US wanted to create unrest in Cuba via Twitter clone ZunZuneo

The US government would have wanted to overthrow the regime in Cuba by creating unrest through a Twitter-like messaging service. The service is no longer available, but would have had 40,000 users at its peak.

The Associated Press discovered that. In 2010, the ZunZuneo messaging service was secretly created by the US government, which tried to hide its involvement by funding the network through fake foreign companies. The project was initiated by the US Agency for International Development, a government agency.

With ZunZuneo, the United States wanted to create a social network that closely resembles Twitter, but is intended for Cuban users. The network relied on messages sent to phones over cellular networks, bypassing the highly regulated internet. The ultimate goal would be to sow unrest over the regime of Raúl Castro, the Cuban president. In this way, the US hoped to contribute to the fall of the Cuban regime, something the authorities have failed to do.

At its peak, ZunZuneo had about 40,000 users who could send free messages through the service. In 2012, the network disappeared overnight, according to the AP as funding for the project was halted. In addition, the Cuban government is said to have made attempts to break into ZunZuneo’s servers.

According to AP, it is unclear whether USAID’s ZunZuneo project is legal. Such missions require the approval of the president, but the documents would show that US President Obama was not aware.