Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing a political storm as her early ties to a pro-Communist group are dragged back into the spotlight amid fiery protests in her city.
The controversy centers on Bass’s youthful involvement with the Venceremos Brigade, a far-left outfit with historic links to Cuban intelligence, now tied to a financial network connected to the Chinese Communist Party that’s fueling unrest in L.A. As reported by Just the News, this past affiliation is raising eyebrows as the city grapples with violent demonstrations.
Decades ago, Bass was a prominent figure in the Venceremos Brigade, a group formed in 1969 to support Cuba’s Communist revolution by organizing trips to the island in defiance of U.S. travel bans. The brigade, which Bass reportedly joined as a teenager and visited Cuba multiple times with, was described by U.S. intelligence as a tool of Cuban espionage aimed at influencing American radicals.
FBI reports from the 1970s, later cited in various outlets, alleged that the brigade was under the control of Cuba’s Intelligence Directorate, with goals to place sympathizers in positions of power within the U.S. government. A 1976 document even claimed some members received training in guerrilla tactics, though Bass has denied any such involvement on her part. It’s a curious footnote—apparently, cutting sugarcane was just a cover for deeper ideological sowing.
Bass herself has admitted to making eight trips to Cuba, though she framed them as educational, focused on building houses and understanding Cuban society. She’s been quick to distance herself from any military or terrorist links, once telling a reporter, “No one ever came in contact with the Cuban military or received any type of military training.” Well, that’s a relief, though the FBI’s old files might beg to differ.
Fast forward to today, and the Venceremos Brigade hasn’t faded into obscurity—it’s now fiscally sponsored by The People’s Forum, a Manhattan-based Communist organization tied to a broader Marxist financial network led by businessman Neville Singham. This network, including groups like the Party for Socialism and Liberation, is actively organizing protests in Los Angeles against U.S. immigration enforcement policies. Talk about old ghosts haunting new streets.
These protests, some of which have turned violent, have put Bass in a tough spot as mayor, with federal forces stepping in to restore order. President Trump recently took to Truth Social, declaring, “If I didn’t ‘SEND IN THE TROOPS’ to Los Angeles the last three nights, that once beautiful and great City would be burning to the ground right now.” Bass, unsurprisingly, called the federalization of the National Guard “completely unwarranted,” arguing it would only inflame tensions further.
Let’s rewind a bit—Bass’s past with the brigade isn’t just a dusty history lesson; it’s been a recurring thorn in her political side. When considered as a potential running mate for President Joe Biden in 2020, her Cuban connections and past praise for Fidel Castro as “Comandante en Jefe” drew sharp criticism. She later expressed regret for the term, admitting, “Lesson learned. Wouldn’t do that again.”
Her attempts to downplay these ties have been persistent, with Bass telling NBC in 2020, “In my early twenties, I went to Cuba to help the Cuban people, to build houses.” That’s a noble spin, but when your old crew is linked to groups like the Weather Underground—a radical outfit responsible for bombings in the 1970s—one wonders if “house-building” tells the whole story.
The brigade’s current affiliations only deepen the intrigue, as The People’s Forum has actively promoted their efforts through events, fundraisers, and public campaigns against U.S. policies toward Cuba. From film screenings to holiday markets, the forum has worked to keep the brigade’s mission alive, often criticizing American foreign policy in the process. It’s a well-oiled machine of dissent, and Bass’s name remains historically tied to its origins.
Adding fuel to the fire, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, another player in this Marxist network, has lauded the brigade’s work while organizing protests in L.A. and beyond. Their propaganda arm, Liberation News, has published numerous articles celebrating the brigade’s defiance of U.S. travel restrictions to Cuba. It’s almost as if history is staging a comeback tour right in Bass’s backyard.
Critics, including conservative think tanks like the Capital Research Center, question why a group with such controversial ties avoids standard nonprofit transparency while accepting tax-deductible contributions through fiscal sponsors. Shouldn’t there be more scrutiny when an organization linked to foreign influence peddles its agenda on American soil? It’s a fair ask, especially when protests disrupt a major city.
Bass’s defenders argue her past was a product of youthful idealism, not a blueprint for her current leadership, and a spokesperson in 2020 dismissed concerns about her brigade role as overblown. Yet, as mayor, she’s navigating a city under strain from protests partly orchestrated by groups tied to her old associates. It’s a political tightrope that would make even the most seasoned acrobat sweat.
Historical assessments, like those from ex-CIA officer David Atlee Phillips in 1982, paint the brigade as a covert operation to undermine American society, with Phillips noting it as “one of the most successful covert political operations in modern history.” That’s a heavy charge, and while Bass may not bear personal blame, the optics of her early affiliations aren’t exactly a campaign poster dream.
Ultimately, the saga of Karen Bass and the Venceremos Brigade serves as a reminder that past choices can echo loudly in the present, especially when public safety and national interests are at stake. As Los Angeles wrestles with unrest, the mayor’s challenge is to prove that her leadership today isn’t colored by the radical hues of yesteryear. It’s a tall order, but in politics, history rarely stays buried for long.
