Note: The US Empire seeks to dominate other countries with a variety of tools. Some critical tools of destablization are the National Endowment for Democracy and the US Agency for International Development. These groups have been involved in a multiplicity of coups and destablization efforts. They have been caught in a series of covert operations in Cuba during the Obama administration. They were also central to the coup in the Ukraine and they were involved in the mass protests in Hong Kong over the last year as well as in Venezuela and other nations. This type of work used to be done by the CIA, no doubt the CIA still takes such actions, but now these “democracy” and “aid” agencies have been added to the team. Despite movement toward normalization of relations with Cuba, the US has allocated $30 million to so-called democratization of Cuba.
Despite claiming to be taking steps to normalise relations with Cuba, the U.S. has allocated funding for the National Endowment for Democracy
The US Committee on Appropriations approved on Friday US$30 million for “programmes to promote democracy and strengthen civil society in Cuba, of which not less than US$8,000,000 shall be for NED,” as quoted from the committee report.
The NED is the National Endowment for Democracy, a fund used by the U.S. to undermine left-wing and socialist governments and support opposition groups by supposedly promoting “democracy.”
“The Committee directs that funds shall only be used for programs and activities pursuant to section 109(a) of the Cuban Liberty and Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 and section 1705 of the Cuban Democracy Act (CDA) of 1992, and shall not be used for business promotion, economic reform, entrepreneurship or any other assistance that is not democracy-building,” the report states.
The committee also stipulated that any locally awarded grants of over US$1 million should be to groups in Cuba that have “experience promoting democracy” there. If the project for 2016 funding is approved by congress, it will be in addition to US$20 million already assigned for this year.
The measure comes as the U.S. said last year that it wanted to normalise relations with Cuba, and the two countries have since held a number of talks.
Last month the U.S. removed Cuba from its list of so-called terrorist countries, but it has not yet put an end to its decades-long economic blockade on the island.
Further, yesterday the Appropriations Committee also did not approve funding for opening a U.S. embassy in Cuba.