Salazar Praises Action to Stop Mexico Supplying Free Fuel to Cuban Regime

October 6, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) sent a letter congratulating U.S. Export-Import Bank Chairwoman Reta Jo Lewis for denying an $800 million loan to Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) over the Mexican government’s policy of supplying free fuel to the Cuban regime.

With Mexico sending free oil to Cuba, they are directly bankrolling the Cuban regime’s oppression of its people.

“The President of Mexico is using Pemex as a charity for dictators,” wrote Rep. Salazar. “This decision by the Export-Import Bank is an example to the rest of the United States government on how to stand for human rights in our hemisphere. What a relief to see at least one agency is still interested in enforcing American law against the Castro/Díaz-Canel Regime.”

Since taking office in 2018, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) has displayed an accommodating attitude towards the Cuban regime. Aside from rolling out the red carpet for Miguel Díaz-Canel in 2021 and hosting trafficked Cuban doctors, AMLO’s government also committed to sending free fuel to prop up the regime.

Estimates for this year show that the Mexican government will send over $200 million in free fuel to Havana. As Pemex runs the risk of bankruptcy, the AMLO government prioritizes bailouts for communist dictatorships over solvency. This threatens to turn PEMEX into the next PDVSA, the bankrupt state-run oil company owned by the Maduro regime in Venezuela.

To counter pro-Cuba economic overtures abroad, the Export-Import Bank made the decision to cancel $800 million in loans to Pemex. While this is a commendable move by the Export-Import Bank Board of Directors, the Biden Administration must remain vigilant. The Mexican government has said it is considering selling fuel to the Cuban regime instead of donating it. Any contributions by the United States government towards entities who do business with the Cuban regime violate the Helms-Burton LIBERTAD Act.

For the full text of the letter, click HERE.

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