Recent history records hundreds of secret infiltration operations carried out by the CIA against Cuban territory in the 1960s aimed at recruiting, training or materially supplying its mercenaries as part of its strategy to destroy the Revolution.
More than half a century later, under the slogan ” a change of regime” the purpose of these clandestine operations within Cuba remains the same. Only the social environment to which they are directed has changed and the modus operandi of the new infiltrators, who, acting from foreign NGOs subcontracted by USAID or the NED, arrive as false tourists to carry out subversive projects of a more sinuous nature. The latter intensified their actions between 2009 and 2013 with a strong presence of programs controlled by the NED.
This new historical essay that we present in Razones de Cuba emphasizes the infiltration into our national territory of these new spies in compliance with subversive programs of the USAID since those years.
The tactic in the field of the new spies.
The tactics on the ground and the dangerousness of these new spies corresponded to a critical path established since 2008 by the “Support to Cuban civil society” program. evaluated in this cycle of historical essays. Nothing obeys spontaneity. Everything had been calculated in detail to try to circumvent the effectiveness of Cuban laws and sow the seeds of hatred and disunity in priority sectors such as our youth and in the most humble communities.
A powerful staff commanded by OTI-USAID from abroad would monitor the work projects of these new spies surreptitiously sent to Cuba under strict control and monitoring of their activities on the ground.
USAID would select a group of NGOs in the region and the recruitment of other additional partners who would join the projects in execution in due course. These NGOs would previously visit the country in some cases, assess the conditions on the ground and select the new “ potential beneficiaries” who would later receive the necessary financial and material support.
USAID prioritized the delivery of substantial financial resources to partner NGOs to support these “beneficiaries” internally, with a particular emphasis on the actors it considers “socially active”, whom it also qualifies as ” unfair liabilities” , a category in which he arbitrarily located citizens with Catholic beliefs, young people with an independent thought, artists related to a supposed underground culture or young enthusiasts of information technologies.
This would allow, according to USAID, to redirect the work of influence by those “passive disloyalists ” over the “passive loyalists ” (group 2) and the “neutrals ” (group 3), to achieve their gradual involvement and “insert the simple citizen of these groups in the equation for a sociopolitical change in Cuba ”.
Let us now observe how the enemy selects his mercenaries to infiltrate them into Cuba.
USAID selects the most willing and experienced foreign NGOs
The search for candidates among some Latin American NGOs and those of other nationalities was carried out in early 2010 by a team made up of USAID, the North American company Creative Association International and the Costa Rican Gaya International Foundation, which hired a specialized consulting NGO to carry out a detailed study of a group of NGOs with experience in the youth issue that could be recruited to carry out the tasks of their subversive program.
According to an original document, the approach to a group of selected Latin American NGOs allowed to conclude the analysis of an individual profile of each one according to the USAID requirements to evaluate their possible participation as counterparts, which expressed “the broadest interest in contributing to the process that is being pursued ”.
Among the 11 finalist NGOs proposed to USAID were Guate Cívica, Sodeju-Fundaju and Cívica de Guatemala; the Fundación Centro de Estudios y Desarrollo Integral «FUCEDI», the CIDECO Foundation and the AIESEC of El Salvador, the Cooperativa Juvenil Multiservicios, the San Pedro Sula National Youth Forum and the New Horizons Youth Association of Honduras and the COJUCA and ISHCA of Nicaragua .
As an example, I reproduce the evaluation carried out on the Guatemalan NGOs proposed in this study, which indicates the level of demand of USAID in this selection:
“ TRUST IN THE SUGGESTED INSTITUTIONS IS QUITE HIGH AND FRIENDLY. THE THREE MEET FUNDAMENTAL REQUIREMENTS, WHICH IS THE TRANSVERSAL AXIS OF YOUTH, I HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL OF THEM AND THERE IS A DEGREE OF RELIABILITY TO PROPOSE FUTURE PROJECTS, THEY ARE ALL INTERESTED ”.
