USAID Contractors Labeled Cuban ‘Twitter’ Users ‘Pro-Revolution,’ ‘Apolitical,’ or ‘Anti-Revolutionary’

Source: firedoglake.com - Wednesday, April 30, 2014

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has steadfastly maintained that a social media project it funded, which was revealed by the Associated Press as Cuban Twitter, was not intended to trigger “smart mobs,” transmit “political content” and “trigger unrest in Cuba.” However, the latest report from AP exposes more of the disingenuous nature of official comments coming from USAID on the project. Paula Cambronero worked as a contractor for USAID in Cuba and part of her work involved “profiling” Cuban cellphone users, according to documents. In fact, users were categorized as “pro-revolution,” “apolitical” or “anti-revolutionary.” She was tasked with “building out a database about Cuban mobile phone users, including gender, age, ‘receptiveness’ and ‘political tendencies’ that USAID believed could help bolster its Cuba programs. The Cubans responding to the text messages were not aware the US government was gathering data on them.” Previously, USAID put up a blog post about the project, “ Eight Facts About ZunZuneo .” (The project was officially named ZunZuneo after slang used for a Cuban hummingbird’s tweet.) USAID pointed out eight “inaccuracies” and downplayed the idea that there was anything overtly political about the project. “The specific reference to ‘Smart Mobs’ had nothing to do with Cuba nor ZunZuneo,” USAID stated. “The documents do not represent the US government’s position or reflect the spirit or

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