Congressmen of Cuban origin, political leaders and opposition activists urged this Tuesday in Miami President Donald Trump’s Administration to suspend the licenses that allow the export of luxury products to Cuba – such as jacuzzis, jet skis or Ferraris – considering that they benefit the island’s “regime” and “betray” the Cuban people.
The Republican congressman for Florida, Carlos Giménez, stressed that EFE that it is important that the federal government, which grants these licenses, restricts them because they make the United States “complicit” in oppression in Cuba.
The Republican criticized that luxury items, such as high-end vehicles – Ferraris or Jaguars – and even trucks and other industrial products, such as refrigerators from China that transit through the United States, are not “humanitarian” and, on the contrary, contribute to strengthening the “repression” of the Cuban government.
In a press conference in the Port of Miami, the congressman, accompanied by exile leaders such as José Daniel Ferrer, Rosa María Payá and Orlando Gutiérrez, pointed out that together with legislators María Elvira Salazar and Mario Díaz-Balart they sent a letter to the Trump Government asking to cut “the financial or material benefits to companies controlled by the Cuban regime.”
Florida congressmen demand revoking licenses of US companies doing business with Cuba
Food and medicine, yes; jacuzzis and luxury cars, no
Dariel Fernández, Miami-Dade County tax collector, noted at the press conference that his office reviewed export licenses to Cuba and that not all authorized products benefit the Cuban people.
Food, medicine and essential goods do help, but luxury cars, recreational equipment, jet skis, hot tubs and other high-consumption products do not meet that goal, he said.
“We identified that some federal licenses granted to certain companies authorize the export of goods that go far beyond basic humanitarian needs,” he said.
In the letter, sent to the Treasury and Commerce departments, the congressmen demand “a complete and immediate review to deny any license that allows US persons or entities to do business with the Cuban regime, designated by the United States as State Sponsor of Terrorism.”
Miami also proposes investigating local businesses that have ties to the Government of Cuba
By royal embargo
For Congresswoman Salazar, “US law is clear: sanctions exist to deny economic support to the Cuban dictatorship until real democratic change occurs.”
The Republican, of Cuban origin, urged the Trump Administration in a statement to review and revoke any license that directly or indirectly benefits entities controlled by the regime and strengthen the scrutiny of future licenses.
The representative called for compliance with the FREEDOM Act, in reference to the Helms-Burton Act of 1996, which strengthened the US embargo against Cuba and turned it into federal law, limiting a president from lifting it without Congress.
Giménez reiterated that President Trump’s actions have brought the communist regime in Cuba closer to collapse and insisted on “closing all sources of income that the regime uses to repress the Cuban people, including the flow of Venezuelan oil, flights, remittances and businesses that send luxury products.”
In his second term, Trump has reinforced pressure on Cuba through new restrictions on the flow of income to the island, including greater controls and limitations on remittances, the reduction or suspension of certain air routes and travel licenses.
Added to this are measures aimed at hindering the supply of oil and other energy support to the Cuban government, particularly after the events of January 3 in Venezuela, with the declared objective of cutting off sources of financing and fuel to Havana.
