On Thursday residents in Havana and members of the Cuban community in Miami reacted to the news that the United States government was behind the once-popular social media network ZunZuneo.

An investigative report by The Associated Press found that the U.S. government was behind the creation of the "Cuban Twitter" designed to undermine the communist government in Cuba.

The social media network was built with secret shell companies and financed through foreign bank transactions.

In Cuba, local resident Claudia Garcia said she was not surprised that the U.S. was behind it.

"These are political things that I don't have any knowledge of, but for nobody in the world is it a hidden thing that they have always been trying to harm our country and government. It can't be a surprise for us anymore. Coming from them, nothing can be a surprise," she said.

The social network lasted for more than two years and drew tens of thousands of subscribers.

It gained an audience by offering users a social media platform that would first build a Cuban audience then later push them toward dissent.

On Thursday Cubavision ran a story with the findings of The Associated Press investigation.

The AP obtained more than 1,000 pages of documents from contractors about the development of ZunZuneo.

It independently verified the project's scope and details in the documents through publicly available databases, government sources and interviews with those involved in ZunZuneo.

AP's investigation showed the organisation behind this was the US Agency for International Development (USAID), a federal agency best known for overseeing billions of dollars in US humanitarian aid, which also has a mandate to spread democracy.

It is unclear whether the scheme was legal under U.S. law, which requires written authorisation of covert action by the president and congressional notification.

Officials at USAID would not say who had approved the programme or whether the White House was aware of it. The Cuban government declined a request for comment.

At minimum, details uncovered by the AP appear to muddy the U.S. Agency for International Development's longstanding claims that it does not conduct covert actions, and could undermine the agency's mission to deliver aid to the world's poor and vulnerable - an effort that requires the trust and cooperation of foreign governments.

The programme came to life after a USAID contractor obtained half-a-million cell phone numbers on the state-owned mobile network - Cubacel.

The contractor, Creative Associates International, based in Washington DC, was paid by USAID to hatch a plan to send text messages to Cuban cell phone owners.

Initially they sent messages about topics like the weather, soccer and music, to build an audience and so as not to alert the Cuban government.

Later they planned to push messages which they hoped would encourage dissent.

AP TELEVISION

Havana, Cuba

++16:9++

1. Boats in Havana Bay, Castle Morro in background

2. Various of people and traffic

3. Man talking on cell phone

4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Claudia Garcia, Cuban:

"These are political things that I don't have any knowledge of, but for nobody in the world is it a hidden thing that they have always been trying to harm our country and government. It can't be a surprise for us anymore. Coming from them, nothing can be a surprise."

5. People walking

6. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Richard Cuantro, Cuban-American:

"I don't know anything about it. I hope it was like that, but I think it's a lie. The United States isn't interested in Cuba. If it's not interested in Venezuela, which is rotting in oil, this is rotten."

7. Man talking on cell phone

8. People walking and traffic

9. Exterior of Old Capitol building and traffic

AP TELEVISION

Hialeah, Florida

++16:9++

10. Jesus Yaber, owner of Cafeteria Victoria in Hialeah, walking with pastries

11. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Jesus Yaber, owner of Cafeteria Victoria in Hialeah:

"Clearly, within the Cuban community they found out that they didn't know where it came from. In the end, we found out that it (ZunZuneo) was a communication created from here, from the US, to give Internet access to the community that didn't have it in Cuba."

12. Yaber organising Cuban pastries

13. Zoom out from pastries to Yaber walking into kitchen of caf�

14. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Belkis Hernandez, local resident:

"What do I think? I think it was a good thing. I hope that it gains momentum so that the people realise what is going on in the outside world and things change also in Cuba."

CUBAVISION

Havana, Cuba

++4:3++

15. Cubavision newscaster announcing Associated Press's story about the U.S. Government's involvement in the creation of a "Cuban Twitter"

16. Various of newscast ++ANNOUNCER VOICE THROUGHOUT++

A US official said on Friday that efforts by US government agency, USAID, to create a "twitter-like" network in Cuba was not a covert action.

Revelations of a secret US government programme to set up a cellphone-based social network in Cuba are being trumpeted in the island's official media as proof of Havana's repeated allegations that Washington is waging a "cyber-war" to try to stir up unrest.

"USAID kept the White House apprised of its efforts consistent with the way that they have other programmes of this kind elsewhere in the world," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

He also noted that the President and First Lady offered their condolences to the family of AP prize-winning photographer Anja Niedringhaus who was killed on Friday after an Afghan police commander opened fire on her and veteran correspondent Kathy Gannon, who was wounded in the attack.

At the State Department daily briefing, deputy spokesperson Marie Harf also mentioned the two AP journalists.

When asked about Russian troops in Ukraine, Harf said there had been no independent confirmation of any withdrawal of Russian forces from Crimea and the border region.

AP TELEVISION

1. White House spokesman Josh Earnest walks into briefing room

2. Mid of Earnest

3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Josh Earnest, White House spokesman:

"Jim, there's no question that the President and his administration support efforts to help Cuban citizens communicate more easily with one another and with the outside world. Our involvement would have been the same in this instance as with any other development programme of this type. USAID kept the White House apprised of its efforts consistent with the way that they have other programmes of this kind elsewhere in the world."

4. Cutaway of reporters in briefing room

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Josh Earnest, White House spokesman:

"The thoughts and prayers of the First Lady and the President go out to the family of Anja Niedringhaus who was killed in Afghanistan overnight. The President and First Lady also send their best wishes and their prayers to Kathy Gannon, who was an AP reporter who was wounded in that incident."

6. Cutaway of Earnest

7. Earnest walks out of briefing room

DOS TV

8. Wide of US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf arriving

9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Marie Harf, US State Department spokeswoman:

"Today the Associated Press lost one of its own. Anja Niedringhaus, an internationally acclaimed, Pulitzer Prize winning German photographer. She was shot in Afghanistan's Khost province. A second Canadian journalist who worked for the AP kathy Gannon was also wounded."

10. Cutaway of reporter

11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Marie Harf, US State Department spokeswoman:

"That's there's still, you know, tens of thousands on the border with Ukraine. We cannot, last I heard, last I checked with our folks, independently confirm that there had been some troops moved off of it. Obviously we hope they will. But, no update on that."

12. Wide of briefing room

13. End of briefing

Cuba said Wednesday it has launched a probe into how hundreds of thousands of customer mobile phone numbers fell into the hands of a U.S. government programme that used them to secretly set up a mobile-based, Twitter-like social network on the island.

An Associated Press investigation revealed last week that the US Agency for International Development programme (USAID) used the data to build a subscriber base for the platform, dubbed ZunZuneo, with the idea that it could be used to stir unrest.

Cuba considers such USAID programmes to be subversive attempts to topple its Communist-run government. Officials told reporters that state telecom company ETECSA had not provided the data to any international operator or entity, and the information was obtained illegally.

"ETECSA wanted to stress in the statement that its user database has not been released to any operator for privacy issues, nor to an agency or to anyone other than within the company itself," said Daniel Ramos, head of security operations for ETECSA.

He did not give details on the probe's progress or any measures that may be taken.

"We condemn the use of this database, which the company did not agree to. And of course, we do not know how this database could have fallen into the hands of the ZunZuneo platform and others already mentioned," he said.

Ramos said ETECSA detected bulk messages being sent through ZunZuneo starting in September 2009 during a mass concert by Colombian singer Juanes, and again in early 2010.

The company complained to 200 operators that had messaging agreements with ETECSA, and threatened to sever relationships if it continued.

Nonetheless ZunZuneo continued to operate until 2012 and built a base of tens of thousands of users before abruptly disappearing.

And until the recent AP investigation, ETECSA had no idea the messages were anything other than unwanted spam, ETECSA officials said.

Some lawmakers in Washington have expressed support for ZunZuneo since AP's original disclosure.

At a House Foreign Affairs hearing on Wednesday, congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican, said the network was a US-led democracy effort in Cuba which was "transparent" and "one of the most scrutinised programmes in our foreign aid portfolio."

AP TELEVISION

Havana, Cuba - Recent

1. Vehicles driving down street in Havana

2. Street scene in Havana, man looking at smart phone in the foreground

3. Various of people on their phones

AP TELEVISION

Washington, DC - Recent

4. Pan of documents relating to the ZunZuneo network, a text messaging-based social network in Cuba

POOL

Washington, DC - 9 April 2014

5. Wide shot of House Foreign Affairs Committee

6. Mid of USAID (US Agency for International Development) Administrator Rajiv Shah in front of the committee

7. Wide side shot of committee

8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Republican Congresswoman, Florida:

"Contrary to what the media have reported, democracy programmes for Cuba are transparent. They are open. The Cuba Democracy programme with its 20-million-dollar price tag, in fact is one of the most scrutinised programmes in our foreign aid portfolio. The real question here is why does the press and some in our congressional family demonise these programmes?"

