A new State Department report describes Cuba as a “capital of 21st century communism” and claims the island has pursued a covert campaign of espionage and ideological influence against the United States for more than six decades.
The document outlines a sustained effort to infiltrate U.S. government agencies, recruit American activists, and support revolutionary movements worldwide as part of a long‑term strategy to undermine U.S. interests.
Secretary of State highlighted the report’s purpose to expose what he characterizes as Havana’s decades‑long campaign and to inform the American public about the extent of Cuban intelligence activities.
In response, Cuba’s foreign minister dismissed the findings as political propaganda, labeling the report a “latest fallacy” and accusing the United States of continuing a “cruel and criminal economic war” against the island.
The report alleges Cuban intelligence penetrated high levels of the State Department, the National Security Council, and the Pentagon while simultaneously cultivating ties with American activist groups and universities.
It identifies connections to groups such as the Weather Underground, the Black Panthers, the Black Liberation Army, Puerto Rican militant organizations, and later Antifa, anti‑ICE, socialist groups, and left‑wing nonprofits.
According to the analysis, Cuba’s success has stemmed more from influence than from military force, building an international network of activists, academics, and nonprofits that continued to spread its revolutionary ideology after the Soviet Union collapsed.
The report cites high‑profile espionage cases, including convicted spies Victor Manuel Rocha, Ana Belén Montes, Walter Kendall Myers, and members of the Wasp Network, as evidence of Cuban infiltration.
A former CIA counterintelligence chief is quoted as describing Cuban intelligence as “probably the most aggravating intelligence service” and warning that only a small fraction of its operations is known.
The document also claims Cuban universities have served as recruiting grounds, identifying politically sympathetic students who later occupy influential positions in government and the private sector.
It further notes Cuba’s support for revolutionary movements across Latin America, providing sanctuary to American fugitives tied to militant groups, and lists organizations such as the Venceremos Brigade, ICAP, the National Network on Cuba, the Democratic Socialists of America, Code Pink, and the National Lawyers Guild.
The report concludes that Cuba has evolved from a Soviet ally into the ideological hub of the modern radical left, relying increasingly on espionage, political organizing, and influence campaigns rather than conventional military power.
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations warned that Cuba remains a national security threat and accused China and Russia of collecting information around U.S. military bases on the island.
