The heightened policy of blockade and aggression against Cuba of the Trump administration, synthesized in the 121 punitive measures adopted between 2019 and 2020, has been accompanied by numerous subversive actions and programs generously financed by US taxpayer money.

Despite the primary announcements by the US President that he would cut “aid” and programs abroad to focus on “Making America Great,” tens of millions of dollars have been invested unashamedly in anti-Cuban policy in these four years .

Several investigations by journalist Tracey Eaton for her Cuban Money Project reveal significant details of this industry of subversion.

Millionaire CIA covers

Created by the US government to serve as public arms of the empire’s subversion and domination, USAID and the NED have spent four decades of continuous and well-funded action against Cuba.

Despite the scandals, corruption, and the failures of the programs and plans against Cuba, both organizations have rejoiced in the years of this administration over the abundant funding received.

Since Donald Trump arrived at the White House on January 20, 2017, the Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested almost 50 million dollars against Cuba, while the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) allocated $ 23 for similar purposes. 208 612 dollars.

More than 70 million dollars for subversion in a public way. To the large figure should be added the 90 million dollars that the Cuban Broadcasting Office has received in the course of these three years, a government entity that runs the misnamed Radio and TV Martí , media dedicated to promoting subversion against Cuba since the radio and television waves and now also in the digital public space.

Also add the millionaire non-public figures that the intelligence community and the US military apparatus dedicate each year against Cuba and the taxpayer’s money that is disbursed to finance the bureaucracy of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), in charge of prosecuting Millimetrically every financial transaction to and from Cuba and to sanction any company in the world that dares to trade with the Caribbean country and you will have an idea of ​​what the stubborn anti-Cuban policy costs the US taxpayer.

Not a few organizations, politicians and mercenaries live under the generous spill of Washington, beyond Cuba and Miami.

As Tracey Eaton noted on January 20: “The grudge fight over Cuba has to be one of the closest fights in history. Dozens of US-based nonprofits have invested millions of dollars in the cause of Cuba. The groups that oppose the socialist government outnumber and spend more than the NGOs that seek to improve relations between the two countries.

“Some NGOs receive support from US government agencies such as the State Department and the Agency for International Development. Others are not funded by the United States government and rely on donations from friends, strangers, and wealthy benefactors. “

Outsourced subversion

There are various organizations that move in Washington sucking on the tit of imperial politics. They are instruments created to expand American interests and designs throughout the world; including Cuba.

They are “thinking tanks”, foundations, supposed “NGOs” that benefit and at the same time transfer funds for public action programs in other nations that are consistent with the purposes of domination of the United States.

In the case of Cuba, one of the main recipients of the funds distributed by USAID is the International Republican Institute (IRI), an ideological arm of the Republican Party that operates in more than 70 countries and was an important actor in the Coups d’Etat in Honduras and Haiti and sponsored some of the forces involved in the so-called “Arab Spring” and in the destabilizing attempts in Venezuela. The IRI received from USAID, for actions against our country, $ 5,791,395, between January 2017 and September 2019.

Another component of this industry is Freedom House , a so-called Human Rights NGO that receives ample funding from the State Department and USAID to mount self-serving Washington campaigns on “democracy, political freedom and human rights.” No less than 80% of the funds of this organization come from the US government.

Analysts such as Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman have exposed the selective and pro-imperial character of this organization, created in 1941 and used as part of Washington’s intelligence and destabilization apparatus during the cold war. For example, Freedom House described the 1979 general elections in racist Rodhesia as “fair” and those in El Salvador in 1982 as “admirable.” Every year, in its annual reports, Freedom House deliberately omits human rights violations in the US, while attacking progressive governments in our region.

Cuba has been a significant part of Freedom House’s manipulative campaigns in recent decades. Hence, it is not surprising that between 2017 and 2019 it received $ 3,327,910 from USAID for anti-Cuban programs.

There is also the Pan American Development Foundation, an appendix of the Organization of American States (OAS), which has served as an umbrella for various anti-Cuban projects, as denounced a few years ago by Dr. Collera in the Cuban Reasons. The FPD received $ 2,849,176 in this time.

Each of these large recipients of financing then distributes crumbs between some organizations of the Cuban counterrevolution and certain mercenaries in Cuba.

Outsourcing subversion

An element that the Trump administration has not changed, despite its impudence in acting, has been the attempt to divert attention from the origin of the money that is used for the seduction and manipulation plans against Cuba. The outsourcing of subversion continues to be present in the actions of the State Department, which continues to send money to organizations in Europe and Latin America to be channeled into mercenary payments in Cuba and to develop actions against this country.

This is how money flows to the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, Argentina, Colombia and other countries, from where a part is triangulated towards Cuba. Round business.

One of the most graceful is the Czech organization People in Need, which has received $ 1,443,616 of the 23 million that the NED has distributed in the Trump era; being the second largest recipient of funds in 2019 .