AP TELEVISION

Washington, DC - March 2014

9. Exterior shots of the USAID headquarters

10. Flag outside the USAID headquarters

AP TELEVISION

Havana, Cuba - 9 April 2014

11. Wide shot of news conference with managers of Cuba Communications Company

12. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Daniel Ramos, Head of Security, Cuban State Telecom ETECSA:

"ETECSA (Cuba's state-owned telecom company) wanted to stress in the statement that its user database has not been released to any operator for privacy issues, nor to an agency or to anyone other than within the company itself. We condemn the use of this database, which the company did not agree to. And of course, we do not know how this database could have fallen into the hands of the ZunZuneo platform and others already mentioned."

13. Wide of news conference

14. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Daniel Ramos, Head of Security, Cuban State Telecom ETECSA:

"the text messaging service is very cheap, insignificant. We even have agreements with operators where the text messaging service is not charged, so I do not see how that money could have been able to reach ETECSA."

15. Cutaway of cameras

16. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Daniel Ramos, Head of Security, Cuban State Telecom ETECSA:

"ETECSA continues to develop its services, but this depends on the level of investments that we make from the economic point of view. And of course, our goal is to prevent anyone from inventing a service for our users. The idea is that the company provides all the possible services to prevent these things from happening."

17. Wide of news conference ending

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

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

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

A key US Senator criticised during a hearing on Tuesday a Twitter-like social media network secretly created by the United States in Cuba, calling it a "cockamamie idea".

Democratic senator Patrick Leahy, who is also the chairman of a Senate panel that oversees the US Agency for International Development (USAID), demanded to know who came up with the idea to launch the project.

USAID administrator Rajiv Shah said he did not specifically know whose idea it was.

A key question for the hearings is whether the program endangered its users by concealing that the US government was behind it.

The network was publicly launched shortly after the 2009 arrest in Cuba of American contractor Alan Gross.

He was imprisoned there after travelling repeatedly on a separate, clandestine USAID mission to expand Cuban Internet access using sensitive technology that only governments use.

"While we debate what USAID is doing in Cuba, US citizen Alan Gross remains in solitary confinement in his fifth year in capacity, solely because he was carrying out a USAID program which was dumb in its inception," Leahy said.

He also added that the program had "no possibility of working" from its inception.

An AP investigation last week found the program evaded Cuba's Internet restrictions by creating a text-messaging service that could be used to organise political demonstrations.

It drew tens of thousands of subscribers who were unaware it was backed by the Obama administration.

Draft messages produced by the social network, obtained by AP, were overtly political and some taunted the ruling Castro family.

The new disclosures came as the head of the USAID told Congress on Tuesday that the program was never intended to stir unrest within Cuba's government.

ABC - NO ACCESS NORTH AMERICA

1.Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) entering the chambers and shaking hands with Patrick Leahy, United States Democratic Senator for Vermont and Chairman of the Senate Appropriations State Department and Foreign Operations Subcommittee

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat, Vermont:

"While we debate what USAID is doing in Cuba, US citizen Alan Gross remains in solitary confinement in his fifth year in capacity, solely because he was carrying out a USAID program which was dumb in its inception."

3. Wide of the Senate panel at the hearing

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator:

"The program was designed in 2007 and 2008, at that time frame. That said the legislation that crafts the purpose of the program."

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat, Vermont: ++OFF CAMERA, SHAH IN VISION++

"No, whose idea was it for this specific program? I've read the legislation. The legislation doesn't say anything about setting up a cockamamie idea in Cuba with Twitter accounts and all and something that the Cubans would be so easy to discover. Whose idea was this specific program to go to Cuba? Who? It's a simple question.

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator:

"Sir, the program was in place before I arrived."

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat, Vermont: ++OFF CAMERA, SHAH IN VISION++

"But do you know whose idea it was? I know it was in place before and I said that before in my opening statement before you arrived but do you know whose idea it was?

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator:

"Well first let me say and I know this is important sir and I greatly respect your point of view but that AP (Associated Press) story had a number of critical inaccuracies.

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat, Vermont: ++OFF CAMERA, SHAH IN VISION++

"I've read USAID's statement and I'll put that in the record, I'll tell you what, I'll put it in the record, both your response to the AP story and the AP story. Having said that, do you know whose idea it was?

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator:

"I do not specifically, but I'll say this. Working on creating platforms to improve communication in Cuba and in many other parts of the world is a core part of what USAID has done for some time and continues to do. Our administration's policy is to continue to support efforts to allow for open communications. To the extent that the AP story and any other comment creates the impression that this effort or any other goes beyond that for other ulterior purposes. That is simply inaccurate."

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat, Vermont: ++OFF CAMERA, SHAH IN VISION++

"Was it a covert program?

12. UPSOUND (English) Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator:

"Absolutely not."

AP TELEVISION

Washington - 8 April 2014

13. Indiana Republican senator Dan Coats and Arkansas Republican senator John Boozman at the hearing

POOL

Washington - 8 April 2014

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator:

"They don't always work and I'll be the first to admit that, but often they do."

15. UPSOUND (English) Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat, Vermont: ++PANS FROM SHAH TO LEAHY++

"This one from the get go had no possibility of working. That's my problem."

16. Rajiv Shah getting up after the hearing

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus008162

EN LAS CALLES DE LA HABANA, LA GENTE A�N HABLA SOBRE ZUNZUNEO, UNA RED SOCIAL QUE EN ALG�N MOMENTO FUE MUY POPULAR.

LOS CUBANOS LE LLAMAN ZUNZ�N AL COLIBRi O ZUMBADOR, Y LA PALABRA ZUNZUNEO ES EL SONIDO QUE EMITE ESTA AVE Y QUE EVOCABA LA IMAGEN DE TWITTER. MILES LLEGARON A USAR ESTA RED EN SUS TELeFONOS CELULARES.

SOUNDBITE: Ernesto Guerra, Tenia una cuenta en "ZunZuneo" (Ex-ZunZuneo User)

"Era un servicio muy noble. O sea, te inscribias en la pagina, podias escribir 140 caracteres, le dabas enviar y era libre de costo".

PERO LOS USUARIOS NO SABiAN QUE ZUNZUNEO ERA PARTE DE UN PLAN DISEnADO PARA SOCAVAR AL GOBIERNO COMUNISTA DE CUBA.

UNA INVESTIGACIoN DE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DESCUBRIo QUE EL PROYECTO FUE CREADO POR LA AGENCIA DE ESTADOS UNIDOS PARA EL DESARROLLO INTERNACIONAL, CONOCIDA POR SUS SIGLAS EN INGLES COMO USAID. ESTA ENTIDAD FEDERAL GESTIONA FONDOS PARA PROGRAMAS DE ASISTENCIA HUMANITARIA; TAMBIeN SE DEDICA A PROMOVER LA DEMOCRACIA.

EL PLAN SECRETO FUE ENCABEZADO POR ESTE FUNCIONARIO DE LA AGENCIA USAID LLAMADO JOE MCSPEDON, QUIEN SE REHUSo A HABLAR CON LA AP.

NAT - Reporter: Was this a covert operation?"

[GRAFICO]

UN VOCERO DE LA AGENCIA LE DIJO A LA AP, QUE "NO HAY NADA EN LOS PROGRAMAS DE USAID EN CUBA QUE SEA SECRETO O CLASIFICADO DE MANERA ALGUNA. SIMPLEMENTE, REALIZAMOS ACTIVIDADES DE UNA MANERA DISCRETA PARA GARANTIZAR LA MAYOR SEGURIDAD POSIBLE DE TODOS LOS INVOLUCRADOS".

EL PROGRAMA DESPEGo DESPUeS DE QUE UNA EMPRESA CONTRATISTA DE LA AGENCIA USAID CONSIGUIo MEDIO MILLoN DE N�MEROS DE TELeFONOS MoVILES DE LA EMPRESA ESTATAL TELEFoNICA CUBANA.

LA EMPRESA CREATIVE SERVICES, CON SEDE EN WASHINGTON, FUE CONTRATADA POR LA AGENCIA USAID PARA DISEnAR UN PLAN QUE MANDARA MENSAJES DE TEXTO A LOS PORTADORES DE LOS N�MEROS OBTENIDOS.

