Javier Yanez stands on his balcony where he hung a U.S. and Cuban flag in Old Havana Cuba, Friday, Dec. 19, 2014.

Washington spent close to US$4 million in 2015 alone to fund programs that promote regime change in the socialist island of Cuba through the U.S. agency National Endowment for Democracy, data compiled by journalist Tracey Eaton revealed, issued Wednesday by Along the Malecon.

Cuban youth are the main target of such funding, followed by communications, with US$2 million, and political activities in communities, with US$673,362.

The organization that received the highest amount of money was the Cuban Democratic Directorate, which has been leading destabilization attempts for 25 years from Miami.

The newspapers most funded by Barack Obama’s administration was Diario de Cuba and Cubanet.

The NED was created by the administration of former U.S. president Ronald Reagan in 1983 and operates as a foundation that provides grants for “democracy promotion.” The foundation is structured as an umbrella with business flavor.

In many ways the NED resembles previous CIA efforts in the 1950s, 60s and 70s to provide mostly public money for secret operations aimed to bolster pro-U.S. governments and movements abroad.

It houses four other organizations reflecting U.S. sectoral and party interest: the U.S. labor-affiliated American Center for International Labor Solidarity; the Chamber of Commerce-linked Center for International Private Enterprise; and the other two, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and the International Republican Institute reflect Democrat and Republican affiliations respectively.

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