Francisco José Hernández (born 1 September 1936 in Havana, Cuba) is a Cuban exile who was active in anti‑Castro activities during the 1960s, participated in the Bay of Pigs Invasion, and later became a prominent leader of the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF).
Early life and exile
Hernández was born in Havana. Following the Cuban Revolution, he left Cuba and settled in the United States, joining the community of Cuban exiles that opposed Fidel Castro’s government.
Political and organizational involvement
In the early 1970s, Hernández co‑founded the Cuban American National Foundation, a lobbying organization that sought to influence U.S. policy toward Cuba. He served as the foundation’s president, overseeing its activities in political advocacy, public relations, and support for anti‑Castro initiatives. He also founded Agro‑Tech International, a company involved in agricultural technology.
Hernández was a member of the “Non‑Group,” a coalition of Miami‑Dade business and civic leaders that wielded considerable influence within the Cuban exile community.
Alleged intelligence connections and controversies
Hernández has publicly acknowledged having worked with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), though he has denied that he or his cousin Luis Posada Carriles were terrorists. In 1997, a vessel departing for Venezuela was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard off Puerto Rico; among the weapons found on board was a .50‑caliber Barrett rifle registered to Hernández. Federal authorities linked the cache to a plot to assassinate Fidel Castro, a claim that has been reported in contemporary news sources.
Later activities
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Hernández remained an outspoken figure in Cuban‑American politics, continuing to represent the interests of the exile community through the CANF and related advocacy groups.
Assessment
Francisco José Hernández is recognized as a significant, though controversial, figure in the history of Cuban exile politics in the United States, noted for his leadership of the Cuban American National Foundation and his involvement in anti‑Castro operations.
