{"id":2638042,"date":"2026-07-31T05:06:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T09:06:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-schools-cozy-with-cuban-university-tied-to-intelligence-network\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T05:20:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T09:20:30","slug":"us-schools-cozy-with-cuban-university-tied-to-intelligence-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-schools-cozy-with-cuban-university-tied-to-intelligence-network\/","title":{"rendered":"US schools cozy with Cuban university tied to &#8216;intelligence network&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fus-schools-cozy-with-cuban-university-tied-to-intelligence-network%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2638042&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Several prominent U.S. universities, including Ivy League and top-ranked institutions, have established student exchange agreements with Cuba&#8217;s University of Havana, which is linked to Cuba\u2019s intelligence network. The Cuban regime uses this campus for recruitment and espionage efforts aimed at influential Americans. Despite these concerns, some U.S. programs like Brown University\u2019s CASA have historically promoted academic exchanges to foster normalization; however, recent U.S. sanctions and policies under the Trump administration led to the suspension of these programs,citing economic hardships and geopolitical tensions. The U.S. intelligence community has revealed that Cuba views American campuses as prime targets for recruiting ideologically sympathetic students who could later occupy important roles in government and industry. Historically, Cuba\u2019s academic ties have been intertwined with its ideological influences and foreign collaborations, including recent partnerships with China.Obama&#8217;s normalization efforts in 2014 expanded educational exchanges and eased travel restrictions, but these were reversed under Trump. while academic programs serve as a bridge for cultural understanding, they are also viewed with suspicion due to Cuba\u2019s strategic use of education to influence American students and establish intelligence links.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At least nine top-ranked American <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/universities\/\">universities<\/a> send students to a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/cuba\/\">Cuban<\/a> school tied to Cuba\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/intelligence\/\">intelligence<\/a> apparatus to learn about <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/marxism\/\">Marxism<\/a> and other regime-approved topics.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cuba\u2019s University of Havana has built student exchange agreements with seven <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ivy-league\/\">Ivy League<\/a> schools and two others ranked among <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/best-colleges\/search?_sort=rank&#038;_sortDirection=asc\"><em>U.S. News and World Report\u2019s<\/em> top 15 institutions<\/a>, a <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> investigation found. The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Carmen-Herrera\">state-controlled campus<\/a> is \u201ca key node in the Cuban intelligence network\u201d through which the regime forms relationships in academia for recruitment and espionage, the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/state-department\/\">State Department<\/a> warned in a July 20 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Cuba-Report.pdf\">report on Cuba\u2019s anti-American activities<\/a>. A statement by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/indianastateuniversity\/docs\/ss23-state_magazine-final\">Indiana State University<\/a> indicated the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/havana\/\">Havana<\/a> school had \u201cnearly eighty\u201d agreements with U.S. colleges in 2023, the department noted.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4666702\/scientists-fauci-prize-money-niaid-funding\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Scientists who nominated Fauci for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/scientists-who-nominated-fauci-for-prize-money-received-millions-in-niaid-funding\/\" title=\"Scientists who nominated Fauci for prize money received millions in NIAID funding\">prize money received millions<\/a> in NIAID funding<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4662347\/ilhan-omar-office-somali-community-center\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Ilhan Omar\u2019s office housed inside Somali community center that received redirected Feeding Our Future donations<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4662014\/state-department-un-agency-investigate-hamas\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>State Department demands US-funded UN agency \u2018fully investigate\u2019 Hamas involvement in aid programs<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The State Department report puts those friendly ties, enabled by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/barack-obama\/\">Obama<\/a>-era policies, under the microscope as President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> pressures Cuba. The island nation now faces crushing sanctions, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sdfl_superceding_with_cover_1.pdf\">criminal charges<\/a> against <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4576552\/trump-doj-indicts-raul-castro-over-1996-shootdown-of-us-civilian-planes\/\">former officials<\/a>, and Trump\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/DX2EQuuPHt8\">vague<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4577004\/trump-freeing-up-cuba-raul-castro-indictment\/\">threats<\/a> to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4482569\/trump-us-focus-cuba-after-iran-in-couple-weeks\/\">overthrow<\/a> the communist ruling elite that has <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/2739053\/inside-the-great-cuban-exodus\/\">held power<\/a> for more than 60 years.