AL PRINCIPIO, LOS USUARIOS RECIBIERON MENSAJES SOBRE NOTICIAS DE HURACANES, FUTBOL Y MUSICA- CONTENIDO QUE NO ALERTARA AL GOBIERNO CUBANO. EL PLAN ERA LOGRAR UNA AMPLIA AUNDIENCIA Y DESPUES ENVIAR MENSAJES DE CONTENIDO POLITICO PARA INSPIRAR A LOS DISIDENTES A PROVOCAR MANIFESTACIONES. UN DOCUMENTO DE USAID DICE QUE EL PROPOSITO ERA "RENEGOCIAR EL EQUILIBRO DE PODER ENTRE EL ESTADO Y LA SOCIEDAD".

ERA VITAL MANTENER EL PLAN EN SECRETO

[GRAFICO]

"NO HABRA ABSOLUTAMENTE NINGUNA MENCION DE LA PARTICIPACION DEL GOBIERNO DE ESTADOS UNIDOS", DICE UN DOCUMENTO OBTENIDO POR LA AP.

SOUNDBITE: Fulton Armstrong, Ex empleado de la Comision de Relaciones Exteriores del Senado

"No querian que nadie se enterara de lo que hacian".

FULTON ARMSTRONG TRABAJABA PARA LA COMISIoN DE RELACIONES EXTERIORES DEL SENADO ESTADOUNIDENSE EN ESE ENTONCES. El DIJO QUE ANTES DE QUE ZUNZUNEO FUERA LANZADO, HUBO TENSIONES ENTRE EL CONGRESO Y USAID PORQUE HABiAN ACTIVIDADES QUE PARECiAN CLANDESTINAS.

SOUNDBITE: Fulton Armstrong, Ex empleado de la Comision de Relaciones Exteriores del Senado

"Se nos dijo que no se nos podia informar ni siquiera en terminos generales sobre lo que sucedia porque, cito, 'moriria gente'".

LA AGENCIA USAID DIJO EN UN COMUNICADO QUE ESTa "ORGULLOSA DE SU LABOR EN CUBA QUE PROVEE ASISTENCIA HUMANITARIA BaSICA, PROMUEVE LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS Y LIBERTADES FUNDAMENTALES, Y AYUDA A QUE LA INFORMACIoN FLUYA MaS LIBREMENTE HACIA LA POBLACIoN CUBANA", QUE DIJO, HA VIVIDO BAJO UN "REGIMEN AUTORITARIO" DURANTE 50 AnOS. LA AGENCIA DIJO QUE SU LABOR SE HIZO EN CONCORDANCIA CON LAS LEYES ESTADOUNIDENSES.

LA PRIMERA OPORTUNIDAD PARA PROBAR EL PODER DE ZUNZUNEO SE PRESENTo EN SEPTIEMBRE DE 2009, CUANDO MILES DE JoVENES SE REUNIERON EN LA PLAZA DE LA REVOLUCIoN DE LA HABANA PARA VER EL CONCIERTO DEL CANTANTE JUANES.

SEMANAS ANTES, ZUNZUNEO ENVIo MEDIO MILLoN DE MENSAJES PARA VER CUaL SERiA LA REACCIoN DEL GOBIERNO.

EMPRESAS FACHADA, FINANCIADAS CON DINEROS DEPOSITADOS EN CUENTAS DE UN BANCO EN LAS ISLAS CAIMaN, FUERON CREADAS PARA DIFICULTAR EL RASTREO DE LOS MENSAJES.

EL PLAN NUNCA LLEGo AL PUNTO DE MANDAR MENSAJES PARA INCITAR A LOS USUARIOS A EXPRESAR DESACUERDO CON EL GOBIERNO.

EN 2012, EL SERVICIO DEJo DE FUNCIONAR CUANDO LOS FONDOS SE ACABARON, SEG�N USAID.

SOUNDBITE: Ernesto Guerra, Tenia una cuenta en "ZunZuneo" (Ex-ZunZuneo User)

"!Contra! Tanto tiempo estuve en Zunzuneo y nunca me di cuenta de lo que era realmente".

GUERRA NO FUE EL �NICO

POCOS SUPIERON CUaL ERA EL VERDADERO PROPoSITO DE ZUNZENEO. LA RED SOCIAL SE ESFUMo CON EL MISMO MISTERIO CON EL QUE HABiA APARECIDO.

APVESP

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus008191

The White House is denying that a program by USAID to set up a "twitter-like" service in Cuba is a covert program.

At the White House daily briefing, Jay Carney said the program run by USAID was a development program designed to help foster democracy in Cuba.

He indicated that the budget for the program had been examined by the General Accounting Office and found to be within guidelines for "development" projects.

Carney says the President does support efforts to expand communications in Cuba.

AP TELEVISION

Washington 3 April 3, 2014

1. SOUNDBITE: Jay Carney, White House Press Spokesman:

"We've seen the story by the AP this morning. The program referred to by the Associated Press was a development program, run by the United States Agency for International Development. And that program was completed in 2012. As you know, USAID is a development agency, not an intelligence agency. Suggestions that this was a covert program are wrong. Congress funds democracy programming for Cuba to help empower Cubans to access more information and to strengthen civil society. This appropriations are public, unlike covert action. The money invested has been debated in Congress. In addition, GAO reviewed this program in detail in 2013 and found that it was conducted in accordance with US law and under appropriate oversight controls. In implementing programs in non-permissive environments, of course the government has taken steps to be discrete. That's how you protect the practitioners and the public. This is not unique to Cuba. More details about the program are available at USAID, and I think that veterans of this briefing room know that when I say a program like this is not covert, and then I talk about it, that's how you know it's not covert."

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 938467, 938347

Habitantes en la Habana y de la comunidad cubana en Miami reaccionaron este jueves sobre la noticia de que el gobierno de Estados Unidos estaba detras de la creacion de la red social ZunZuneo.

Una investigacion de The Associated Press descubrio que Estados Unidos impulso la creacion de esta red social destinada a provocar cambio politico en la isla.

SOT: Claudia Garcia, residente en la Habana

"Para nada, para nadie en el mundo entero� es una cosa oculta de que siempre han estado intentado hacernos dano, al gobierno y esas cosas. Nada nos podria sorprender. De parte de ellos nada nos podria sorprender".

El proyecto ZunZuneo nacio y se gestiono a traves de empresas pantalla y servidores informaticos en tres paises pagados desde las Islas Caiman.

SOT: Richard Cuantro, residente en Miami

"Dentro de la poblacion cubana se dieron cuenta de que aquello no sabian de donde provenia. Al final nos dimos cuenta que eso habia sido un medio creado desde aqui, desde los Estados Unidos, para darle acceso a la comunicacion a aquellas personas que no tiene internet en Cuba".

La USAID y sus contratistas hicieron un esfuerzo significativo para ocultar los lazos que el proyecto tenia con Washington, seg�n entrevistas y mas de 1.000 paginas de documentos obtenidos por la AP sobre el desarrollo de esta iniciativa.

En su mejor momento, ZunZuneo, el llamado Twitter cubano, llego a tener 40.000 suscriptores en la isla.

La red social inicio en 2009 despues de conseguir medio millon de telefonos de la isla gracias a una fuente vinculada a la telefonica estatal Cubacel.

El proyecto recopilo informacion demografica de cubanos sin su consentimiento y los puso en riesgo potencial frente al regimen cubano y su censura de la Internet.

Este jueves, la television cubana emitio la historia con la investigacion de AP.

APVESP

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee asked the U.S. Agency for International Development on Thursday to turn over all its records about the Obama administration's Twitter-like social media program it secretly built in Cuba.

The request included all copies of any messages that the U.S. government or its contractors transmitted to subscribers in Cuba, who never were told about Washington's role in the primitive, text message-based network that was meant to undermine Cuba's communist government.

Congressional hearings this week scrutinized the Obama administration's social media program, known as ZunZuneo when it publicly launched in 2010, and whether USAID should be running such an intelligence-like operation instead of spy outfits like the CIA.

"USAID programs are as of notified designed to promote open accessed information, facilitate communication," said Rajiv Shah, USAID administrator. "Any programs that have further purposes are not implemented by USAID but rather by other parts of the state department or the national endowment for democracy."

Menendez, who made the request without a committee vote, said the review will consider whether USAID's pro-democracy programs in Cuba were consistent with those run in other foreign countries, and whether USAID should operate what it has since acknowledged was a "discreet" program.

Menendez said earlier Thursday that USAID's Cuban program was not "in any way a cockamamie idea." His comments took direct aim at Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who earlier this week criticized the USAID program in similar terms _ marking a rare departure from the Senate's staid tradition of decorum among lawmakers.

"It is dumb, dumb and even dumber to go ahead and suggest that there can be freedom, and we should seek Internet freedom globally, but somehow the people of Cuba don't deserve the same freedom," Menendez said. Leahy last week called the secret program "dumb, dumb, dumb."

