Corruption is the biggest threat to Cuba says academic

Esteban Morales - a historian who has written extensively on Washington's long-running subversion campaign against Havana - wrote: "Corruption is much more dangerous than so-called internal dissent.

"The latter is isolated, with no mass support, but corruption is truly counterrevolutionary because it comes from within the government and the state apparatus."

In the opinion piece, which appeared on the website of the state National Artists and Writers Union of Cuba, Mr Morales alleges that "there are people in government and state positions who are preparing a financial assault in the event that the revolution falls.

"Others likely have everything ready to produce the transfer of state property into private hands, like what happened in the former Soviet Union," he warned.

His article coincided with the government's announcement of 750 inspections and audits to be carried out "at random" from next Monday to May 22 by the comptroller-general's office.