The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, stated this Friday during a conference at Miami Dade College that a free Cuba could become "the number one destination in the Caribbean," with a booming economy, but he conditioned that possibility on the island adopting a legitimate constitutional government, the rule of law, and a free society.
The statements, collected by Florida's Voice in a video published today, occur within the context of the governor's intense political activity against the Cuban regime during the early weeks of May.
DeSantis based his vision on his personal experience as a U.S. Navy officer at the Guantanamo Naval Base, where he was stationed from March 2006 to January 2007.
"I was in Gitmo when I was in the Navy, not as a detainee but as an officer. I was there and saw everything. They don't allow you to leave the base, but I saw that amazing coastline," the governor declared.
DeSantis emphasized Cuba's potential for fishing, sailing, and tourism development, stating that "a truly robust economy could be created" and that "the standard of living would increase dramatically."
However, the governor was emphatic in stating that such development is only possible under conditions that are radically different from the current ones: "You can only do that if you have a free society, rule of law, and a legitimate constitutional government. And that is not easy to achieve, without a doubt."
Regarding the current regime, DeSantis was straightforward: "I hope we see that day. Every day that goes by is one day too long for this government to be in place."
These statements come just six days after DeSantis signed the HB 905 law, known as the FIRE Act, at the Bay of Pigs Museum in Little Havana, in front of veterans of Brigade 2506 and Cuban-American leaders.
This legislation tightens Florida's restrictions on agreements with Cuba, China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, and Syria, and will take effect on July 1, 2026.
The law also includes a clause that would allow the governor to temporarily suspend those restrictions if the federal government modifies Cuba's diplomatic status, thereby opening the door to trade with a future post-regime Cuba.
It is not the first time that DeSantis has expressed this vision. In March 2026, he stated at Palm Beach Atlantic University that Cuba could be "very prosperous" with a "moderately legitimate" government that respects rights and the rule of law, and that "it wouldn't take much" for the island to "explode" in development if the political system changes.
The contrast between that potential and the current reality is striking. Cuba received only 2.2 million international visitors in 2024, compared to 4.2 million in 2019, and ranked last in the Caribbean for post-pandemic tourism recovery according to ForwardKeys, with a 45% decline in arrivals compared to that year.
The Dominican Republic, in comparison, welcomed 10.3 million visitors in 2024, more than four times the number from Cuba, highlighting the extent of the backlog accumulated by the island under decades of dictatorship.
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