Manuel Antonio de Varona y Loredo (November 25, 1908 in Camagüey, Cuba – October 29, 1992 in Miami, Florida, United States) was a
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
n
lawyer
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
and
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
.
Career
Varona is 7th
Prime Minister of Cuba
The Prime Minister of Cuba ( es, Primer Ministro de Cuba), officially known as the President of the Council of Ministers ( es, Presidente del Consejo de Ministros de Cuba) between 1976 and 2019, is the head of government of Cuba and the chairma ...
in 1948–1950, and served as president of the
Cuban Senate from 1950 to 1952.
In 1960, Varona went into exile after denouncing Castro's communist regime. He was a member of the exile coalition
Cuban Revolutionary Council (1961–1964).
He had three children: Carlos de Varona Segura who participated in the April 17th
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion (, sometimes called ''Invasión de Playa Girón'' or ''Batalla de Playa Girón'' after the Playa Girón) was a failed military landing operation on the southwestern coast of Cuba in 1961 by Cuban exiles, covertly fina ...
, Emelina Ivette, and Ivonne de Varona Ruisanchez.
He wrote ''El drama de Cuba ante América'' (1960, Mexico City, Centro de Información Democrática de América).
He is buried at
Flagler Memorial Park in Miami, Florida.
Work for the CIA
During Varona's exile in Miami, the
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
supported his operational planning for the Bay of Pigs Invasion. They provided pills laced with
botulinum toxin to affect the assassination of
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...
. The pills were never used, because Castro had stopped visiting the restaurant where an anti-Castro worker intended to use them.
A transcript declassified in 2021 of a 1975
Church Committee hearing detailed the
covert CIA operation to assassinate Castro:
Mr. Breckinridge: Just before the first phase ended, Roselli, through Trafficante, was introduced to another Cuban exile leader in Miami by the name of Anthony Varona. Again, his name is a sensitive matter.
Varona was the leader of one of the groups that was being
supported by the CIA as part of the preparation for the Bay
of Pigs.
Varona was unhappy with his association, with the association
with the CIA. He felt he had not been given enough money.
Varona was approached by Roselli with Trafficante's introduction
to take on this mission
Roselli's story was that he represented some private client
who had interest in Cuba. The Roselli identity was apparent,
as was Trafficante's.
Varona said he knew someone who was in a restaurant that
Castro frequented and then the pills were transported again.
Mr. Schwartz. Could you state for the record who made the pills?
Mr. Breckinridge. The pills were made in what was then
the Technical Services Division of the CIA.
Mr. Schwartz. Had they ever made such pills before?
Mr. Breckinridge. Not that I know of.
Mr. Schwartz. Had they ever used Botulinum as a poison in
any way before?
Mr, Breckinridge. On one previous occasion Botulinum
had been considered for use on cigars that someone had hoped
to get to Castro, and eventually that never got off the ground.
This was a scheme that was never approved and never went forward.
I know of one instance in which it was considered.
Botulinum was made into pills and these pills were taken
again to Cuba. Castro stopped going to the restaurant where
this man was. The Bay of Pigs occurred and the operation
was called off.[178-10004-10213 Testimony of William Colby and Scott Breckinridge, Jr., 5/23/75]
pp. 106-107, United States Senate, Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities
References
* ''Directorio Social de La Habana 1948'', (P. Fernandez y Cia, S. en C.)
* ''Libro de Oro de la Sociedad Habanera 1949'', (Editorial Lex)
* ''Libro de Oro de la Sociedad Habanera 1950'', (Editorial Lex)
* ''Registro Social de La Habana 1958'', (Molina y Cia, S.A.)
* (Spanish)
Presidents of the Senate of Cuba
Prime Ministers of Cuba
Exiles of the Cuban Revolution in the United States
1908 births
1992 deaths
1940s in Cuba
1950s in Cuba
20th-century Cuban lawyers
20th-century Cuban politicians
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