Duval Times

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) has called on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to update and expand the Cuba Restricted Entities List. The list, which was first published in 2017, aims to prevent transactions with entities affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) and the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR), which have been responsible for numerous human rights abuses against the Cuban people.

Rubio's letter to Blinken highlights the need to address the growing number of entities that have emerged since the list was last updated in 2021. He notes that the Cuban dictator, Díaz-Canel, and members of the Cuban military have taken advantage of this gap to create new entities that bypass existing sanctions and engage in transactions with American private industries.

"There is no reason for Americans to be complicit in the ongoing human rights violations against the Cuban people," Rubio states in his letter. "I urge you to immediately update the List of Restricted Entities and Subentities Associated with Cuba in order to account for new hotels and facilities opened since January 2021 and close this glaring gap in our nation’s sanctions policy on the communist regime in Cuba."

The letter also highlights a specific example of how the current restrictions have been circumvented. Norah Jones, a singer, plans to visit Cuba in February 2024 and stay at the Grand Aston Hotel in Havana. This hotel, owned by the Cuban regime, was opened in 2022, after the list was last updated. As a result, it falls outside the scope of the Restricted Entities List and allows for financial support to be funneled to the oppressive regime.

In his letter, Rubio emphasizes the importance of addressing this issue promptly. He notes that MININT and MINFAR operate hotels, tourism agencies, marinas, stores, and financial institutions to finance their oppressive apparatus. By updating the Restricted Entities List, the United States can prevent American citizens from unknowingly contributing to the ongoing repression, detention, and torture of the Cuban people.

Rubio's letter concludes by thanking Secretary Blinken for his attention to this matter and urging immediate action to close the gap in the nation's sanctions policy on the communist regime in Cuba.

The call for an update to the Cuban Restricted Entities List comes at a crucial time when human rights abuses continue to persist in Cuba. By addressing this issue, the United States can send a strong message of support for the Cuban people and hold the regime accountable for its actions.

To learn more, click on this link: https://www.rubio.senate.gov/rubio-presses-blinken-to-update-cuban-regimes-restricted-entities-list/