Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing criticism over the timing of her recent overseas trip to Ghana, and budget cuts that hampered the city’s fire department from doing its job amid the ongoing citywide blaze. The mayor’s poorly timed foreign travel has raised questions about her priorities and similar past trips.
One of the most interesting chapters of Bass’ political career and international travel involves her past excursions to communist Cuba. The former U.S. congresswoman turned metropolitan mayor played a significant role with the Venceremos Brigade —a group linked to Cuba’s communist regime.
In the 1970s, Bass participated in the Venceremos Brigade, traveling to Cuba as a young political activist. She was described as a leader of the group in a 1975 communist publication, according to Politico, although her office has denied she ever had that role.
In fact, according to a report published by Tablet Magazine, Bass led the movement’s Southern California operations. In fact, an October 1975 edition of the communist Daily World newspaper described Bass as the “leader of the Venceremos Brigade in southern California.”
Another Ph.D. dissertation documented her as “a ‘brigadista’ and then organizer for the Venceremos Brigades,” saying “Karen visited Cuba every 6 months.”