The Discourse on Racism in Anti-Castro Publications, 2018-2019

For the past several years, NED, USAID and other organizations have been broadening their assault on Cuba to include groups in countries such as Mexico, Colombia, and Peru. This may in part be due to how unreliable and corrupt the Cuban American organizations are but it is also a smart play to legitimize what they do.

Here we track issues of race and identity among the anti-Castro groups based primarily out of Miami and Spain as well as dissidents in Cuba, regardlless of what country the support is funneled through. The term dissident is used to denote those who seek to overthrow the Cuban government and are generally paid from abroad, as opposed to the many critical voices in Cuba today who work within the system. Dissidents naturally tend to see only the negative in Cuba and have until recently little focus on the similarities of Cuba with countries across the continent, an essential aspect of anti-racism work. Miami, Havana and Latin America in general all participate in the republicanismo ideology, which has its own obstacles to dealing with racism.

NED Funded

NED (National Endowment for Democracy) is a controversial US program which grew out of CIA efforts to fund dissidents around the world, at least in places whose government they wanted to modify or overthrow. After many revelations concerning covert funding, Ronald Reagan and Congress implemented NED where funding is transparent and known to all, at least for the initial recipients. What happens to federal funding in Miami is well known and a source of concern to the US government which has in the past few years tried to go around the more obvious embezzlers. NED's annual funding for 2018 is publicly available at www.ned.org/region/latin-america-and-caribbean/cuba-2018/ as part of their US Gorvernment's attemtps to achieve some transparency in the wake of the covert funding scandals of the 60's. The 2019 funding is at www.ned.org/region/latin-america-and-caribbean/cuba-2019/  We note the following as being of interest, there are more in NED's own listings.

* Fundacion Cartel Urbano [Colombia]
Empowering Cuban Hip-Hop Artists as Leaders in Society, $70,000 in 2018, unfunded in 2019
To empower Cuban artists as cultural leaders to promote citizen participation and social change in society. The group will carry out workshops in Cuba and Colombia including professional trainings, cultural exchanges, and artistic events. The organization will also assist the artists in developing their own social projects which they will implement in their local communities."

* Freedom of Information
Fostering a Plural Information Space in Cuba, $60,000 in 2018 and in 2019

To promote freedom of expression and a plural and independent information space in Cuba, and to strengthen the institutional and professional capacity of the organization. The organization will expand its coverage of Cuban reality, with an emphasis on topics that the Cuban government censors. It will conduct investigative journalism, and diversify its journalistic and media products.  It will also seek several channels to make information available to a larger audience on the island and will develop alliances with its counterparts in Latin America to reach a broader audience.

* Universidad Sergio Arboleda [Colombia]
Fostering Dialogue and Exchange between Cuban Democrats and Colombian Policymakers to Promote Change in Cuba, $85,000 in 2018, $107,520 in 2019

To foster greater dialogue between Cuban democrats and Colombian political elite regarding Colombia’s experience with democracy and to raise awareness about the political situation in Cuba. The organization will carry out a series of public and private discussions between Cuban democrats and Colombian historians, economists, and business leaders. It will also regularly publish articles and bulletins based on studies it carries out about Cuban politics and society. The group will also convene Colombian policy makers and professionals to reflect on the role Cuba is playing in the region. [Truly an abomination given the ongoing genocide of Afro and Indigenous Colombians fostered by narco in chief Duque and his mentor Uribe, the former narco president.]

* Instituto Cubano por la Libertad de Expresion y Prensa
Promoting Community Reporting in Cuba, $132,730

To promote greater, uncensored access to information in communities throughout Cuba and to strengthen the capacity of independent community journalists. The organization will provide its counterparts in Cuba with equipment and technical assistance, and will support the design and publication of community-based news bulletins and their distribution to local residents.

* Cuban Soul Foundation, Inc., Democratic Ideas and Values, $75,000 in 2014 and $85,000 in 2015. Funding in 2017: $95,000, in 2018 $80,000, in 2019 $75,161. "Independent Cuban Artist's Freedom of Expression. To empower independent artists to produce and perform their work in uncensored community venues and events. CSF will also help organize a series of events to showcase the work of artists participating in this program." Dedicated to hip hop. Their web site, cubansoulfoundation.org, has intermittent access issues, They also have www.facebook.com/cubansoulfoundation/

From 2018: "To empower independent artists to produce, perform, and exhibit their work in uncensored community events. The organization will collaborate with groups of musicians to set up studio space and organize a series of events to display the work of artists participating in the program."

* Cuban Democratic Directorate, Freedom of Information, $650,000 in 2014, $650,000 in 2015. $650,000 in 2017. $650,000 in 2018. "Increasing Access to Uncensored Information. To promote greater freedom of information and civic activism in Cuba. Through its Radio Republic broadcasts, Directorio will provide programming that incorporates the views of Cuban pro-democratic activists and informs communities about local social, political, economic, and cultural developments. Directorio will also supply training and technical assistance to local grassroots activists to carry out civic and community-building initiatives throughout Cuba."  The Directorio Democrático Cubano supports the Basulto derived civil rights activists such as Jorge Luis García Pérez "Antúnez" as well as the Damas de Blanco and possibly the CIR.

from 2018: "To promote greater access to uncensored information to Cuban pro-democracy activists and facilitate greater communication among them. The organization will produce radio programs with news and analysis about events taking place in Cuba as well as other Latin American countries and elsewhere around the world, which it will broadcast using its in-house radio station. The group will also support civic activities carried out by civil society activists in Cuba."

* CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution Inc., Toronto, Canada. Promoting Independent Filmmaking in Cuba. NED funded in 2017:  $55,000,  $55,008 in 2018. No funding in 2019. "To strengthen the capacity of independent filmmakers in Cuba to develop materials that raise awareness about untold or censored issues affecting Cuban society. The organization will provide a group of Cuban independent producers with intensive training to produce films on topics of human rights, equality and social justice. The authors of the best-prepared material will receive support to develop and distribute their work."  They received $49,843 in 2016.

From 2018: "To strengthen the capacity of independent film makers in Cuba to develop materials that raise awareness about untold or censored issues affecting Cuban society. The organization will provide a group of Cuban producers with intensive training to prepare them to produce films on topics of liberty, equality and social justice. The filmmakers of the two best-prepared materials will receive support to develop and distribute their work."

Advocating for a Human Rights Framework for Cuba
International Platform for Human Rights in Cuba
$88,000 in 2018, $84,898 in 2019

To advocate for inclusion of human rights and the perspectives of Cuban civil society as part of EU engagement with the Cuban government. The implementation of the EU-Cuba bilateral treaty will be monitored and relevant actors in the EU will be engaged to present them the views and needs of Cuban civil society. The project will enhance the understanding of Cuban pro-democracy players about the opportunities to advance human rights in Cuba offered by the new framework of EU-Cuba relations.

Promoting Inclusion of Marginalized Populations in Cuban Society
Democratic Ideas and Values
$19,150 in 2018, $19410 in 2019

To promote the inclusion of marginalized populations in Cuban society and to strengthen a network of on-island partners. The program will create a space for these sectors of the population to interact, share ideas, and participate in dialogues about problems facing their communities. It will also carry out workshops for leaders on citizen participation, social dialogue, human rights and advocacy efforts. [Elsewhere "marginailzed" is said to include AfroCubans, the majority population.]

* Asociacion Diario de Cuba, Freedom of Information, $280,002 in 2014, $283,869 in 2015. $220,000 in 2017, 2018, and 2019. "Diario de Cuba. To strengthen the ability of Cuban civil society to articulate its concerns and to promote freedom of expression. Diario de Cuba will engage independent journalists, artists, intellectuals and academics in Cuba to promote greater analysis on social, political, economic and cultural developments in Cuba."  [The Diario, based in Spain, is prolific on the topic of race in Cuba. As for race in Miami, es invisible!]

* CubaNet News Inc., Miami, Freedom of Information. $208,000 in 2014, $224,562 in 2015. $225,000 in 2017, $225,127 in 2018 and $225,227 in 2019. "Supporting Independent Journalists in Cuba. To support independent Cuban journalists as they produce objective media content about the situation in Cuba. CubaNet will also provide independent Cuban journalists with training on the use of new communication technologies." [Regularly prints articles on racism in Cuba, by CIR members and others.]

* Editorial Hypermedia Inc., 2017:  $61,517,  2018: $72,324 and 2019: $94,511. To promote greater freedom of expression and independent writing among Cuban intellectuals. Censored books produced by Cuban exiled writers will be compiled and distributed among intellectuals on the island. Additional activities will include encouraging independent writing among the target audience and presenting the best works at international literary events. [This program has published notable AfroCuban authors who are not part of the dissident movement.]

Not captured in this Cuba related funding are other works such as that of Javier Collares who seeks to interject his notions of race into the San Isidro debate.

AfroCuban Dissidents in Cuba

Organizations

Citizens Committee for Racial Integration (CIR)
Havana, Cuba and Miami, US. 

Movimiento de Integración Racial Juan Gualberto Gómez (MIR)

Partido Arco Progresista (PARP)
Havana Cuba and Miami. Their website, Desde Cuba, is registered by Yoani Sanchez, a dissident manufactured via a new media paradigm.

San Isidro Movement

Dissidents

Dr. Oscar Elías Biscet

Leonardo Calvo Cárdenas, Deputy Chairperson, PARP

Dimas Castellanos: Licenciado in Biblical Studies, former professor of Marxist Philosophy, member of the editorial board of Yoani Sanchez' DesdeCuba site, member of the board of the Instituto de Estudios Cubanos in Florida

Manuel Cuesta Morúa, a descendant of Martín Morúa Delgado, an Afrocuban leader after whom was named the Ley Morúa, which outlawed the Independents of Color.  Chairman, PARP, Member, CIR

Laritza Diversent: attorney specializing in civil rights cases, profiling

Pedro Dupre

Dr. Darsi Ferrer deceased.

Iván García

Juan Antonio Madrazo Luna, National Coordinator, Citizens Committee for Racial Integration

Jorge Luis García Pérez "Antúnez", who receives support from the Directorio Democrático Cubano

José Vélez Hernández, Coordinator, Movimiento de Integración Racial Juan Gualberto Gómez (MIR)

Dissidents in Miami

* Juan Benemelis

* Enrique Patterson

* Victoria Ruiz-Labrit, a federal contractor who has worked for Congresswoman Ileana Ros Lehtinen and also has the support of the Diaz-Balarts, a former slave owning family and now leaders of the exiled Plantocracy. Ruiz-Labrit is spokeswoman for the Citizens Committee for Racial Integration (CIR)

* Racismo en Cuba, a web site
 
Dissidents in South America

* Carlos Moore, Brazil

CIR Organs

Racismo en Cuba

Revista Isla

CubaNet

Diario de Cuba

Response from Cuba and elsewhere to the US/Miami campaign on racism in Cuba

Race & Identity in Cuba

AfroCuban  organizations and researchers not controlled by the Miami Plantocracy

See AfroCuban Blogs, News Sites, and Anti-racist Organizations