The crisis and fall of para-dictatorial governments in the Americas

By: Carlos Sánchez Berzaín - 06/04/2026

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The governments subservient to the Cuban dictatorship and its 21st-century socialist satellites have dwindled to those of Lula in Brazil, Sheinbaum in Mexico, and Petro in Colombia, from which Brazil and Colombia can free themselves in this year's presidential elections. Under the guise of anti-imperialist rhetoric, Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia are now complicit in and cover up for the largest transnational organized crime network oppressing the Cuban people. They are clearly identified as para-dictatorial governments, in crisis and on the verge of collapse.

A para-dictatorial government is one “elected democratically, representing a democratic country, but serving dictatorial regimes by contributing to their maintenance and perpetuation through actions of legitimization and support, violating international legal obligations and harming its own national interests.” This condition constitutes a situation of internal and international illegality that must be subject to accountability, prosecution, and conviction for the crimes it entails.

The atrocity of a para-dictatorial government is that it is led by a democratically elected president who, violating respect for human rights, the essential elements of democracy, and the property and security of his own citizens, supports the Cuban dictatorship and its satellite dictatorships integrated under the political cover of 21st-century socialism. The first crime consists of giving political value to organized crime, which, by organizing and sustaining narco-states and narco-terrorism, attacks its supporters.

There are outstanding issues and accounts that must be clarified and made public in Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador. These nations, which are progressing through various stages of liberation from dictatorial regimes, urgently need to know the agreements, the amounts of remittances, and the purpose of resource transfers to the Cuban dictatorship, including the volume of money, securities, products, and any other type of disbursement.

This amounts to $63.8 billion that the Venezuelan satellite dictatorship paid to Cuba “to establish state terrorism.” Infobae has reported that “the Chavista regime used significant oil reserves dating back to the times of Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez in exchange for training and education for security forces, especially intelligence and counterintelligence.” These are criminal acts.

During the more than ten years of Correa's dictatorship in Ecuador and its capitulation to the Cuban dictatorship, no economic data has been made public to show the cost to the Ecuadorian people of being transformed into a narco-state with political prisoners and exiles. Accounts for consulting services provided by Cuban professionals, military cooperation, and other projects must be made public.

In Bolivia, the presence of the Cuban dictatorship remains intact and hidden. Data from the Legislative Assembly shows that the current government has not responded to a request for an oral report asking the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to disclose “the number of diplomats and assimilated personnel accredited in Bolivia by Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, and Russia.” The so-called agreements with the Cuban dictatorship regarding health, education, security, and other areas remain in effect, and it is unknown how much they cost the Bolivian people and how much Bolivia has given to Cuba since Evo Morales took power.

The “Cuba debt to Argentina is estimated at 15 billion dollars” as reported by Infobae on January 20, 2023, noting the attitude of the then-dictatorial government as “doesn’t know, doesn’t answer…this would be the option that best describes the response of the Argentine government on the state of the historical debt of Cuba…”.

Mexico, from López Obrador to his successor Sheinbaum, makes no attempt to conceal its support for Castro's organized crime. In September 2025, the Mexican press reported that "seven years after Morena came to power, the country has sent more than $1.2 billion to Cuba." According to Mega Noticias, "the $1.235 billion in support for Cuba is equivalent to 8.72% of Mexico City's budget, 40.2% of the UNAM's budget, and 5.78% of Pemex's debt to suppliers."

Lula da Silva has supported Castroism since the creation of the São Paulo Forum in 1990 with money from the Workers' Party, and since becoming president of Brazil he has spent billions of dollars, including on the hiring of "slave doctors," despite international reports and denunciations condemning the Cuban dictatorship for human trafficking and slavery. As of February 2004, Cuba's debt to Brazil was $671.7 million.

Colombia's subservience to Petro, whose campaign was financed by Castro-Chavismo, is not only economic but also stems from the open protection afforded to the narcoterrorism of the FARC and ELN, groups created and sustained by the Cuban dictatorship. The transition to democracy underway in Venezuela, under US tutelage, has at least deprived Colombia's electoral campaign of this funding source.

* Lawyer and Political Scientist. Director of the Interamerican Institute for Democracy.

«The opinions published herein are the sole responsibility of its author».