Although we do not know if all these NGOs were finally hired, the exposed data reveals a refined procedure to select subcontractors for these illegal missions aimed at subverting the internal order.
The dispatch to Cuba of the groups of subcontractors at the service of USAID and NED
The sending of the groups organized by USAID and the NED to the interior corresponded to their priorities regarding certain social sectors of the country and our most humble communities.
Various sources to which this research had access also revealed from those years the impulse of other projects subsidized by USAID aimed at the selection and preparation of young leaders within humble communities, cultural and educational centers.
These projects would be executed on the ground through person-to-person influence . In some cases, these subjects present themselves as simple tourists who rent a small room in a humble neighborhood, becoming a kind of missionary during their stay, making way for other subcontractors who gradually give continuity to the work of influence begun.
This was the case of the project “Creating civic leadership through professional actors 036, which spanned several periods between 2009 and 2010 with an initial budget assigned by USAID of $ 15,349 USD.
« Promote democratic values in the communities «
The project “Creating civic leadership through professional actors” was assigned by USAID to the Nicaraguan entity Ayestas Consultores, whose final purpose ” was to promote democratic values in the selected communities as an initial step for the transition. “
A subcontractor of Nicaraguan nationality as a tourist made a reconnaissance trip to the country for six weeks in 2009, which allowed him to develop a “ mapping ” in Pinar del Rio and Camagüey as well as a work plan and an “assistance program”. Two of these works would be carried out in Camagüey as a “ self-employment project ” and a “ neighborhood house repair project ” and a third in Pinar del Rio as a “ Health sector project ”.
During these visits they identified possible leaders, including a humble suburb in which they evaluated their needs and standard of living, concerns and economic activities that the residents were interested in developing, which were presented by the subcontractor as “aid projects” in their report of the first visit. In total, there were nine assistance project initiatives submitted for study and evaluation by USAID.
A second mission to Cuba for two weeks in 2010 allowed him to establish contact with previously identified potential leaders and in his words “ build trust, agree working alliances and design joint action agendas. […] Also, as an objective, the spaces for mobilization and formation of self-employed networks should be expanded and to promote citizen engagement in community affairs. These objectives were achieved by achieving the formation of beneficiary groups, agreeing with them action agendas, highlighting the commitment that citizens have to their community […] “
The “leaders” who benefited were simple self-employed workers or very humble people who lived in wooden houses and dirt floors using collective toilets, with few possibilities to solve their basic needs, which made them the target of these practices and at the same time USAID “beneficiaries”. The latter was never mentioned in conversations with neighbors or people who received any benefit, the emissaries claiming that it was a security measure to protect themselves from the Cuban authorities.
In the ” Neighborhood House Repair Project ” USAID considered that the work of influence in that neighborhood was the starting point to unite “beneficiaries” in a group aware of the problems of their community and that the 16 meetings and 4 social activities carried out on Saturdays with some of these neighbors, financially supported by this NGO, allowed to organize ” private work without government support . “
In the final report to USAID, four associated groups were classified as “ assisted civil society organizations”.
All this history was documented with videos and photos by the Nicaraguan NGO for its expenditure reports to USAID on trips to the country, personal work and the delivery of incentives to the people benefited by the program.
To carry out modest projects of primary rehabilitation in wooden houses and other construction tasks in the neighborhood, a bricklayer was hired by the NGO.
