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Fact check: THE SOUTH LOS ANGELES VENCEREMOS BRIGADE WAS FOUNDED BY THE COMMUNIST DEMOCRAT LOS ANGELES Mayor karen bass
1. Summary of the results
The analyses reveal that Karen Bass was indeed involved with the Venceremos Brigade, a radical Cuban communist organization, but the evidence does not support the claim that she founded the South Los Angeles chapter. Multiple sources confirm that Bass participated in the Venceremos Brigade and traveled to Cuba in 1973 [1] [2]. One source specifically states that she "led the Southern California cell of the organization in the 1970s" [3], but this describes leadership rather than founding.
The Venceremos Brigade itself was founded in 1969 [4], operating as a "socialist-inspired group that operated from the United States and promoted solidarity with Cuba during the 1970s" [5]. The organization was investigated by the FBI and collected "thousands of pages of files on its activities" [6]. Bass is consistently described as a "notable brigadista" [5] who has "praised Fidel Castro in the past" [2].
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
The original statement omits crucial historical context about the broader scope and timeline of the Venceremos Brigade. The organization was not a local Los Angeles creation but rather a national movement that began in 1969, predating Bass's documented involvement [4]. The group organized trips to Cuba for "manual labor and political education" and was "associated with several prominent left-wing academics and activists" beyond just Bass [4].
The analyses also reveal that Bass's involvement has become a recurring political controversy. Her "Cuban past resurfaces amid protests against ICE raids" [1], suggesting that political opponents benefit from highlighting these historical associations during times of political tension. Conservative media outlets like The Federalist frame her as a "Fidel Castro Acolyte" who is "no stranger to orchestrating organized chaos" [3], while her supporters likely benefit from downplaying these connections.
The FBI's extensive surveillance of the Venceremos Brigade [6] adds important context about how seriously federal authorities took the organization's activities during the Cold War era.
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The statement contains significant factual inaccuracies. Most critically, none of the sources provide evidence that Bass founded the South Los Angeles Venceremos Brigade. While she "led the Southern California cell" [3], leadership and founding are distinctly different roles. The sources consistently describe her as a participant or leader, not as a founder.
The inflammatory language calling her a "COMMUNIST DEMOCRAT" appears designed to maximize political damage rather than provide factual information. This framing benefits political opponents who seek to discredit Bass by emphasizing her radical past associations.
The statement also conflates her current role as Los Angeles Mayor with her 1970s activism, creating a misleading impression about when these activities occurred. Her involvement with the Venceremos Brigade happened decades before her political career, yet the statement presents it as if her mayoral position is directly connected to founding a communist organization.