CIA File on Ray, Manuel

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Works in the provisional government of Manuel URRUTIA, which post he held for about ten months. Because of his work in the revolution and his outstanding performance as Minister of Public Works, RAY reportedly acquired a considerable popular following in Cuba.

5. RAY strongly supported the stated aims of CASTRO's revolution, but he reportedly became increasingly disturbed about Communist infiltration of the government. After the arrest and imprisonment of Huber MATOS in October 1959, RAY made his concern known to CASTRO and was subsequently dismissed and replaced by a Communist. Between the time of his dismissal and October 1960, when he exfiltrated to the United States, RAY devoted his time to the organization of the Movimiento Revolucionario de Pueblo (MRP, People's Revolutionary Movement), an anti-CASTRO group. Under RAY's leadership the MRP became one of the most important anti-CASTRO movements at that time.

6. After his departure from Cuba, RAY spent some time in the United States, and then went to work in Puerto Rico on public works projects sponsored by the Puerto Rican government. During that time, he remained in contact with other Cuban exile leaders and engaged in joint operations with them against the CASTRO regime. RAY did not like many of the other leaders because he believed they did not trust him. In fact, many of the Cuban exiles were reported to have stated that serving under RAY was nothing more than "Fidelism without Fidel". This led RAY to the decision that a new revolutionary organ was needed. In the summer of 1962 he proposed that a military junta be formed in which each of the different exile groups would be represented and have a vote on the junta's activities. He believed this would give more unity to their cause and insure against blatant failures. He was highly critical of both the invasion attempt of 1961 and with himself for giving his approval to the operation. RAY felt that his new organization would be able to avoid similar failures. The new group was formed at that time and was called the Junta Revolucionaria Cubana (JURE, Cuban Revolutionary Junta).

7. Since the founding of the JURE, RAY has kept his anti CASTRO activition within its framework. During the last two years he has devoted most of his attention to a possible infiltration of himself into Cuba. The last such attempt was planned for February 1965, but appears to have been unsuccessful. It was reported that unless RAY was able to fulfill his promise of returning to Cuba,