We Found the “Russian Spy Base” in Cuba

Everyone knows Donald Trump imposed an oil blockade on Cuba. But why?

Trump says it's because Cuba hosts Russia's largest spy base outside Russia. Lucky for us, The New York Times, thanks to its anonymous sources in Washington, pinpointed exactly where it is, said Belly of the Beast Correspondent Reed Lindsey.

But no journalist had actually gone there — until now, he added.

So we found the supposed Russian spy base. Turns out it's not a spy base. It's a school: the University of Computer Science. 

Belly of the Beast Correspondent Reed Lindsey put the question directly to Héctor González, subdirector of the university and a graduate of the school: are the Russians around here somewhere?

"No. Not at all," González said.

Pressed on whether he was certain, he didn't hesitate: "Absolutely."

Lindsey noted that this is supposed to be a Russian base. González explained that there had, in fact, been a Russian base on the site — but a long time ago. "The Russians left almost 25 years ago," he said. "After that, this university where we are now was established."

Maybe they've come back, Lindsey suggested. González dismissed the idea. "I don't think so," he said. "Anyone you meet here at the university would probably laugh at the question, because it sounds a little absurd."

Told that the claim came from the New York Times — "the most important newspaper in the United States" — González didn't back down. "The story isn't true," he said. "It doesn't come from reliable sources, because anyone who comes here and walks around the university will realize it's not real. There are no Russians here, there are no antennas here, there's nothing like that."

Pushed on whether the Russians could have returned without anyone noticing, the subdirector pointed to the campus itself as evidence against the theory. "We have a very active life here," he said. "All the buildings are occupied by students and professors. We have such a dynamic environment that it would be impossible to have Russians here without noticing."

Lindsey, invoking Cold War-era films like Red Dawn and Invasion U.S.A., floated the idea that the Russians could be "very sneaky" and hiding somewhere on campus. González wasn't convinced. "Somebody would have seen them," he said.

The conversation turned to the cost of studying at the university. Nothing, González said — not a single cent. Education in Cuba, he explained, is free at every level.

Asked who pays for it, González said: the state.

The Russians? "No, no, not at all," he said. The Cuban state.

Lindsey pointed out that this is the same state Washington casts as a threat to the United States. "The very same one," González confirmed. Asked whether he believed Cuba actually posed a threat, he said no. "I don't think we're a threat to anyone," he said. "Cuba sends doctors around the world. Cuba develops vaccines. Cuba has projects that defend human rights and support just causes."

There aren't many students on campus right now, Lindsey observed. Why not?

González attributed the near-empty campus to the fuel shortages gripping the country. "Since February, we haven't had students on campus because of the difficult situation the country is going through," he said. "With the fuel shortages, many processes have been affected, and it wasn't possible to keep everyone here. So we've switched to distance learning until conditions improve and students can return to the university."

Asked why there's no fuel, González was direct: "Because of the measures imposed by the United States at the end of January, which prevent fuel from entering the country." He added that, regardless of the political conflicts and government interests driving the standoff, it's ordinary people who bear the cost. "The people are the ones who suffer every day," he said. "These shortages affect all of us equally. It's an unprecedented crisis."

Asked what message he would send to Trump or Rubio on behalf of the Cuban people and the university, González kept it simple: "What we do here is develop software and IT solutions to support the digital transformation of different sectors of society."

Should that scare anyone, Lindsey asked.

"No, not at all," González said.