The U.S. State Department has released a 100-page report accusing Cuba of orchestrating a broad campaign of subversion aimed at undermining American institutions and influencing leftwing activists. The report, titled *Cuba: Capital of 21st-Century Communism*, was published on Monday and names numerous individuals and organizations allegedly sympathetic to the Cuban government, including environmental activist Isra Hirsi, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s daughter Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), leftwing commentator Hasan Piker, and labor organizer Chris Smalls. It also cites former UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for his participation in a recent aid convoy to Cuba.
According to the report, the Cuban government has conducted a “campaign of subversion” that has infiltrated U.S. government ranks, cultivated generations of American activists, and supported what it characterizes as “leftwing terrorism on American soil.” The document describes Cuba as a hub of “third worldist radicalism” and accuses the DSA, among others, of maintaining a “fierce, almost religious commitment” to the Cuban regime.
The report’s release follows new sanctions announced earlier this month by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has been a vocal critic of Cuba’s communist leadership. The sanctions target Cuba’s tourism ministry and state-owned enterprises as part of an intensified effort to pressure Havana. Rubio, a Cuban-American senator, has consistently advocated for “maximum pressure” on the Cuban government to curb its domestic repression and regional influence.
For over six decades, the United States has maintained an extensive economic embargo on Cuba, complemented by sanctions imposed by multiple administrations. While U.S. officials contend these measures aim to hold the Cuban government accountable, critics both inside Cuba and internationally argue that the sanctions have severely damaged the island’s economy and exacerbated hardships faced by its nearly 10 million residents. Recently, Cuba has endured multiple nationwide blackouts and severe shortages, which some attribute partly to a U.S.-imposed oil blockade initiated under former President Donald Trump.
The report also links Cuba to various turbulent events in the United States, including the George Floyd protests and the rise of antifa movements, framing these developments as part of Havana’s broader efforts to weaken Western institutions. It alleges that Cuban intelligence has effectively infiltrated “hundreds of front groups, activist organisations, solidarity centres, and ideological NGOs,” presenting these networks as a significant threat to U.S. security.
Cuban officials swiftly rejected the report’s claims. President Miguel Díaz-Canel described the document as an example of a “new and more dangerous version of McCarthyism,” while some Cuban scholars dismissed it as resembling propaganda produced by the island’s own state media.
The report offers a historically charged narrative, citing Cuba’s post-revolutionary conflicts with neighboring countries and its support for various leftist movements, while omitting contextual details about the regimes it opposed. It also touches on racial and ideological dimensions of Cuban espionage efforts, claiming a particular success in recruiting activists due to cultural affinity.
As tensions persist, the report reflects the Trump and Rubio-led administration’s hardline stance toward Cuba and underscores the ongoing geopolitical struggle between Havana and Washington. The document signals a continued push to isolate Cuba diplomatically and economically amidst widespread debate over the impact and morality of U.S. policy toward the island.