The administration of President Joe Biden justified on Tuesday the controversial visit of Cuban officials to Miami International Airport (MIA), stating that it was an exchange between professionals to promote civil aviation security in both countries.
A State Department official expressed this to Martí Noticias, indicating that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) works closely with its Cuban counterparts in this specific area.
"This implies that the TSA will inspect Cuban airports to certify their capacity to accommodate flights to the United States and occasional reciprocal visits from the Cuban Ministry of Transportation to U.S. airports to discuss best practices," the official stated via email.
Additionally, he pointed out that the TSA, in cooperation with the State Department, is responsible for coordinating these visits in accordance with the relevant authorities and procedures. However, officials from Miami-Dade County, which shares the management of MIA with federal authorities, expressed concern about a situation they were not informed about.
In statements to journalist and influencer Enrique Santos, host of the 97.7 Latino station, the chief of public safety of Miami-Dade County and candidate for sheriff, James Reyes, expressed his concern about a visit by Cuban regime officials that was not reported to the county authorities.
I can tell you that I am obviously very outraged as the son of a political prisoner and surprised that someone thought that was a good idea, especially on Cuba's Independence Day," Reyes said in an interview with Santos.
The county official stated that "no one in the County knew about this visit" and explained that there are areas of the MIA that are not under its jurisdiction, but rather that of federal authorities. "Although the airport belongs to the County, there are areas managed by the federal government to which our employees do not have access, such as TSA".
"Clearly, the decision came from Washington, from the State Department," Fuentes stated, considering that the visit of officials from the Cuban communist regime on such a significant date "insults our exile."
On the other hand, the State Department official who provided statements to Martí Noticias said that the TSA has been conducting frequent airport assessments in Cuba since 2003, and that Cuba began sending occasional reciprocal visits to the United States in 2011 and continued during the administration of President Donald Trump until today.
He also expressed that "aviation security is clearly a matter of national interest" and that "given the proximity of Cuba and the existence of direct flights to and from both countries, US and Cuban authorities must collaborate while each works to ensure the safety of travelers at airports."
As we have repeatedly pointed out, we will communicate with the Cuban government when it is in the national interest of the United States," the State Department stated.
On the other hand, a TSA spokesperson told the aforementioned media outlet that "Cuban officials did not have access to sensitive technology or systems."
"They received an overview of TSA security operations, including the equipment that anyone inspected at the checkpoint can see, demonstrating best practices in civil aviation security, so that Cuba may consider implementing similar measures with similar systems," he explained.
Additionally, he added that the agency regularly works with all countries with direct flights to the United States and welcomes government officials and members of the aviation community at U.S. airports to promote a strong global aviation security posture.
Reactions between lawmakers and Cuban-American activists.
The visit, which took place a few days after the Biden administration removed Cuba from a list of countries that "do not fully cooperate" with counterterrorism efforts (although it remains on the list of state sponsors of terrorism), did not sit well with Cuban-American politicians and activists.
As I warned, removing Cuba from the list of countries that 'do not fully cooperate' against terrorism would bring consequences. And we are already seeing the first one. The fact that Cuban officials toured highly sensitive areas for national security at Miami Airport shows the dangerous path that the Biden Administration is taking," said Cuban-American congresswoman María Elvira Salazar.
For the Republican representative from Florida, the current administration "will not stop until it eliminates the Cuban regime from the other list, that of State Sponsors of Terrorism." Faced with that possibility, she added that she will continue "pushing my FORCE Act in Congress, so that any President can remove Cuba from the terrorism list only when there is democracy on the Island."
The discontent was also expressed by Republican congressman from Florida, Carlos Giménez, who stated on the social network X that he would hold the Biden administration responsible for allowing this visit. He emphasized it was a "pathetic and dangerous decision."
The Republican Mario Díaz-Balart said that what happened "is absolutely reckless and dangerous," and "endangers" the national security of the United States. "We need immediate answers about the authorization of this visit," he asserted.
"Only under the Biden administration would a terrorist regime be allowed to enter our secure facilities, at one of the busiest airports in the United States," said Senator Marco Rubio, Republican from Florida.
The Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Daniella Levine Cava, said that the news surprised her. "Like many in our community, I was surprised to learn that a Cuban delegation was invited to visit the facilities of the Transportation Security Administration at Miami International Airport," she said in a statement. She also mentioned that the Miami-Dade Aviation Department had not been informed.
The exile activist, Ramón Saúl Sánchez, president of the Democracy Movement, wrote on social media that President Biden had harmed "national security" of the United States and offended "the Cuban community on Independence Day."
Last year, a similar visit organized by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State to the Coast Guard barracks sparked protest from Cuban-American congressmen. At that time, the Department of State pointed out that even under President Donald Trump's administration, similar meetings between officials from both countries occurred.
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