AP TELEVISION

Washington - 10 April, 2014

1. Wide of hearing hall from far end

POOL

Washington - 10 April, 2014

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Chairman Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey:

"I think it is dumb, dumb, and even dumber to go ahead and suggest that there can be freedom and we should seek freedom of international access and freedom of expression globally but that somehow the people of Cuba don't deserve the same freedom."

3. Wide of people talking in the hall

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Senator Marco Rubio, R-Florida:

"The other argument I've heard is that this is a covert program but in fact this program was reviewed by the general accounting office right."

VOICE UP Rajiv Shah, USAID administrator; "Correct"

"And they made no suggestions for changes. They had no criticisms of how the money was being administered.

SOUNBITE (English) Rajiv Shah, USAID administrator:

"They actually complimented USAID on improvement management oversight of the program.

SOUNDBITE (English) Senator Marco Rubio, R-Florida:

"There was no intelligence program, there was no spying on the Cuban government used in this program"

VOICE UP Rajiv Shah, USAID administrator; "no"

AP TELEVISION

Washington - 10 April, 2014

5. Close of Shah listening

POOL

Washington - 10 April, 2014

6. SOUNBITE (English) Rajiv Shah, USAID president:

"USAID programs are as of notified designed to promote open accessed information, facilitate communication. Any programs that have further purposes are not implemented by USAID but rather by other parts of the state department or the national endowment for democracy."

AP TELEVISION

Washington - 10 April, 2014

7. Close of Senator Jeff Flake

POOL

Washington - 10 April, 2014

8. SOUNBITE (English) Senator Jeff Flake, R-Arizona:

"specifically with this one I do have issues. Not with the fact that we have programs like this going but the fact that they're conducted by USAID."

9. Wide of of people leaving hearing

ANCHOR LEAD IN

The Associated Press has learned the U.S. government masterminded the creation of a "Cuban Twitter" - a communications network designed to undermine the communist government in Cuba, built with secret shell companies and financed through foreign bank transactions,.

The project, which lasted more than two years and drew tens of thousands of subscribers, sought to evade Cuba's stranglehold on the Internet with a primitive social media platform that would first build a Cuban audience then later push them toward dissent. Yet its users were neither aware it was created by a U.S. agency with ties to the State Department, nor that American contractors were gathering personal data about them.

It is unclear whether the scheme was legal under U.S. law which requires written authorization of covert action by the president and congressional notification .Officials at USAID would not say who had approved the program or whether the White House was aware of it.

At minimum, details uncovered by the AP appear to contradict the U.S. Agency for International Development's longstanding claims that it does not conduct covert actions, and could undermine the agency's mission to deliver aid to the world's poor and vulnerable - an effort that requires the trust and cooperation of foreign governments.

VOICEOVER SCRIPT

ON THE BUSTLING STREETS OF HAVANA PEOPLE STILL TALK ABOUT ZUNZUNEO - A SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK THAT EXPLODED IN POPULARITY.

CUBAN SLANG FOR HUMMINGBIRD � IT EVOKED THE IMAGE OF TWITTER AND HAD TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CELL PHONE USERS.

ERNESTO GUERRA WAS ONE.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Ernesto Guerra, Ex-ZunZuneo User:

"You would log on and write 140 characters. It was free of charge."

BUT WHAT GUERRA DIDN'T KNOW WAS THAT ZUNZUNEO WAS PART OF A U.S. PLAN DESIGNED TO UNDERMINE THE GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT RAUL CASTRO�. AND HIS BROTHER FIDEL.

AP's INVESTIGATION SHOW THE ORGANIZATION BEHIND THIS WAS THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, A FEDERAL AGENCY BEST KNOWN FOR OVERSEEING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN U.S .HUMANITARIAN AID; WHICH ALSO HAS A MANDATE TO SPREAD DEMOCRACY.

THE SECRET PLAN WAS LED BY USAID MANAGER JOE MCSPEDON WHO REFUSED TO TALK TO AP -

SOT: Nats - Reporter: Was this a covert plan?"

LATER, A US AID SPOKESMAN TOLD AP "NOTHING ABOUT USAID'S CUBA PROGRAMS IS CLASSIFIED OR COVERT IN ANY WAY. WE CARRY OUT PROGRAMS IN A DISCREET MANNER TO HELP ENSURE THE SAFETY OF ALL THOSE INVOLVED"

THE PROGRAM CAME TO LIFE WHEN U.S.A.I.D CONTRACTOR OBTAINED HALF-A-MILLION CELL PHONE NUMBERS ON THE STATE-OWNED MOBILE NETWORK.

THE CONTRACTOR, CREATIVE ASSOCIATES, BASED IN WASHINGTON DC, WAS PAID BY USAID TO HATCH A PLAN TO SEND TEXT MESSAGES TO CUBANS' CELL PHONE OWNERS.

INITIALLY THEY SENT MESSAGES ABOUT TOPICS LIKE THE WEATHER, SOCCER AND MUSIC - TO BUILD AN AUDIENCE AND SO AS NOT TO ALERT THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT . LATER THEY PLANNED TO PUSH MESSAGES WHICH THEY HOPED WOULD ENCOURAGE DISSENT . ONE U.S.A.I.D DOCUMENT SAID THE AIM WAS TO "RENEGOTIATE THE BALANCE OF POWER BETWEEN THE STATE AND SOCIETY."

SECRECY WAS CRITICAL

'THERE WILL BE ABSOLUTELY NO MENTION OF UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT', READS ONE INTERNAL MEMO OBTAINED BY THE A-P.

SOUNDBITE: (English) Fulton Armstrong, Former Senate Foreign Relations Cmte. Analyst:

"They didn't want anyone to know what they were up to"

FORMER CIA ANALYST FULTON ARMSTRONG WAS WORKING FOR THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE AT THE TIME. HE SAID TENSIONS BETWEEN CONGRESS AND U.S.A.I.D OVER WHAT APPEARED TO BE CLANDESTINE OPERATIONS STARTED BEFORE THE ZUN-ZUNEO PROJECT WAS LAUNCHED.

SOUNDBITE: (English) Fulton Armstrong, Former Senate Foreign Relations Cmte. Analyst:

"We were told we couldn't even be told in broad terms what was happening, because quote, people will die"

U.S.A.I.D SAID IN A STATEMENT THAT IT IS "PROUD OF ITS WORK IN CUBA TO PROVIDE BASIC HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE, PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS, AND TO HELP INFORMATION FLOW MORE FREELY TO THE CUBAN PEOPLE," WHOM IT SAID HAVE LIVED UNDER AN AUTHORITARIAN REGIME" FOR FIFTY YEARS.

THE AGENCY SAID ITS WORK WAS FOUND TO BE "CONSISTENT.WITH U.S. LAW."

THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ZUN-ZUNEO TEAM TO TEST THE BLAST MESSAGES CAME IN SEPTEMBER OF 2009 - WHEN THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE GATHERED FOR A CONCERT BY LATIN STAR JUANES IN REVOLUTION PLAZA IN HAVANA.

IN THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE CONCERT - ZUN-ZUNEO SENT OUT HALF A MILLION MESSAGES TO SEE IF CUBAN OFFICIALS REACTED.

OVERSEAS FRONT COMPANIES, FINANCED FROM A BANK IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS, WERE SET UP TO PREVENT CUBAN AUTHORITIES FROM TRACING THE REAL SOURCE OF THE MESSAGES.

SOUNDBITE: (English) Fulton Armstrong, Former Senate Foreign Relations Committee Analyst: "it's a really sad story - when you have bureaucrats with some political intervention going around running operations for which there's no oversight, no transparency."

THE PLAN NEVER GOT TO THE POINT WHERE ANY MESSAGES WERE SENT TO SPARK dissent AGAINST THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT.

IN 2012 THE TEXTING SERVICE TOPPED ABRUPTLY WHEN USAID SAID THE FUNDING ENDED.

Ernesto Guerra, Ex-Zunzuneo User:

Damn! I was on the service for so long and never realized what it really was?"

GUERRA WASN'T THE ONLY ONE.

UNTIL NOW FEW KNEW ZUN-ZUNEO'S REAL PURPOSE. FOR YOUNG CUBANS ITS DISAPPEARANCE WAS AS MYSTERIOUS AS ITS ORIGINS.

