United States Infiltrated Cuba's Hip Hop Scene To Hurt Government, Reports Allege

by DANIELLE HARLING

The Huffington Post reports that an operation by the United States compromised Cuba's Hip Hop culture.

According to a news report from the Huffington Post, years ago the United States took part in a failed attempt to spark anti-government sentiment towards the Cuban government by secretly infiltrating the country’s Hip Hop scene.

The Huffington Post reports that the goal of the operation was “to use Cuban musicians ‘to break the information blockade’ and build a network of young people seeking ‘social change.’” The publication also described the operation as being “amateurish and profoundly unsuccessful.”

The United States did so by hiring contractors from the Washington D.C.-based Creative Associates International to work for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

In addition to jeopardizing Cubans unknowingly involved in the operation, the operation is also said to have compromised Cuba’s Hip Hop culture.

One noted Cuban Hip Hop group, named Los Aldeanos, unaware of their involvement in the United States’ operation, was reportedly forced to move to South Florida after being unable to work in their country following Cuba's discovery of the operation.

Among the tactics used in the operation were ones involving the creation of a “Cuban Twitter” social network, the use of artists (including Los Aldeanos) to reach out to Cuban youth, and the infiltration of independent music festivals.

"Any assertions that our work is secret or covert are simply false," USAID said in a statement made on Wednesday (December 10).

The full report can be read at HuffingtonPost.com.