Cuba and US-AID Funds for Journalism

By Circles Robinson

HAVANA TIMES — The political wing of United States foreign policy is offering up to $3 million dollars each for two projects to break the through the state-controlled media monopoly in Cuba.

The US-AID funds are the latest in 53 years of overt and covert programs trying to topple the Cuban government and install a new one friendly to US corporate and government interests.

“Consistent with overall United States policy toward Cuba, the United States Government’s foreign assistance program seeks to support the application of innovative digital technologies to facilitate access to uncensored information. Foreign assistance is also being used to increase grassroots participation; expand civil society networks; provide humanitarian assistance to political prisoners; support human rights activists; and support Cubans in their pursuit of fundamental freedoms such as freedom of expression and freedom of the press,” states the US-AID program announcement.

Cubadebate, the leading Cuban government website, noted in response that should the new “contractors” suffer the same fate as Alan Gross, the US government ­– so concerned about its citizens – makes it clear that: “Given the nature of the regime of the country of operations and the political sensitivity of the US-AID program, US-AID cannot be held responsible for any injury or inconvenience suffered by individuals traveling to or operating in the country under US-AID funding.”  

Alan Gross is serving the third of a 15-year sentence for attempting to equip dissidents with sophisticated illegal communications equipment while working for Development Alternatives Inc. under a US-AID contract.