- Southern Command alerts Congress to threats by Russia, China, Iran, Cuba and North Korea.
- American diplomats suffered brain injuries in Havana.
Earlier this week, Admiral Kurt W. Tidd, Commander, United States Southern Command testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Admiral’s posture statement covered U.S. intelligence and security concerns for the hemisphere. In his appraisal he mentioned Russia’s increased role throughout the region, mentioning Moscow’s intelligence and cyber capabilities. The Admiral called attention to “Moscow attempts to falsely shape Latin America's information environment through its two dedicated Spanish-language news and multi-media services, and through its influence campaigns to sway public sentiment. Expanded port and logistics access in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela provide Russia with persistent, pernicious presence, including more frequent maritime intelligence collection and visible force projection in the Western Hemisphere.”
He alerted the Committee to the dangerous alliance between Caracas and Havana. “This relationship is symbiotic, as Cuba receives oil and financial support in exchange for keeping the Maduro regime afloat,” he said.
For the full report visit the following link. Complete testimony available here.
Also in this issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reports that “the symptoms [shown by American diplomats and their dependents in Cuba] were consistent with brain injury although there was no history of head trauma.” Havana insists that the illnesses are the result of slander, crickets, and science fiction. We are including here the full article from JAMA.