104 10179 10182

104-10179-10182 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD SUBJECT: Meeting with AMBANG-1

RETURN TO CIA Background Use Only Do Not Reproduce

2 August 1963

1. I met with AMBANG-1 on 27 July 1963 in Miami. The following is a resume of the business transacted at that meeting.

a. Request for High Explosives

AMBANG-1 stated that in view of my outline of strategic targets inside Cuba during our last meeting which took place in Washington on 21 June 1963, he had decided to attempt a sabotage operation against the Havana power plant. He informed me that he has a man employed in the power plant in Havana who is capable of launching this operation. In this connection AMBANG-1 asked if we could make available twenty pounds of high explosives as well as six to eight thermite grenades. AMBANG-1 asked if it were possible to have the twenty pounds broken into smaller lots. In our further discussion of this subject, it became apparent that A-l would be willing to receive the materiel either in San Juan or inside Cuba, but that he definitely preferred the latter if this were possible. Like in mist other instances during our conversation, I advised AMBANG-1 that I would need to discuss this matter with my superiors but that I could tentatively assure him of our ability and willingness to furnish the high explosives in San Juan and possibly inside Cuba. At this point I asked AMBANG-1 if he could foresee the need for materiel of this type inside Cuba. I told him that I asked this question because if his group were prepared now or in the near future for meaningful sabotage action inside Cuba it was conceivable that we could begin the caching of needed materiel inside Cuba. AMBANG-1 assured me that they

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were in a position to sabotage the electrical plant in Havana. (I did not ask, neither did he specify which plant.) He did not promise immediate action, adding that he wanted to assure himself of the details of the planned operation and the safety-odds of the man involved. A-l then indicated that he would certainly be in a position to accomplish this mission and others in the future and would be most grateful for any materiel we could put in place. I left the matter with him with the understanding that if it were possible we would proceed with caching the high explosives in the general area of Havana, He assured me of their capability to service and retrieve the cache.

b. Request for Contact in Guantanamo

AMBANG-1 asked me if it would be possible for us to arrange some means for Rogelio Cisneros to visit Guatanamo and talk to his brother who is an employee of the Naval Base and another agent of theirs likewise employed there. The reason A-1 gave for the request was that they wished to inform Ramon Cisneros Diaz of the JURE plans to begin the implementation of their plan of resistance and overthrow of the Castro Regime. I advised A-1 that whereas I would look into this matter as I could tentatively tell him that the chances of accomplishing there were remote.

c. AMBANG-1 Political Plans

AMBANG-1 informed me that he was planning at this time to be in New York on or about 10 August and that following this trip he intended to go to Santo Domingo and Caracas. In Santo Domingo he hoped to set up a small base for operations such as a small house on a farm near the shore which could be used for boat travel to Cuba. Once he had made such arrangements he intended to talk to President Juan Bosch telling him of the plan and asking his acquiescence if not support. AMBANG-1 intends to tell Bosch that he will not embarrass him and will go about his business in a secure and professional manner adding that if he should embarrass Bosch, the latter could disclaim him and A-l would desist from any further activity there.

So far as AMBANG-1's trip to Caracas is concerned, that will be principally devoted to orienting the JURE representation

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in that city. In addition, AMBANG-1 will attempt to see and talk to Venezuelan Government officials including President Betancourt.

Some time after this trip AMBANG-1 intends to visit Central America principally Costa Rica and if he can procure a visa, Mexico. The purpose of all his travel is the raising of funds, the general tightening of his organization and discussions necessary to coordinate their efforts.

d. Isolation of Cuba.

AMBANG-1 made it exceedingly clear that the lifeline to his assets inside Cuba had been severely restricted when PAA flights were suspended. Nothing could suit AMBANG-1 more than to have these flights resumed. AMBANG-1's obviously great interest in the resumption of these flights was the most eloquent statement yet of his belief that he has a network, or that he can revive a network within Cuba. At least at this stage of JURE operations, AMBANG-1 does not appear to consider the infiltration of manpower as necessary.

