In Revisiting Operation Surf, investigative journalist Tracey Eaton converses with Robert Guerra, former director of Freedom House’s Internet Freedom Project, about the attempt to smuggle satellite dishes into Cuba by disguising them as boogie boards. Cuba’s government says that Guerra was the “handler” for the actual smuggler, Barry Fink, a… read more »
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Tag Archives: USAID
May 3, 2013
In Cuba: USAID Flies Into the Cuckoo’s Nest
In his aptly named Into the Cuckoo’s Nest, investigative journalist Tracey Eaton provides three great examples of how schizophrenic U.S. policy toward Cuba can be, all drawn from USAID’s program there. Typically, development programs provide access to clean water, food, shelter and medical attention—that is, they seek to alleviate poverty…. read more »
April 26, 2013
USAID may slash Cuba program, while Office of Cuba Broadcasting carries on as usual
At a time when the national news is dominated by talk of deficits, budget cuts and sequestration, at least two Senators are incensed that USAID is proposing a modest 6% cut in its 2014 fiscal year budget. Rajiv Shah, USAID’s administrator, explained to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, “We have… read more »
April 9, 2013
Rags and riches on Cuba money trail
It seems that the more we learn about USAID’s democracy promotion programs in Cuba, the less we really know about them. It’s not so easy to follow the Cuba money trail. As investigative reporter Tracey Eaton has proved, seeking to track and hold accountable U.S. government agencies that are funding… read more »
April 4, 2013
Broadcasting Board of Governors takes new strategy toward Cuba
For over fifty years now, the U.S. has tried to trigger regime change in Cuba – from invasions, to stringent trade sanctions, to democracy promotion programs, to broadcasts of Major League Baseball games. The U.S. taxpayer-funded Broadcasting Board of Governors’ Office of Cuba Broadcasting has long been a part of… read more »
March 22, 2013
CUBA CENTRAL Newsblast: Cuba and Climate Change
There is a scientific consensus that climate change is real. Not everyone agrees, but the people who don’t believe it are answering to an awfully scornful title: climate change deniers. Since assuming leadership in 2006, following the illness of his brother, President Raúl Castro initiated a gradual process to update… read more »
March 18, 2013
The US government view of the truce
The most recent monthly El Salvador Update from the Center for Democracy in the Americas has a description of where the US has stood with respect to the gang truce in El Salvador: The U.S. Embassy has remained aloof from any endorsement of the truce. But, according to one government official,… read more »
March 13, 2013
Lawyer: Gross can’t collect any money
If there were a list of the top ten reasons why someone should not sign up to be a USAID or DAI subcontractor, this would have to be one of them. Investigative journalist Tracey Eaton presents the response of Federal Insurance Co. to a lawsuit filed against it by USAID… read more »
March 4, 2013
El Salvador: Informe mensual febrero del 2013
Ya ha pasado casi un año desde que comenzó la incipiente y aún controversial tregua entre las pandillas. En la noche del 8 de marzo y la madrugada del 9 de marzo del 2012, bajo el manto de la oscuridad, se transfirió de una prisión de máxima seguridad a una de mínima seguridad a diversos dirigentes pandilleros, con lo cual dio inició un proceso de paz que continúa hasta la fecha. En pocos días, disminuyó de forma dramática el índice de homicidios. Por ello, El Salvador ya no está incluido en la lista de los países más violentos del mundo y la seguridad ya no encabeza la lista de preocupaciones del pueblo salvadoreño.
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