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2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

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DATE: 18 March 1966

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SUSN COBA LAPA RIOD RERS BANG GUAT GAIN GORG SAGO BOGO SJOS SDOM QUIT LIMA SALV PIBO POSN TEGU KNGS MEXI MANA PACY ASUN ALGI RABA CASB DARE TOKY XONT WAVE CARA COLO NEWD BRUS COPE HAGU HELS LISB MADR BOMB CAIR ROME OSLO OTTA PARI STOC BERN GNVA VIEN LOND GMNY BONN BRLN MANI TYPIC MHSPAWN MIAPRON

  1. REUTERS DISPATCH DATELINED HAVANA 16 MARCH REPORTED WIDESPREAD PURGE UNDERWAY OF MILITARY OFFICERS, HIGH OFFICIALS CUBAN GOVT AND LEADERS CONXUNIST PARTY. FIDEL CASTRO ALSO REVEALED THAT SEVERAL CUBAN LABOR UNION LEADERS ARE UNDER ARREST ON EMBEZZLE- MENT CHARGES. IN ADDITION REUTERS SOURCES STATED THAT SEVERAL HIGHLY PLACED OFFICIALS WOULD SOON FALL IN THE CLEANUP AND THAT "FULL INVESTIGATION OF OFFICIALS MORAL AND POLITICAL PRACTICES ALREADY UNDERWAY IN GOVT MINISTRIES". THE MINISTRIES OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND FOREIGN TRADE WILL BE MOST AFFECTED BY THE PURGE. ON 15 MARCH, THE FOREIGN TRADE MINISTRY IN A SPECIAL MEETING "APPROVED THE PURGE" AND ADOPTED A COMPLETE CHECK ON MEMBERS WORKING ABROAD. NEW RESTRICTIONS ALREADY IMPOSED FORBID THE BRINGING INTO CUBA RATIONED OR HARD-TO-GET DURABLE GOODS.

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  1. QUOTING AN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE, REUTERS REPORTED THAT MAJOR EFIGENIO AMEIJEIRAS, DEPUTY MINISTER OF THE ARMED FORCES AND MEMBER OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE CUBAN COMMUNIST PARTY, HAS BEEN DISMISSED FROM HIS OFFICES AND IS TO STAND TRIAL BEFORE A COURT MARTIAL. THE COMMUNIQUE ALSO ANNOUNCED "THE ARREST OF SEVERAL DOZEN OTHER OFFICIALS" ON CHARGES OF INDULGING "LA DOLCE VITA". AN ELABORATION OF THIS CHARGE WAS MADE BY CASTRO IN HIS 13 MARCH SPEECH WHEREIN HE ATTACKED MEMBERS OF CUBAN MISSIONS ABROAD WHO SPENT SEVERAL MONTHS IN "VAPORS OF PARTIES AND GOOD BRANDY AND IN COMPANY OF PRETTY YOUNG GIRLS." CASTRO ADDED THAT THOSE GUILTY OF "PLAYBOY BEHAVIOR" WOULD BE DRAFTED INTO THE ARMY OR SENT TO WORK ON THE FARM.

  2. BACKGROUND: THE PURGE HAS BEEN PRECEDED BY THE TRIAL COCKKNOCKHOEX ON 7 MARCH BY A REVOLUTIONARY TRIBUNAL OF SEVEN CUBANS FOR COMPLICITY IN A PLOT TO OVERTHROW FIDEL CASTROL. THE ACCUSED ALLEGEDLY HAD THE SUPPORT OF SOME CUBAN EXILE LEADERS NOW RESIDING IN THE U.S. TWO OF THE SEVEN, ROLANDO CUBELA AND RAMON GUIN, HELD THE RANK OF MAJOR, HIGHEST RANK IN THE ARMED SERVICES. THE STATE PROSECUTOR REQUESTED DEATH FOR CUBELA AND THREE OTHERS.

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  1. MAJOR CUBELA WAS A POPULAR AND PROMINENT UNIVERSITY STUDENT LEADER, AN ARDENT REVOLUTIONARY AND ONE OF THE EARLY COHORTS OF CASTRO DURING THE BATISTA REGIME. CUBELA WAS ALSO A CLOSE FRIEND OF CASTRO AND UNTIL THE ARREST RANKED HIGH AMONG THE LEADERS OF THE REGIME. HIS ARREST AND ABJECT CONFESSION AT THE PUBLIC TRIAL CONDUCTED IN STALINIST FASHION TRIGGERED OFF A SERIES OF STUDENT REACTIONS. THE TRIAL IN EFFECT BACKFIRED AGAINST THE REGIME.

