Cryptonym: AMCHIRP-1
A biographical sheet on Ramon Barquin Lopez stated that he was a career officer in Cuban Army. Chief of Intelligence Section of Army General Staff 1948-1949; Cuban military attaché in Washington DC 1951-1956; arrested 4/3/56 and imprisoned for attempting to overthrow Batista. Appointed Chief, Cuban Army after Batista's overthrow.
104-10264-10023: BIO SHEET: RAMON BARQUIN LOPEZ, LT. COL. ARMY
Bio sheet: Career officer in Cuban Army. Chief of Intelligence Section of Army General Staff 1948-1949; Cuban military attaché in Washington DC 1951-1956; arrested 4/3/56 and imprisoned for attempting to overthrow Batista. Appointed Chief, Cuban Army after Batista's overthrow.
John Newman, Countdown to Darkness (2017), p. 36.
Dulles was looking at Barquin as a leader of the opposition forces as early as January 1960. Barquin had turned over power to Castro on 1 January 1959. "Barquin was nonetheless a political threat to Castro, who sent the Colonel to Spain as the Cuban military attache in April 1959...in April 1960, the CIA attempt to defect Barquin would be handled by E. Howard Hunt. Afterward, Barquin would break with Castro and join the Cuban exiles in Miami. However, he would break with them after the botched Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961."
104-10179-10083: CABLE RE: THROUGH AMPAN-2 JOSE PEPE DUARTE OROPESA HAS SENT URGENT WORD THAT HE
8/15/60: Barquin's name is written in next to "AMCHIRP-1".
On 11/13/60, Barquin was chosen as temporary head of MRP's Intel unit. Also see 104-10179-10018, 11/21/60: Plan to invade and capture Isle of Pines and free Huber Matos. Attempt coup planned for afternoon of November 27.
In November, 1960, MRP organization: Manuel Ray, chief; Raul Chibas, special assistant; Juan Esteves Ramirez, secretary; Ramon Barquin, military and intelligence matters; Rogelio Cisneros, Chief of MRP in Cuba. Also see 104-10179-10386, a 11/17/60 operational memo from Paul Sirett to Chief WHD identifying Barquin as 201-156775, with attachments missing. His 201-156775 is also shown at 104-10271-10135, page 8.
11/24/60 cable to Director from MASH: "Meeting with AMCHIRP-1 on 11/23, revealed he had information that MRP in Havana had capabilities to blow up power plants and TV stations in Havana -- a diversionary tactic planned to coorinate with Isle of Pines operation. Ray expects Isle of Pines operation support about 12/15/60."
104-10193-10065 CABLE RE: ORLANDO ALVAREZ BARQUIN, MASH CONTACT WITH MRP FOR
11/30/60 cable from MASH to Director: "Orlando Alvarez Barquin, MASH contact with MRP for PM matters, telephoned Enzel late 28 Nov stating Ray and AMCHIRP-1 desired meeting soonest. Meeting held early morning 29 Nov. Meeting abrupt, disruptive, and acrimonious. Only subject Ray and AMCHIRP-1 wished (to) discuss was Capots/Isle of Pines operation...AMCHIRP-1 charged (case officer) with failure to perform re delivery of Isle of Pines maps and memory briefing code per Ref A.
1/18/61 cable from WAVE to BELL: AMCHIRP-1 informed WEISINGER evening 17 JAN that ELOY GUTIERREZ MENOYO, Major Cuban Rebel Army, would flee Cuba in light plane within next 72 hours. AMCHIRP-1 said MRP plans (to) debrief Gutierrez and quickly send him back (to) Escambray region to head insurgent group, twenty of whom will be Gutierrez's own men who will flee Escambray at time (of) his defection..."
9/7/62 cable from JMWAVE to Director: A source of Orlando Rodriguez Perez stated that Albin Odio, FNU Figueredo and a third man "were trained as intelligence agents one year and assigned assassinate (illegible), Napoleon Bequer exile head Huber Matos group, and unknown third man...(Duney Perez) Alamo related Odio (was a) G-2 agent assigned task (of) penetrating his group 'Ejercito Liberador' and eventually assassinating him. Two other main assassination targets are AMCHIRP-1 and Napoleon Bequer in addition (to) other targets (of) opportunity."
1994.03.08.14:51:44:470005: Reel 48, Folder YY - ODIO MATERIAL.
"Alwin Odio Tamayo (201-334080)...came to the US in a boat in 1962...with him were Angel Ruiz aka El Cobo, possibly G-2, and Jose Ojeda Santana, also possibly G-2. Odio's alleged CUIS mission in the US was to assassinate Ramon Barquin Lopez of the MRP (REDACTED), Alamo, head of Ejercito Liberator, and Napoleon Bequer."
10/4/62 cable: AMCHIRP-1 told Minnewit that he was not now a member of any anti-Castro group. Although he was friendly with AMBANG-1/Manuel Ray, he did not agree with the concept or approach of JURE. "Strongly advocates propaganda program tailored for and targeted directly at armed forces...appealing (to) military pride, professional honor."