CIA File on Ray, Manuel

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

TO: United States Secret Service

FRCM: Deputy Director for Plans

SUBJECT: RAY Rivero, Manuel Antonio aka: RAY, Manolo

1. Reference is made to the telephonic request dated 23 November 1965 from Mr. Stoner concerning Subject. The files contain the following information from sources of varying reliability regarding Subject.

2. Manuel RAY Rivero was born on 13 June 1924 in Havana, Cuba of a middle-class family. RAY attended the University of Havana, where he received a degree in engineering. After graduation, he worked as a civil engineer in Havana until 1943, when he was awarded a scholarship to the University of Utah in recognition of his outstanding work; however, he did not receive a degree because of failure to submit a required thesis. He later became president of the Havana Society of Civil Engineers and worked on the Hotel Hilton project in Havana until 1957.

3. RAY was unknown politically until April 1957 when he joined the anti-BATISTA Movimiento de Resistencia Civica (MRC, Civic Resistance Movement). By August 1957 he had become the secretary-general of the MRC in Havana Province and was a member of the provincial directing committee of the "26th of July Movement" headed by Fidel CASTRO, and was responsible for coordination between the two groups. Under RAY's leadership the MRC was the largest and most important organization supporting the "26th of July Movement" during the last two years of the revolution. Although the MRC concentrated mostly on propaganda and logistic support, it did organize its own sabotage and action groups in late 1953.

4. RAY became a close confidant and advisor of CASTRO during 1957 and, in January 1959, was appointed Minister of Public

CS COPY

SECRET BCI-239290