[SANITIZED] DISAPPEARANCE OF TWO CUBAN EMBASSY OFFICIALS IN BUENOS AIRES - 1976/08/26

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Argentina Declassification Project - The "Dirty War" (1976-83)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03088252
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: April 3, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2019
• Publication Date: August 26, 1976

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Approved for Release: 2618%10/02 C03088252 3.5(c)
EO 13526 3.3(b)(1)>25Yrs
EO 13526 3.5(c) 107,-
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Acting Deputy Director for Operations
FROM
SUBJECT
3.5(c)
3.3(b)(1)
Disappearance of Two Cuban Embassy Officials
in Buenos Aires
WARNING NOTICE
SENSITIVE INTELLIGENCE SOURCES AND METHODS INVOLVED
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3.5(c)
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3.3(
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Background on the disappearance of two Cuban Embassy
employees in Argentina:
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3.3(b)(1)
b
b)(1)
3.3(b)(1)
Argentine Government security elements were
responsible for picking up the two Cubans and later killing them,
because investigation had revealed that they had been providing
direct assistance to the People's Revolutionary Army (ERP), leftist
terrorist organization.
3.3(b)(1)
government
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security elements subsequently planted the story that the two
Cubans had defected.
there is no evidence
available to indicate their involvement in ERP activities in
Argentina.
c. If true, the operation could have grown out of
the arrest in early August of Patricio Antonio Biedma, represen-
tative in Argentina of the Chilean Movement of the Revolutionary
Left (MIR) and the MIR representatives within the Revolutionary
Coordinating Junta (JCR), who said he had received direct financial
payments for the MIR from an official of the Cuban Embassy in
Buenos Aires.
3 3(b)(1)
d.
3.3(b)(1)
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the two (Alban diplomats were kidnapped by commandos of the
Coordination of United Revolutionary Organizations (CORU) who
hoped to trade off the two Cuban diplomats for the release of
two Cuban exiles imprisoned in Mexico for the attempted kid-
napping of the Cuban Consul in Merida, Mexico, on 23 July and
the killing of a Cuban fishine official in the attempt. 3.3(b)(1)
Orlando Bosch, Cuban exile
leader, said that the two Cubans would not be offered in exchange
for the two Cuban exiles since they had confessed they were
members of the DCI. 3.3(b)(1)
e. On 16 August AFP Paris reported that credentials of
two missing Cuban diplomats in Argentina had arrived at the
Associated Press office in Buenos Aires with a letter announcing
their defection. AFP said there have been rumors in Buenos Aires
that the two officials had been kidnapped by anti-Castro commandos'.
7. Cuban Reaction to the kidnapping of two Cuban Embassy
employees in Buenos Aires.
a. Havana Prensa Latina reported on 10 August that Cuban
Ambassador Aragones in Argentina had notified the Cuban Govern-
ment of the disappearance of two Embassy administrative employees
who apparently had been kidnapped on 9 August after leaving the
Embassy to catch a bus to the Ambassador's residence. High
Cuban authorities had summoned the Argentine Ambassador in Cuba
to voice their concern. Reuters reported the Ambassador had a
90-minute meeting with a top government official, who may have
been Prime Minister Fidel Castro.
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3.3
c. Aragones
had told the Hungarian Ambassador that, if the Cubans could
obtain evidence that the Argentine Government was responsible
for picking up the two Cubans, he would demand that the govern-
ment allow him to talk to them. He dismissed the possibility that
they had voluntarily deserted, saying they were good Communists
who only under extreme pressure would sign a letter re uesting
asylum and denouncing Cuba. (This conversation was
after the receipt at the AP office in Buenos Aires on e August
of the credentials of the two missing Cubans with a letter an-
nouncing their defection.)
ommercia o lcers sal t ey selieved the Argentine
Government was responsible for the disannparanrp of thp tir^
Cubans,
nsa a lila o icer a so sal t at he believed CIA
was behind the disappearance of the two Cubans. The Swiss
newspaper "Der Bund" on 12 August reported on the disappearance
of the two Cubans in Argentina and said that Cuba claimed this
was a CIA plot.
e.
(:.
Aragones tol tne Luban commercial counselor to do nothing
further on the commercial agreement with Argentina for the
purchase of 2,000 automobiles, saying the agreement had been
suspended as a result of the kidnarming
(b)(1)
3.3(b)(1)
3.3(b)(1)
3.3(b)(1)
3.3(b)(1)
3.3(b)(1)
3.3(b)(1)
3.3(b)(1)
LII Lucian embassy commercial oftice informed Chrysler, General
Motors, Fiat and Ford companies in Buenos Aires that the Cuban
Government had rescinded the contract for three ships to go to
Buenos Aires to �ick u 1 811 4 .-I �--.. 1111 biles,
Cubani3.3(b)(1)
Argentina relations are badly strained by the disappearance of
the two Cubans and cancellation of the shipping contract was
Cuba' "answer" to the disappearance of the two Cubans.
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3.5(c)
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NCLASSIFIED
IN1Approved for Release: 2018/10/02 C030882 1IJ U5211." Ai
SE ONLY Li 16.lUGIII I UAL
ROUTING AND RECORD SH
SUBJECT: (optional) Disappearance
3.5(c)
Q3.3(b)(1)
It
3 5(c)
3.5(c)
FROM:
ADDO
EXTENSION
92'76
NO.
DATE
27 August 1976
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
building)
DATE
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
OFFICER'S
INITIALS
1
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
� DDO
1. Per our 3.3(b)(1)
discussion I had LA and EUR focus
on the Cuban problem in Argentina.
The net result was the attached
paper. 3.3(b)(1)
7.
10.
11
12.
13.
17?
14.
15.
3. See no further action that
we can take at this time.
TGShackley
3.5(c)
FORM 61 0 USE PREVIOUS
3-62 EDITIONS
SECRET El CONFIDENTIAL IuNSTEE RONA
Approved for Release: 2018/10/02 C03088252
UNCLASSIFIED