People in Need acts as an intermediary for US interests in some 30 countries, and has been one of the spearheads of media and human rights campaigns against Cuba. It sponsors publications destined exclusively for Cuba and transfers money from the US State Department, one of its main funders, to mercenaries hired in our archipelago.

In our region, one of the institutions financed by the US government is the Sergio Arboleda University of Colombia, whose “Cuba Program” created in 2018 organizes ideological forums under the name of “Dialogue on Cuba.” He recently joined the media spawn Diario de Cuba (also financed by Washington) for a Workshop on the “role of influencers in the Cuban public sphere”, with the participation of US government employees such as Alexander Otaola and Eliecer Avila. In just a year and a half of relationship with the NED, this Colombian university institution has already acquired $ 385,040

The putative sons of always

The heirs of the Batista people who fled in 1959, the reconverted terrorists, the historic counterrevolutionary organizations and others born in more recent decades under the protection of Washington dollars, continue to be fundamental recipients of US funds for the aggression against Cuba.

The most graceful in these times of Trump is the Cuban Democratic Directorate (DDC), led by the terrorist Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat , one of the main promoters of the aggressive policy and of punishment against the Cuban people. According to Eaton’s investigation, in 2017 alone the NED gave the DDC $ 813,298; Meanwhile, USAID was more generous in 2019, awarding him a whopping $ 3,900,000.

Not missing from the list of recipients of funds, paid by the US taxpayer, the Cuban-American National Foundation , created in the 1980s by CIA agent Jorge Mas Canosa and now directed by his son Jorge Mas Santos. Forget about the bombs they had put in Cuban hotels in the 1990s! Now the CANF has just received $ 1,385,627 to “empower Cuban civil society to build a lasting democracy in Cuba that is free from human rights violations by improving the awareness and effectiveness of civil society on the island. in non-violent activism and facilitating training materials, communication equipment and technical-thematic knowledge ”(sic).

Another that gets wet with federal funds for subversion is the Bacardi Foundation, the benefactor arm of the liquor company run by Don Facundo’s heirs, which was a decisive part in the drafting of Title III of the perverse Helms-Burton Act.

According to public reports, the Bacardi Foundation has received in these years from USAID at least $ 288,283 for projects on Cuba linked to the heading “companies”, and another $ 1,553,494 delivered in 2018 for the “promotion of democracy” , and in recent September it just received 600 thousand of the 3.8 million that USAID distributed.

What has Bacardi used that money for? According to Tracey Eaton’s research, that money has been used to finance the counterrevolutionary campaign “Cuba Decide”, dedicated to torpedoing the 2017-2018 electoral process in Cuba. It also distributes dollars of subversion sprinkled with Bacardi to the digital medium “14 y medio”, run by the mercenary Yoani Sánchez. Other projects of the Cultural Court, the artistic producer Matraka (which organized the Rotilla Beach Festivals) and actions of influence in the religious space, were also previously benefited by the Bacardi Foundation.

A fourth element, among the various beneficiaries of the anti-Cuban industry, is the Center for Free Cuba , an umbrella for the aggression against our country, which was directed for two decades by the terrorist Frank Calzón. USAID provided funds to this organization for $ 1 925 495.

Anything goes

The Trump administration, so given to sanctions and the club, has not neglected, however, the seductive power of the Carrot. Thus, it has also allocated juicy financing to organizations and entities manufactured to support campaigns against Cuba on certain and sensitive social issues.

Racism, religious freedom, animal protection, sexual rights, gender violence and other issues of interest in current Cuban society are the object of campaigns financed from Washington with the aim of discrediting the Revolution.

Facts are manipulated, stories are invented, lists and files are made, the tremendous social work of the six decades of revolutionary power is minimized.

An attempt is being made, for example, to dynamite the unity between the Cuban religions and the Revolution and it is intended to manipulate the links between religious institutions and the State.

Among the great winners of the spill of federal funds for these purposes is the Evangelical Christian Humanitarian Outreach for Cuba, led by Camaján Teofilo Babún Jr., which has received in these years from Trump $ 3,556,189 delivered by USAID.

Relatively recently, this project, founded in 1994 and using religion for subversive purposes, changed its name to Outreach Aid to the Americas. Inc, under whose name it received $ 500,000 in September 2019 from USAID funds.

Outreach is also an umbrella for other fictitious entities to raise money such as Explore International, Cuban Christian Relief Fund, Americas Relief Team, OAA, Benevolents Hands of Florida and Americas Relief and Development Team. All a Babún-style machinery, which has allowed the “chaste” leader to live the sweet life and buy a luxury condo on a Florida beach, while promoting the blockade against Cubans and subversive actions in the country.

The Babún left Cuba after the revolutionary triumph, supported the mercenary invasion of Playa Girón and provided Alpha 66 with the boat that was used for the terrorist attack, perpetrated in 1971, against the coastal town of Boca de Samá.

