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Cryptonym: AMSHADY-1

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Definition:
"Havana Rose", also known as Pepita Riera, a Cuban writer and broadcaster, who had a biweekly show on WMIE during 1963 where she discussed Cuban G-2 agents and informers.
Status:
Documented
Discussion:
Maria Josefa Riera Villafuerte was her formal name: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=111835&relPageId=48&search=%22pepita_riera%22
Sources:

104-10240-10187 CABLE:MIDNIGHT 25 SEPT RETURNING CARAVAN OF SORROW MET BY MOTORCADE

9/30/60 cable from JMASH to Director: "Midnight 25 Sept returning Caravan of Sorrow met by motorcade of 500 people and escorted to Bayfront Park (in Miami) where AMBIDDY-1 and AMPALM-5 spoke at welcoming rally. Pepita Riera, head of AMRASP (FRD) Comite de Asistencia Social, reported enthusiastic reception of caravan and good publicity all points en route, particularly Washington, Philadelphia, New York. Sacred Heart nuns organization approached Riera (in) New York offering help (to) sponsor nationwide tour of caravan." (Station was in touch with Ana Tomeu de Miller with plans to set up a FRD affiliated women's organization.)

David Wise, The Invisible Government (1963): https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/esp_sociopol_secretgov_5j.htm

The CIA shared Swan Island with two other branches of the Federal Government: the Weather Bureau and the Federal Aviation Agency. The Weather Bureau maintained a station, staffed by eight men, to take wind direction, wind speed, temperature and humidity pressure. The FAA maintained a high-powered radio beacon as a navigational aid to pilots." The Weather Bureau people were rotated every three to six months, since they were not allowed to bring their wives and children to Swan Island. A favorite pastime of gourmets among the government men was clonking lobsters over the head with stones in the shallow water. The CIA set up shop in lizard-proof Quonset huts half a mile from the Weather Bureau compound. They installed their radio equipment in big trailers slung with awnings to protect the delicate electronic gear from the broiling Caribbean sun...In September, 1960, Walter S. Lemmon, the president of the World Wide Broadcasting System, announced that his station, WRUL, would co-operate with Radio Swan in broadcasts to Cuba. World Wide, besides its Manhattan office, had a short-wave station at Scituate, Massachusetts. Since April, WRUL had been broadcasting to Cuba. The programs featured Miss Pepita Riera, a Cuban exile billed as "Havana Rose." Lemmon said Radio Swan would tape and rebroadcast WRUL's programs. At the same time, Representative Roman C. Pucinski, Chicago Democrat and sponsor of an organization called Radio Free Cuba, announced that his group would also cooperate with World Wide and Radio Swan. Pucinski described Radio Free Cuba as a privately owned group that had six radio stations in Florida, including the Florida Keys, and Louisiana. During this period, Radio Swan's programs were for the most part recorded in the New York office of the Gibraltar S During this period, Radio Swan's programs were for the most part recorded in the New York office of the Gibraltar Steamship Corporation. Some prominent Cuban exiles taped programs for the CIA station,..."

David Wise, The Invisible Government (1963) - continued: https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/esp_sociopol_secretgov_5j.htm

"...including Luis Conte Aguero, a former Havana radio and television commentator. Havana Radio kept up its counter-barrage. On October 24 Castro's radio attacked the "miserable curs who speak over Radio Swan." In January, 1961, it said: "Radio Swan is not a radio station but a cage of hysterical parrots." During the invasion, the CIA station was on the air twenty-four hours a day, transmitting romantic- sounding messages in code. At 10:57 P.M. on April 18, for example, the CIA broadcast this cryptic message in Spanish over Radio Swan: "Attention, Stanislaus, the moon is red 19 April." Even after the invasion had collapsed, Radio Swan continued to broadcast mysterious orders to nonexistent battalions. On April 22 three days after the end of the invasion, Radio Swan ordered various detachments not to surrender -- help was on the way. Orders went out over the air to "Battalion Three" to advance. "Battalion Four and Seven" were told to "proceed to Point Z." "Mission Alborada," which means reveille in Spanish, was ordered to commence, and Squadrons Four and Five were told to protect it. At the same time, "Air Group Pluto Norte" was told to cover position "Nino Three N/S." In the swamps and forests around the Bahia de Cochinos, some of the weary brigade survivors who heard the broadcasts as they tried to evade capture by the militia were bitter at what they felt was false encouragement by Radio Swan. By this time, Radio Swan's cover as a private station owned by the Gibraltar Steamship Corporation had worn perilously thin. A private station that had broadcast messages in code and instructions to troops during a clandestine invasion -- well, it seemed to be time to get out of town. And that is just what Gibraltar did. It kept an office in Manhattan, but moved the entire operation to Miami in September, 1961."

