Growing concerns as Russians make big return to Cuba By Hank Tester

MIAMI - "The Cuban government is desperate, they have no money, no gas, they have no food." 

That said by Otto Reich, the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela and President of The Center for a Free Cuba.

Reich reacting to news that Russia and Cuba are renewing their relationship that all but disappeared after the Soviet Union dissolved in the late 1980's. 

Back in the 1970s and early 1980s, the Soviet Union was a big Cuba player, propping up the Castro Governments Communist based economy. 

The Russians bailed when the Soviet Union fell apart. 

Now, they say they are back with big promises and the Cuban's are sweeting the pie.

Russia is offering Cuba great deals on gasoline, emergency donations of wheat, promises to build hotels, increase Russian tourism flows, and open retail stores stocked with Russian household products. 

In return, Cuba will grant Russian entrepreneurs long term property leases.

Russian banks can open up, duty-free import of Russian equipment. 

Russian business would be able to take profits out of the country. 

"There is the promise to open a Russian vehicle assembly plant," Reich is quick to mention.

"I am told they are sending personal to revamp the spy station," he said. 

The Russian operated an ease dropping spy station for years, then phased out their facility, but now may bring it back.

Cuba watchers say we should get ready for more Russian Naval Ships docking in the Port of Havana. With Russian long range bombers flying down the East Coast of the United States, landing in Cuba. 

Russian Spy ships lingering just off the Atlantic territorial waters of the United States of America. 

"They, the Russians, have always seen Cuba as a permeant aircraft carrier off the coast of the United States."

Chris Simmons is a former Defense Intelligence Agency Counterintelligence Officer and authority on the Cuban Intelligence services, helped take down one of Cuba's most successful spies who had penetrated the highest levels of the DIA. 

Simmons told CBS News Miami, "It is not going to be a return to the cold war but many of the tactics we have seen before will come back." 

"From an intelligence and financial stand point Havana is sitting in a valuable position to cut deals…and bring in badly needed cash in the process," Simmons added. 

Cuba has always been active in developing valuable intelligence and peddling it, for cash, to actors not friendly to the U.S. 

And what does Cuba offer in the Intelligence/espionage world? 

Plenty.

The Cubans operate one on the best "on the ground" spy operations in the world. Important to Russia as in Ukraine, they are in a proxy war with the U.S.

"They can turn to the Cubans and say what are the U.S. Special operations community doing in this area and the Cubans will be able to tell them because they have been watching those units for years," said Simmons. 

According to Otto Reich, "It has to be taken seriously, we have to watch it. We in the past, when I was in government, we kept an eye on Cuba very carefully."

Oficial Website: https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/growing-concerns-as-russians-make-big-return-to-cuba/