Cuba Defends Against Allegations of Drug Trafficking Involvement Amidst Rising Regional Tensions
Havana held an unusual press conference this Thursday to address explosive allegations linking the Cuban government to drug trafficking operations orchestrated by Venezuela’s “Cartel of the Suns.” The response comes following the public release of a letter from Hugo “El Pollo” Carvajal, former head of intelligence under Venezuelan President nicolás Maduro, currently detained in a US federal prison.
Cuban officials from the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) and the Ministry of Justice emphatically denied any involvement in drug production or transit, reiterating a “zero tolerance” policy and highlighting ongoing cooperation with the United States dating back to 2016 to combat narcotics trafficking. Officials cited real-time data sharing with the US Coast Guard as evidence of this collaboration,as reported by EFE.
Though, the press conference also served as a platform to criticize increased US military presence in the Caribbean, specifically focusing on deployments near Venezuela, which Colonel Juan Carlos Poey, head of MININT’s Anti-Drug Confrontation Body, characterized as a “serious threat to the security and sovereignty” of Cuba.
carvajal’s letter, published by The Dallas Express and CiberCuba, alleges that Cuba was the “strategic brain” behind a plan proposed to Hugo Chávez to utilize cocaine as a geopolitical weapon against the United States. He claims Cuban agents were instrumental in establishing the criminal network that became the Cartel of the Suns,coordinating operations with groups including the FARC,ELN,and Hezbollah.
Specifically, carvajal asserts that Cuba provided weapons, documentation, and intelligence support to allow criminal organizations to operate within Venezuela. He further alleges Cuban intelligence operatives infiltrated US naval bases and that US diplomats were compromised through bribery to act as agents for both Caracas and Havana.
While Cuban officials did not directly address Carvajal or his letter during the press conference, the defensive nature of their statements suggests the allegations are being taken seriously.
The response occurs against a backdrop of increasing domestic drug consumption in Cuba,particularly among young people. Official figures indicate over two tons of drugs have been seized this year, but authorities continue to frame the issue primarily as a “public order” problem.
