Vic Mellor uses AI for Cuba communication strategy

Vic Mellor, a Republican congressional candidate from Rhode Island, has disclosed that his communication strategy regarding Cuba was developed using artificial intelligence. Mellor previously registered with the Department of Justice’s Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) unit as an agent for Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior (MININT), the agency responsible for protecting Communist Party leaders.

Mellor’s FARA filing identifies Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, the grandson of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, as his contact. Mellor maintains that the registration was a legal precaution stemming from his past professional association with retired General Michael Flynn and asserts he has had no contact with the Cuban government since his trip to the island in May.

The registration documents included proposals for a social media campaign under the hashtag #PartnerWithCuba, which required a Cuban contact to have veto power over content. Mellor stated that his trip to Cuba, which included delivering medical supplies and visiting hospitals and churches, was motivated by a desire to engage with the country despite political pressure.