

was made head of the army.

FREYRE believes that the Cubans

1o not haye confidence in Martin DIAZ Tamayo nor in Ranon

DI. Emilio NUNEZ Portuondo, now resident in Washington,

D.C., and one of the more prominent

anti-Castro exiles, has

consistently tried to align the various anti-castro elements

in the United States, Mexico, and Cuba behind General Pedraza. (J)

Carlos MARQUEZ Sterling, who at the moment appears to be

Pedraza's choice for provisional president, if efforts to

unseat Castro succeed has

supported the military role of the

General. (6)

General Pedraza's service under Fulgencio Batista has

left a bad taste in the mouths of many Cubans who hated the

Batista dictatorship as vehemently as they now detest the

Castro regime.

There seems to be reasonable doubt that Dr.

CUERVO-RUBIO,

whom RODRIGUEZ Couceiro has claimed CRAC sup-

ports as a presidential candidate, would support Pedraza.

CUERVO-Rubio is reported to have stated that responsible

opposition to Castro inside Cuba would be reluctant to asso-

ciate with Pedraza and might join in the fight against him

should he attempt an invasion.

Some of these people have

repeatedly expressed the fear that Castro might use such

an invasion as a pretext to suppress all opposition. (7)

Prom-

inent Orthodox Party leader Antonio VARONA also is

reported

to be worried about the possibility of an invasion of Cuba.

by Pedraza,

to whom he is bitterly opposed and has sworn

that he and

his followers would join with the Castro brothers

in repelling any invasion led by Pedraza. (8) It is considered

a distinct possibility that a Pedraza led invasion would play

into Castro's hands, leaving internal opposition no alterna-

Base butano jova costEl, in a national effort to repel a

It is known that FREYRE'S ADC which supports Pedraza

for military leader would welcome the assistance and the

support of the former Chief of the Revolutionary Air Force

Major Pedro Luis DIAZ-Lanz.

However, DIAz-Lanz has made

it very evident that he wants no part in military affairs

run by General

Pedraza

whom he categorizes as an enemy of

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SECKEI

Cuba along with Castro, Batista, Masferrer. (9)

Recent evi-

dence, however,

indicates that there is a possibility that

the former Chief of the Revolutionary Air Force may be

reconsidering his previously inflexible attitude towards

Pedraza.

B. Emilio NUNEZ Portuondo

NUNEZ Portuondo, now residing in Washington, D.C., was

one of the first to declare his candidacy for

the leadership

anti-Castro movement.

A tormer politician,

and diplomat Nunez was Cuba's delegate to the United Nations

from 1952 until 1958.

During this period he cooperated with

the US delegation and was outspokenly critical of the USSR.

Most Cubans in the United States, and in those Latin American

countries where he and his followers have solicited support

for their anti-Castro activities

are under the impression that

he has some type of commitment with the US Government. Al-

though he continues to be mentioned, along with carlos

MARQUEL Sterling, as the most likely candidate for provisional

president of a successor government to castro, some sources

have alleged that he would not make an effective president. (1)

Nunez' announced aim is the overthrow of the Castro re-

gime and its replacement by a civil government friendly to

the US and excluding individuals associated with Batista.

To this end he and his immediate followers have published

newsletter and periodically dropped leaflets over Cuba at-

tacking Castro.

They also have directed the paramilitary.

training of a small number of Cubans in Miami, some of whom

subsequentl

in August. (2) Participated in an abortive invasion of Cuba

In addition Nunez and his followers have been

in close contact with other leading exiles in the US. Dur-

ing the fall of 1959 he and his adherents travelled to Mexico,

Guatemala, Panama, Argentina and Peru to solicit support for

anti-Castro movement. They also have attempted to organize

units

in Venezuela. (3)

There is no firm evidence that these efforts have suc-

ceeded.

However, Santiago REY'S

group in Mexico has supported

Nunez for provisional

Castro

are successful. lagsident if the efforts to overthrow

General Pedraza, in the Dominican

Republic, has supported Nunez for president and Nunez in turn

4

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has promoted Pedraza as military leader since the spring

of 1959. Nunez as recently as 14 December 1959 still

claimed to be the leader of Pedraza's group but the General

had previously asserted that he was

disposed to work with

Lath Nuns inter car pre Malausterling but he preferred the

Another possible adherent of Nunez is Pedro DIAZ-Lanz,

who is reported to have declared that he, and other with

whom he is working, would consider Nunez acceptable if he

should divorce himself from Trujillo.

A step in this direc-

tion was taken by Nunez at the end of December when,

irritated by Trujillo's reluctance to permit a Pedraza

invasion of Cuba from the Dominican Republic, he told

Trujillo that he would take matters in his own hands

action they had planned was not taken by 7 January. (off the

C. Carlos MARQUEZ Sterling

Carlos MARQUEZ Sterling comes from a family with a dis-

tinguished record in Cuban History.

He was born in 1899 in

Camaguay and received his education in Cuba, graduating

from the University of Havana with a law degree in 1920.

Three years later he became a professor at the University.

from the same Univeristy that he was removed in 1959

by Castro forces.

MARQUEZ Sterling told American officials.

that Fidel Castro had been one of his students at the Univer-

sity of Havana 1945-1947, and that Fidel had been reared

in an atmosphere of hatred for the United States.

teens an political career began while he was still in his

he was arrested and imprisoned for his activities

in the revolution of 1917. During the thirties he lived in

Washington while his father was Ambassador.

Later he re-

entered politics and became Speaker of the House of Repre-

sentatives. He had a hand in the establishment of the

Ortodoxo Party in 1946.

Previously Marquez had presided

over the drafting of the Constitution of 1940.

A former

Presidential candidate

and a leader of the Partido del Pueblo

Libre (ppL) which he established in July 1957, Marquez sterling

appears

to enjoy the respect, if not necessarily the full

confidence, of many leading Cuban exiles in the

United States. (1)

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CRAC leaders asked him to accept the position of Presi-

dent of the government-in-exile but he was

reluctant to do

Subecause he feared for the safety of his son, still in

Marquez has been in contact with most of the Cuban

exile leaders in the United States

and has had some discus-

sions with NUNEZ Portuondo, his chief rival for the presi-

Nunez. (3Some sources maintain that Pedraza prefers him over

It is believed that Marquez still has the support

of the Ortrodoxo Party in Cuba. (4)

D. Pedro Luis DIAZ-Lanz

Major DIAZ-Lanz has gained considerable publicity for his

break with Castro, his appearance before the Eastland Com-

mittee and his spectacular leaflet dropping over Havana on

21 October 1959.

His brother Marcos, who was Inspector General

of the Revolutionary Air Force (FAR)

joined him in Miami in

July and the two were until December closely associated with

Ricardo LORIE Valls, a former underground leader of the

26 July Movement.

These three and a few other associates

have professed to have vigorous plans to overthrow Castro

out aside from the leaflet drop have noy performed any par-

ticular actions ot special importance.

The Diaz-Lanz brothers

broke with Lorie, who appeared to have been the most mature

member of the group, for reasons which are not al all clear. (2)

The small group about Diaz-Lanz in conversation with U.S.

officials and private

citizens has steadfastly refused to

have anything to do with former Batista officials while they

have stated their intention to take any measures to insure

the downtall of Castro.

In July 1959 Pedro DIAZ-Lanz stated that there is no

connection whatsoever between the anti-Castro forces in Cuba

and those in the United States.

He regarded the tollowers

Of MASFERRER, Justo Luis POLO, former Mayor of Havana, Jose

Luis PUJOL, NUNEZ Portuondo and others as remnants of

forner

Revolution in Cuba.

roguld not be acceptable to the Counter.

At the end of the year, however, Pedro

DIAZ-Lanz was reported as being willing to support Nunez

Portuondo if the latter would break with Trujillo. At the

same time Diaz-Lanz is reported

to have artempted

to obtain

$50,000 from agents

of Pedraza in Miami.

If this attempt

actually was made, it seems to indicate at last a willingness

on the part of Diaz-Lanz to work with Pedraza,

something he

had hitherto steadfastly refused to consider.

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E. Fabio FREYRE

Fabio FREYRE, a wealthy Cuban now residing in Miami,

claims that he has organized the Accion Democratica Cubana

fary leaner. ags selected General Jose Pedraza as its mili-

Freyre says the ADC and Pedraza have drawn

up the principal points of an agreement for the liberation

of Cuba,

which include the organization of commandos,

ing of the Isle of Pines to be used

as an operational

base

the invading forces, sabotage and various psychological

warfare techniques.

Freyre's following in the U.S. is esti-

mated at some

200, while

those based

in Cuba, under the

leadership of Juan Antonio RUBIO Padilla, number about 350,

including commandos, army pilots and young officers.

Freyre

claims that the Cuban people have no confidence in General

Martin DIAZ Tamayo or Colonel BARQUIN. (2) Hence, it is as-

sumed that they are not among FREYRE's supporters.