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The nine prestigious schools \u2014 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260727172053\/https:\/\/studyabroad.brown.edu\/explore\/programs\">Brown<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260727172208\/https:\/\/global.undergrad.columbia.edu\/program\/casa-cuba\">Columbia<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/CDeRt\">Cornell<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260727172448\/https:\/\/oie.fas.harvard.edu\/consortium-advanced-studies-abroad-havana\">Harvard<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260510150554\/https:\/\/studyabroad.yale.edu\/programs\/casa-cuba-havana\">Yale<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260727172553\/https:\/\/krieger.jhu.edu\/laclxs\/undergraduate\/study-abroad\/\">Johns Hopkins<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260727172527\/https:\/\/global-northwestern.via-trm.com\/program_brochure\/34528\">Northwestern<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260727172440\/https:\/\/guarini.dartmouth.edu\/programs\/consortium-advanced-studies-abroad-casa-cuba\">Dartmouth College<\/a>, and the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260727172603\/https:\/\/pennabroad.via-trm.com\/program_brochure\/34011\">University of Pennsylvania<\/a> \u2014 organize the Cuba student opportunities via Brown University\u2019s Consortium for Advanced Studies Abroad, their websites show. Brown <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260727144445\/https:\/\/archive2.news.brown.edu\/2007-2015\/articles\/2014\/05\/casa.html\">launched CASA and its Cuba program<\/a> in 2014, announcing it would bring \u201cthe largest U.S. academic presence in Cuba\u201d to its state-run schools such as the University of Havana.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump\u2019s Cuba policies are now having such an effect that Brown University paused the program for itself and partnering institutions in April, a spokesperson told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. Economic blockades have led to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4493274\/cuba-islandwide-blackout-energy-crisis-oil-blockade\/\">power<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/4637271\/cuba-suffers-island-wide-blackout-us-oil-blockade\/\">outages<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/LacJkVxJQvM\">hindered academic life<\/a> for the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.as-coa.org\/articles\/seven-charts-cubas-economic-woes\">already-struggling<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/socialism\/\">socialist<\/a> economy, according to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/06\/22\/world\/americas\/cuba-oil-gas-crisis-schools-education.html\">media<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/universityaffairs.ca\/news\/cuban-students-and-scholars-desperately-await-improvement-amid-continued-blockade\/\">reports<\/a> and Cuban officials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe uncertainty created by the current U.S.-Cuban geopolitical landscape, particularly in regard to practical, on-the-ground impacts, directly impacted recruitment efforts,\u201d the Brown spokesperson said. \u201cWith projected enrollment shortages and that general uncertainty, the decision was for a one-semester pause. Provided conditions allow, our intent is to resume operations for Spring 2027.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTo maintain momentum in the interim and offer the chance for engagement with those involved or interested in sending students or enrolling in the program, CASA Cuba staff members \u2014 in collaboration with faculty and other experts from Brown, the University of Havana, Casas de las Americas and affiliated CASA institutions \u2014 are holding a series of virtual discussions focused on issues related to Cuba,\u201d the Brown spokesperson told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cornell University also confirmed the CASA Cuba program \u201cwill not be operational during the 2026-27 academic year.\u201d The seven other American campuses and the University of Havana did not respond to the <em>Washington Examiner\u2019s<\/em> requests for comment.<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"h-fertile-ground-for-recruiting\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2018Fertile ground for recruiting\u2019<\/h1>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brown University touted its CASA travel program in a 2015 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260517122415\/https:\/\/archive2.news.brown.edu\/2007-2015\/articles\/2015\/12\/cuba.html\">press release<\/a> as a step toward \u201crestoring normalcy\u201d with Cuba, arguing that \u201cthoughtful dialogue between the two countries is so needed.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/intelligence-community\/\">U.S. intelligence community<\/a> has found that Cuba\u2019s academic pursuits are not so benign.