Castro Saved Reagan from assassination in 1984

This is an interesting story. MSNBC reports that an essay published Wednesday in the Communist Party newspaper Granma says that the Cuban government gave information to the American FBI that headed off an attempt on President Reagan's life in 1984.

The only source for this information is the Cuban newspaper report, but it states that

Castro said Cuban authorities learned the FBI had arrested several people in North Carolina and he said several days after that Robert C. Muller, the U.S. security chief at the U.N., expressed America’s thanks to the Cuban official over lunch. Castro didn’t identify the Cuban official.

Reagan visited Charlotte on a campaign stop Oct. 8, 1984, accompanied by Sen. Jesse Helms, and he attended a reception for local Republican leaders, according to Reagan’s presidential papers.

So far this is the plot for a thriller, and little more. Current FBI special agents in North Carolina have released no acknowledgement that they are aware of such an event.

It looks to me like there are at least two significant questions about this report beyond just its veracity. The first is, assuming the event occurred, why would the Cubans warn the U.S.? My bet would be fear of being blamed for it. American reaction to the assassination of Reagan could have been as extreme and irrational as the invasion of Iraq following 9/11.

Second, and more interesting, is why put out this information now? My bet here is that they are attempting to improve the public relations between Cuba and the U.S. in anticipation of Castro's death. A worst case scenario for that would be if the Cuban Exiles (who still train in South Florida for an invasion of Cuba) were to attempt to take over the Cuban government when Castro dies, and they are trying to get American public opinion on their side well in advance of such an eventuality.

Just guessing. I have no real information on the background to this report.