The Cuban-American police officer residing in the U.S., Sergio Rodríguez Beristain, criticized the recent proposal by Congressman Carlos Giménez, who requested that the Donald Trump administration ban flights and remittances to the island.
Rodríguez Beristain indicated that this is a measure that has been tried in the past without any success in toppling the regime, and that the only thing it has accomplished is to bring more hardships to ordinary Cubans.
"This is like raining on wet ground. It's like a car skidding in the mud—it moves, but doesn't make any progress [...] What are they going to achieve with that? This was done years ago," he said in a video posted on his Facebook profile.
Rodríguez regrets that, instead of impacting the political power on the island, this strategy will continue to affect the most vulnerable sectors in Cuba.
“It's simply not going to work, why? Because the only ones who suffer, as always, are the ordinary Cuban people, those who are aging, struggling with shortages and without resources, children with cancer or chronic illnesses, the elderly, and of course pregnant women and single mothers," he pointed out.
A Failed Strategy
Rodríguez denounces the repetition of ineffective policies that have been promoted for over six decades, such as the economic embargo and the Helms-Burton Act.
In his opinion, these measures have only worsened the living conditions of the Cuban people and have had no significant effect on weakening the Castro regime.
"Adopting the same measures that don't work time and again and perpetuating that vicious cycle? Either it's a business or they are simply mocking you. That's a mockery. The ones who will always suffer are the ordinary Cuban people, without resources, who can't do anything. What are you going to do to a population that is aging, impoverished, and unarmed? What are you going to do to them?" he questioned.
Political manipulation of the Cuban-American vote
Rodríguez Beristain says that he does not identify as either a Democrat or a supporter of Donald Trump, but argues that Republican politicians have exploited these policies as electoral tools.
According to him, it is not a true intention for change, but rather a political strategy to gain votes.
"Those strategies are obsolete; they are not going to work and are merely justifying the votes they received from Republican Cuban Americans," he stated.
According to Beristain, the suffering of the Cuban people has been used as political currency for decades.
"The Helms-Burton Law, the embargo, and the suspension of travel and remittances to Cuba have only served three purposes: to emotionally manipulate Republican Cuban-Americans to secure their vote; to establish themselves in power once they attain it; and to repeat the same formula with different Republican candidates, perpetuating that vicious political cycle," he noted.
Call for a new strategy
The conclusion of Rodríguez is clear: repeating a failed formula will not yield different results.
It makes an urgent call to design smarter, more human policies with real potential for change:
"There is only one solution left: to seek new and more progressive strategies for change. The United States has that capacity and is not exploring it because it prefers to placate voters and manipulate them, rather than confronting them with the truth.", he concluded.
Even Mauricio Claver-Carone, the U.S. Special Envoy for Latin America, expressed reservations: “They are old tools, I would say. I believe we can be more creative, but I obviously understand and it comes from a good place.”
Giménez's proposal reignites a longstanding and deep debate within the Cuban diaspora: How can one confront a dictatorial regime without making the people who already live under its yoke pay the price?
However, in recent hours, the Cuban-American Congressman Carlos Giménez has publicly defended the letter he sent this week to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, in which he requests the suspension of travel and remittances to Cuba.
When asked if these measures would ultimately harm the average citizen more than the Cuban government itself, Giménez was blunt: “They are affected because there is a dictatorship; we need to eliminate the dictatorship. We are targeting the dictatorship, not the Cuban people,” he emphasized.
“It's difficult, but sometimes difficult measures have to be taken to achieve what you ultimately want, and the ultimate goal is the elimination of this regime and freedom for the people of Cuba”, said
Frequently asked questions about flight and remittance suspensions to Cuba
Why does Sergio Rodríguez Beristain criticize the suspension of flights and remittances to Cuba?
Sergio Rodríguez Beristain criticizes the suspension of flights and remittances to Cuba because he believes that these measures only worsen the living conditions of the Cuban people without weakening the regime. He states that these policies have been tried in the past without success and have only brought more hardships to the island's most vulnerable sectors.
What is Congressman Carlos Giménez's stance on the suspension of flights and remittances to Cuba?
Congressman Carlos Giménez defends the suspension of flights and remittances to Cuba, arguing that these actions would deprive the regime of resources used to oppress the Cuban people. Giménez contends that each flight and remittance benefits the regime and advocates for cutting off all sources of income from the United States.
What impact would the suspension of flights and remittances have on Cubans residing in the U.S.?
The suspension of flights and remittances would be a heavy blow to family ties between Cubans in the U.S. and their loved ones on the island. Many Cubans in South Florida rely on sending money, medicines, or visiting their relatives in Cuba, and this measure could also economically impact small and medium businesses in the U.S. that depend on these services.
What alternatives does Sergio Rodríguez Beristain propose to confront the Cuban regime?
Sergio Rodríguez Beristain proposes to seek smarter, more humane strategies with real possibilities for change to confront the Cuban regime. He criticizes the repetition of ineffective policies and calls for the design of new strategies that can genuinely bring about change in Cuba.
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