-

F. DI. Francisco RODRIGUEZ CouceirO

DI. Francisco RODRIGUEZ Couceiro claims to be the founder

and leadgy of another ADC, former prior to Freyre's organi-

He has similar plans for the reconquest of Cuba

but has for the most part different following.

Among his

Rodriguez

claims he asked Trujillo and General Pedraza for arms to

defend the Isle of Pines once he had taken it but they

turned him down. (6)

Recently, however,

Rodriguez stated that

General Pedraza had signed an

agreement putting his men ir

the Dominican Republic and the Dominican anti-Castro radio

under the ADC.

Rodrigygz also claims he has the promise

of support in Guatemala.

G. Orlando Eleno PIEDRA Negueruela

PIEDRA enjoys the distinction of being considered by the

Castro regime as one of the principal war criminals in the

He served for 19 years in police work in

cuba and attained the position of Chief of the Department

of Investigations until the fall of Batista.

In the United

States he has openly avowed his former connections with anc

his loyalty to Batista.

He has

been associated for a time

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with ex-Senator Rolando MASFERRER and Eduardo HERNANDEZ,

former Cuban Consul General in Miami in the Anti-Communist

League, which has made two attempts to fly arms to Pinar

• del Rio, Cuba. In each

case men connected with the actual

flying of arms were arrested by U.S. officials.

Some time ago Piedra incurred the wrath of Trujillo and

he is not at all happy about the location of Pedraza"

forts.

He considers

Pedraza a prisoner of Trujillo. (2)ef-

in September 1959 Jose SUAREZ Nunez, a Cuban exile arrived

in Miami to deliver instructions from Batista to Piedra to

attempt to immediately consolidate the anti-Castro forces

into a viable movement to overthrow the Castro government.

Batista reminded Piedra that there should be no involvement

with the Dominican Government and advised him that to the

greatest extent possible groups should be cultivated which

are now or might be expested to be looked upon with favor

by the U.S. Government:

Enrique FERNANDEZ Parajon, former

Chief of the Secret Police under Batista was reported

January 1960 as endeavoring to merge a group under the

leadership of Orlando PIEDRA with the ADC.

He added that

the PIEDRA group has three planes which they would like to

use during the next 60 days to set fire to sugar cane

fields by dropping incendiaries.

However, FERNANDEZ bemoaned

the fact that tight United States controls in Florida were

hampering

their activities.

Fernandez said that he is in

contact with Guatemalans and Nicaraguans and that he and

Piedra are responsible for military operations.

It was his

opinion that Pedraza has only 80 men in the Dominican Republic. (4)

H. Brigadier General Martin, DIAZ Tamayo

General DIAZ Tamayo is à controversial figure, disliked

by many Cubans because he represents top military leadership

which in general was unpopular among civilians and

military echelons,

in contempt by Chomat, former

yet respected by his peers. (ager

He is held

General Peda has and sated no m

work with DIAZ Tamayo.

DIAZ has a moderate following of

Cuban ex-military men in Miami, where he now lives.

He has

miscussed with Nunez Portuondo and Marquez Sterling thy5)

sossibility of formino a coalition in support of them.

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I. Rolando MASFERRER Rojas

Rolando MASFERRER Rojas, former Senator during the

Batista regime has played an

active but not significant

role among the exiles in the United States or in Mexico.•

His spectacular activities, unreliability and obvious op-

portunism have

discredited

him with the leadership and rank

file of exiles as well as anti-Castro elements in Cuba.

He is anathema

Santiago Rey, in particular.

to Nunez Portyondo, General Pedraza

and

He is remembered unfavorably by many Cubans

as having been a member of the Communist Party from 1939-

1944; later he did an about-face and became an ardent and

"professional" anti-Communist. He also is unpopular because

of the activities indulged in by his own terroriEs) " He has

known as the "Tigers" during the Batista regime.

been described as a Jacobin, a demagogue,

a tyrant and an

extremist.

For several years Senator MASFERRER enjoyed

reviling

the United States, its people and its policies.

When anti-Communism became

popular about 1950-51 and

MASFERRER realized that this was a means of increasing his

prestige with Americans he became a friend of the US.