DAVID BRUNS, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

AP TELEVISION

Havana - 28 February 2014

1. Wide Old Capitol building and traffic

2. Traffic on Havana street with Old Capitol building in background

3. Various shots of Cubans using cell phones

4. Split box showing Cubans using cell phones, ZunZuneo logo

5. Cutaway shot of Ernesto Guerra and Saimi Reyes who had used ZunZuneo

6. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Ernesto Guerra: Ex-ZunZuneo User (Transcribed Below)

7. Various shots of Cubans using cell phones

8. Waist shot showing Cuban woman using cell phone

9. Medium, Cubans holding cell phones

CUBAVISION

Havana, January 28, 2008

10. Raul Castro waving flag at night march

Havana, October 10, 2006

11. Fidel Castro holding phone after surgery

AP TELEVISION

Washington - March 28, 2014

12. Panning shot of documents obtained by Associated Press showing outline of ZunZuneo program

March 21, 2014

11. Various exteriors of offices for US Agency for International Development in Washington, D.C.

12. Wide USAID flag outside of USAID offices

AP TELEVISION

++4x3 FILE Tbilisi - August 27, 2008

13. Wide of building in Tbilisi, Georgia where USAID boxes are being loaded and sorted during conflict with Russia in 2008.

Washington - 31 March 2014

14. Walking shot of Joe McSpedon, a US AID manager who headed the ZunZuneo project - UPSOUND: Reporter: Was this a covert operation?'

15. Graphic showing USAID logo with statement to AP: "Nothing about USAID's Cuba programs is classified or covert in any way. We carry out programs in a discreet manner to help ensure the safety of all those involved."

16. Medium shot of USAID flag

17. Medium shot of Cubans on cellphones

Havana - 20 March 2014

18. Exterior shot of Cubacel storefront

Washington - 21 March 2014

19. Close shot of Creative Associates offices in Washington, D.C., a subcontractor for USAID awarded 99 million in government funds last year

20. Wide shot of sign for Creative Associates offices in Washington, D.C.

Havana - Recent

21. Various shots of Cubans using cell phones

September 9, 2008

22. Various of Hurricane Ike hitting Havana, waves breaking against road in El Malecon

Havana - Recent

23. More medium shots of Cubans using cell phones

24. Graphic reading: "renegotiate the balance of power between the state and society."

25. Graphic showing quote from Mobile Accord ZunZuneo document reading: "There will be no mention of United States government involvement"

San Jose, Costa Rica - Recent

26. SOUNDBITE: (English) Fulton Armstrong, Former Senate Foreign Relations Committee Analyst (Transcribed Below)

27. Cutaway shot of Armstrong at his office computer - more Cubans using cell phones

28. SOUNDBITE: (English) Fulton Armstrong, Former Senate Foreign Relations Committee Analyst (Transcribed Below)

Washington - March 21, 2014

29. Close shot of USAID log on building

30. Graphic from USAID statement reading: "Proud of its work in Cuba to provide basic humanitarian assistance, promote human rights and fundamental freedoms, and to help information flow more freely to the Cuban people"

Havana - Recent

31. Shot of people in Havana walking on street

Washington - March 21, 2014

32. Close shot of USAID log on building

POOL

Havana, September 20, 2009

33. Various of Colombian music star Juanes performing at a massive concert in Cuba's Revolution Plaza

AP TELEVISION

Washington, Recent

34. USAID flag waving, dissolves into map showing Cuba in relation to Cayman Islands

35. SOUNDBITE: (English) Fulton Armstrong, Former Senate Foreign Relations Committee Analyst (Transcribed Below)

Havana - March 28, 2014

36. Shot of family on Cuba's Malecon in Havana

37. Various of Cubans using cell phones

Havana - 28 February 2014

38. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Ernesto Guerra, Ex-ZunZuneo User (Transcribed Below)

39. Shot of Cuban using cell phone in car.

AP TELEVISION

Washington - March 28, 2014

40. Shot of documents obtained by Associated Press showing outline of ZunZuneo program

41. Closing shot of Cuban sitting on Malecon in Havana.

ANCHOR LEAD IN

The Associated Press has learned the U.S. government masterminded the creation of a "Cuban Twitter" - a communications network designed to undermine the communist government in Cuba, built with secret shell companies and financed through foreign bank transactions,.

The project, which lasted more than two years and drew tens of thousands of subscribers, sought to evade Cuba's stranglehold on the Internet with a primitive social media platform that would first build a Cuban audience then later push them toward dissent. Yet its users were neither aware it was created by a U.S. agency with ties to the State Department, nor that American contractors were gathering personal data about them.

It is unclear whether the scheme was legal under U.S. law which requires written authorization of covert action by the president and congressional notification .Officials at USAID would not say who had approved the program or whether the White House was aware of it.

At minimum, details uncovered by the AP appear to contradict the U.S. Agency for International Development's longstanding claims that it does not conduct covert actions, and could undermine the agency's mission to deliver aid to the world's poor and vulnerable - an effort that requires the trust and cooperation of foreign governments.

VOICEOVER SCRIPT

ON THE BUSTLING STREETS OF HAVANA PEOPLE STILL TALK ABOUT ZUNZUNEO - A SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK THAT EXPLODED IN POPULARITY.

CUBAN SLANG FOR HUMMINGBIRD � IT EVOKED THE IMAGE OF TWITTER AND HAD TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CELL PHONE USERS.

ERNESTO GUERRA WAS ONE.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Ernesto Guerra, Ex-ZunZuneo User:

"You would log on and write 140 characters. It was free of charge."

BUT WHAT GUERRA DIDN'T KNOW WAS THAT ZUNZUNEO WAS PART OF A U.S. PLAN DESIGNED TO UNDERMINE THE GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT RAUL CASTRO�. AND HIS BROTHER FIDEL.

AP's INVESTIGATION SHOW THE ORGANIZATION BEHIND THIS WAS THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, A FEDERAL AGENCY BEST KNOWN FOR OVERSEEING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN U.S .HUMANITARIAN AID; WHICH ALSO HAS A MANDATE TO SPREAD DEMOCRACY.

THE SECRET PLAN WAS LED BY USAID MANAGER JOE MCSPEDON WHO REFUSED TO TALK TO AP -

SOT: Nats - Reporter: Was this a covert plan?"

LATER, A US AID SPOKESMAN TOLD AP "NOTHING ABOUT USAID'S CUBA PROGRAMS IS CLASSIFIED OR COVERT IN ANY WAY. WE CARRY OUT PROGRAMS IN A DISCREET MANNER TO HELP ENSURE THE SAFETY OF ALL THOSE INVOLVED"

THE PROGRAM CAME TO LIFE WHEN U.S.A.I.D CONTRACTOR OBTAINED HALF-A-MILLION CELL PHONE NUMBERS ON THE STATE-OWNED MOBILE NETWORK.

THE CONTRACTOR, CREATIVE ASSOCIATES, BASED IN WASHINGTON DC, WAS PAID BY USAID TO HATCH A PLAN TO SEND TEXT MESSAGES TO CUBANS' CELL PHONE OWNERS.

INITIALLY THEY SENT MESSAGES ABOUT TOPICS LIKE THE WEATHER, SOCCER AND MUSIC - TO BUILD AN AUDIENCE AND SO AS NOT TO ALERT THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT . LATER THEY PLANNED TO PUSH MESSAGES WHICH THEY HOPED WOULD ENCOURAGE DISSENT . ONE U.S.A.I.D DOCUMENT SAID THE AIM WAS TO "RENEGOTIATE THE BALANCE OF POWER BETWEEN THE STATE AND SOCIETY."

SECRECY WAS CRITICAL

'THERE WILL BE ABSOLUTELY NO MENTION OF UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT', READS ONE INTERNAL MEMO OBTAINED BY THE A-P.

SOUNDBITE: (English) Fulton Armstrong, Former Senate Foreign Relations Cmte. Analyst:

"They didn't want anyone to know what they were up to"

FORMER CIA ANALYST FULTON ARMSTRONG WAS WORKING FOR THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE AT THE TIME. HE SAID TENSIONS BETWEEN CONGRESS AND U.S.A.I.D OVER WHAT APPEARED TO BE CLANDESTINE OPERATIONS STARTED BEFORE THE ZUN-ZUNEO PROJECT WAS LAUNCHED.

SOUNDBITE: (English) Fulton Armstrong, Former Senate Foreign Relations Cmte. Analyst:

"We were told we couldn't even be told in broad terms what was happening, because quote, people will die"

U.S.A.I.D SAID IN A STATEMENT THAT IT IS "PROUD OF ITS WORK IN CUBA TO PROVIDE BASIC HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE, PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS, AND TO HELP INFORMATION FLOW MORE FREELY TO THE CUBAN PEOPLE," WHOM IT SAID HAVE LIVED UNDER AN AUTHORITARIAN REGIME" FOR FIFTY YEARS.

