CIA Report on Antonio RODRIGUEZ Echasabal

1404-10061-10083

| 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

TO .

Chief of Station, Paris ges

Chief, _ ROY aiceoriut
SUBJE

‘Report of far datzaie RODRIGUEZ Eohasabal

ACTION REQUIRED REFERENCES

DIR 39176, 1 February 1962

1. As stated in veference, attached for passage to(GHTGS/axe
of « report on
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Attachnent:
Report (2 es u.s.6.)

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- § Fev.uary 1962

MEMORANDUM FOR : (M. de Vosjeli7

SUBJECT : Report on Antonio RODRIGUEZ Echasabal

Antonio RODRIGUEZ Echaszabal was bora in Cuba on 17 August 1913.
He has a master's degree in agriculture, professedly hae no religion but
ie a Mason. RODRIGUEZ is married to Edith JONES, who was born in
Cuba on 10 March 1917; she is, however, of Haitian origia, being the
daughter ofa former Haitian Ambaesador to Belgium, aad she is a devout
Episcopalian. The couple is known to have three children: a son who was

last reported to be in Havana, Cuba; a daughter married to a man of

German birth who was employed in the Castro land-reform organization |

“uatil hie departure for Germany in December 1961; and a son, Antonio

RODRIGUEZ Jones, bora 24 August 1943 at Havana, who was studying at
the Ecole Francaise Internationale in Washington, D.C. in 1961. This son
has been reported to be anti-U. 5S. and to have requested permission of his
father to go to Cuba or to another "socialist'' country to continue his |

“Antonio: ‘RODRIGUEZ Jones resided in: . Washiagtoa, D. C." with Yvonne.

JONES, his: ‘gaunt. and ‘sister of the wife of Antonio RODRIGUEZ Echasabal.
* Mies JONES was bora 10 April 1910 at Antwerp, Belgium; she was unamarri:

aod was & secretary at the Pan Americas Health Organization. She became
a U.S. citizen in 1959. Since the Castro regime has come to power,

‘Miss JONES is said to have spoken quite opealy for Castro and against the

U.S. Government.

RODRIGUEZ lived in Haiti for about eighteen years prior tothe

_ Commencement of his diplomatic career, having been barred by the Batiot:

government from returning to Cuba. He became a Haitian citizen and was

the owner of a Port-au-Prince meat market called "Zl Ose Blanco". Wher
Castro aseumed power in Cuba, RODRIGUEZ took over the Cuban Embase;
in Pert-au-Prince in January 1959 after the Batista-appointed officials had

fled to the Dominican Republic. Soon thereaiter he was aamed Amhbassado:
to Haiti. Be

Following his appointment to the diplomatic pest, RODRIGUEZ continu:
to maintaia contact with persons in opposition to President Duvalier of Hai:

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In late July 1959, Haiti was invaded by a small grap of Cubans, supposedly
as a prelude to an invasion of the neighboring Dominican Republic. The
incursion was successfully repelled by the Haitian Government, which
publicly charged RODRIGUEZ with complicity in the raid. RODRIQUEZ the:.
closed the Cuban Embassy and returned to Cuba after selling hie private
property in Haiti.

While RODRIGUEZ was atill in Haiti, two attempts were made on his
life. He accused the Trujillo regime ia the Dominican Republic and,
indirectly, the Haitian Goveran:.ent of complicity in those attacks.

u

ta November 1959, . RODRIGUEZ went to Guatemala as Cuban Ambassado:
There, he. _appeare to have associated freely with pro-Communist groups. |
March 1960, he was requested by the Guatemalan Goverament to leave the
country on the ground that he was engaging in activities taimical to the best
interests of Guatemala.

In November 1960, RODRIGUEZ reported to Karachi, Pakistan, as Cubs.
Arm. bassador. His wife accompanied him there and served as his chief .
secretary. During the initial months of hie tour there, his closest relation.

_in the diplomatic coloay were with officials of the Belgian Embassy, __
_ presumably ae a result of the fact that. Belgium had represented Cubs when
- there was ao Cuban representative in ‘Karachi. During 1961, however, his
‘social contacts were almost. “exclusively. ‘with. Soviet... satellite and Chinese
‘Commualst diplomatic personnel, : -.

In late 1961, when RODRIGUEZ apparently had decided ¢ to defect, he

confided to an acquaintance in the diplomatic colony that he was finished
‘with politics and wanted to devote the rest of his life to agriculture. He ho:

at the time to go to the Dominican Republic or to another, unepecified Sout!
American nation.. At the time of his departure from Karachi by alr for
Germany in early 1962, RODRIGUEZ reportedly made only a very limited
statement at the airport regarding his defection. The event apparently
received very little, if any, press notice in Pakistan.

. Insufficient information existe at present to permit a determination ae ‘

the genuimeness. of RODRIGUEZ's disaffection with the Castro regime. Fe:
- reasons which have not as yet beea fully reported, the Department of State
. denied a visa to RODRIGUEZ, apparently after he had made the decision tc
resign hie post in Pakistan.” We understand, howevor, that, following his

Citizen or vuoa fees,
/ . . eee oe 0 as e. Aye. tele UNRES

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arrival in France in January 1962, he received permission trem French —
authorities to travel to and reside in Martinique. It ‘Sppeare that he left ©
France on 31 January 1962 en route to Martinique.

This service would appreciate having the results of any debriefing of .
RODRIGUEZ by french a authorities; with particular reference:to the reasons
-for-his. Feelgnation and hie plans for the future.