Cuba Interferes With Florida 2022 Elections, Says US Intelligence

The US intelligence community revealed in a report on Monday that the Cuba government engaged in influence operations targeting specific US candidates in Florida during the 2022 midterm elections, according to the Miami Herald.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence stated that Cuban officials built relationships with American media members critical of Havana's critics in Congress.

Additionally, a network of social media accounts, likely linked to Cuba, was identified as amplifying derogatory content about US politicians deemed hostile to the Cuban state.

The declassified intelligence assessment does not specify targeted individuals or the effectiveness of Cuba's influence campaign in Florida.

The report acknowledged only a few countries with targeted campaigns against the US democratic system, including Russia, China, Iran, and Cuba.

Foreign Meddling Expands in US 2022 Midterm Elections

Declassified US Intelligence findings on Monday indicated an increase in foreign government efforts to influence the US 2022 midterm elections compared to the 2018 elections, CNN reports.

While no foreign leader ordered a comprehensive influence campaign like Russia's in 2016, the report highlighted meddling attempts by China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba in the 2022 congressional elections.

The intelligence community, with high confidence, asserts that China implicitly sanctioned efforts to influence selected midterm races involving members of both US political parties.

This aligns with a broader set of directives issued by Chinese Communist Party leaders since 2020, aiming to intensify endeavors to shape US policy and public opinion favorably toward China.

The assessment reveals that China sought to amplify sociopolitical divisions, with a focus on supporting or undermining specific candidates based on whether their policy stances aligned with Beijing's interests.

Notably, the Chinese Communist Party emphasized Congress, perceiving it as a center of anti-China activity.

While concentrating on influencing specific candidates, Beijing also aimed to leverage the US 2022 midterm elections to depict the American democratic model as chaotic, ineffective, and unrepresentative.

Chinese messaging frequently emphasized divisions on social issues like abortion and gun control to underscore perceived weaknesses in the US system.

This intelligence aligns with reports from technology firms, which highlighted suspected Chinese operatives employing artificial intelligence-generated images to mimic American voters online and stimulate discussions on divisive political issues, as warned by Microsoft analysts in September.

Growing Influence Activities: China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba

The report underscored the growth in foreign influence activities since the 2018 midterms.

While no directive for a comprehensive influence campaign was observed, China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba were identified for their attempts to interfere in the 2022 midterm elections, per The Record.

China, in particular, was highlighted for intensifying efforts to heighten sociopolitical divisions and focusing on specific candidates aligned with its policy positions.

The report emphasized China's portrayal of the US democratic model as chaotic and ineffective.

The intelligence community's conclusions align with reports from tech firms, which have raised concerns about suspected Chinese operatives using artificial intelligence to mimic American voters online and provoke discussions on divisive political issues.

The report emphasized that, despite the increased influence efforts, no comprehensive directive for a whole-of-government campaign was observed.

It coincides with separate examinations from the Justice and Homeland Security departments, which found no evidence of compromised voting systems.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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