[1]14-0000
[3]104-10185-10117, | 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 |
[5]+ fe nee sem Le CE Ted A Stee WIE Che meaning of tre Eaponnes lows Tue
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[8]. . wo Ya. Cae Wa, aca %
[9]ae ' i SECRET
[11]“i
[13]: ‘ ; NO FOREIGN DISSEY
[14]4 COUNTRY Cuba 7 REPORT NO.
[15]NO. PAGES 3
[16]REFERENCES
[17]Are oF 106¢ -
[19]mace g Washington, D.C. .
[20]cate aco. August 1964 FEO REPORT NO.
[22]fVlPT Suse FRR AdGsSS DATE STR 21 August 1964
[24]THIS 1S UNEVALUATED INFORMATION. SOURCE GRADINGS ARE DEMINITIVL APPRAISAL OF CONTENT (3 TENTATIVE,
[26]sounce. A former Cuban IS officer who served with the Cuban
[28]to Intelligence Service until Apri | 1964.
[30], Headquarters Comments
[32]" ; The following report is one of a series containing por
[34]information provided by the source and includes supp
[35]fnformation from the records of thig Agency.
[37]- a ™, eb e - seats CE
[38]. It ‘la “Fequested ‘that the addressees ‘take no action on any of:
[39]: the individuals mentioned in the personality reports without
[41]first checking with this Agency.
[43]Source identified a photograph of Comandante Jose
[44]FERNANDEZ and maid that hia nickname is "Zl Gallego."
[46]FERNANDEZ is the chief of all army training schools from
[47]cadets up. Ho ia not connected with Cuban Intelligence.
[49].
[50].
[52]Headquarters Comments
[54]1. In a veport dated 11 May 1960, from an untested source,
[55]4t was reported that one Jose FERNANDEZ, possibly identical
[57]with the abave Subject, was a Cuban Ambassador on an
[59]arma buying missions in Rome, . .
[61]ry
[63]sonality
[64]mental
[66]2. In June 1962 a Cuban national, untested, whose father was
[68]an old army friend of Jose FERNANDEZ, aka "El Gallego,"
[70]reported the following information:
[72]FERNANDEZ ig Chief of Artillary Schools in Habana
[74]Province; he frequently gives lectures on artillery
[75]weapona at a School for Membera of the Western Army
[77], woo
[79]“SECRET
[80]NO FOREIGN OISSEM
[82]4
[83]4
[84]3
[85]3
[86]1
[88]USA. ROS LL
[89]Moe [a
[93]rerest WHSA 7 (1), WE 1 (2), CI 4, RID
[95]AM-3 53 21E
[96], TEES? 955
[97]3 fpy
[99](La Escuela para los Miembres de Ejercita Occidente).
[101]Sad
[103]CSCI 316/00693-64
[105]1,2,3,4,5,6,
[107]0d te oh
[109]ND PROJECT (AMMUGAI )
[110]T rscr- 316/00693-44
[112]semrmrnel nes an
[114]a
[117]14-0000
[119]3.
[121]. aka “El Gallego," has an office
[123]. -
[126]fe wes a captain in the aray dsring BATISTA’s time
[128]and wat tn prison for his parss in the 4 April Movement
[129]until his reiease. by CASTRO. FERNANDEZ sas rot known
[131]to be a Communist and, at the tims of tbis repert (1962),
[132]was not considered to be one Ke attended artillery
[133]schcels in the United States (dates and places unknown) and
[134]speaks English well. He is ell educated and well
[136]trained for the position he holds. He 1s often referred
[138]to as "El Gallego Fernande2." FERNANDEZ allegedly
[140]was chief of the operation agatost the invaders of-
[141]Playa Giron in April 1961. He was described as having
[142]been born about 1921, being six feet one inch tall,
[144]185 pounds, having ldght grayish eyes, light brown
[145]hair, a fair complexion, waite even teeth, and an oval
[146]face. He speaka with a Castilliao accent. - , :
[148]A fairly reliable source, ip a report dated 17 July.1962, ~
[149]Stated that Major Jose Ramon FERNANDEZ was the Chief of the
[150]Soccion Preparacion y Organizacioa Combativa (Section for
[151]the Preparation and Organization of Warfare - SPOC), the
[152]Cuban Army's key man for defense against invasion, and the”
[153]militury brains of the country. He had access to all secret —~
[154]information.. FERNKNDEZ received his im tructions exclusively
[156]from Fidel and Raul. CASTRO with whom he.ia in personal contact..« +;
[157]He ‘received hig military education in the United States. . He -is
[158]intelligent and reportedly not a Communist. —
[160]2 thie
[162]“\ Cuban national, untested, reported in September 1962, that
[164]the facilities of the Military Acadesy at Camp Manegua were
[166]peing utilized as a training center for officers, officer—
[167]candidates and non-commissioned officers. Major Jose FERNANDEZ, ..
[168]oa the ground floor of the first
[169]building as you enter the camp. FERNANDEZ and a. General Exsrique
[170]LISTER prepared all the training schedules, pamphiets, and
[171]training aides, as well as joint exercised in which air ground
[172](armor and infantry) have participated.
[174]In a 14 November 1962 report, an untested source said that
[175]Comandante (fnu) FERNANDEZ is the only Cuban official who
[176]is completely within the confidence of the Soviets with
[178]respect to the military fortifications of the Habana area.
[180]ra . .
[181]An official Soahish Service} in a report dated 18 May 1963,
[182]Stated that an unidentified "usually reliable source” said’
[183]that Major Jose Ramon FERNANDEZ, known as "Zl Gallego," is
[184]the one who made the preparation for CASTRO's trip to the
[185]Soviet Union in February 1963. FERNANDEZ arrived in Habana
[186]from Moscow two days before CASTRO's surprise departure.
[188]7 . a:
[190]SECRET §: -
[191]. _ NO FQREIGN DISSEM
[193]14.90000
[195]. . a3-
[196]ce 93 «4& fairly reliabie gource, in @ report dated 7 August 1963,
[197]. Oo stated that she did not think FERNANDEZ was a Communist es he
[198]‘ . ‘ has always had Catholic tendencies but that he te a correct
[199]. -soldier and puts the military above everything. He is divorced
[200]acd his ex-wife is living in Miami with their two daughters,
[201]vanecis, born in 1951, and Alic}2, born in 1955.
[203]~ r¢) ‘ .
[204].8. & source who is a fiigh ranking Coban military/officer who baa
[205]‘ good contacts among Cuban officials (be has not submitted many
[206]reports, but they appear to have been accurate) reported in —
[207]September 1963 that Major José Ramon FERNANDEZ Alvarez, Chief oe”
[208]of Training, General Staff of the Cuban Rebel Aray, is anti-
[209]Communist and a military type in the strictest sense of the
[210]word. He sticks to his military duties acd scrupuloeely
[211]ayoids politics; he keeps himself completely isolated from
[212]all political elements. He is proud of his present status
[213]and thankful to CASTRO for it; for fear of losing it he
[214]appears whwilling to undertake any kind of activity against
[215]~ : ‘the CASTRO regime. CASTRO is undoubtedly knowledgeable of
[216]. : ' PERNANDEZ' attitude and has sufficient confidence in him to.
[217]retain him im his present position. CASTRO also is aware
[218]that he has few officers with the military discipphine, --
[219]know-how, and experience posseased by FEANANDEZ. _
[223]x
[226]gen
[228]noe Be,