AMBANG-1 stated that the use of flights from Spain and Mexico to Cuba was difficult and costly whereas the Miami-Havana run had been most useful in maintaining contact within Cuba. It was AMBANG-1's opinion that the resumption of PAA flights would be an operational boom to JURE and that whereas he could see Castro making some political capital out of the flights, he believed that some appropriate statement such as "there is no political significance but only a humanitarian and compassionate reason for the reestablishment of this link,"would be sufficient to negate any political advantage by Castro.

e. AMBANG-1 Phasing Out of his Employment

AMBANG-1 gave me to believe that he is closing shop and giving up his position with the Corporacion de Renovacion Urbana y Viviendas where he is employed as an engineer in charge of building pre-cast concrete houses. AMBANG-1 stated that during the past week Governor Munoz Marin gave final authority for the erection of a plant to produce these houses in Puerto Rica. AMBANG-1 is

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torn with the thought of leaving this project which he believes will be most successful, and which would assure his livelihood, but he knows that he must devote himself to the fight against Castro. It is obvious to me that AMBANG-1 will within the next two months phase out of this employment to devote full time to the liberation of Cuba.

f. A JURE Radio Link

AMBANG-1 asked me if I would be able to assist him in the establishment of a San Juan-Caracas-Miami radio link. He explained that the JURE has spent a great deal of money on telephonic communications between these points and were most anxious to set up a means of radio communication in order to economize. I guess that AMBANG-1 could tell from my reaction that I was not too sympathetic to his request for he withdrew it almost as soon as he had made it. He went on to say that this was a problem which they could overcome and I presume that he will seek to establish such radio communications without our assistance.

g. Aerial Maps of Cuba

AMBANG-1 informed me that the JURE membership had brought out of Cuba an entire series of maps showing key roads, bridges, industrial plants, et al, which they had copied by the Aero Service Corporation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. AMBANG-1 stated that they had received most of these photos from the Aero Service Corporation but that the 101 were still missing. He gave me the numbers of those missing and asked if we could procure them, I have since informed AMBANG-1 that it would perhaps be best it he could, or his organization, do this instead but that we would pay the travel of one of his men, should this prove necessary. Attached, hereto, is a copy of the missing photos in question.

h. JURE Organization and Strength

AMBANG-1 informed me that the membership of the JURE in San Juan was now at about 500 members and that each of these individuals makes a weekly contributionto the organization.

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In addition there are large JURE organizations in Caracas, Venezuela and Dallas, Texas. There are according to AMBANG-1 a total of thirty delegations in Latin America, the U. S. A. and Europe. He cited as an example the delegation in San Francisco which had recently purchased a typewriter through the collection of green stamps. He added that Rogelio Cisneros had travelled to San Francisco some time ago to communicate with that group and to tighten its organizational activities.

i. AMBANG-1 Asks About ARTIME and the Activities in Central America

AMBANG-1 raised the question of Manuel ARTIME's activities in Central America and particularly in Nicaragua. He stated that any association with Somoza would not help in creating the mistique and political coloration necessary to inspire revolution and resistance from the non-Communists elements in Cuba. Whereas, I had expected AMBANG-1 to go into a long harangue as to the positive damage that ARTIME's actions with Somoza could cause, he left the matter at about this point. I agreed that the Somozas did not have a liberal political reputation throughout Latin America, but added that whatever Cubans could do from that or any vantage point against Communism in Cuba would in my estimation be helpful, -- while I am sure AMBANG-1 did not agree with me, he did not say so. In respect to ARTIME and Miro Cardona, whose name entered into the conversation later, AMBANG-1 took a fairly objective view. He stated that Miro had arrived in San Juan and that he wished him the best as he figured he had suffered enough. Insofar as ARTIME was concerned I gathered that AMBANG-1 might feel that the associ- ation with Somoza would not do ARTIME any good in a post-Castro Cuba. As AMBANG-1 is convinced that a government after Castro must be of a progressive liberal stripe, ARTIME was not doing himself any good by identifying himself with the Somozas,

j. A List of Cuban Diplomats

As AMBANG-1 had asked for a list of Cuban Diplo- mats abroad while we were in Paris, I advised him that such a list had been prepared and we would make it available to him. In this connection he asked if we could include the addresses of each of the Cuban installations. Speaking of diplomats, AMBANG-I wanted to

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know if Ambassador Gustavo Arcos had returned from Prague. I informed him that I did not know. AMBANG-1 was most interested to learn that Franqui's wife and children had actually come out of Cuba, and indicated that he would intensify his efforts to maintain contact with Cuban Diplomat Cabrera Infante in Brussels as a means toward the eventual recruitment of Franqui.

k. AMBANG-1 Relation with Jorge Volsky

In conjunction with questions regarding propaganda sent to Cuba, and the JURE's general plans in this field, I asked A-1 about his relation with Jorge Volsky. A-1 stated that he con- sidered Volsky to be an extremely able, serious newspaperman. He added that whereas he saw Volsky frequently on his trips to Miami, the latter did not work for him. A-l stated that Volsky's work was a full-time job which left him little time to do anything else.

