Madrid/In a new message to the Cuban community of Miami-Dade, the Miami-Dade Tax Collector, Dariel Fernández, has warned County entrepreneurs that his office will be more attentive than ever to those who sell with Cuba without the relevant federal authorization. “We know who they are and where they are,” he says.
“As Miami-Dade County Tax Collector, I will not tolerate the businesses that try to benefit illegally participating in trade with the Communist dictatorship of Cuba,” he warned in his Facebook account. In the message, Fernández recalls that “the law of Florida and the Miami-Dade County Code are clear” and that who “collaborates” with the regime faces the consequences.
“Our county will never be a shelter for the accomplices of tyranny. It is about defending freedom, protecting our residents and ensuring that no one enriches itself by betraying the values we represent,” he says in a post in which he shares a letter in which he affirms that he already has identified several offenders to whom his office will begin to send “letters” in the coming weeks.
“It’s about defending freedom, protecting our residents and ensuring that no one enriches itself by betraying the values we represent,”
Although it has not specified the content of these missives, it follows from the text that there will first be a notice so that those who allegedly violate the law stop doing so. “If you don’t comply, our unit will begin to close these businesses,” he says.
Fernández, born in Havana and chosen for his position, which he has held since January, has not given any clue what businesses are, what they do or how many are, but ensures that there are companies that trade with Cuba without the relevant authorization of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and that this situation must end. “This has been happening too long, but the time to act is now,” he says.
According to the legislation of Miami-Dade County and a statute from Florida, the tax collector cannot investigate or act against the violations of sanctions against Cuba, since it is a faculty of the federal authorities. But it can sanction the businesses involved in this type of activity.
“If a business in Miami-Dade County or the State of Florida is not complying with federal laws, we are the ones who generate the premises Business Taxwe can revoke that license to business, “Fernández told the Miami press.
Alex Penelas, a political analyst at Telemundo 51, attributed this announcement to the fact that the tax collector has become chosen by voters in Miami-Dade, something that did not happen before. In his opinion, the regulations before did not apply rigorously, but this can now change that the head of the office is due to its voters. The message is also a wink to the Cuban American community, which requires measures against those who do business with the Cuban regime.
The message is also a wink to the Cuban American community, which requires measures against those who do business with the Cuban regime
The Republican representative of Florida, Carlos Giménez, who thanked the collector for his initiative. “Thanks to my dear friend, our intrepid tax collector, for exposing the facade businesses of the Castro regime in Miami-Dade County. We must demand responsibilities to these criminals!” He said in his profile of X.
For its part, Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar has asked the Secretary of State and the Treasury Secretary to investigate the companies that negotiate with Cuba.
The OFAC has the power to grant licenses that allow commercial and financial transactions prohibited by the US embargo to Cuba. In recent years, among the most controversial concessions, the authorizations agreed to several companies dedicated to vehicle export, which has allowed the value of sales for that concept to the island to reach more than 74.5 million dollars, including luxury cars such as Mercedes and Tesla.
Companies authorized by the Federal Government may continue to operate, but, according to Fernández, it ended up turning a blind eye with those who did without permission.
