Cuba's Strategic Penetration and Control of Venezuela Detailed in New Book

A new book by María Werlau, the founder and executive director of the Cuba Archive project, sheds light on how the Castro regime strategically penetrated and controlled key areas of Venezuela over the years as part of Fidel Castro's continental plan. The book, titled "Cuba's Intervention in Venezuela," was published in 2019 and details how a much smaller and underdeveloped Cuba was able to occupy Venezuela strategically.

According to Werlau, Cuba employed various tactics to gain influence in Venezuela, such as embedding security personnel in medical missions, training Venezuelan youth in Cuba, and controlling the country's communications and armed forces. She argues that this Cuban intervention has broader regional implications, with the potential for the Cuban model to expand to other countries like Argentina, Ecuador, and Peru.

Why this matters: The revelations in Werlau's book highlight the far-reaching impact of Cuba's influence in the region and raise concerns about the potential spread of the Cuban model to other Latin American countries. Understanding the strategies employed by Cuba in Venezuela can provide valuable insights into the dynamics of power and control in the region.

The book also highlights the role of Cuban agents in Venezuela's crackdown on dissent, including the imprisonment, detention, and torture of opposition figures, as well as the censorship of the press and persecution of human rights activists. Werlau emphasizes that the Cuban conspiracy to control Venezuela has been in place since 1959, as part of Fidel Castro's continental plan.

Despite Venezuela being a much larger and wealthier country, Werlau explains that Cuba was able to achieve this level of control through its intelligence, propaganda, and criminal networks dating back to the 1960s. The book details how Cuba controlled various aspects of Venezuela, including the training of young Venezuelans in Cuba, the creation of militias and paramilitary groups, and the infiltration of the Venezuelan military and communications.

"The Cuban model is now spreading to other countries in the region, such as Argentina, Ecuador, and Peru," Werlau warns in her book. She also notes that while the integration of the Cuban and Venezuelan economies through the ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America) initiative has weakened, Cuba continues to maintain power through controlled insurrections in other countries.

Key Takeaways

• Book reveals how Cuba strategically penetrated and controlled Venezuela.
• Cuba used tactics like embedding security, training youth, and controlling communications.
• Cuban intervention has broader regional implications, potentially spreading to other countries.
• Book highlights Cuban agents' role in Venezuela's crackdown on dissent and human rights.
• Cuba achieved control through intelligence, propaganda, and criminal networks since the 1960s.