THE AGENCY SAID ITS WORK WAS FOUND TO BE "CONSISTENT.WITH U.S. LAW."

THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ZUN-ZUNEO TEAM TO TEST THE BLAST MESSAGES CAME IN SEPTEMBER OF 2009 - WHEN THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE GATHERED FOR A CONCERT BY LATIN STAR JUANES IN REVOLUTION PLAZA IN HAVANA.

IN THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE CONCERT - ZUN-ZUNEO SENT OUT HALF A MILLION MESSAGES TO SEE IF CUBAN OFFICIALS REACTED.

OVERSEAS FRONT COMPANIES, FINANCED FROM A BANK IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS, WERE SET UP TO PREVENT CUBAN AUTHORITIES FROM TRACING THE REAL SOURCE OF THE MESSAGES.

SOUNDBITE: (English) Fulton Armstrong, Former Senate Foreign Relations Committee Analyst: "it's a really sad story - when you have bureaucrats with some political intervention going around running operations for which there's no oversight, no transparency."

THE PLAN NEVER GOT TO THE POINT WHERE ANY MESSAGES WERE SENT TO SPARK dissent AGAINST THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT.

IN 2012 THE TEXTING SERVICE TOPPED ABRUPTLY WHEN USAID SAID THE FUNDING ENDED.

Ernesto Guerra, Ex-Zunzuneo User:

Damn! I was on the service for so long and never realized what it really was?"

GUERRA WASN'T THE ONLY ONE.

UNTIL NOW FEW KNEW ZUN-ZUNEO'S REAL PURPOSE. FOR YOUNG CUBANS ITS DISAPPEARANCE WAS AS MYSTERIOUS AS ITS ORIGINS.

DAVID BRUNS, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

AP TELEVISION

Havana - 28 February 2014

1. Wide Old Capitol building and traffic

2. Traffic on Havana street with Old Capitol building in background

3. Various shots of Cubans using cell phones

4. Split box showing Cubans using cell phones, ZunZuneo logo

5. Cutaway shot of Ernesto Guerra and Saimi Reyes who had used ZunZuneo

6. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Ernesto Guerra: Ex-ZunZuneo User (Transcribed Below)

7. Various shots of Cubans using cell phones

8. Waist shot showing Cuban woman using cell phone

9. Medium, Cubans holding cell phones

CUBAVISION

Havana, January 28, 2008

10. Raul Castro waving flag at night march

Havana, October 10, 2006

11. Fidel Castro holding phone after surgery

AP TELEVISION

Washington - March 28, 2014

12. Panning shot of documents obtained by Associated Press showing outline of ZunZuneo program

March 21, 2014

11. Various exteriors of offices for US Agency for International Development in Washington, D.C.

12. Wide USAID flag outside of USAID offices

AP TELEVISION

++4x3 FILE Tbilisi - August 27, 2008

13. Wide of building in Tbilisi, Georgia where USAID boxes are being loaded and sorted during conflict with Russia in 2008.

Washington - 31 March 2014

14. Walking shot of Joe McSpedon, a US AID manager who headed the ZunZuneo project - UPSOUND: Reporter: Was this a covert operation?'

15. Graphic showing USAID logo with statement to AP: "Nothing about USAID's Cuba programs is classified or covert in any way. We carry out programs in a discreet manner to help ensure the safety of all those involved."

16. Medium shot of USAID flag

17. Medium shot of Cubans on cellphones

Havana - 20 March 2014

18. Exterior shot of Cubacel storefront

Washington - 21 March 2014

19. Close shot of Creative Associates offices in Washington, D.C., a subcontractor for USAID awarded 99 million in government funds last year

20. Wide shot of sign for Creative Associates offices in Washington, D.C.

Havana - Recent

21. Various shots of Cubans using cell phones

September 9, 2008

22. Various of Hurricane Ike hitting Havana, waves breaking against road in El Malecon

Havana - Recent

23. More medium shots of Cubans using cell phones

24. Graphic reading: "renegotiate the balance of power between the state and society."

25. Graphic showing quote from Mobile Accord ZunZuneo document reading: "There will be no mention of United States government involvement"

San Jose, Costa Rica - Recent

26. SOUNDBITE: (English) Fulton Armstrong, Former Senate Foreign Relations Committee Analyst (Transcribed Below)

27. Cutaway shot of Armstrong at his office computer - more Cubans using cell phones

28. SOUNDBITE: (English) Fulton Armstrong, Former Senate Foreign Relations Committee Analyst (Transcribed Below)

Washington - March 21, 2014

29. Close shot of USAID log on building

30. Graphic from USAID statement reading: "Proud of its work in Cuba to provide basic humanitarian assistance, promote human rights and fundamental freedoms, and to help information flow more freely to the Cuban people"

Havana - Recent

31. Shot of people in Havana walking on street

Washington - March 21, 2014

32. Close shot of USAID log on building

POOL

Havana, September 20, 2009

33. Various of Colombian music star Juanes performing at a massive concert in Cuba's Revolution Plaza

AP TELEVISION

Washington, Recent

34. USAID flag waving, dissolves into map showing Cuba in relation to Cayman Islands

35. SOUNDBITE: (English) Fulton Armstrong, Former Senate Foreign Relations Committee Analyst (Transcribed Below)

Havana - March 28, 2014

36. Shot of family on Cuba's Malecon in Havana

37. Various of Cubans using cell phones

Havana - 28 February 2014

38. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Ernesto Guerra, Ex-ZunZuneo User (Transcribed Below)

39. Shot of Cuban using cell phone in car.

AP TELEVISION

Washington - March 28, 2014

40. Shot of documents obtained by Associated Press showing outline of ZunZuneo program

41. Closing shot of Cuban sitting on Malecon in Havana.

HEADLINE: Death threats for latin singing star

CAPTION: The business manager of Latin pop singer Juanes said the "Peace Without Borders" concert will go on as planned in Havana despite threatening messages the singer received recently on his Twitter account. (Aug. 21)

[Notes:ANCHOR VOICE]

Latin singing star Juanes (Wahn-Ess) says he fears for his safety as well as his family. [Notes:broll og jauness]

That's according to a police report he filed in Key Biscayne, Florida, where he lives. [Notes:video of police report from winton]

And it's all over a concert he has planned for next month.

It's in Cuba -- and that has led to threatening messages on Juanes' Twitter account.

He says one message read "I hate what you are saying but you will die for defending your right to say it."

Some Cuban-Americans in Miami have criticized the event, saying that it endorses the Communist-led government of Fidel and Raul Castro.

[Notes:SOT Manny Diaz - in spanish - nat pop up in spanish]

This record shop manager says he's opposed to the Havana concert but thinks some Cuban extremists are overreacting.

Police in Key Biscayne, Florida are providing the pop-star with extra security here at the singer's home....

[Notes:Charles Press, chief, Key Biscayne Police Dept]

[Notes:"I reached out to Juanes' manager. Spoke with him briefly about the situation, and from that moment on realized we had something going on here.]

Juanes -- a 17-time Latin Grammy winner, who is from Colombia, is known for his social activism.

Event promoters insist the Havana concert will have no ideological overtones.

Juanes admits he considered canceling the show -- but his spokesman says the show will go on.

The U.S. government masterminded the creation of a "Cuban Twitter" - a communications network designed to undermine the communist government in Cuba, built with secret shell companies and financed through foreign banks, The Associated Press has learned.

The project, which lasted more than two years and drew tens of thousands of subscribers, sought to evade Cuba's stranglehold on the Internet with a primitive social media platform.

First, the network would build a Cuban audience, mostly young people; then, the plan was to push them toward dissent.

Yet its users were neither aware it was created by a U.S. agency with ties to the State Department, nor that American contractors were gathering personal data about them, in the hope that the information might be used someday for political purposes.

It is unclear whether the scheme was legal under U.S. law, which requires written authorization of covert action by the president and congressional notification.

Officials at USAID would not say who had approved the program or whether the White House was aware of it. The Cuban government declined a request for comment.

At minimum, details uncovered by the AP appear to muddy the U.S. Agency for International Development's longstanding claims that it does not conduct covert actions, and could undermine the agency's mission to deliver aid to the world's poor and vulnerable - an effort that requires the trust and cooperation of foreign governments.

On the bustling streets of Havana people still talk about ZunZuneo, a social media network that exploded in popularity.

Cuban slang for hummingbird, it evoked the image of Twitter and had tens of thousands of cell phone users.

Ernesto Guerra, a former ZunZuneo was one.

"It was a very noble service," Guerra said.

"You would log on and you could write 140 characters and hit send. It was free of charge."

