Cuba's Agenda in Latin America Remains Clearly Nebulous
By Jerry Brewer
As one seeks clarity on profound issues, it becomes necessary to explore
hindsight as well as accurate focus. There are a myriad of opinions
available and many seekers of fact decide on a boisterous pundit to sway
their final leaning towards acceptance of a premise.
The Cuban government comes to mind when a world audience opines on the
past decades and immediate future for the Cuban people; both those that
remain on the small island nation, and those that have fled Communist
dictatorial rule but still love their homeland.
There is little doubt that Communist rule unscrupulously forced horrific
sacrifices upon the Cuban people. As well, the Castros have been in
power for 60 years and it is believed that they are still holding
approximately 200 political prisoners.
The proclamation imposing the U.S. embargo against Cuba in 1962 was
based on the assertion that it was, in part, to "promote national and
hemispheric security by isolating the present Government of Cuba and
thereby reducing the threat posed by its alignment with other Communist
powers." Much public opinion is balanced according to the sources
reporting. Some call the embargo counterproductive and ask that
restrictions be lifted. Many have chosen to believe that the Communist
nation is no longer a threat. Many wonder if new commerce and trade are
the best choices for Cuban democracy and human rights.
Does Cuba continue to pose a threat to anyone? A 1998 report produced
by the U.S Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) stated, "Cuba no longer
poses a military threat to the United States." The curious reference to
this disclaimer just happened to be, in large part, by a DIA analyst
that was actually a Cuban intelligence agent by the name Ana Belen Montes.
Conspiracy theorists were quick to point fingers at Montes, reporting
and comparing her arrest on September 20, 2001 to the fact this occurred
just nine days after the 9/11 attacks. Her arrest was said to be no
coincidence due to the fact that she was about to be made privy to
American battle plans for Afghanistan. This important discovery and
action against Montes with American battle plans in her hands could have
resulted in additional deaths of service men and women in Afghanistan.
The history of Cuba's Castro regime shows that they have trained
thousands of communist guerrillas and terrorists, and sponsored violent
acts of aggression and subversion in most democratic nations of the
southwestern hemisphere. U.S. government studies within the intelligence
community documented a total of 3,043 international terrorist incidents
in the decade of 1968 to 1978. Within that study, "over 25 percent
occurred in Latin America."
Throughout the 1970s, in Central America, democracy held on by its
thumbs as Cubans and the Soviets spread their beliefs throughout
Nicaragua and El Salvador. Too, even Grenada was not spared from Soviet
and Cuban activity in the early 1980s.
Recent reports by the U.S. DIA show that Cuba has been expanding
intelligence operations in the Middle East and South Asia.
Perhaps Cuba is not a genuine military threat to the United States or
neighboring nations. However, in the face of dire economic times and
misery among many of the Cuban people the fact is that Cuba's current
intelligence and spy apparatus has been described and reported to be an
active "contingency of very well-trained, organized and financed
agents." Plus there is Fidel Castro's venomous hatred for the United
States that started long before he gained power.
An equally troublesome dilemma within the hemisphere is that Fidel
Castro's protégé, President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, has adopted the
previous Soviet-styled Cuban intelligence service (DGI) as his model for
Venezuela's security service, known as the DISIP, utilizing Cuban
intelligence counterparts and advisors. Chavez's history and current
actions in dictatorial rule clearly demonstrate his propensity towards
revolution. Within his support mechanism in the clandestine arena of
revolution and deceit is Cuba. Hugo Chávez has described Castro as his
mentor and has called Cuba "a revolutionary democracy."
Cuba has also maintained a well-organized and ruthless intelligence
presence within Mexico, as have the Russians. Much of their activity
involved in U.S. interests that include recruiting disloyal U.S.
military, government, and private sector specialists.
A truly graphic course of action for a Cuban government desiring to show
its sincere desire for peace and prosperity for its people and a world
audience is to renounce revolutionary violence and terror, and extend
new freedoms for its people.
——————————
Jerry Brewer is C.E.O. of Criminal Justice International Associates, a
global risk mitigation firm headquartered in Miami, Florida. His
website is located at www.cjiausa.org."
No comments:
Post a Comment