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Restoring Tough-on-Cuba Policy at State Department


(FILE) Cuban and American flags fly in the wind outside the American embassy in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, Jan.14, 2025.
(FILE) Cuban and American flags fly in the wind outside the American embassy in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, Jan.14, 2025.

"The Cuban regime has long supported acts of international terrorism. We call for the regime to end its support for terrorism," said Secretary Rubio.

Restoring Tough-on-Cuba Policy at State Department
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The Trump administration is ramping up pressure on the communist regime oppressing the island nation of Cuba. That’s why “the State Department took decisive action to rescind major last-minute policy changes on Cuba announced by the previous administration on January 14,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement.

President Donald Trump acted on his first day in office to keep Cuba on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list, “where it belongs,” said Secretary Rubio. “The Cuban regime has long supported acts of international terrorism. We call for the regime to end its support for terrorism, and to stop providing food, housing, and medical care to foreign murderers, bombmakers, and hijackers, while Cubans go hungry and lack access to basic medicine.”

The Trump Administration is committed to Americans having the ability to bring private rights of action involving trafficked property confiscated by the Cuban regime.

“On January 31, I approved the re-creation of the Cuba Restricted List,” said Secretary Rubio, “which prohibits certain transactions with companies under the control of, or acting for or on behalf of, the repressive Cuban military, intelligence, or security services or personnel.”

The State Department is re-issuing the Cuba Restricted List to deny resources to the branches of the Cuban regime that directly oppress and surveil the Cuban people while controlling large swaths of the country’s economy. “In addition to restoring the entities that were on the list until the final week of the previous administration,” said Secretary Rubio, “we are adding Orbit, S.A., a remittance-processing company operating for or on behalf of the Cuban military.”

“The State Department promotes accountability for the Cuban regime for oppressing its people and rejects Cuba’s malign interference across the Americas and throughout the world,” said Secretary Rubio. “We support the Cuban people’s human rights and fundamental freedoms and demand the release of all unjustly detained political prisoners.”

The U.S. Embassy staff in Havana is meeting with families of those unjustly detained, as well as dissidents, so that they know the United States wholeheartedly supports them, said Secretary Rubio. “We are steadfast in our commitment to the Cuban people and promote accountability for the Cuban regime’s actions.”

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