J. Penetration of the Anti-Castro Movement

Castro has bragged that his capture in Cuba last August

of an arms-laden plane containing a group of anti-Castro

militants was due to his having planted a spy in their midst. (1)

Earlier the Chief Investigator of Cuban Army Intelligence

(Departamento de Investigaciones del Rjeroito Revolucionario

- DIER) had admitted to the FBI that the Castro regime had

During the summer one

more active anti-Castro exiles in the Miami area was

enticed back to Cuba

where he was immediately thrown in jail

by agents of Castro's POliCS, Intelligence (Departmento Teoniso

de Investigaciones

The Cuban Revolutionary Air Force

also is alagged to have had between 40 and 50 paid informants

in Miami.

There have been numerous indications that Castro

probably has been able to plant agents among the followers

country. I§, the more prominent anti-Castro exiles in this

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PEDRAZA

1. Memorandum for Record: Robert Reynolds, WHD, and

William Pauley, 9 Dec. 1959.

Secret

2. DBF 36434, Nov. 4, 1959, Confidential

3. UMIVA-24, Sept. 24, 1959. Secret

also

WHD Memorandum

4. Memorandum, for Record. Conversation of Mr. Toomay, WHD

with Pauley and Freyre, Nov. 30, 1959.

Secret

5. DBF 39015, December 8, 1959: Confidential

6. Memorandum for Record. Conversation between Robert -

Reynolds, WHD, and Wn. Pauley, 9 December 1959.

7. COS Navana Tel. 3041 Dec. 16, 1959, IN-19840. Secret

8. TDCS 3/423,188, 31 December 1959

9. FBI, Miami, November 6, 1959, File 201-259120

Secret

Emilio NUNEZ Portuondo

1. 201-45667

2. DBF - 33000, 31: Aug 59

DBF -36517, 10 Nov 59, C

3.

Ibid

BUEN- 5110,

30 Oct 59,

HEPA-9838, 10 Nov 59,

4. DBF-39015, 8 Dec 59

5. DBF-39016, 15 Dec 59

Memo for

Record.

Desk file - 19-9-8

6. UMIVA-65, 31 Dec 59

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Carlos MARQUEZ Sterling

1. DBF 34945, Oct. 8, 1959. Conf.

. 2. DBF 35722, Oct. 29, 1959. Conf.

3. Memorandum for Record, Dec. 9, 1959

Conv. Robert Reynolds and Wm. Pauley. Secret

4. Memorandum of Conversation between two representatives

of CIA and CARCIO, 16 Oct. 1959. Secret

5. CS 3/411,429. 9 Sept. 59. Secret

Pedro DIAZ- LANZ

1. DBF 33664, Sept. 30, 1959.

Conf.

2. UMVA-53, 9 Dec. 1959. Secret

3. UMWA-11, 10 Aug 1959. Secret

4. DBF-28290, July 8, 1959. Confidential

5. UMVA-65, 31 Dec. 1959. Secret

PIEDRA

1. DBF 34752, 30 Sept. 1959. Conf.

2. Memorandum for Record by US Air Attache, Havana,

26 Oct. 1959. Secret

3. CS 3/415,258; 15 Oct. 1959.

Secret

4. NAVA-3141, 5 January 1960.

Secret

See also

00-B 3,138,850 re testimony by former

attorney for Batista who states

• Trujillo bled

Batista white and treated him like a dog.

ADC

1.

Memo, 1 Dec. 59

2. Memo - Toomay, Pauley, Freyre Conv. 29 Now. 59

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ADC (Cont.)

3. DBF -35528, 21 Oct. 59

4. DBF-38863, 16 Dec. 59

5. DBF - 35528, 21 Oct. 59

6. DBF -35528, 21 Oct. 59

7. DBF-37600, 30 Nov. 59

8. "DBF-35528, 21 Oct.: 59

MASFERRER

L. US Army Attache, Mexico, R-248-59, Aug. 7, 1959, Secret

2. DBF-24112-in 201/42669

3. DBF-04112, 22 July 1959. Conf.

4. HEGA-589 from COS Ciuiad Trujillo, 26 Aug. 1959. Secret

DIAZ TAMAYO

1. Toomay memo for record. 1 Dec. 59

2. DBF - 35722, 12 Oct. 59

3. UMWA-65, 31 Dec. 59

4. Memorandum. of conversation, Reynolds-Pauley, 9 Dec. 59

5. 201-22162

Penetration

1. Havana, Radio Progreso, 15 Aug. 59, FBIS, Unclas.

2. FBI Report, unnumbered, 21 Apr. 59, Desi File 19-5-1

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Penetration (Cont.)

3 . .

NKHA- 5666,

27 Nov. 59, S

DBF- 32667, 17 Sep. 59

4. DBF-23997, 18 May 59

5. Castro penetration file (ours)

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