A-l stated that JURE propaganda was produced by a twelve man board.

A-1 added that the JURE expected to shortly introduce a statement on its position into Cuba.

l. AMBANG-1 Asks about Two Man Underwater Craft

A-1 asked if I knew anything about a two man type craft which travels through the water. I presume A-1 was talking about the "sea-sled." I advised him that I know little about this type craft, but in my opinion its usefulness for the type activity he had in mind was limited. AMBANG-1 would use this craft for the final phase of an infiltration effort. A-l stated that this craft was being used at the hotel beaches in San Juan as a type of sporting activity. I will advise him that he could pursue this matter himself as all knowledge on this subject is publicly available.

m. AMBANG-1 Trained in [Simple Scorch System] 24

A WAVE technician, [Culver Ladd] under the name 03

of Mr. Lane trained A-1 to use a [simple scorch system] of S/W. A-1 24

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was given some eighty pills with which he will be able to make the "ink" used in this system of S/W. A-l was pleased with the system, especially its simplicity. He will use the system to communicate with his chief delegate in Paris and undoubtedly other persons in Cuba as well as in the other JURE delegations.

n AMBANG-1 is Writing an Article for Cuadernos

At the request of German Arcienegas, the famed Colombian intellectual, A-l is preparing an article which is to be published in Cuadernos. The article will deal with the problems facing Latin America and how they can be resolved. A-l will be in select company as Arcienegas has asked a number of prominent Latin American intellectuals for their views.

Officer 0. Communication Between AMBANG-1 and Case

AMBANG-1 gave me the following addresses at which he can be reached:

Corporacion de Renovacion Urbana y Viviendas PARADA 31 Ponce de Leon, Hato Rey Puerto Rico Telephone No. 723-1671

(NOTE: This is not AMBANG's office or home, but that of a friend who is always able to reach A-1.)

Also:

Mr. Jaime Mitrani 1260 W. 61 Place Hialeah, Florida

AMBANG-1 was given the following means of contacting me:

Mr. Alfred Fernandez P. O. Box 1104, Main Post Office Washington, D. C. Telephone No. 737-8294

AMBANG-1 will use the name "Tony" as a signature in mail to me.

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1. General Observations

I beleive AMBANG-1 is planning to return to Cuba. He indicated that he would give the matter serious thought to even go in, disguised, as a legal traveller if that road were generally open, i. e., if rather large numbers of travellers were going in via PAA flights. This line seemed a bit out of character for A-l, for it seems unrealistic and somewhat remindful of Macaulay's references to the state of mind that exiles develop. I also detected what we consider to be a somewhat unrealistic appraisal of the Cuban situation in A-l's estimate that Castro has coneiderably less than 40% of the Cuban people with hira. A-1 may be losing more than a little touch with Cuban reality.

A-1 remains convinced that he is on the right track in working for the eventual overthrow of Castro. He is convinced, however, that two to three years is all the time leſt for actually destroying the Castro regime, believing that there will be a favorable turn in the Cuban economic situation by late 1965. A-l is likewise convinced that Castro cannot add to the improvement of Cuba, to the contrary that so long as the principal decisions are made by Castro, the general trend will be confusion arising from a failure to concentrate on specific problems until they are corrected.

AMBANG-1 is likewise convinced that the JURE is building a political group and general outlook which will have an impact on Cuba for many years to come. He is especially concerned with the need to carefully consider cach position of his group in order to create the lasting impression that JURE knows where it is going and that its leadership is composed of men who know how to "run" a country without the false starts, confusion and chaos identified with the Castro regime.

AMBANG-1 is likewise greatly concerned with the necessity of not creating an impression inside Cuba that the JURE will return to mete out "Justice." It is essential, A-l states, to convince the general populace that the overthrow of Castro will not result in a bloodbath, rather that the sole aim is to save the revolution that has been betrayed. He is anxious that the people inside Cuba see

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the JURE as a responsible, intelligent and dispassionate group which is capable of bringing to Cuba all that the revolution promised.

Alfonso Rodriguez SAS/SO

Distribution: 1 - C/SAS 03 1 - SAS/Bolten; Hecksher; [Amori] 1- Chrono 1-RAY File