AP TELEVISION
Santa Lucia, Camaguey Cuba - July 11, 2014
1. Hector Baranda, who met Venezuelan activists in college, walks beach in Santa Lucia
2. Baranda talking to AP repoter near his home.
3. "SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Hector Baranda, Cuban student:
"We used to go to a this or that restaurant at night, let's go here, let's go there. Let's go sit in the park, let's go to a piano bar. That was it."
AP TELEVISION
Havana, Cuba - February 28, 2014
4. Various shots of traffic around Havana, Cuba
5. "SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Hector Baranda, Cuban student:
"How would you feel if you gave sincere friendship and get this type of news? I have never liked being manipulated."
AP TELEVISION
Washington, D.C. - July 30, 2014
6. Various of printed documents obtained in AP investigation
7. Various exterior shots of USAID headquarters in Washington, D.C.
AP PHOTOS
Village of Anin, West Bank - June 4, 2008
8. Associated Press Photo showing Palestinians unloading bags of flour donated by USAID
AP TELEVISION
Gaza City - June 6, 2010
9. A Palestinian pupil walks past sacks of flour donated by USAID.
AP TELEVISION
Washington, D.C. - July 30, 2014
10. Front door to office building that houses Creative Associates International, a subcontractor for USAID programs
AP GRAPHICS
11. Graphic Map showing Peru, Costa Rica, Venezuela in relation to Cuba and the United States.
AP TELEVISION
Havana, Cuba - February 28, 2014
12. People walking street in Havana, Cuba
AP PHOTOS
April 19, 2011
13. Photograph showing Raul Castro and Fidel, attending the 6th Communist Party Congress in Havana, Cuba
++VIDEO HAS BEEN ALTERED TO PROTECT THE IDENTITY OF MAN WITH MURILLO++
AP TELEVISION
San Jose, Costa Rica - Recent
14. Walking shot of Fernando Murillo, a contracted activist, shown in blue jeans and blue button down shirt
15. Medium shot of Murillo meeting with AP reporter in cafe
AP TELEVISION
Santa Clara, Cuba - July 11, 2014
16. Wide of entrance to Manuel Ascunce Domenech school, where Costa Rican activist Fernando Murillo held an HIV clinic
17. Close of sign of school
18. Wide of school sign
AP GRAPHICS
19. Graphic reading: "Cubans had expressed a desire for information and training about HIV prevention."
AP TELEVISION
20. Cuban student Manuel Barbosa, who met Costa Rican activist Fernando Murillo talks to AP reporter
21. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Manuel Barbosa, college student:
"When I look at the sponsors, I see one of them is USAID and I said to him my activities cannot be associated with this person, with this group of people. I do not wish to have any association with USAID because it will bring me trouble in Cuba"
AP TELEVISION
Caracas, Venezuela - Recent
22. Various wide shots of Caracus, Venezuela
AP GRAPHICS
23. Facebook screenshot of photo of Zaimar Castillo - a Venezuelan contractor
AP TELEVISION
Santa Clara, Cuba - July 11, 2014
24. Various of University "Marta Abreau" where Venezuelan activists visited and reached out fo Cuban young people
AP TELEVISION
Dublin, Ireland - July 25, 2014
25. Zaimer Castillo, a Venezuelan activist who organized other Venezuelans to target Cuban college students runs into house to avoid AP reporter
AP TELEVISION
Washington, D.C. - Recent
26. Wide of USAID flag
AP GRAPHICS
27. Graphic statement from USAID reading translations for coded language, including: "I have a headache" means "We suspect we are being monitored" and "Return home sooner, your sister is ill" means "Cut the trip short and leave."
AP TELEVISION
Washington, D.C. - July 30, 2014
28. Exterior shot of USAID office in Washington, DC
AP GRAPHICS
29. Graphic statement from USAID Reading: USAID and the Obama Administration are committed to supporting the Cuban people's desire to freely determine their own future. USAID works with independent youth groups in Cuba on community service projects, public health, the arts and other opportunities to engage publicly, consistent with democracy programs worldwide.
AP TELEVISION
Havana, Cuba - February 28, 2014
30. Various Cubans using cell phones, which was the focal point of USAID's ZunZuneo program
AP TELEVISION
Washington, D.C. - July 30, 2014
31. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Jeff Flake, (R ) Arizona: (transcription below)
32. Tight of Flake working in his office.
33. Wide of US Capitol building.
34. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Jeff Flake, (R ) Arizona: (transcription below)
35. Various of printed documents obtained in AP investigation
AP TELEVISION
Santa Lucia, Camaguey Cuba - July 11, 2014
36. "SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Hector Baranda 26 years, Cuban student: (transcription below)
37. Baranda walking away on beach
FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus014858
OLV TRACK:
AS HECTOR BARANDA WALKS THE CUBAN BEACH HE CALLS 'PARADISE', HE OFTEN THINKS WITH REGRET ABOUT SOME FOREIGN VISITORS HE MET IN COLLEGE - ONES HE THOUGHT WERE HIS FRIENDS.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Hector Baranda, Cuban Student:
"We used to go to this or that restaurant at night, let's go here, let's go there. Let's go sit in the park, let's go to a piano bar, that was it.