104-10226-10204: BROADCAST TIMES CHANGED TO TUESDAY AND THURSDAY

3/7/63 cable from JMWAVE to Director: "Broadcast times changed to Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2315 hours starting 7 March." Chief of Station comment: "UR contracting with station WMIE for twice weekly 15 min broadcasts by AMSHADY-1." This document also found at Reel 61, Folder E, p. 24.

104-10166-10040: CABLE: POUCHING DETAILS AMCORE-2 VISIT TO CARACAS INCLUDING MATERIALS HE COLLECTED

06/04/63, cable from JMWAVE to Director: Sluglines TYPIC MHSPAWN AMWIDE: "1. Pouching details AMCORE-2 visit to Caracas including materials he collected relation to Radio Libertad facilities, financial position, directorate, programming and fund sources. AMCORE-2 developed rapport to extent Radio Libertad willing accept two hours of programming a day from him for transmission. AMCORE-2 certain that JMWAVE assets such as AMRAZOR-1 and AMLYRIC-1 could be included in any package sent to Radio Libertad. He feels, however, that AMSHADY-1 and AMSTRUT-2 might be somewhat harder to sell. Latter judgement may simply be AMCORE-2 prejudice"....

1993.08.11.14:08:32:620006: CUBAN COUNTERREVOLUTIONARY HANDBOOK

4/1/64 Cuban Counterrevolutionary Handbook: "For approximately the last year and a half, the UR has been sponsoring a radio program over WMIE, Miami, and more recently Radio Americas, on which Pepita Riera, noted Cuban writer and broadcaster, speaks to the underground in Cuba, warning them about G-2 agents and informers. Material is based on current information she receives from her anti-Castro contacts inside Cuba. The program is broadcast twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 11:15 to 11:30 pm. The effectiveness of these broadcasts is attested to by the many letters received by Pepita Riera from people inside Cuba."

104-10163-10041: ARTIME BUESA, MANUAL (VOL XII).

6/15/64 dispatch from Chief, JMWAVE to Deputy Chief, WH/SA: AMSHADY-1 is described as "strongly prejudiced against AMBIDDY-1."

104-10226-10024: UNIDAD REVOLUTIONARIA (AMSCROLL)

"AMSHADY-1: Until mid-February 1966 AMSHADY Project consisted of radio program on AMTUMOR and JMHOPE aimed at exposure and denunciation of CUIS (Cuban intelligence service) agents inside Cuba. In February scope of radio program was broadened to include detailed discussion of CUIS activities and agents in Latin America, and occasional discussion of other political topics not specifically related to CUIS target. AMSHADY book on CUIS has resulted in wire service reports, press interviews, and increased press coverage and letters from AMSHADY audience."

104-10166-10046: REQUEST LATEST STATUS CONCERNING EFFORTS BY AMCORE-2 AND AMSHADY-1 TO ARRANGE FOR BROADCASTS VIA RADIO LIBERTAD.

4/12/68 cable from C/WH to Chief, JMWAVE: "If AMSHADY-1 indeed going to Caracas to participate in CIRASH training program, such visit might enable her to make direct contact with Radio Libertad personnel, providing Caracas concurs."

Contributors:
Bill Simpich

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