Another favored in this “dance of the millions” is the so-called International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights, based in Washington and directed by a certain Carlos Quesada. This institution claims to “work with Afro-descendant and LGTBI organizations in Cuba, as well as with a wide spectrum of organizations in Latin America that fight against racial discrimination or discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Have they ever done something for the discriminated African Americans who live right there in the capital of the empire?

The Mud Machinery

Between 1990 and 2018, the US administrations have allocated $ 45,030,183 for “Media and free flow of information” projects against Cuba. That does not include the hundreds of millions spent on the so-called Radio and TV Martí.

In recent times, and especially in the Trump era, these funds have focused on financing a cluster of digital publications that reproduces as spores the matrices that are taught from media such as CiberCuba and the pathetic show of Otaola with its website Cubans around the world .

Also, to support an army of haters on social networks, who earn crumbs glued to computers all day by distributing prizes, punishments and offenses, like digital mud machinery.

To show the “independence” of these media, what Tracey Eaton revealed on October 12: USAID awarded $ 410,710 to the Digital News Association (ADN Cuba) to promote human rights in Cuba. The executive board of this fake news replicator is Gelet Martínez Fragela, for a time a journalist for the infamous Channel 41 in Miami and a fervent supporter of Trump, and one of its directors is Álvaro Alba, who is executive producer of special programs for the government Office of Radiodifusión for Cuba, supervisor of Radio and TV Martí.

A good photograph of a site that describes itself as “an independent, social and participatory audiovisual magazine”. By the way, they do not accept comments on their information.

ADN Cuba appears to also act as a spokesperson for Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat. Another interesting connection to understand this propaganda machine against Cuba.

It should also be noted that in these four years other gears of the anti-Cuban media machinery have received large sums directly from federal funds. Thus, Diario de Cuba has gobbled up $ 1,320,000 and the infamous Cubanet has made $ 1,350,796 to distribute its “news” and support the troop of censors and virtual stalkers that accompany them. The Hypermedia Publishing Association was awarded $ 456,704 of NED funds.

 

Financing cultural influence

While the haters lash out at the exponents of Cuban culture who do not comply with their demands for surrender and even draw up “outlaw lists” for not abdicating, others receive hefty dividends from the federal budget.

According to the records, the US Agency for Global Media (the governing body of Radio and TV Martí) paid, between 2018 and 2020, more than 38 million dollars ($ 38,280,250) to artists, writers, interpreters and musical groups. Half of that amount was received by unidentified “diverse foreign contractors” (Who, where, why so much secrecy?).

The main beneficiaries of these funds “for culture” were scribes from Radio and TV Martí and companies such as Suntrap Media Ltd, Jamie Dettmer and LSA Communications Inc.

To these direct financing must be added others managed by Foundations such as Bacardi, destined to cultural influence in Cuba.

The “Cultural Cold War” that Frances Stonor Saunders denounced in her book is hotter than ever regarding Cuba. And they have managed to buy wills for their ranks. But there are many who do not.

Sharks keep getting wet

Little has changed the business of the anti-Cuban industry, other than the fact that now those who get the most “wet” with the money that Washington distributes are the most extremist characters and organizations and defenders of the harshest and irrational policies against the people. Cuban.

But corruption and “living the story” remain an intrinsic part of this industry of evil, whose largest financial slice remains among the crooks of Florida.

So it is understandable that Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat spends his time in luxury hotels around the world giving his “crusade against communism”; meanwhile, Teo Babún enjoys the refreshing scenery of his beachfront condo.

Babún’s salary has tripled since Trump came to power, and now he is pocketing $ 163,890, while he distributes some crumbs among his “heavenly envoys” in Cuba.

Likewise, the so-called Democracy Support Group – the same as a congressional investigation in 2011 accused of diverting funds for purchases of video games, Godiva chocolates, chainsaws and coats – continues to be one of the main recipients of state funding for programs against Cuba. In fact, it is the second largest recipient of USAID money between January 2017 and September 2020, with a total of $ 3,645,954.

New calls are being heard in the United States to audit the funds granted for anti-Cuban programs. These and other examples are mentioned. It points to the very high salaries of the “executives of these tax-exempt corporations” and the absurd expenses on travel and office supplies.

One hand washes the other

Now, when benefactor Trump is desperate for the defeat predicted by the polls in the elections of November 3, the characters and organizations that have benefited from this dance of the millions against Cuba carry out feverish campaigns in Florida so that their financier boss don’t leave the White House. One hand washes the other and both are smeared with money. How many advantages Trump has taken from his terrible presidency!

As a person comments at the bottom of one of Tracey Eaton’s investigations based on the abundant money that Teo Babún and his evangelical affiliates receive: “Is this one of the reasons why the evangelical churches in Hialeah and Miami are calling out to the Latinos to vote for Trump? Is money given to influence the elections in the United States? “

Cuba, meanwhile, is battling against so much well-funded hatred, and against the harsh economic and social consequences that the irrational US blockade imposes against its brave people. A David vs. Goliath fight in the most difficult circumstances.