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From the headquarters of the Cuban Democratic Directorate in Miami, federal representatives Carlos Giménez and Mario Díaz-Balart announced that they will formally request the government of President Donald Trump to fully suspend flights to Cuba and to eliminate the sending of remittances to the island.
The statements were made at a press conference attended by members of the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance, exile organizations, elected local officials, and community activists.
Both legislators, representing south Florida, justified the measures as part of a strategy to economically suffocate the Cuban regime, which they did not hesitate to label as “a cancer in our hemisphere.”
Carlos Giménez announced that he will also request the government of Mexico, led by Claudia Sheinbaum, to terminate the shipment of oil to Cuba, in an attempt to stop one of the last channels of energy support received by Havana.
The message from the congress members was clear: the United States—and particularly South Florida—cannot continue to be part of a system that financially supports the Cuban government while it continues to repress its people.
"No more flights, no more remittances, no more mechanisms that support the dictatorship", was the rallying cry that defined the day.
María Elvira Salazar: "The time for Cuba's freedom has come."
Although she was not present at the event, fellow congresswoman María Elvira Salazar expressed her explicit support through a post on social media platform X, where she urged the Cuban exile community to take a strong stance against the regime and cut off all types of economic flow.
"The hour of Cuba's freedom has arrived. Today we have a President and a Secretary of State determined to rid our hemisphere of tyrants, drug traffickers, and dictators. But the exile community also has a historical responsibility: to stop giving oxygen to the dictatorship," Salazar wrote.
The Republican congresswoman emphasized that everyday actions such as sending remittances or visiting family ultimately contribute, even if indirectly, to the survival of the prevailing political system on the island.
"Because every dollar, every trip, and every gesture of false normality prolongs the life of a criminal regime and condemns the Cuban people to another 60 years of misery, repression, and slavery. This is the moment to stop everything: no more tourism, no more remittances, no more mechanisms that continue to finance and support the dictatorship," he stated.
Aware of the human dilemma that arises from cutting off resources to an impoverished population, Salazar also reflected on the emotional consequences of such decisions.
"And yes, I understand: it is devastating to think about a mother’s hunger, a child in need of immediate help. No one is indifferent to that pain. But that is precisely the brutal dilemma we face as exiles: to alleviate short-term suffering or to free Cuba forever."
In this regard, he directly appealed to the historical sense of responsibility of the Cuban exile, urging them not to continue being an unwitting source of funding for the same regime they escaped from.
"We can no longer be hostages to a regime that even in exile forces us to finance our own oppression. In the regime's final hour, exile must choose: freedom," he concluded.
A twist in the strategy of exile
The announcement by the congress members comes at a new moment of political alignment with the Trump administration, which has returned to its hardline rhetoric towards Havana.
Although the proposals have not yet been formally presented to the White House, congress members claim to have the support of other key figures in the Republican Party and influential groups from the Cuban exile community.
The organizations present, including the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance and the Cuban Democratic Directorate, have been advocating for months for a stronger policy towards the Cuban regime.
The joint call reinforces the idea that there is not only a search for an institutional response from Washington, but also for mobilization of the exile community as a leading political actor.
The eternal dilemma: Family support vs political pressure
The proposal, however, is not without controversy. While some in the exile community support strict measures to cut off resources to the Cuban government, others fear that these actions will directly impact families who rely on remittances and flights to survive or stay connected.
In her words, María Elvira Salazar acknowledged that moral dilemma, but urged to make a strategic decision: to stop acting based on palliative solutions and to aim for a definitive change.
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