A network of American activists, with roots stretching back to the 1960s, has consistently supported regimes hostile to the United States, including Cuba and Venezuela. This support isn’t spontaneous; it’s a decades-long effort fueled by ideological alignment and, increasingly, foreign backing.
The story begins with the Venceremos Brigade, initially conceived in 1969 by the Students for a Democratic Society – a foundational organization of the New Left. This Brigade wasn’t simply about goodwill; it was a deliberate attempt to build solidarity with Cuba, even as tensions between the two nations escalated.
Following the fragmentation of SDS, its former members went on to form more radical groups like the May 19th Communist Organization and the Weather Underground. The May 19th group, uniquely led by women, engaged in acts of domestic terrorism, including bombings and armed robberies, openly advocating for the violent overthrow of the U.S. government.
Individuals connected to the Brigade have risen to positions of influence within American society. Former Los Angeles mayors, a president of the National Lawyers Guild, and a prominent labor official all participated in these early delegations to Cuba, demonstrating the long reach of this network.
Susan Rosenberg, a Brigade veteran, exemplifies the trajectory of some involved. She later joined the May 19th Communist Organization and was arrested in 1984 with a massive cache of explosives, receiving a lengthy prison sentence. That sentence was later commuted, and she went on to hold a leadership position within an organization that managed funds for the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation.
The ideological underpinnings of this movement are explicit. Co-founders of Black Lives Matter have openly identified as “trained Marxists,” and frequently cite Assata Shakur – a convicted murderer who fled to Cuba and remains on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists List – as a key inspiration.
Cuba has long provided sanctuary to individuals fleeing prosecution in the United States for politically motivated crimes. Assata Shakur is just one example of those granted asylum, highlighting the close relationship between certain American activists and the Cuban government.
This relationship is facilitated by organizations like the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP). ICAP doesn’t merely host visiting delegations; it actively cultivates relationships for intelligence gathering, according to declassified CIA documents and former Cuban intelligence officers.
ICAP is currently led by Fernando González Llort, a former member of the “Wasp Network,” a Cuban spy ring dismantled by the FBI in 1998. This leadership underscores the organization’s dual role in fostering solidarity and conducting espionage.
Recently, a group of Americans, including former elected officials, returned from Cuba after delivering aid. Upon their return, they were questioned by Customs and Border Protection officials, sparking outrage among their supporters.
However, the outrage seems misplaced. This was a deliberate act of undermining U.S. foreign policy, funded by entities with ties to communist regimes and, increasingly, China. Such behavior would not be tolerated within those countries themselves.
The pattern is clear: a sustained effort to support anti-American regimes, fueled by ideology and bolstered by foreign support. This network, born in the 1960s, continues to operate, adapting and evolving while maintaining its core objectives.