His friend, Saimi Reyes, another user, said, "sometimes I would wonder where this is from, where does the money come from because all this for nothing wasn't possible."

But what they didn't know was that ZunZuneo was part of a US plan designed to undermine the regime of President Raul Castro and his brother Fidel.

The AP obtained more than 1,000 pages of documents from contractors about the development of ZunZuneo.

It independently verified the project's scope and details in the documents through publicly available databases, government sources and interviews with those involved in ZunZuneo.

AP's investigation showed the organisation behind this was the US Agency for International Development (USAID), a federal agency best known for overseeing billions of dollars in US humanitarian aid, which also has a mandate to spread democracy.

The project was led by USAID manager Joe McSpedon.

He refused to talk to AP when asked about the secret plan.

A USAID spokesman told AP "nothing about USAID's Cuba programmes is classified or covert in any way. We carry out programmes in a discreet manner to help ensure the safety of all those involved."

The programme came to life after a USAID contractor obtained half-a-million cell phone numbers on the state-owned mobile network - Cubacel.

The contractor, Creative Associates International, based in Washington DC, was paid by USAID to hatch a plan to send text messages to Cuban cell phone owners.

Initially they sent messages about topics like the weather, soccer and music, to build an audience and so as not to alert the Cuban government.

Later they planned to push messages which they hoped would encourage dissent.

One USAID document said the aim was to "renegotiate the balance of power between the state and society."

Secrecy was critical.

'There will be absolutely no mention of United States government involvement' reads one, according to a 2010 memo from Mobile Accord Incorporated, one of the project's creators.

"They were protecting not just the legitimate things, the identities of people and all that, they didn't want anyone to know what they were up to," said former CIA analyst Fulton Armstrong, who was working for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the time.

He said tensions between Congress and USAID over what appeared to be clandestine operations began after the 2009 arrest in Cuba of American contractor Alan Gross.

Gross was convicted for his activities of travelling repeatedly to the country on a separate, clandestine USAID mission to expand internet access using sensitive technology only governments use.

Armstrong said "it's true that every agency of the US government, including unclassified programmes, want to protect certain details of who they're working with and all of that.

But this was far beyond.

We were told we couldn't even be told in broad terms what was going on because, quote, "people will die.''

USAID said in a statement that it is "proud of its work in Cuba to provide basic humanitarian assistance, promote human rights and fundamental freedoms, and to help information flow more freely to the Cuban people" whom it said have lived under an authoritarian regime for fifty years.

The agency said its work was found to be "consistent with US law."

The first opportunity for the ZunZuneo team to test what they called "blast messages" came in September of 2009 when thousands of young people gathered in central Havana for a concert by the Latin singing star Juanes.

In the weeks leading up to the show, ZunZuneo sent out half a million messages to see how Cuban officials reacted.

Overseas front companies, financed from a bank in the Cayman Islands, were set up to prevent Cuban authorities from tracing the real source of the messages.

The plan never got to the point where any messages were sent to spark dissent.

In 2012 the texting service stopped abruptly.

USAID said the funding ended.

Ernesto Guerra said: "If tomorrow we discover that ZunZuneo was part of USAID or some other similar project, my first reaction would be, damn! I was on the service for so long and never realised what it really was"

Guerra wasn't the only one.

Until now few knew ZunZuneo's real purpose.

For young Cubans its disappearance was as mysterious as its origins.

AP TELEVISION

Havana - 28 February 2014

++16:9++

1. Old Capitol building and traffic in Havana

2. Traffic on Havana street with Old Capitol building in background

3. Various shots of Cubans using cell phones

4. Cutaway shot of Enresto Guerra and Saimi Reyes who had used ZunZuneo

5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Ernesto Guerra, ex-ZunZuneo user:

"It was a very noble service. You would log on and you could write 140 characters and hit send. It was free of charge."

6. Cutaway shot of Enresto Guerra and Saimi Reyes who had used ZunZuneo

7. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Saimi Reyes, ex-Zunzuneo user:

"Sometimes I would wonder where this is from, where does the money come from? Because all this for nothing wasn't possible."

8. Various shots of Cubans using cell phones

CUBAVISION

Havana - January 28 2008

++4:3++

9. Raul Castro waving flag at night march

CUBAVISION

Havana - October 10 2006

++4:3++

10. Fidel Castro walks out of lift toward camera after surgery

AP TELEVISION

Washington - 28 March 2014

++16:9++

11. Documents obtained by Associated Press showing outline of ZunZuneo program

AP TELEVISION

Washington DC - 21 March 2014

++16:9++

12. Various exteriors of offices for US Agency for International Development in Washington DC (USAID)

13. USAID flag outside USAID offices

AP TELEVISION

Washington DC - 31 March 2014

++16:9++

14. Joe McSpedon, a USAID manager who headed the ZunZuneo project

UPSOUND Reporter: "Was this a covert operation?"

FILE Tbilisi - August 27 2008

++4:3++

15. Building in Tbilisi, Georgia where USAID boxes are being loaded and sorted during conflict with Russia in 2008

16. Men loading USAID boxes

AP TELEVISION

Havana - 20 March 2014

++16:9++

17. Various shots of Cubacel storefront and customers

AP TELEVISION

Washington - 21 March 2014

++16:9++

18. Creative Associates offices in Washington DC, a subcontractor for USAID awarded 99 million US dollars in government funds last year

19. Close shot of sign for Creative Associates offices in Washington DC

AP TELEVISION

Havana - 9 September 2008

++4:3++

20. Various of Hurricane Ike hitting Havana, waves breaking against road in El Malecon

AP TELEVISION

Havana - 28 March 2014

++16:9++

21. Various Cubans using cell phones

AP TELEVISION

Washington - 21 March 2014

++16:9++

22. Various of Mobile Accord offices in Washington DC

AP TELEVISION

San Jose, Costa Rica - Recent

++16:9++

23. Fulton Armstrong, ex-CIA analyst who worked on Senate Foreign Relations committee

24. SOUNDBITE (English) Fulton Armstrong, Former Senate Foreign Relations Committee Analyst:

"They were protecting not just the legitimate things, identity of people involved and all of that. They didn't want anybody to know what they were up to."

AP PHOTOS - NO ACCESS CANADA/ FOR BROADCAST USE ONLY - STRICTLY NO ACCESS ONLINE OR MOBILE

25. STILL provided by the Gross family shows Alan and Judy Gross.

26. November 27 2012 STILL provided by US lawyer James L. Berenthal showing jailed American Alan Gross poses for a photo during a visit by Rabbi Elie Abadie and Berenthal at Finlay military hospital in Havana, Cuba.

AP TELEVISION

San Jose, Costa Rica - Recent

++16:9++

27. Cutaway shot of Armstrong talking to reporter

28. SOUNDBITE (English) Fulton Armstrong, Former Senate Foreign Relations Committee Analyst:

"It's true that every agency of the US government, including unclassified programs want to protect certain details on who they're working with and all of that. But this was far beyond. We were told we couldn't even be told in broad terms what was happening because, quote, 'people will die.''

POOL

Havana - September 20 2009

++4:3++

29. Various of Colombian music star Juanes performing at a massive concert in Cuba's Revolution Plaza

AP TELEVISION

Havana - 28 March 2014

++16:9++

30. Various Cubans using cell phones

31. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Ernesto Guerra, ex-Zunzuneo user:

"If tomorrow we discover that ZunZuneo was part of USAID or some other similar project, my first reaction would be, damn! I was on the service for so long and never realised what it really was?"

32. Cuban man walking with cell phone

33. Family with bike on the Malecon ++MUTE++

34. Man sitting with cell phone on Malecon

Costa Rica's government has asked Washington to explain why it devised a secret 'Cuban Twitter' social media network from inside the Central American nation's borders.

Costa Rica President Laura Chinchilla confirmed on Thursday that she approved a diplomatic note her government sent to the US Embassy in San Jose asking about the social media network.

"The appropriate (diplomatic) note was sent to make our position known and from our point of view there is nothing more to add," Chinchilla told reporters at a government event in San Jose.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) created ZunZuneo to stir political unrest in Cuba, but its users were unaware it was backed by the US government.

In early April, the Associated Press reported that ZunZuneo's development team initially operated out of Central America.

A USAID manager supervised the work of US contractor Creative Associates International from an office in the capital San Jose.

The US government has denied that the program was secret or that it had a political agenda.

Documents obtained by the AP show that contractors working on ZunZuneo went to extensive lengths to hide its ties to the US, using foreign companies and computer servers paid for via a bank account in the Cayman Islands.

They did so after acquiring more than 400,000 mobile phone numbers from Cuba's state-run telecommunications provider.

