Monday, December 22, 2014

Facts and Subterfuge regarding the U.S. and Cuba Proposals

By Jerry Brewer

The Castro brother’s unscrupulously chosen Communist ideology, and iron-grip hold and rule of Cuba, has forced horrific sacrifices upon generations of Cubans for 55 years.

Neither Fidel nor Raul Castro, the latter having taken over the reins of dictatorial power in 2008, ever, even remotely, disguised their venomous hatred of the United States. As well, their combined goal – that guided them from the start – was to reach the country’s top leadership position and stay there.

Fidel Castro, while he was president, promoted cooperation and a growing involvement with Iran.  Hereof he once stated, “Together we can bring America to its knees…. The US regime is very weak, and we are witnessing this weakness close up.”

Many have fallen in defense of human rights and homeland freedoms in Cuba under this rogue regime, many fled the island, many disappeared, and far too many have faced ruthless and bloody confrontations and repression.  And all of the people remaining in Cuba, as well as those expatriates now residing in other free nations, deserve respect and consideration from a watchful world of public opinion.

None of us in good conscience can ignore the atrocities of the Cuban government that continue to this day, part of a stranglehold to obstruct and silence peaceful protest and the opposition, as well as national journalists and other worldwide media reporting.

Since 1962, and up until recently, our democratic leaders have expressed the need for an embargo until such time that Cuba would “demonstrate” respect for human rights and liberty.

It is obvious that the arrogance of the Castro regime to date has not complied with essentially any aspect of that mandate.

As far back as 2003, the European Union accused the Cuban government of “continuing flagrant violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.” As early as 2008, Cuba had the second highest number of imprisoned journalists of any nation in the world, behind only the People’s Republic of China.

Gladys Bensimon is an award winning multilingual producer and director who has spent much of her career exposing dictators and associated human rights violators. This author recently spoke with her about one of her films, “Celebrating Life in Union,” a factual docudrama narrated by the famed Cuban American actor Andy Garcia.

Bensimon’s courageous spirit and Garcia’s impassioned words powerfully and factually told the story of surviving ex-Cuban political prisoners that had been subjected to physical and mental torture, disfigured, and survived firing squads that killed so many by the tyrannical and oppressive regime.   

In the sphere of espionage, it is important not to assume that the “poverty driven” Cuban government is sleeping. The Castros’ have always richly funded their spy apparatchik. Furthermore, Cuba continues to maintain large intelligence-gathering hubs in Mexico City and Venezuela, a fact that reveals continuing Cuban subversion in this hemisphere.

In 2000, it was reported that China signed an agreement with the Cuban government to share the use of a facility for its own intelligence agency.

Russia’s recent decision to reopen its electronic spying center in Cuba is, once again, obviously an act that aggressively demonstrates support for the Cuban Castro regime, and a shared dispute versus the United States.

Last week this author spoke with Pedro Riera Escalante (in Spain), who served the Castro regime in Mexico City (under the guise of diplomatic cover from 1986-1991). He was the Group Chief of Section Q-1, a part of Cuba’s intelligence service in charge of operations against the U.S. CIA.

However, he eventually denounced the Fidel Castro dictatorship and was imprisoned. He called for a shift towards respect for human rights and democracy, before, during and after his sentence to prison in Cuba. His revelations of his orders from Cuba, and his actions in the secret war that has pitted Cuba versus the U.S. for decades in intelligence and espionage tradecraft, reveal a continuing process of Cuban subversion in this hemisphere. 

Riera explained to this author that the recent agreements between the U.S. and Cuba do not appear to indicate any changes in Cuba’s repressive apparatus and Cuban intelligence. “Castro’s strategy regarding the objectives of penetration and influence in Latin America and elsewhere in the world will not change,” he stated.

Riera also said: “Since the late 1970's, the directorate of Cuban intelligence initiated and developed 'PIP' (Plan of Influence Policy). This was aimed at recruiting people into favorable positions to improve relations with Cuba – aimed at recruiting journalists and others to produce changes in U.S. government policy that were favorable for Cuba.”

Cuba’s espionage threats have been real, as documented in the Cuban Five spies (now released) and the case of Ana Belen Montes (U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency).  U.S. air and naval bases were monitored for military movements and activities.

Communist ideology by the Castro regime has graphically meant death, destruction and misery to the island. Ask the Cubans who have lived it, and those now residing in the U.S.

If this regime is sincere, the Castros and their minions would unequivocally and publicly renounce terrorism, revolutionary violence and oppression, and extend true freedom and genuine rights for their people before a world audience.

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Jerry Brewer is C.E.O. of Criminal Justice International Associates, a global threat mitigation firm headquartered in northern Virginia.  His website is located at www.cjiausa.org.