BUT WHAT BARANDA DIDN'T KNOW - WAS THE YOUNG VENEZUELANS WERE PART OF A SECRET U.S. GOVERNMENT PLAN TO RECRUIT POLITICAL ACTIVISTS IN THE COMMUNIST COUNTRY.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Hector Baranda, Cuban Student:
"How would you feel if you gave sincere friendship and get this type of news - I have never liked being manipulated"
DOCUMENTS OBTAINED BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REVEAL THE PLAN WAS SPEARHEADED BY THE U-S AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
USAID IS BEST KNOWN FOR OVERSEEING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF AID TO THE WORLD'S POOR AND SICK. PART OF ITS MANDATE IS TO PROMOTE DEMOCRACY.
HERE'S HOW THE PLAN WORKED:
A US-A-I-D CONTRACTOR CALLED CREATIVE ASSOCIATES RECRUITED YOUNG PEOPLE FROM 3 LATIN AMERICA COUNTRIES.
THOSE RECRUITS WERE TO HEAD TO CUBA TO FIND YOUNG PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BECOME ACTIVISTS AGAINST THE REGIME OF RAUL AND FIDEL CASTRO.
THE MAIN RECRUIT FROM COSTA RICA WAS FERNANDO MURILLO SEEN HERE ON THE LEFT - HE REFUSED TO BE INTERVIEWED ON CAMERA.
AS PART OF MURILLO'S WORK - AN HIV PREVENTION CLINIC WAS STAGED AT THIS SCHOOL. IT WAS A COVER TO REACH OUT TO STUDENTS WITHOUT DRAWING SUSPICION OF THE CUBAN AUTHORITIES. USAID SAID "CUBANS HAD EXPRESSED A DESIRE FOR INFORMATION AND TRAINING ABOUT HIV PREVENTION."
MANUEL BARBOSA INITIALLY WORKED WITH MURILLO'S GROUP - BUT LATER REALIZED WHO THEY ACTUALLY WERE.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Manuel Barbosa, Cuban student:
"When I look at the sponsors I see one of them is USAID and I said to him my activities cannot be associated with this person, with this group of people, and I do not wish to have association with USAID because it will bring me trouble in Cuba."
IN VENEZUELA - A POLITICAL ACTIVIST NAMED ZAIMAR CASTILLO - WAS HIRED TO ORGANIZE ANOTHER GROUP OF YOUNG ACTIVISTS TO GO TO CUBA
THEY STAYED AT A UNIVERSITY DORM, JUST OUTSIDE THE TOWN OF SANTA CLARA - AND TARGETED YOUNG PEOPLE AND MEMBERS OF THE GAY COMMUNITY.
WE TRACKED DOWN CASTILLO IN DUBLIN, IRELAND WHERE SHE IS NOW STUDYING � BUT SHE REFUSED TO COMMENT
{nats door slam}
AS PART OF THE US-AID PLAN, RECRUITS WERE TAUGHT A SYSTEM OF CODED LANGUAGE IN CASE THEY RAN INTO TROUBLE.
'I HAVE A HEADACHE' MEANT - 'WE SUSPECT WE ARE BEING MONITORED'
OR 'RETURN HOME SOONER - YOUR SISTER IS ILL' MEANT - CUT THE TRIP SHORT AND LEAVE
AP ASKED USAID WHAT THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAMS WITH YOUNG CUBANS WAS. IT RESPONDED:
USAID and the Obama Administration are committed to supporting the Cuban people's desire to freely determine their own future. USAID works with independent youth groups in Cuba on community service projects, public health, the arts and other opportunities to engage publicly, consistent with democracy programs worldwide.
THE DOCUMENTS REVEAL THIS PLAN WAS PART OF A BIGGER PROGRAM - WHICH INCLUDED THE CREATION OF A CUBA TWITTER LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK - CALLED ZUNZUNEO - FIRST REPORTED BY THE AP IN APRIL.
SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Jeff Flake, (R ) Arizona: "When we learn the details of some of these programs, they are not only a great waste of money, but they compromise our missions elsewhere in the world."
SENATOR JEFF FLAKE IS PART OF THE CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW OF USAID'S ZUNZUNEO PROGRAM �
SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Jeff Flake, (R ) Arizona: "We have become even more brazen, or callous frankly -in the way we have gone about trying to affect policy there."
THE LATEST PROGRAM STARTED IN 2009 AND WENT ON FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS�
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Hector Baranda, Cuban Student:
"I am very shocked by the news you are giving me - because they were our friends."
FRIENDS HECTOR BARANDA DIDN'T KNOW WERE FAKE, UNTIL INFORMED RECENTLY BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.
DAVID BRUNS, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