AP TELEVISION

1. Wide of Laura Chinchilla, Costa Rica President speaking at an event of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration

2. Mid of Chinchilla speaking

3. Wide of event

4. Chinchilla speaking

5. Chinchilla leaving event and stopping to greet someone

6. Chinchilla talking to media, with Costa Rica Communications Minister Carlos Roverssi to her right (with yellow tie)

7. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Laura Chinchilla, Costa Rica President:

"The appropriate (diplomatic) note was sent (to the US Embassy in Costa Rica) to make our position known and from our point of view there is nothing more to add."

8. Roverssi listening to Chinchilla as she talks to media

9. Close of Roverssi

10. Roverssi listening to Chinchilla as she talks to media

11. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Carlos Roverssi, Costa Rica Minister of Communication:

"Look, when we learned through the AP (about social media network ZunZuneo), which was the (news agency) that brought this information to light, we officially requested that the government of the United States clarify the facts, as they have been reported. The government of the republic (Costa Rica) was unaware of the issue (meaning ZunZuneo's existence), the issue came about in 2008 and we are waiting for the response from the government of the United States."

12. Roverssi leaving event

The Obama administration sought to defend its creation of a 'Twitter-like' Cuban communications network on Thursday, as senior Democrats on congressional intelligence and judiciary committees say they knew nothing about the project.

The US government said early on Thursday that it had disclosed the ZunZuneo initiative to Congress, but hours later the narrative had shifted to say that the administration had offered to discuss funding for it with the congressional committees that approve federal programmes and budgets.

One Senator, and Chairman of the Senate Appropriations State Department and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, Patrick Leahy, has described ZunZuneo as "dumb, dumb, dumb".

"This was not a very bright move on their part and I don't know many Americans who would think it was," he told the Associated Press.

ZunZuneo's organisers wanted the social network to grow slowly to avoid detection by the Cuban government.

Eventually, documents and interviews reveal, they hoped the network would reach critical mass so that dissidents could organise "smart mobs" - mass gatherings called at a moment's notice - that could trigger political demonstrations, or "renegotiate the balance of power between the state and society."

Yet its users were neither aware it was created by a US agency with ties to the State Department, nor that US contractors were gathering personal data about them, in the hope that the information might be used someday for political purposes.

USAID (US Agency of International Development)'s top official, Rajiv Shah, is scheduled to testify on Tuesday before the Senate Appropriations State Department and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, on the agency's budget.

"I'm going to ask why, well two basic questions. Why weren't we specifically told about this if you're asking us for money? And secondly, whose bright idea was this anyway?" Said Subcommittee Chairman Leahy.

Congressman Joe Garcia, also a Democrat, spoke out in support of the programme, saying "it falls in line with what I think we should be doing, which is promoting conversation, debate, openness, democracy, and that's what this programme was doing."

It is unclear whether the scheme was legal under US law, which requires written authorisation of covert action by the President as well as congressional notification.

White House Spokesman Jay Carney said he was not aware of individuals in the White House who had known about the programme.

Adding that in "a place like Cuba, you're discrete about how you implement it so that you protect the practitioners, but that does not make it covert."

"We believe that the Cuban people need platforms like this (ZunZuneo) to use themselves, to decide what their future will look like," said State Department Spokeswoman Marie Harf.

Harf described the programme as "discreet" but said it was in no way classified or covert.

Harf also said the project did not rise to a level that required the Secretary of State to be notified.

Neither former US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton nor John Kerry, the current occupant of the office, was aware of ZunZuneo, she said.

++16:9++

AP TELEVISION

Washington DC, USA - 3 April 2014

1. Mid of Senator Patrick Leahy walking in the Russell Rotunda

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat, Vermont:

"This was not a very bright move on their part and I don't know many Americans who would think it was."

++16:9++

AP TELEVISION

Havana, Cuba - 3 April 2014

3. Wide of man talking on mobile phone

++16:9++

Washington DC, USA - 3 April 2014

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat, Vermont:

"(About USAID, US Agency of International Development, asking the Senate for permission) I know they said we were notified. We were notified in the most oblique way that nobody could understand it. (About the hearing Leahy is holding on Tuesday, 8 April with USAID director Rajiv Shah about USAID's annual budget) I'm going to ask why, well, two basic questions. Why weren't we specifically told about this if you're asking us for money? And secondly, whose bright idea was this anyway?"

++16:9++

Washington DC - 28 March 2014

5. Pan of documents obtained by Associated Press showing outline of ZunZuneo programme

++16:9++

Washington - 3 April 2014

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat, Vermont:

"Instead we have something that now puts these young Cubans who didn't know who they were dealing with at risk, because it would be so easy to go back and find out just who they communicated with."

7. Wide of Congressman Joe Garcia walking in the Cannon Rotunda in US Capitol

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Congressman Joe Garcia, Democrat, Florida:

"I think what we should be shocked about is that the Cubans have no access to Facebook or Twitter, as opposed to the US government trying to promote discourse which I think is a very good thing. It promotes the values which we as a country espouse, which is democracy, dissent, communication, conversation and that's what this programme was trying to do."

++4:3++

FILE: Tbilisi, Georgia - August 2008

9. Wide of workers loading USAID boxes

++16:9++

Washington DC - 3 April 2014

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Congressman Joe Garcia, Democrat, Florida:

"I wish I could take credit for this programme. It wasn't my idea, but it falls in line with everything I think we should be doing, which is promoting conversation, debate, openness, democracy, and that's what this programme was doing."

11. Wide of White House Spokesman Jay Carney walking to podium

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Jay Carney, White House Spokesman:

"When you have a programme like that in a non-permissive environment, i.e. a place like Cuba, you're discrete about how you implement it so that you protect the practitioners, but that does not make it covert."

DOS TV

13. US State Department Spokeswoman Marie Harf walks to podium

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Marie Harf, State Department Spokeswoman:

"We believe that the Cuban people need platforms like this to use themselves, to decide what their future will look like."

++4:3++

FILE: Tbilisi, Georgia - August 2008

15. Close of of worker loading USAID boxes

The White House is denying that a program by USAID to set up a "twitter-like" service in Cuba is a covert program.

At the White House daily briefing, Jay Carney said the program run by USAID was a development program designed to help foster democracy in Cuba.

He indicated that the budget for the program had been examined by the General Accounting Office and found to be within guidelines for "development" projects.

Carney also aid the President does support efforts to expand communications in Cuba.

AP TELEVISION

Washington 3 April 3, 2014

1. SOUNDBITE: Jay Carney, White House Press Spokesman:

"We've seen the story by the AP this morning. The program referred to by the Associated Press was a development program, run by the United States Agency for International Development. And that program was completed in 2012. As you know, USAID is a development agency, not an intelligence agency. Suggestions that this was a covert program are wrong. Congress funds democracy programming for Cuba to help empower Cubans to access more information and to strengthen civil society. This appropriations are public, unlike covert action. The money invested has been debated in Congress. In addition, GAO reviewed this program in detail in 2013 and found that it was conducted in accordance with US law and under appropriate oversight controls. In implementing programs in non-permissive environments, of course the government has taken steps to be discrete. That's how you protect the practitioners and the public. This is not unique to Cuba. More details about the program are available at USAID, and I think that veterans of this briefing room know that when I say a program like this is not covert, and then I talk about it, that's how you know it's not covert."

HEADLINE: Singer Juanes getting threats over Cuba concert

CAPTION: Latin pop singer Juanes has filed a police report over his safety, after reportedly receiving threatening messages over plans to perform in Cuba next month. (Aug. 21)

[Notes:ANCHOR VOICE]

NB. THIS IS A VOICEOVER TRANSCRIPT, NOT A FULL SHOT LIST.

Latin singing star Juanes says he fears for his safety as well as his family.

That's according to a police report he filed in Key Biscayne, Florida, where he lives.

And it's all over a concert he has planned for next month.

It's in Cuba -- and that has led to threatening messages on Juanes' Twitter account.

He says one message read "I hate what you are saying but you will die for defending your right to say it."

Some Cuban-Americans in Miami have criticized the event, saying that it endorses the Communist-led government of Fidel and Raul Castro.

But Juanes -- a 17-time Latin Grammy winner, who is from Colombia, is known for his social activism.

In 2008, he held a "Peace Without Borders" concert at the border between Venezuela and Colombia when tensions were high between the two nations. The show drew tens of thousands of people.

He planned to hold another _Peace Without Borders _ concert in Havana on September 20th

Police say they're taking the threats seriously and keeping a watch on Juanes.

Event promoters insist the Havana concert will have no ideological overtones.

Juanes admits he considered canceling the show -- but his spokesman says the show will go on.

He attributes the negative comments to a small number of extremists.