  2. UPI REPORTS AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL NEWS SERVICES, INCLUDING ACCOUNTS OF REFUGEES WHO DEPARTED RECENTLY FROM CUBA, TESTIFIED TO THE FACT THAT ANTI-GOVT STUDENT AGITATIONS OCCURRED. WALL SCRIBBLINGS ON UNIVERSITY BUILDINGS THREATENED CASTRO, ONE READING: "ONE HEAD PAYS FOR ANOTHER," ANOTHER READ "OUT WITH FIDEL."

  3. BECAUSE OF THE STRONG OPPOSITION TO THE TRIAL, CASTRO REQUESTED THE STATE PROSECUTOR NOT TO IMPOSE THE DEATH SENTENCES. IN ORDER PLACATE ADVERSE PUBLIC OPINION THE TRIAL PROCEEDINGS WERE GIVEN WIDE COVERAGE ON BOTH RADIO AND TELEVISION CIRCUITS. AS A RESULT, CUBELA AND OTHERS GRANTED CLEMENCY. AND SENTENCED TO LENGTHY PRISON TERMS.

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  1. THE CUBELA TRIAL WAS USED AS A PEG, I.E., GUILT BY ASSOCIATION IN THE DISMISSAL AND CHARGES LEVIED AGAINST MAJOR AMEIJEIRAS WHOSE LOYALTY TO THE REVOLUTION IS "UNDISPUTED" BY CASTRO. HOWEVER, AMEIJEIRAS WAS STRIPPED OF HIS MILITARY RANK AND CHARGED WITH THE CRIME OF BEING A PLAYBOY, LIVING THE GAY LIFE.

  2. AMEI JEIRAS WAS ONE OF CASTRO'S FIRST PEVOLUTIONARY FOLLOWERS. HE HAD BEEN WITH CASTRO SINCE 1956, WAS ONE OF THE SURVIVORS OF THE GRANMA EXPEDITION, FOUGHT IN THE SIERRA MAESTRA IN 1957-58 AND HAD HELD HIGH OFFICE SINCE 1959. IN OCT 1965 HE WAS NAMED TO THE HUNDRED MAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE CUBAN COMMUNIST PARTY.

  3. RUMORS ARE CIRCULATING THAT BLAS RCCA CALDERIO, MEMBER OF THE SECRETARIAT OF THE CP AND CHAIRMAN OF THE CONSTITU- TIONAL STUDIES COMMITTEE, WILL SHORTLY BE BROUGHT TO TRIAL. SIMILARLY, THE CHARGES OF MALPRACTICES AGAINST THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS IMPUGNS THE LOYALTY OF FOREIGN MINISTER RAUL ROA GARCIA HIMSELF. ANOTHER MINISTER UNDER SUSPICION, I.E., GUILT BY ASSOCIATION, IS FAURE CHOMON, MINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION. THE ENTIRE MEMBERSHIP OF THE 100-MAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE CREATED IN LATE 1965, MAY NOT BE SPARED AS THE PURGE GATHERS MOMENTUM.

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  1. THE UNDERLYING CAUSE FOR THE "SHOWTRIAL" OF CUBELA, THE ARREST OF THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF DEFENSE AND THE OUTLANDISH CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST MEMBERS OF THE CP AND MINISTERIAL OFFICIALS ARISES FROM THE IRREVERSIBLE FAILURES OF THE GOVT IN THE HANDLING OF DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL PROBLEMS. THE SCARCITY OF BASIC FOOD PRODUCTS HAS WORSENED. RICE, ROOT CROPS, MILK, MEAT CONTINUE TO BE RATIONED SEVERELY, AND THE AVAILABILITY TO THE CONSUMER IS NOW BELOW THE 1957-59 LEVEL, DESPITE SEVEN YEARS OF "COMMUNIST PLANNING". THERE ARE SERIOUS SHORTAGES OF MEDICINE, TEXTILES AND HOUSING. THE LATTER HAS DETERIORATED IN URBAN AREAS TO A LEVEL FAR BELOW PRE-WAR STANDARDS. SIMILARLY, CASTRO REPORTED THAT THE SUGAR CROP THIS YEAR WILL FALL FAR BELOW THE SIX MILLION TONS HARVESTED IN 1965. SINCE SUGAR ACCOUNTS FOR SOME 80% OF TOTAL FOREIGN TRADE EARNINGS, 1966 INCOME FROM SUGAR SALES, FACED WITH DEPRESSED WORLD MARKET PRICES, WILL NOT IN ANY WAY MEET THE COST OF BASIC IMPORTS, ESSENTIAL FOR SUSTAINING THE NATIONAL ECONOMY. CASTRO HAS SOUGHT TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE ON THE ECONOMY BY PER- MITTING THE EXODUS OF SOME 400 REFUGEES PER MONTH WHO ARE STREAMING INTO THE U.S. OTHER FAILURES INCLUDE THE FUNCTION OF THE GOC