We have selected some excerpts from the final report prepared by the subcontractor, which clearly describes his work of influence in that small neighborhood whose neighbors depended economically on self-employment, such as the construction and sale of mattresses for the nearby city :
“ With the residents of the neighborhood in the meetings it was more than evident that they would be a success, since in these the work and the improvements to each house were scheduled and as it was of particular interest but at the same time common, none of them missed the meetings at the same time. degree that even when aid for meetings was suspended, they continued to be given as if nothing had happened […]
“The discussion meetings and social activities were carried out in an orderly manner […] In the first meeting, the beneficiaries reached a consensus and decided who would be the master builder hired for the repair activities, decided when and what to do to improve the bridge. access to the neighborhood and between all they took to the details regarding money and improvements […] Discussion meetings were held every Saturday afternoon at 5 pm; A total of 16 meetings and 4 social activities were held on the second Saturdays of each month with the participation of beneficiaries, family members and friends who were invited with the consent of the group […] “List of spent materials
“[…] The direct impact on them is considerable due to the palpable improvements to their houses, but above all the social impact of knowing that they are capable of managing funds and coordinating activities, including making decisions and not that someone else made them for them, has given them a life lesson that will be very useful in the future […] Seven houses received benefits from the House Repair Project […] we can assure that at least 28 people benefited from the project without counting the benefit received in general with the maintenance and cleaning of the riverbed bridge at the entrance of the neighborhood. ” Photos we have
In the “Self Employed Project ” in this same province of Camagüey, according to reports provided by this NGO, there were initially five beneficiaries who had improvements in their four guest houses, the engine of the vehicle was repaired for the collection of tourists from one of these and a website was installed on the internet to facilitate the rental service.
The delivery of food supplies for animals was made for a local pig farmer that provides services to these self-employed. Taxi and pedicab owners were also involved (also included as beneficiaries). Assistance was provided by donating a computer, a camera, a laser printer and a cell phone, as well as financial assistance for their meetings.
One of the most important results of the community work carried out by this NGO was the personal contact with these neighbors. Their report to USAID highlighted the regularity maintained in the English classes they programmed, in the social activities and in the community work activities. English classes were given to the self-employed every Tuesday at 6:00 pm for an hour and a half and later an hour of debates on different topics of interest to the beneficiaries.
Twelve English class sessions were organized on Tuesdays and another five sessions on Saturdays at 11 am. One Saturday every month after classes, a social activity was organized in which friends and relatives of the beneficiaries met.
There were also 12 other discussion sessions, one each week and 4 social gatherings accompanied by family and friends. According to the subcontractor, in the discussion meetings, the issues related to their activity were motivated and the need for help and social support was instilled among the members, using videos and films with messages of solidarity and private social development as a tool for discussion, without intervention. of the government. The NGO considered that “self-employment project” a success.
The “health project in Pinar del Rio” consisted of a donation for the creation of a digital library and video library with files and videos initially delivered to three beneficiary doctors, although the proposed goal was to reach the figure of 20 in the future. it was not fulfilled.
According to USAID, the objective of this project was “to promote the creation of groups of workers in the health sector to strengthen the leadership of its actors and empower them with scientific information and similar civil groups from other countries .
In the same way, stimulate the holding of meetings every 15 days in places outside the hospital where these doctors worked, in which various topics of their interest would be discussed.
According to this NGO, the Digital Library was very well received by this group, as it received as a donation a computer, a camera, an external memory and a cell phone, as well as more than 40 books and / or medical and personal improvement documents. List of titles.
In a message later addressed to the subcontractor by one of the beneficiaries, he thanked the donation of the equipment and the medical and nursing literature, which he described as highly valued in his midst, which he shared with other colleagues at the hospital and nursing students .
In the NGO report to USAID he recommended: “ working closely with the health sector of Pinar del Rio, they have shown great interest, social will and take risks. We note that these digital libraries are of great interest to them and I think they can be extended to professionals in general or to multi-subject libraries ”.
Through these procedures, USAID programs are executed within the country. Behind an innocent appearance, in some cases they appeal to a false humanism to reach simple citizens, totally oblivious to the political intentions of these emissaries, those who take advantage of the complex economic limitations that the same enemy has exacerbated in our nation.
Although in any sector or in a humble neighborhood these subjects clash with the revolutionary people and their political organizations, they are also linked with confused, depoliticized people, citizens in need of resources, political naivety in many cases and lacking a perception of risk , which makes them the most vulnerable and susceptible to this subtle influence of the enemies of our nation.
