Senator: USAID's Cuba hip-hop project 'reckless'

[Judi Lynn]

Senator: USAID's Cuba hip-hop project 'reckless'
Updated December 11, 2014 11:04 PM

By The Associated Press By DESMOND BUTLER, MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN, LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ and ANDREA RODRIGUEZ (Associated Press)

HAVANA - (AP) -- A U.S. agency's secret infiltration of Cuba's underground hip-hop scene to spark a youth movement against the government was "reckless" and "stupid," Sen. Patrick Leahy said Thursday after The Associated Press revealed the operation.

On at least six occasions, Cuban authorities detained or interrogated people involved in the program; they also confiscated computer hardware that in some cases contained information that jeopardized Cubans who likely had no idea they were caught up in a clandestine U.S. operation.

"The conduct described suggests an alarming lack of concern for the safety of the Cubans involved, and anyone who knows Cuba could predict it would fail," said Leahy, a Vermont Democrat who is chairman of the State Department and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee. "USAID never informed Congress about this and should never have been associated with anything so incompetent and reckless. It's just plain stupid."

The plan called for contractors to recruit dozens of Cuban musicians for projects disguised as cultural initiatives but really aimed at stoking a movement of fans to challenge the government. They filmed TV shows and set up a social network to connect some 200 musicians and artists on the island, who would be encouraged to start a social movement. Artists were flown to Europe ostensibly for concerts and video workshops, but the real aim was to groom them as activists.

The hip-hop operation was conceived by one of USAID's largest contractors, Creative Associates International, using a team of Serbian music promoters. The Washington-based contractor also led other efforts aimed at undermining Cuba's communist government, including a secret Cuban Twitter text messaging service and an operation that sent in young inexperienced Latin American "tourists" to recruit a new generation of activists.

More:
http://www.newsday.com/news/world/senator-usaid-s-cuba-hip-hop-project-reckless-1.9705949

[Judi Lynn]

1. U.S. Covertly Infiltrated Cuba's Hip Hop Scene in Anti-Castro Operation

U.S. Covertly Infiltrated Cuba's Hip Hop Scene in Anti-Castro Operation
Today 11:25am

The United States Agency for International Development—the same government agency that funded "Cuban Twitter" and sent undercover youths to stoke civil unrest in the country—infiltrated Cuba's hip hop scene for two years with hopes of "[sparking] a youth movement against the government," according to an Associated Press investigation.

Cuba, the beautiful island nation that has somehow managed to maintain its communist revolution despite repeated attempts by the U.S. to end it, has weathered yet another brilliant plot by the American government to foment dissent – this time, a nefarious hip-hop conspiracy.

According to a sprawling investigative piece by the Associated Press, The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), ostensibly an organization meant to distribute the charity and largesse of the American people (with a large side helping of love for the capitalist system), partnered with a Serbian music producer in an attempt to have Cuban rappers promote messages critical of the Castro regime.

“USAID's secret Cuban hip-hop project sought to spread democracy,” the AP writes, “but like other U.S. operations on the island, it was executed by amateurs.”

The report then goes on to highlight the countless missteps by the U.S. government and its shell production companies, which, shockingly, failed to weaponize hip-hop. This comes months after another AP investigation that revealed U.S. operatives trying to create a Cuban version of Twitter to help chasten regime change.

More:
http://www.maxim.com/music/us-government-tried-use-hip-hop-overthrow-cuban-government

[Judi Lynn]

2. US admits financing rappers to undermine Cuba Printer friendly page Print This ShareThis

US admits financing rappers to undermine Cuba Printer friendly page Print This ShareThis
By Staff Writers, teleSUR
Friday, Dec 12, 2014

U.S. officials confirmed Thursday that the government financed a four-year effort to promote Cuba's rap music scene, as part of a program to undermine the island's government.

"It seemed like a good idea to support civil society," said Matt Herrick, spokesman for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which financed the secretive program.

"It's not something we are embarrassed about in any way," he added.

The program which ended in 2012, was revealed by the Associated Press on Thursday describing it as a largely unsuccessful, "covert" effort run by U.S. government contractors to undermine Cuba's government.

A number of documents, including contracts, emails, chats transcripts, budgets, expense reports, power point documents, photographs, and passports, revealed that USAID, through the Washington D.C.-based company Creative Associates International, financed a program to create a subversive rap and hip-hop movement against the Cuban government.

More:
http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_68531.shtml