Cuba slams U.S. funding to 'promote democracy' as illegal

Record ID: 1687150

  • Title: Cuba slams U.S. funding to 'promote democracy' as illegal
  • Date: 2nd September 2022
  • Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (FILE - MAY 4, 2022) (REUTERS) U.S. EMBASSY BUILDING EMBASSY ENTRANCE U.S. FLAG WAVING
  • Embargoed: 16th September 2022 23:55
  • Keywords: Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel United States blockade protests
  • Location: HAVANA, CUBA
  • City: HAVANA, CUBA
  • Country: Cuba
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,South America / Central America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001247602092022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Cuba on Friday (September 2) slammed U.S. funding for "democracy promotion" programmes as an interventionist, illegal, and aimed at toppling the government just as the island nation faces its worst economic crisis in decades.
    The United States Biden Administration in July announced a call for applications to award up to $6.25 million to nongovernmental organisations and individuals as part of a decades-long programme authorised by U.S. law to "promote peaceful, nonviolent democratic change in Cuba."
    Vice Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio told Reuters in Havana that the programmes - which over several decades have spent upwards of $200 million on Cuba-related projects - in fact, leverage foreign funding to foment unrest on the island.
    De Cossio said that acting this way is illegal in any nation, noting the United States has legislation against people who act as foreign government agents.
    The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
    The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) call for applications warned of the challenges and risks of working in Cuba, and said recipients "will not serve as an agent or act under the direction of USAID."
    De Cossio's allegations come as the island nation suffers its worst economic crisis in decades, with widespread blackouts and hours-long lines for such basic supplies as food, fuel and medicine.
    Cuba has long blamed the U.S. Cold War-era embargo and financing of dissidents for its economic and social woes, but De Cossio said the most recent U.S. funding for pro-democracy groups was specifically crafted to topple the communist-run government.
    According to De Cossio, the U.S. is using six million of US taxpayer dollars to urge people to act against the Cuban government.
    The United States called for applications from groups that would provide humanitarian assistance for persecuted individuals and for those "empowering Cubans through access to information."
    The deputy foreign minister's statements on Friday follow the first high-level talks between the two countries in four years, at the time characterised as constructive by the long-time foes.
    Relations have nonetheless remained tense, with the United States and human rights groups accusing Cuba of stifling free speech and wrongly imprisoning protesters following widespread anti-government rallies on the island last July 11.
    Cuba has denied those allegations.
    (Production: Mario Fuentes, Nelson Gonzalez, Nina Lopez)
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