Costa Rica condemns alleged anti-Cuba US campaign

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica

Costa Rica condemned an alleged social media campaign based in the U.S. Embassy at San Jose, aimed at undermining the Cuban communist regime.

The condemnation was made on concerns that this would damage diplomatic relations between Cuba and Costa Rica, according to a statement from Costa Rican foreign minister.

The ZunZuneo network which targets young Cubans as a free social media platform for music, football etc. has drawn tens of thousands of subscribers who remained unaware that the network was founded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

In an interview with Associated Press (AP), Castillo said that the government waits for an urgent explanation from the U.S. upon the issue. 

Several documents seized by the AP showed that United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is financing a social media program dubbed  "Cuban Twitter" ZunZuneo, aimed at undermining the communist regime in Cuba and provoking a political crisis in the country. To start up the 2009-dated program, the U.S. has seized more than 400 thousand phone numbers in Cuba and hired contracted employees for realizing its anti-Cuban targets, the AP report said.

However, the USAID rejected claims that the ZunZuneo is a program with secret political agendas. On the demand of the U.S. Congress, the U.S. State Department confirmed that they started the investigation into the issue. 

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