Salazar Reintroduces Legislation to Keep Cuban Regime on the State Sponsors of Terrorism List

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Chairwoman María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) reintroduced the Fighting Oppression until the Reign of Castro Ends (FORCE) Act, legislation that would prevent any U.S. administration from normalizing relations with the Cuban dictatorship until liberty and democracy are restored to the Cuban people.

Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Carlos A. Giménez (R-FL), Keith Self (R-TX), John Rutherford (R-FL), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Ryan Zinke (R-MT), Cory Mills (R-FL), Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), Randy Weber (R-TX), Scott Franklin (R-FL), Ann Wagner (R-MO), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Steve Womack (R-AR), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Mike Lawler (R-NY) also cosponsored the bill.

Sadly, the Biden Administration just took an unthinkable action in support of the communist Cuban Dictatorship. In response to their shameful decision to remove the State Sponsors of Terrorism designation from the Cuban regime, it is more vital than ever to ensure dictator Miguel Díaz-Canel does not have the economic oxygen he needs to continue repressing the Cuban people ahead of President Trump’s inauguration.

“It is clear that with President Biden’s betrayal of the Cuban community on the island and in exile, the need to keep the regime on the State Sponsors of Terrorism List until freedom is restored is more necessary than ever,” said Chairwoman Salazar. “I am proud to reintroduce the FORCE Act to ensure no other President can unilaterally violate our nation’s established policies in such a grotesque manner.”

The FORCE Act prevents the Cuban communist regime from being removed from the State Sponsor of Terrorism List until they meet the requirements of Section 205 of the LIBERTAD Act (P.L. 104-114). Section 205 of the LIBERTAD Act requires Cuba to comply with the following conditions:

• Release all political prisoners and allow for investigations of Cuban prisons by appropriate international human rights organizations.
• Transition away from the Castro regime to a system that guarantees the rights of the Cuban people to express themselves freely.
• Commit to holding free and fair elections.

These are the same requirements that must be met to lift the embargo and accompanying sanctions towards the regime. In other words, this bill forces the regime to comply with existing U.S. law.

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