REYNALDO P. MADURO FILES, 1976

Reynaldo Maduro served as Deputy Special Assistant for Hispanic Affairs in the final months of the Ford Administration, providing a liaison with the Cuban and Puerto Rican communities during the campaign. The Maduro files, which date almost exclusively from September and October 1976, document Maduro's liaison work with the Hispanic Community, particularly his efforts to set up meetings between President Ford and Hispanic organizations.

When Fernando De Baca resigned as Special Assistant for Hispanic Affairs in April 1976, Maduro was considered for the position. He received strong support from the Cuban community; this is documented in correspondence in the Central Files Name File. However, Thomas Aranda, who had strong ties to the Mexican- American community, was appointed to the position. It was deemed important to provide a special liaison for the Cuban and Puerto Rican communities, who perceived their interests and problems as being quite different from those of Mexican-Americans. Maduro, who served as a consultant in the Office of Public Liaison beginning in July 1976, was chosen to fill this position. He was appointed Deputy Special Assistant for Hispanic Affairs on September 14, 1976.

These files document Maduro's efforts to set up meetings between President Ford and the Puerto Rican and Cuban communities. Although a few meetings took place at the White House, more often Maduro represented the President at events sponsored by the Hispanic communities of various Eastern cities. These files contain little substantive information regarding Maduro's work, however. His activities are documented primarily through travel vouchers and schedule proposals. There are no copies of speeches he gave and sometimes it is difficult to determine whether proposed events took place. The files do give a sense of the Hispanic organizations which were interested in supporting President Ford's re-election. The most informative materials are briefing papers and question and answer sheets on topics of concern to Cubans and Puerto Ricans. Newspaper clippings and the "Miami" folder reflect the sentiments of Cubans toward President Ford.

Related Materials (March 1982)
A short run of correspondence in the White House Central Files Subject File designation FG 6-11/Ma provides some indication of the relation between Maduro and Aranda; a few letters are included in which Maduro reported to Aranda on contacts he had made in the Hispanic community and discussed proposed events. Related material on Hispanic organizations represented in Maduro's files and on the events scheduled by Maduro is contained in the files of Thomas Aranda, Office of Public Liaison.