These cases also reflect a progressive and gradual work on our citizens whom the enemy classifies at his discretion as “passively loyal” or “neutral”, to instigate or exalt their attitude towards change and create spaces of their interest in a small neighborhood of your community. It is undoubtedly dangerous long-term subversive work.
I attach as evidence some photographs sent by this NGO to USAID about many of these beneficiaries. Out of respect for these families, I have ignored their faces and personal data.
Bet on social change
The USAID project “ Supporting Youth Engagement with the Community” was directed at young artists, university students, the unemployed, and the self-employed. The Costa Rican NGO “ Fundación Operación Gaya Internacional ” ( FUNDAOGI) developed this project in the city of Santa Clara, in 4 phases executed between 2009 and 2011.
The purpose of the project was to generate a network of volunteers “ for social transformation and to provide them with the technical and organizational capacity for action […]. To position the youth of Santa Clara in readiness for social change and to generate a reproductive effect of this experience in Matanzas, Camagüey, Cienfuegos, Ciego de Ávila and Santi Spíritus […] “
The USAID program defined as strategic objectives : ” To promote the participation of a group of independent young people and to stimulate the concept of independence and self-determination among Cubans.”
“Provide training and technical assistance to an independent group of young people to improve their organizational skills and set their goals in society.”
“Help local groups in the formation of a youth network .”
The USAID program secretly aspired to organize a youth center in the city and a network of 9 community projects.
For its execution, the programmed trainings, the technical, material and financial supplies planned, 3 Costa Rican citizens traveled to the country as tourists.
In a first phase they made their first approach with a group of young people who made up a counterculture music initiative in Santa Clara.
In a second stage, according to their reports to USAID they managed to access an art school in that city; The disguise used to penetrate this student center was to encourage workshops among young students for the prevention of AIDS, gender equality, sexual orientation, and human rights, masking the delivery of money for the organization of 14 artistic workshops.
According to these subcontractors, the AIDS issue was accepted by the local authorities, functioning ” as the perfect excuse to deal with the underlying issues . ” According to his opinion, these events occurred despite the intervention of the authorities questioning the nature of the activity, but the participants knew how to “handle the situation thanks to the fact that they were given tools to resolve the conflict.”
According to their reports, the 14 workshops taught had an impact on some 80 people, including students and teachers, in addition to the creation of a mural painted by the students of the art school themselves.
At this stage they trained the members of a very popular musical group in the artistic youth environment and then proceeded to recruit other young people through various counterculture activities, according to projects previously planned for this purpose.
A third stage was aimed at trying to reproduce the experience of Santa Clara in the rest of the island by traveling to the five aforementioned provinces, identifying leaders and trying to generate “ a network for social transformation that would position youth as social actors in Cuba. and generate counterculture projects such as pressure actions against the Government ”.
The stay of the emissaries coincided with the celebration of the I Meeting of projects for Young Art, held in Santa Clara between July 6 and 10, 2011, in which they participated.
After concluding their stay in Cuba, in the final report of the visit, the subcontractors expressed the need to carry out a detailed study of Latin American non-governmental organizations with experience in youth issues, which could be included in the “Support Program for the Society Cuban civilian ”.
In their evaluations, they reflected the importance of hiding their true intentions within the framework of artistic-cultural projects due to the distrust of local authorities towards projects from abroad, expressing the supposed trust that donations or sponsorship of activities generate in Cuban authorities. .
In its study on security environments in Cuba, USAID analyzed the possibility of moving Cubans to Latin American countries and, in that scenario, impart training and carry out activities related to the subversive program, but they did not rule out that the Cuban government could infiltrate these groups .
In their security reports, they mentioned that the Cuban State Security bodies knew of their arrival in the city of Santa Clara and were concerned about their presence, but apparently it had no major consequences, motivated by the social impact and public recognition of them.
The execution of this project coincided with the television denunciation “The reasons for Cuba” which adversely affected its purposes .
Razones de Cuba will soon provide new unpublished materials on the presence of other subversive groups within the country as part of the cycle of historical essays “Cuba a failed soft coup”
source: Razones de Cuba
