Leaked: 2005 State Dept. Grants to Cuba

A Freedom of Information request from researcher Anthony Fenton has yielded previously undisclosed information on 2005 NED (Nat. Endowment of Democracy) Grant monies. The NED has become a critical part of US efforts to undermine leftiist governments around the world. Cuba, particularly seems to be getting an even higher profile.

In total we have at least $7.8 million going to Cuban "dissidents" through State, USAID, and NED. Only $2.7 million is specifically accounted for in these reports but even it is very interesting It appears the US is aiming for more provocation to produce more mercenaries and more arrests. For if the US was serious about the social-cultural literary things they are funding in Cuba, they might think about it in here the US. A sample of the generous US taxpayer funded causes (which does not include hidden funding):

$663,000 for the Directorio (The Cuban Democratic Directorate) - to "establish a short-wave radio station
specializing in programming devoted to community development and community news." This may be the only use of the word community development in the Bush Admin. history.

$175,000 - for the Varela Project reps in Miami... "To support peaceful democratic change in Cuba." Change that the Cuban people (95%+ of them) have already voted to reject.

$62,000 - The non-existent 'Afro-Cuban Alliance' will create a quarterly journal about racial discrimination in Cuba and "...how to organize to bring change." What gall we have. To dress up a dispicable act of blatant political interference like Bush is really concerned about the bringing change to black (and brown) people is just disgusting. (But we will call these sell-outs "independent journalists" for now on.)

$16,00 "to conduct research and analysis on issues of political and economic transitions" with some Slovaks. The Cubans should ask the Slovaks how to avoid the mistakes their rabid right-wing leaders have made in totally sliding socially compared to their Chech brothers.

$67,000 for the fantasticly one-sided "journalists" at CubaNet.

$133,000 to support "independent" librarians and the promotion of them throughout the world, where this whole charade is really aimed. Make no mistake that these folks care about books or information access for the population.

$67,000 to a "dissident" group in Puerto Rico for Guess what, another jounral and website.

And $800,000 more for various others groups - workers, women and more "social and cultural" journals. Don't US social and cultural organizations wish they were so lucky?