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The Republican senator Rick Scott demanded the imprisonment of Miguel Díaz-Canel and Raúl Castro in an interview conducted during the prayer event "United for Cuba" held at Bayfront Park in Miami, where hundreds of members of the Cuban exile community gathered to advocate for the freedom of the Island and the release of political prisoners.
"The fight for freedom and democracy in Cuba is very important to me, and it is crucial that all political prisoners are free," he said to Martí Noticias.
Scott was emphatic: "It's important that Díaz-Canel and Raúl Castro are in prison," he declared, emphasizing that "it's crucial for the United States and all governments around the world not to provide funds or oil to the Cuban regime."
The legislator also strongly condemned the recent appearances of the Cuban leader on U.S. media. "It's terrible, he is not the president, he has not been elected. Díaz-Canel is a very bad dictator," he stated.
Scott showed photos of Alexander Díaz Rodríguez, a political prisoner from the 11J who was released on that same April 12th in critical condition: he weighed 37 kilograms, suffered from untreated thyroid cancer, hepatitis B, and severe malnutrition after losing more than 40 kilograms during his incarceration.
"It is very important that all political prisoners are free... it is important that the people of Cuba choose their own future," he emphasized.
According to the organization Prisoners Defenders, Cuba had 1,214 documented political prisoners by the end of February 2026. On April 2, the regime announced a mass pardon of more than 2,000 inmates that Scott criticized for explicitly excluding political prisoners, calling it a "scheme to save money."
On April 15, Senator sent a letter to Trump urging him to intensify sanctions against GAESA and Cuban medical missions abroad, indicating that the military conglomerate controls over $18 billion in liquid assets.
Regarding Venezuela, he warned against any easing of sanctions that could benefit Nicolás Maduro or figures from chavismo. "It's important that elections are held soon in Venezuela and that the future is not chosen by either Delcy Rodríguez or Diosdado Cabello," he stated.
At the end of the interview, the senator anticipated the arrival in Miami of the Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, with whom he met in March 2026.
Scott also referred to the shooting that occurred on Saturday near the security perimeter of the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner, which was President Trump's first attendance at that event. "It is clear that the Department of Homeland Security needs funding, including for the Secret Service, TSA, ICE, and CBP, for the protection of the United States," he noted.
The senator from Florida, re-elected in 2024, predicted in January that the Cuban regime could fall in 2026 or 2027, linking it to the collapse of Venezuelan chavismo, and has since maintained a sustained campaign of pressure against the dictatorships of Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
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