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cuba sees college campuses as \u201cfertile ground for recruiting ideologically sympathetic young Americans,\u201d the State Department said. \u201cU.S. intelligence analysis and [Cuban Intelligence Directorate] defector testimony have both established that Cuban intelligence treats infiltrating American universities as a top priority \u2014 as one former Cuban agent recounted, the regime\u2019s intelligence operation seeks to identify politically-engaged leftist students at elite U.S. universities who will go on to \u2018occupy positions of importance in the private sector and in the government,&#8217;\u201d the department wrote.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report cited <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Cuban-Intelligence-Targeting-of-Academia.pdf\">Obama<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/tlp-green-lir-cuban-intelligence-operations.pdf\">Biden administration<\/a> FBI memos detailing these operations.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn one exemplary case, the [Cuban intelligence services] recruited and operated a network of professors and researchers at two prominent U.S. universities over the course of 30 years, from the 1970s through the 2000s, and exploited the professors\u2019 standing within the academic community and their placement as mentors and advisors to assess and recruit students,\u201d the Biden administration\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fbi\/\">FBI<\/a> wrote in 2024. One unnamed professor \u201cclaimed to have assessed as many as 50 students and colleagues, and recruited at least six motivated by admiration and loyalty,\u201d according to the memo.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CASA\u2019s website <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/EAsmU\">boasts<\/a> that American students can learn \u201cthe history of the United States, Cuba or Latin America, race relations or intersectionality, Marxist philosophy, and\/or Afro-Caribbean culture and literature\u201d from Cuban schools\u2019 government-aligned lens. CASA\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Consortium-For-Advanced-Studies-Abroad-Full-Filing-Nonprofit-Explorer-ProPublica.pdf\">president<\/a> is Dr. Asabe Poloma, a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.browndailyherald.com\/article\/2017\/10\/poloma-takes-on-role-as-assistant-dean-for-international-students\">Nigeria-born<\/a> \u201cglobal engagement\u201d employee who <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260727152935\/https:\/\/oge.brown.edu\/people\/asabe-poloma\">leads Brown University<\/a>\u2018s \u201cdiversity and inclusion plan for internationalization,\u201d according to Brown\u2019s website and tax filings. Poloma\u2019s academic work <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260727152740\/https:\/\/provost.brown.edu\/communications\/appointment-assistant-provost-global-engagement-and-director-mmuf\">centers<\/a> largely on so-called <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/43909776\">racial<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7128491139090780160\/\">equity<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Likewise, the University of Havana\u2019s Marxist affiliations run deep. Columbia University also lists \u201cTheory and History of Marxism Leninism\u201d and \u201cTheory and Ideology of the Cuban Revolution\u201d among the University of Havana course options.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Chinese government-controlled <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/english.shanghai.gov.cn\/en-Choices\/20231215\/2cbbcf31df8d489fa32cd0c1ed42fe88.html\">Shanghai Normal University<\/a> also <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260727135326\/https:\/\/english.shnu.edu.cn\/d3\/91\/c18493a840593\/page.htm\">announced<\/a> the opening of a joint \u201cMarxism Research Center\u201d with the University of Havana in October 2025. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/china\/\">China<\/a> has built multiple academic bridges with the University of Havana, including a \u201cConfucius Institute\u201d at the campus in 2009, according to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260727195152\/http:\/\/www.xinhuanet.com\/english\/2019-11\/24\/c_138579960.htm\">Chinese<\/a> and other <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.plenglish.com\/news\/2024\/10\/23\/china-inaugurates-a-linking-office-of-the-university-of-havana\/\">international<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260727195921\/https:\/\/en.uestc.edu.cn\/info\/1071\/4787.htm\">media<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260727195455\/https:\/\/en.people.cn\/n3\/2016\/0925\/c90000-9119498.html\">reporting<\/a>. Trump and Congress <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/115th-congress\/house-bill\/5515\/all-actions\">stripped federal funding<\/a> for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/1084869\/china-on-campus-confucius-institutes-collapse-nationwide\/\">Confucius Institutes in the United States<\/a> in 2018 due to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/upward.news\/p\/exclusive-chinas-push-ccpaligned-teachers-texas-schools\">their ties<\/a> to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/2017-2021.state.gov\/confucius-institute-u-s-center-designation-as-a-foreign-mission\/\">Chinese state propaganda<\/a> efforts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20250421065113\/https:\/\/www.cuba.cu\/gobierno\/discursos\/2005\/ing\/f171105i.html\">multiple<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.chinadaily.com.cn\/world\/2010-09\/04\/content_11256878.htm\">speeches<\/a>, the late Cuban dictator <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4621189\/pro-cuba-activists-plan-trip-honor-fidel-castro\/\">Fidel Castro<\/a> credited his time attending the school with radicalizing him. \u201cHere I became a revolutionary, I became a Marxist-Leninist and I acquired the ideas that I have never abandoned. \u2026 Well before I had committed myself, without having read any of those books, I was questioning capitalist political economy,\u201d he told a 2005 audience on campus.<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"h-how-obama-opened-up-the-doors\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Obama \u2018opened up the doors\u2019<\/h1>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-how-obama-opened-up-the-doors-he-university-of-havana-praised-former-president-barack-obama-for-dramatically-relaxing-sanctions-against-cuba-starting-in-2014-which-expanded-travel-and-commerce-trump-reversed-the-lenient-policies-in-his-first-term\">The University of Havana\u2019s American partners <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260728133043\/https:\/\/as.cornell.edu\/news\/semester-abroad-cuba\">gave credit<\/a> to former President Barack Obama for dramatically <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260727205831\/https:\/\/obamawhitehouse.archives.gov\/the-press-office\/2016\/10\/14\/presidential-policy-directive-united-states-cuba-normalization\">relaxing sanctions<\/a> against Cuba <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260727205829\/https:\/\/obamawhitehouse.archives.gov\/the-press-office\/2014\/12\/17\/statement-president-cuba-policy-changes\">starting in 2014<\/a>. Trump <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/fact-sheets\/2025\/06\/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-strengthens-the-policy-of-the-united-states-toward-cuba\/\">reversed<\/a> the lenient policies in his first term.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-how-obama-opened-up-the-doors-he-university-of-havana-praised-former-president-barack-obama-for-dramatically-relaxing-sanctions-against-cuba-starting-in-2014-which-expanded-travel-and-commerce-trump-reversed-the-lenient-policies-in-his-first-term\">One student\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260727204659\/https:\/\/msc.northwestern.edu\/cuba-trip-lifetime\/\">profile on Northwestern University\u2019s website<\/a> said that \u201cObama opened up the doors to a new relationship with Cuba\u201d that allowed him to visit the country. \u201cAs we know, the Obama administration has made efforts to re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba and in doing so, restrictions on travel to the country have been lessened,\u201d said a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260728133043\/https:\/\/as.cornell.edu\/news\/semester-abroad-cuba\">Cornell student\u2019s profile<\/a> describing her trip to Havana\u2019s institutions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Brown was already looking to Cuba for opportunities, Obama\u2019s shift allowed the university to more easily send its first cohort of 29 students to CASA\u2019s new \u201cHavana center\u201d and the University of Havana in 2015.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDeveloping critical understanding is what higher education is designed to do,\u201d Brown said in December 2015. \u201cThe emerging Havana program is a fresh reminder of how important that mission is and an appropriate way to mark the first anniversary of an historic effort by two neighbor nations to overcome decades of separation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4656695\/state-department-cuba-guerilla-warfare-american-leftists\/\"><strong>STATE DEPARTMENT LINKS CUBA\u2019S PUSH FOR \u2018GUERILLA WARFARE\u2019 TO AMERICAN LEFTIST MOVEMENT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Obama promised educational benefits during a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260728145343\/https:\/\/obamawhitehouse.archives.gov\/the-press-office\/2016\/03\/21\/remarks-president-obama-and-president-raul-castro-cuba-joint-press\">2016 press conference in Havana<\/a> alongside former Cuban dictator <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/raul-castro\/\">Raul Castro<\/a>, Fidel\u2019s brother, who is now federally charged with gunning down American civilian aircraft in 1996.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re moving ahead with more educational exchanges,\u201d Obama told his audience. \u201cThanks to the generous support of the Cuban American community, I can announce that my 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative will offer new opportunities for university students to study abroad \u2014 more Americans at Cuban schools and more Cubans at U.S. schools.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>US elite universities partner with Cuban school linked to intelligence<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1239,"featured_media":2638043,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP17330070785867-e1785460769457.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[83469,83467,83468,32402,83466],"class_list":["post-2638042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-academic-partnerships","tag-cuban-university","tag-intelligence-network","tag-international-relations","tag-us-schools-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP17330070785867-e1785460769457.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2638042","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1239"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2638042"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2638042\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2638046,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2638042\/revisions\/2638046"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2638043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2638042"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2638042"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2638042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}