The Tale of the Five Cuban Spies

By Sara V. Buckwitz
Published on January 1, 2002

The Tale of the Five Cuban Spies

The Cuban government is waging a new propaganda war against the
U.S. after the recent conviction of five Cuban agents for
spearheading a spy ring known as ‘The Wasp Network.’ The conviction
also calls into question America’s true commitment to fighting
terrorism.

The agents were convicted on charges of espionage conspiracy and
operating as unregistered foreign agents, according to Nick Miroff
in World Press Review, but he argues that their work may have been
more defensive than offensive in nature. ‘By pretending to be
staunchly anti-Castro,’ Miroff writes, ‘the agents gained entry
into organizations like Brothers to the Rescue and the
Cuban-American National Foundation with the intention of gathering
intelligence about possible terrorist attacks against Cuba.’ As one
of the convicted spies, Antonio Guerrero, noted in his closing
statement, ‘What else could Cuba have done to defend itself against
terrorist attacks? What else could it have done to avoid a greater
conflict? What other options were there to protect its sovereignty
and the security of its people?’

The U.S., Miroff notes, regularly celebrates its operatives in
other countries who are ‘fighting terrorism.’ And Guerrero and his
comrades are certainly being celebrated in Cuba. Throughout the
six-month trial, President Fidel Castro referred to the agents as
heroes and martyrs. Cuban newspapers and TV have spread the
courtroom transcripts across the country.
–Sara V. Buckwitz
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