Fact Check: Unpacking the US 'Cuban spy base' allegation

U.S. media outlets intensified their accusations against China on June 8, 2023, alleging that a Chinese spy facility, capable of monitoring communications in the southeastern U.S., was being established in collaboration with Cuba. However, these claims require close scrutiny, as they could simply be unfounded allegations designed to tarnish China's reputation. Here's an analysis of the facts by People's Daily Online.

It is important to note that both the U.S. and Cuban authorities have vehemently denied the existence of any agreement related to a spy base. Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, unambiguously labeled reports of such an agreement as "inaccurate" during a recent Pentagon press briefing. Similarly, John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, questioned the authenticity of these reports. Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio categorically dismissed the allegations as "totally untrue," characterizing them as "slanders."

In an interesting turn of events, merely two days after the U.S. government denied the allegations surrounding the Cuban spy base, the U.S. media spun a new narrative. They asserted that the Biden administration had confirmed the existence of a Chinese spy base in Cuba since at least 2019.

However, the reliability of this conflicting allegation is suspect, as the U.S. media has not provided any concrete evidence to substantiate its claim. The sole testimony comes from an anonymous official within the Biden administration, which further calls into question the credibility and veracity of the assertion.

It's become commonplace for U.S. politicians and media outlets to resort to slander and smear campaigns to vilify other countries for their own strategic gain. The U.S. has a notorious reputation for its tendency to chase shadows and interfere in the affairs of other countries. Cuba has accused the White House of using these statements to legitimize its sanctions on the island nation.

The U.S., long recognized as a global leader in hacking and surveillance, has illegally occupied Cuba's Guantánamo Bay for secretive activities and imposed a blockade on the country for over 60 years.

The experiences of other countries affirm this behavior. Danish media reported that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), while partnering with Denmark's foreign intelligence unit, spied on the leaders of Germany, Sweden, Norway and France, including former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Since the 1970s, the CIA has covertly rigged Crypto AG, a Swiss manufacturer of encryption machines, to eavesdrop on countries worldwide. The compromised encryption devices, sold to over 120 countries, were used by the CIA to intercept confidential communications. According to a report released by the Beijing-based Qi An Pangu lab, the NSA-associated hacking group, Equation, has developed a high-end backdoor and conducted a decade-long cyberattack operation named "Telescreen" against 45 countries and regions, including China, Russia, the U.K., Germany and the Netherlands. The operation targets communications, research institutions, and the economic and military sectors.

The conflicting statements from the U.S. government, coupled with its history of maligning other countries, cast doubt on the credibility and motives behind these accusations. Despite Washington's smear campaigns, it cannot conceal its ill-intent and deplorable track record of indiscriminate global spying.