Republican Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar publicly confronted the U.S. Department of Commerce after it was revealed that, under federal licenses, exports of luxury cars and other luxury items that have little to do with humanitarian aid have been authorized to Cuba.
During a hearing in Congress, Salazar directed a direct question to Undersecretary David Peters: why are export licenses for items such as Ferraris, Rolls-Royce, Maserati, jacuzzis, jet skis, and golf carts allowed for the Cuban regime while the population faces blackouts, food shortages, and repression?
“Humanitarian aid means food and medicine, not Ferraris or golf carts”, declared the legislator, highlighting a stark contrast between the official narrative of support for the Cuban people and the reality of the authorized goods.
Licenses under scrutiny
The controversy arises from reports in Miami alleging that the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), part of the Department of the Treasury, and the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the Department of Commerce, may have approved these shipments under categories that allow for exports for humanitarian purposes.
Salazar recalled that, along with Congress members Mario Díaz-Balart and Carlos Giménez, he sent a formal letter requesting a comprehensive review of all current export licenses to the island.
The initiative came after Miami's tax collector, Dariel Fernández, made the granted authorizations public.
During the exchange at the hearing, the Commerce Department official admitted that he was not personally aware that luxury items were being exported under that mechanism.
However, he acknowledged that the competent authority has the power to review and revoke existing licenses if it is determined that they do not comply with the regulatory framework.
"No luxuries for the dictatorship."
"The president's policy is clear: humanitarian aid for the Cuban people, not luxuries for the dictatorship," Salazar stated, emphasizing that the United States should not become a supplier of luxury goods while the island's population endures prolonged power outages and a deep economic crisis.
The criticism arises in a particularly sensitive context for Cuba.
The country is facing one of the worst energy crises in decades, with daily blackouts in several provinces, fuel shortages, and a continuous decline in living conditions.
This is compounded by inflation, a lack of food and medicine, and unprecedented mass migration.
According to the congresswoman, allowing the export of sports cars or recreational boats under supposedly humanitarian licenses contradicts the spirit of U.S. sanctions, which are designed—according to their legal framework—to pressure the Cuban government without directly easing the situation for those in power.
Debate on sanctions and exceptions
The episode reopens the debate about the actual scope of sanctions and the cracks in their implementation. Humanitarian exceptions are designed to facilitate the delivery of food, medicines, and other essential supplies to the civilian population.
However, the inclusion of high-end vehicles and recreational items in those categories raises questions about the criteria for oversight and control.
Following the pressure exerted during the hearing, the representative from the Department of Commerce committed to forwarding the complaint and reviewing the situation.
The case highlights an obvious contradiction: while the official narrative insists that the sanctions are not intended to punish the Cuban people, the possibility that luxury goods end up in the hands of the elite connected to power fuels criticism from those who believe that the regime finds ways to circumvent the restrictions.
Amid prolonged blackouts and empty shelves on the island, the image of Ferraris and Rolls-Royces with a U.S. license heading to Cuba is, at the very least, politically explosive.
I asked Undersecretary David Peters a simple question: Why do we allow export licenses for luxury items like jacuzzis, Ferraris, jet skis, and golf carts to the Cuban regime while the Cuban people suffer blackouts, hunger, and repression? Ferraris for the regime. Darkness for the people.
"I demanded a public commitment to review and revoke any license that is not strictly humanitarian. The United States must never subsidize tyranny. We stand with the Cuban people, not with their oppressors," concluded María Elvira
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