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ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE WHICH HAS ALMOST COME TO A HALT. IN THE INTEREST OF ECONOMY SOME 60,000 EMPLOYEES ARE BEING DISMISSED FROM THEIR JOBS. IMPORTANT BUREAUS ARE DENUDED OF COMPETENT STAFFS. ALSO, THE POLICY OF REPLACING EXPERIENCED FUNCTIONARIES WITH UNQUALIFIED CP STALIMARTS HAS ALSO BEEN EXTENDED INTO THE ARMED SERVICES. COMMUNIST PARTY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN PLACED IN COMMAND POSTS AND THEIR WORD TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER THOSE WHO ARE TECHNICALLY COMPETENT BUT NOT PARTY MEMBERS.

  1. PSYCH EXPLOITATION IN MEDIA:

A. EMPHASIZE POINT THAT SHOW TRIAL AND PURGES DEMONSTRATE THAT IN THE PATTERN OF ALL DICTATORS, CASTRO GRASPING AT STRAWS, HOPING DIVERT PUBLIC ATTENTION FROM MOUNTING INTERNAL DIFFICULTIES;

B. COMPARE CASTRO TO NKRUMAH, SUKARNO AND OTHERS AS LEADERS WHO HAVE BANKRUPTED THEIR NATIONAL ECONOMIES AND SOLD OUT THEIR NATION TO COMMUNISM;

C. PORTRAY CASTRO IN STATE OF PANIC, HIS RECENT PANTINGS AND RAVINGS ARE REMINISCENT OF OTHER DEFUNCT DICTATORS;

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2 D. RAISE QUESTION WHO CAN NOW CONSIDER HIMSELF SAFE WHEN CASTRO IS TURNING AGAINST HIS MOST LOYAL FRIENDS. SIMILARLY, CASTRO HAS LASHED OUT AGAINST COMMUNIST CHINA AND YUGOSLAVIA, HIS FORMER ALLIES;

E. SHOW THAT UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND PROFESSORS WHO IN EARLY 1965 WERE "PURGED" ON TRUMPED UP CHARGES OF HOMO- SEXUALITY ARE BECOMING ASSERTIVE. SIMILARLY, MILITARY OFFICERS, 3 FALSELY ACCUSED, WILL CERTAINLY RESPOND. THE STUDENTS WITH THE MILITARY ARE THE TWO POWER GROUPS THAT CAN REVERSE THE TRENDS AS EXEMPLIFIED TODAY IN INDONESIA;

F. LASTLY, AVOID ALL REFERENCES TO ALLEGATIONS OF GỌC THAT KUBARK INVOLVED IN CUBELA PLOT.

  1. ABOVE BACKGROUND AND INFO MAY BE PASSED TO LIAISON.
  2. FOR KUTUBE EXPLOITATION:

A. STATIONS WITH CUBAN INSTALLATIONS AND/OR TRADE MISSIONS ARE REQUESTED MAKE MAXIMUM EFFORT ESTABLISH DIRECT OR INDIRECT CONTACTS WITH SELECTED CUBAN FORNMIN AND TRADE PERSONNEL THEIR AREAS. PURPOSE TO EMPHASIZE TO THEM THAT THEIR DOLCE VITA AND COUNTERREVOLUTIONARY ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO HAVANA RELEASING OFFICER COORDINATING OFFICERS SECRET AUTHENTICATING OFFICER

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89022 AND THAT TIME HAS COME TO ENSURE THEIR FUTURE THROUGH COOPERATION WITH ODYOKE. CONTACTS SHOULD BE GEARED TO RECRUITMENT IN PLACE AND COOPERATION RATHER THAN DEFECTION. SHORT OF THIS, HOWEVER, SPECIFIC DEFECTION REQUESTS SHOULD ALSO RECEIVE RECEPTIVE EAR,

B. STATIONS REQUESTED CABLE SPECIFIC LEADS IN ORDER ENABLE HQS GEAR RQMS, LIMITS OF COMMITMENT. RECENT DIP/ TRADE DEFECTORS SHOULD BE QUERIED FOR LEADS IN THIS CONTEXT. END OF MESSAGE

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