Rep. Salazar’s HR 314 Will Keep Cuban Communist Regime On State Sponsor of Terrorism List

“Cuba ought to be free and independent, and the government should be turned over to the Cuban people.” – William McKinley 

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar represents Florida’s 27th Congressional district, which includes the city of Miami and its surrounding suburbs and beaches. Salazar is a member of the House Foreign Affairs and Small Business Committees. 

Earlier this year, Rep. Salazar reintroduced H.R. 314, the ‘Fighting Oppression until the Reign of Castro Ends Act’. If enacted, this bill would stop the Biden admin. from normalizing relations with Cuba unless freedom and democracy are restored on the island. Specifically, the bill 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). 

Excerpts:  

Recently, the House Foreign Affairs Committee held a markup hearing to deliberate on bill, the ‘FORCE Act.’ If enacted into law, the FORCE Act would prohibit any U.S. President and the Secretary of State from removing Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terror until the conditions outlined in the ‘LIBERTAD Act‘ of 1996 are met. 

These conditions would require the Cuban regime to: 

• 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. 

Make no mistake: The Cuban regime actively exports terror around the world and Latin America. Having a communist dictatorship just 90 miles away from the Florida shores is a threat that must be addressed head on. 

The bill passed the Committee with bipartisan support is now expected to be sent to the floor of the House of Representatives. 

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From Havana Times: 

• Breakdown of Cuba’s Latest “Elections”  
• Cuba Has Become a Critical and Plural Society  
• The “Elections” Over, Trash Piles Up in the Streets of Cuba  

Related: 

• Brave & Bold Writers At The Havana Times Independent News Source In Communist Cuba  
• Florida Senators & House Reps Denounce Cuban Regime, Resolution Against Hillsborough County Officials For Cuban Meeting  
• Florida Sen. Rubio Demands Biden Admin Cancel Cuban Regime’s U.S. Visit  

SEN. RICK SCOTT (R-FL): “As the Cuban people take to the streets to call for freedom and democracy, and an end to the brutal, illegitimate communist Cuban regime, the United States must stand with these brave freedom fighters. The communist regime is terrified of the Cuban people, trying to cut off their communication with each other and the rest of the world and doing everything in its power to prevent them from shedding light on the regime’s oppression and atrocities. The time for President Biden to review his Cuba policy is over – we need to take immediate action to implement all technology to facilitate the free flow of information to and from the island, and amplify the voices of the Cuban people by passing this amendment.” (Sen. Rubio, Press Release, 8/10/2021) 

SEN. RUBIO: “Across the island of Cuba, we are witnessing an unprecedented and organic moment. Sixty-two years of misery, censorship, repression and socialist lies have boiled over into grassroots protests by the Cuban people across the nation. In provinces ranging from Havana to Pinar del Río, Holguín, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Camagüey, Santiago de Cuba and other municipalities, Cubans are peacefully protesting the brutal communist dictatorship of Raúl Castro and his puppet president Miguel Díaz-Canel. In the United States, however, many have so far failed to understand what has truly driven the Cuban people to stand up to decades of oppression. President Biden remained silent over the weekend while one senior State Department official laughably attributed the protests to ‘concern about rising COVID cases/deaths & medicine shortages.’” (Sen. Rubio, Op-Ed, “Listen To Cuba’s Protesters – It’s Not About COVID, It’s About Freedom And Repression,” Fox News, 07/13/2021) 

Townhall 2021: Flashback: Democrat Praise for Cuba’s Communist Regime  

What can you do?

Pray daily for the the Cuban citizens and for democracy. Contact your state representatives. Vote for politicians that speak out for freedom for Cuba and an end to tyranny and communism. 

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