The satellite internet service Starlink, owned by the American company SpaceX, has been criticized by the Cuban regime for operating illegally on the island and allegedly violating at least four U.S. laws, in addition to international regulations.
The warning was published this Monday on the official Facebook page of the Technical Budgeted Unit for Radio Spectrum Control (UPTCERCuba), a state entity affiliated with the Ministry of Communications, which accuses Starlink of acting as a "digital bandit" and evading both U.S. legislation and the international regulatory framework on telecommunications.
Under the title “Starlink in Cuba: Breaking Laws or Breaking Barriers?”, the state entity questions that while some celebrate the arrival of the service as a “digital lifeline,” the United States “looks the other way” and allows SpaceX to circumvent its own rules.
"Do the laws only apply to some?" the publication questioned.
According to the regime, these are the four U.S. laws that would be violated by the operation of Starlink in Cuba:
1. Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR)
These regulations prohibit any financial transaction with Cuba without the proper authorization from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
UPTCERCuba denounces that Starlink charges subscriptions to Cuban users through intermediaries based in third countries, which they consider a form of covert financial evasion.
2. Helms-Burton Act (1996)
This legislation punishes the use of properties confiscated from American citizens without compensation.
The Cuban regime warns that if a Starlink terminal is installed in a home nationalized after 1959, SpaceX could face multimillion-dollar lawsuits under this regulation.
3. Export Control Reform Act (2018)
The law categorizes Starlink terminals as dual-use technology —both civilian and military— whose export requires a specific license from the U.S. government.
Cuban authorities claim that there is no valid permit for these equipment to operate in Cuban territory, which would directly violate this regulation.
4. Regulations of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
The regulations of the ITU require express authorization from the country where the radio spectrum is to be used.
According to the statement, Starlink does not have such approval in Cuba, operating illegally and violating the current international framework.
The official entity also denounced what it describes as a double standard by the U.S. authorities, pointing out that while banks face hefty fines for conducting minor transactions with Cuba, such as sending 50 dollars, SpaceX introduces high-value technology without facing any legal consequences.
"The internet is a right, but laws exist for a reason," the text points out, concluding with a series of questions: "Where is the limit? Breaking international order? Validating extraterritoriality? Creating dangerous precedents?"
The publication reinforces the regime's narrative about the need to control access to foreign technologies that operate outside state supervision, in a context where the use of Starlink has gained attention on the island as a potential alternative means of connection to the service controlled by the state monopoly ETECSA.
In April, the Cuban regime issued a strong warning against the use of Starlink satellite internet antennas, following the seizure of around twenty of these devices at the José Martí International Airport customs in Havana.
The devices, coming from the United States and being sold on the Revolico platform for up to 2,000 dollars, were classified as a threat to the sovereignty of the radio spectrum and a violation of current national legislation.
In this regard, the government has launched a campaign against this type of device that allows users to connect to the internet while circumventing the strict control of the ETECSA monopoly.
For example, the General Customs has detected and seized several of these satellite devices repeatedly, boasting about these operations on social media.
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