The Cuba Corps’ Network of Trust

The Cuba Corps’ Network of Trust has been conceived as a methodology for establishing links and to bridge the gap between the Cuban-American exile community and Cubans in the island both seeking a role in building a civil society through peaceful and democratic means.

This two-way communication program is intended to help bring down the veil of mistrust and disinformation resulting from the relentless campaign by the Castro regime to divide the Cuban communities in the island and abroad, as well as to represent the United States and other democracies as the “enemy,” in order to further governmental control through tactics of fear and intimidation. A second objective of the Network of Trust is to identify trustworthy “contacts” on the island that would be in a position to help during the transition phase, as appropriate.

There are at present 32 towns in this netwok. They are:

PINAR DEL RIO

Pinar del Rio , San Juan y Martinez

LA HABANA

Ciudad Habana, Municipio Boyeros, Centro Habana, San Miguel del Padrón, 10 de Octubre, Vedado, Guanabacoa, Santiago de las Vegas

MATANZAS

Matanzas, Jagüey Grande, Pedro Betancourt, San Miguel de los Baños

VILLA CLARA

Placetas, Santa Clara, Sagua La Grande, Ranchuelo, Quemado de Güines

CIENFUEGOS

Cienfuegos, Cumanayagua

SANCTI SPIRITUS

Sancti Spiritus, Las Tozas

CAMAGUEY

Santa Cruz del Sur

HOLGUIN

Velasco, Holguin, Cacocún, Banes, Antilla

GRANMA

Manzanillo

SANTIAGO DE CUBA

Palma Soriano, Palmarito de Cauto

The Cuba Corps works with independent Cuban NGOs as “strategic partners” to work together in an effort to enhance and expand their capabilities in democracy building. They are all part of the Network of Trust.

Humanitarian Information Matrix

All the projects of The Cuba Corps are carried out throughout contacts in the same 32 towns, where the same people, NGOs, civic groups, religious groups, etc. receive books, vitamins and other medicines, and CDs. Telephone calls as a simple, warm greeting from the United States are made periodically to all NGO contacts in the key towns. This is the beginning of breaking the information wall imposed by the Cuban government, as well as bridging the information and communication gap between the US and Cuba of more than half-a-century. This “Network of Trust” is being built step by step by Cuba Corps volunteers.

A limited humanitarian needs assessment is being made by The Cuba Corps, with the help of those in Cuba and some organizations in Miami. Triangulation of the information, with recent arrivals in Miami and information from Cuba is proceeding at a slow pace, having completed at the time of this writing the full spectrum of information [infrastructure, health, education, etc.] for a few of the towns in the network. The completed matrix is expected to be of logistical assistance to The Cuba Corps, other NGOs and democratic governments willing to help in providing pointed and immediate humanitarian aid after the dictatorship.

Again, for the key towns, the following are some of the information points being filled:

Information Points: