China’s Spy Games in Cuba
- Rick de la Torre
- Dec 7, 2024
- 3 min read
China’s intelligence operations in Cuba represent a calculated provocation, a middle finger to U.S. sovereignty delivered from just 90 miles off the Florida coast. The recent findings by CSIS confirm that Beijing isn’t content with dominating the South China Sea or meddling in African infrastructure; it’s now setting up shop in our own backyard. Cuba’s new role as Beijing’s willing accomplice should come as no surprise. A failing regime desperate for cash and legitimacy is the perfect partner for a rising superpower eager to exploit vulnerabilities.
Cuba’s strategic location gives China front-row seats to intercept communications from key U.S. military installations, including CENTCOM, SOCOM, and SOUTHCOM. It’s a match made in geopolitical hell: a repressive dictatorship selling access to an authoritarian juggernaut. Bejucal, with its long history of signals intelligence, is now likely buzzing with Chinese operatives collecting data on everything from U.S. troop movements to economic chatter. And the cost to Beijing? Practically pocket change.
That’s the real kicker: China’s exports to Cuba in 2022 totaled just $404 million—a pittance compared to the $9 billion the U.S. has spent on security assistance in Latin America over the past decade. The Cuban regime owes Beijing about $4.6 billion in debt from failed infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative. One almost wonders: Why not cut them a check for their losses and tell them to pack up? Of course, Beijing wouldn’t bite—it’s not about the money. It’s about control, leverage, and making the U.S. look weak in its own hemisphere.
Cuba, for its part, continues to play the role of willing stooge. Under Díaz-Canel, the regime imprisons dissidents, beats political prisoners, and blames its own failures on the U.S. embargo—all while cozying up to China and Russia. This is a regime that starves its people but rolls out the red carpet for Huawei. The Cuban government recently boasted about its closer ties to Beijing as a counterbalance to U.S. pressure, a declaration that only underscores how deep the rot runs. The death of political prisoner Manuel Guillén Esplugas is just one of many grim reminders of the human toll of Havana’s authoritarian grip.
The U.S. can’t keep playing nice with Latin America while nations like Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico chase China’s promises of investment and infrastructure projects. The days of these governments pocketing U.S. aid and taxpayer-backed investments while granting Beijing carte blanche to expand its influence must end. If these leaders formalize steps to replace U.S. cooperation with China’s influence, Washington must respond decisively. Scaling back economic assistance, recalibrating security partnerships, or imposing targeted consequences should be on the table. Simultaneously, the U.S. must offer viable alternatives that appeal to shared economic interests and demonstrate that aligning with China comes at a steep price.
Let’s not mince words: This isn’t a game the U.S. can afford to lose. Beijing’s investments in Cuba may be laughably small, but their impact is anything but. For a fraction of what the U.S. spends countering Chinese influence, Beijing gets a spy base in our backyard and a narrative that paints America as weak and distracted. Meanwhile, we’re left cleaning up the mess, outspending them tenfold while they chuckle from across the Pacific.
The solution isn’t to outspend China in every corner of the globe. It’s to outmaneuver them. Strengthen counterintelligence, double down on encryption, and ensure sensitive communications are secure. But let’s also get real about Cuba. It’s a failing regime propped up by Beijing and Moscow, and the U.S. must treat it as such. Sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and targeted consequences for its complicity in undermining U.S. security should be non-negotiable.
Finally, the U.S. must take a hard look at its own approach to Latin America. Instead of spreading thin with half-hearted overtures, focus on countries willing to align with democratic values. If left-leaning leaders want to run headlong into Beijing’s embrace, let them—but make sure they understand the cost. For those still on the fence, the U.S. must provide meaningful incentives that align with their economic and security interests.
China’s intelligence operations in Cuba are a wake-up call. This isn’t just about Havana; it’s about Beijing testing our resolve. The question is whether we’ll rise to the challenge or keep playing defense while the authoritarian powers close in. One thing is certain: The stakes couldn’t be higher.
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