Bureau for the Repression of Communist Activities
Secret police force in 1950s Cuba under Fulgencio Batista
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bureau for the Repression of Communist Activities (Spanish: Buró para Represión de las Actividades Comunistas, BRAC) was a secret police agency maintained by Cuban President Fulgencio Batista in the 1950s, which gained a reputation for brutality in its fight against the 26th of July Movement.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Buró para Represión de las Actividades Comunistas | |
Logo of the BRAC featuring the Cuban coat of arms | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 1955 |
| Dissolved | c. 1958 |
| Type | Secret police |
The bureau was headed by former Nazi hunter Mariano Faget, who previously served as director of the counter-espionage unit Enemy Activities Investigation Service (Servicio de Investigación de las Actividades Enemigas)[a] from 1940 to 1944.
On Dec. 7, 1955, BRAC agents fired upon an anti-Batista demonstration held by the Federation of University of Students in Havana. Several demonstrators, including Camilo Cienfuegos, were wounded when the police opened fire on the crowd.[6]
The development of BRAC was aided and encouraged by the CIA starting in 1956.
Explanatory notes
- Also called the Officina, Buró or Sección de Investigación de Actividades Enemigas.
