Exclusive: The only Cuban-born member of Congress calls on the Trump administration to “starves the administration” in Havana by blocking out some of the last economic lifelines associated with the US
R-Fla’s Rep. Carlos Guimenez returned to the island for the first time in 64 years as part of a congressional delegation to Guantanamo Bay, but said there are still many ways Americans can accidentally support the administration despite decades of economic embargo and travel restrictions.
On Thursday, Gimenez wrote to Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent, demanding a “suspension of all travel” between the island and a ban on transfers from US citizens to relatives or friends there.
Gimenez told Fox News Digital that the government of dictator Miguel Diaz-Canel will cut remittances significantly, and how the US government should consider how to turn economic screws into government.
The Cuban-born person talks about his emotional return to Cuba for the first time in 64 years
Former President Barack Obama, left, dictator Raul Castro. (Getty)
“The Cuban administration is a terrorist sponsor of a listed state, embracing criminal fugitives of American justice, and prevents a clear threat to the safety of the United States and our citizens,” Gimenes writes to Bescent.
“You know, this issue is one of the most important things to the Cuban American community and the millions of Americans who have liberty, democracy and human rights as our guiding principles.”
He praised President Donald Trump for reversing the Obama-era “disastrous reconciliation” policy that allowed some sunlight between Havana and Washington.
Former President Barack Obama visited with his then-leader, Raul Castro, and as a result, a famous photo of Castro hugged Obama’s arms awkwardly, laughing in his public appearance.
“We praise and welcome the administration’s recent policy banning vessels arriving from communist Cuba in US ports, but we must do more. I encourage the secretary to take prompt and decisive action in halting all trips with communist Cuba and eliminating the flow of remittances to the island,” Gimenez said.
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“The Cuban murderous dictatorship is on life support. The administration can’t even turn on the lights, and America must stand up to defeat this pathetic gang along with the Cuban people.
“There’s a lot of travel going on between Cuba and the US,” Guimenes said when asked how strong the current restrictions are.
“All you have to do is go to MIA and you’ll see all sorts of flights from the US to Cuba. It needs to be stopped.”
A partial travel ban is not sufficient, he said, as the administration always finds loopholes to exploit – and if there are exceptions to what he is seeking, Rubio will be the right official to judge their viability.
He said a lot of money flows, especially in the form of transfers from Miami-Dade to Cuba every year.
“So these are basically efforts to starve the administration. Often, when there’s a flight from Miami to Cuba, many of those people are ingesting goods and products,” he said. “The administration cannot even supply electricity to its people. It has to fail on its own weight. America cannot provide more oxygen to its administration.”
Gimenez added that there may be short-term pain in Miami and elsewhere, but there are “long-term benefits” that potentially accelerate the collapse of the Castro/Diaz Cannell government, which has been separated from US trade since 1959.
When asked why Cuba appears to be treated differently from other official terrorist sponsors like Iran and Afghanistan, Gimenez said the families of numerous Cuban refugees living in the United States and Florida and beyond create different dynamics.
“Many families in Miami and the US try to help them [Cuba-resident] Family and friends want to visit occasionally whenever possible. ”
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“But I’ve never been – [until] A month ago, at Guantanamo. I have never returned to visit my family. I have never sent a penny to Cuba for anything while in the US. Over 60 years. ”
“There are different situations for different people, but now it’s time to say enough.”
Charles Kraitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.
He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.
Charles covers the media, politics and culture of Fox News Digital.
Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.
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