BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON FORMATION OF RAPID REACTION BRIGADES

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06928381
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: July 13, 2023
• Document Release Date: August 29, 2022
• Case Number: F-2020-00933
• Publication Date: November 7, 1991

Approved for Release: 2022/08/15 C06928381
S ET//ORCON/NOFORN
(stiocitin SUBJ: BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON
FORMATION OF RAPID REACTION BRIGADES
Identifiers:
Dates:
Date Acquired:
Date Published: 07-Nov-1991 16:18:00
Date Received: 07-Nov-1991 16:24:59
Coverage:
CIA Country Code: CUB
Region: AMERICAS, CUBA
Publisher:
Agency Acronym: CIA
Office Name: NCS
Warnings 7S1tOGANF�}_ CENTRAL
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED
INTELLIGENCE
(U) CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
(U) INF9RMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE. REPORT CLASS S
E T--WNINTEL--NOFORN--NOCONTRACT--ORCON DIST: 07 NOVEMBER 1991
(U) REPORT CLASS S &CR E T--WARNING -INTELLIGENCE SOURCES OR METHODS
INVOLVED--NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS-- NOT RELEASABLE TO
CONTRACTORS/CONSULTANTS�DISSEMINATION AND EXTRACTION OF INFORMATION
NTROLLED BY ORIGINATOR.
ALL_PORTIONS CARRY CLASSIFICATION AND CONTROLS OF OVERALL
DOCUMENT.> END OF MESSAGE SECRET
---18770.64114E) 1.
OFFICIALS OF CUBA'S MINISTRY OF INTERIOR (MININT), RESPONDING TO CUBAN
PRESIDENT FIDEL ((CASTRO'S)) FEARS THAT POLITICAL OPPOSITION GROUPS WOULD
USE THE OCCASION OF CUBA'S AUGUST 1991 HOSTING OF THE PAN-AMERICAN GAMES
TO DEMONSTRATE AGAINST HIS REGIME, ORGANIZED NEW "RAPID REACTION"
BRIGADES WHOSE MISSION WAS TO CONTROL QUICKLY ANY PUBLIC DISTURBANCE
THAT MIGHT ARISE DURING THE GAMES. OBSESSED BY HIS BELIEF THAT FOREIGN
INTELLIGENCE SERVICES WOULD SWARM TO THE ISLAND TO MEET THEIR AGENTS
DURING THE GAMES, AND CERTAIN THAT HIS OPPONENTS WOULD SEE THE PRESENCE
S ET//ORCON/NOFORN 1
N EARLY MAY 1991, SENIOR
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OF HUNDREDS OF JOURNALISTS IN CUBA TO COVER THE GAMES AS AN
UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITY TO CRITICIZE AND EMBARRASS THE REGIME, CASTRO
WANTED A MECHANISM ON HAND THAT COULD EFFECTIVELY SILENCE THE
DISSIDENTS. CASTRO APPOINTED A VICE MINISTER OF MININT, AS WELL AS DIVISION
GENERAL CARLOS ((FERNANDEZ)) GONDIN, A REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES
(MINFAR) OFFICER AND CHIEF OF THE GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE (DGCI), TO ORGANIZE AND DIRECT THESE UNITS.
(S//0C/NF) 2. ELEMENTS FOR THESE NEW BRIGADES WERE DRAWN FROM MININT,
INCLUDING THE GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE'S (DGI) DEPARTMENT OF
ACTIVE MEASURES, FROM MILITARY INTELLIGENCE AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN
MINFAR, AND FROM THE COMMITTEES FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE REVOLUTION (CDR).
EACH BRIGADE IS HEADED BY A MININT OFFICER AND INCLUDES AN OFFICIAL FROM
STATE SECURITY, AS WELL AS OTHER "PERSONS OF CONFIDENCE." THE RAPID
REACTION BRIGADES WERE DESIGNED TO ACT AS A KIND OF "SHOCK FORCE,"
RESPONDING RUTHLESSLY TO THE FIRST SIGNS OF ANY POLITICAL DEMONSTRATION.
DESIRING WHERE POSSIBLE TO AVOID BLATANT GOVERNMENT STRONG-ARM TACTICS
CERTAIN TO BE FILMED BY THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA DURING THE GAMES, REGIME
LEADERS WANTED IT TO APPEAR THAT ANY REPRESSIVE MEASURES HAD ORIGINATED
FROM ORDINARY CUBAN PEOPLE, I.E. HAD POPULAR SUPPORT. CONSEQUENTLY, A
DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF WOMEN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WERE ASSIGNED TO
THESE UNITS. THE WOMEN, MOSTLY DRAWN FROM "SPECIAL TROOPS", WERE
SELECTED BECAUSE THEY ARE HIGHLY TRAINED, EFFECTIVE IN MARTIAL ARTS, AND
YET APPEAR TO OUTSIDERS TO BE WOMEN OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. UNIT
MEMBERS, WEARING CIVILIAN CLOTHES, CIRCULATED AMONG CROWDS THROUGHOUT
THE GAMES, READY TO RESPOND AT THE APPROPRIATE MOMENT.
(SHOC/NF) 3. ALTHOUGH INITIALLY CONCEIVED IN ANTICIPATION OF THE PAN-
AMERICAN GAMES, THE RAPID REACTION BRIGADES HAVE BECOME A PERMANENT
STRUCTURE WITHIN MININT. AN ADDITIONAL POLITICAL OBJECTIVE UNDERLYING THE
FORMATION OF THE NEW UNITS WAS TO OBTAIN A NEW PLEDGE OF LOYALTY TO THE
REGIME FROM BRIGADE COMMANDERS AND MEMBERS . THE CASTRO GOVERNMENT
BELIEVED THAT THOSE WHO SIGNED THE PLEDGE OF PARTICIPATION IN THE BRIGADES
COMMITTED THEMSELVES FURTHER TO THE REGIME; THOSE WHO REFUSED OR
RESISTED THE NEW ASSIGNMFNTS DFMONSTRATFD THFIR UNTRUSTWORTHINESS IN
THE VIEW OF THE REGIME.
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(SHOC/NF) 4. ON 6 SEPTEMBER 1991 THE RAPID REACTION BRIGADES WENT INTO
ACTION AGAINST A DEMONSTRATION MOUNTED BY DISSIDENT GROUPS AGITATING
FOR THE RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS AND OBSERVATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS.
SEVERAL OF THE DEMONSTRATORS WERE SEVERELY BEATEN IN THE ENCOUNTER.
THE UNITS WERE DEPLOYED FOR A SECOND TIME IN SEPTEMBER WHEN A RIOT
STARTED IN REACTION TO A POLICE BEATING OF A STUDENT.
Collection: CC
Creator:
Agency Acronym: CIA
SECRET//ORCON/NOFORN 2
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Office Name: NCS
Description: (U) None
Distribution List:
Language: en
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Precedence: R
Source:
Subject: None
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