US Interests Section in Havana (Photo: HavanaJournal)
Cuban government authorities have detained a U.S. government contract worker who was distributing cell phones, laptops and other communications equipment in Cuba on behalf of the Obama administration.
American officials announced Friday that the contractor was detained on Dec. 5, according to Reuters reports. The unidentified contractor works for Development Alternatives Inc., a development group based in Bethesda, Maryland.
The New York Times reported that the contractor entered Cuba using a tourist visa, as opposed to a business visa. This would likely have raised red flags with Cuban immigration authorities.
The U.S. State Department’s Interests Section in Havana has requested access to the contractor. The Cuban government has yet to respond to this request.
American officials have said they are optimistic about the situation because the Cuban government has not publicized the contractor’s detention, and hope this will result in a quick release.
No details have been provided by either government regarding the circumstances under which the contractor was detained.
The historically anti-U.S. Cuban government normally relishes any opportunity to accuse the U.S. government of espionage or interference, and this situation would have provided them the perfect excuse to do so.
While some may think this incident has the potential to raise tensions between Cuba and the U.S., others believe it has the potential to demonstrate the willingness of Raúl Castro’s government to engage with the Obama Administration in a more positive way.
Yet, pessimism remains. Jose Miguel Vivanco, director of Human Rights Watch's Americas division, told the Times that the detention showed how little has changed since Raúl succeeded his older brother Fidel in 2006.
"Under Cuba's draconian laws, even the act of handing out cell phones to government critics can be considered a crime," he was quoted as saying.
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Comments
The United States government has a "regime change" strategy toward Cuba which is codified in the Helms-Burton law and other legislation. It's entirely possible that this employee was working toward "regime change" in Cuba through distributing equipment aimed for use toward that end.
It should come as no surprise, therefore, that the Cuban government took notice of the activity and decided to ask the individual who was distributing such equipment what he was doing, on behalf of whom, and toward what end.
Wouldn't we you expect the United States government to ask anyone who entered the United States as a paid contractor for the US government, who was doing something like that in the United States what he or she was up to, on behalf of whom, and toward what end?
The Cuban government responds to activities conducted by foreign agents operating in the island according to their own timetable. There's no reason to draw any conclusion from Cuba's official silence after one single DAY.
It seems highly likely that the so-called "contractor" whom Cuba has detained is a CIA agent, working as part of the US plans for regime change in Cuba.
For more background, and since it's not possible to present a link here, just Google the following phrase:
"CHAVEZ CODE:/ Golinger CIA Agent Captured in Cuba" This is brand-new information from Venezuelan-American attorney Eva Golinger.
For even more background, by a former CIA agent who knows how these oparations are carried out, Google this phrase:
"Agee+Terrorism+civil+society"
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