The Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, asserted this Thursday that his state will get to the bottom of the investigation into possible financial ties between the regimes of Cuba and China and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), in addition to not allowing foreign interests to interfere in his state.
During an interview with host Harris Faulkner, on the show The Faulkner Focus, of Fox News, DeSantis supported the investigations announced by Florida's Attorney General, James Uthmeier, who is seeking to determine whether the socialist organization received funds or support from foreign governments.
"They chose the wrong state to mess with the communists," DeSantis stated when a reporter asked him about the importance of clarifying possible connections between DSA and the Cuban regime.
«This is something important not only for the leaders of Florida but also for many of our voters. So let's clarify the facts», he assured.
In reference to the potential foreign funding of organizations operating in Florida, the governor insisted that state authorities must prevent the influence of governments deemed adversarial.
“We do not want foreign interests to contaminate”, he stated, referring especially to the countries classified as sources of concern by Florida laws, including China and Cuba.
The governor highlighted that Florida has incorporated the teaching of communist history in its schools and recalled the presence of numerous exiles from communist regimes, especially in the southern part of the state.
He also mentioned the Day of Victims of Communism, established by legislation he himself promoted. Although during the interview he placed that commemoration on November 10, Florida law officially sets the date on November 7.
The conversation then shifted to the Cuban regime. Faulkner recalled that DeSantis had served as a military lawyer at Guantanamo Naval Base and asked him how long Havana had been trying to influence U.S. politics through money and the promotion of its ideology.
"I believe this has been happening not only in the United States. The Cuban regime is the number one negative influence in the entire Western Hemisphere and has been for many, many decades," the governor responded.
DeSantis recalled his experience in Guantanamo and clarified that he had been there as a military officer, not as a detainee. He emphasized that his time at the base allowed him to understand some aspects of life on the island.
He also expressed his conviction that Cuba could experience significant economic development if it moved away from the communist system.
“If you were to free the island from communist control, it would be incredible. It would prosper. It would attract investments and businesses,” he stated.
The governor also emphasized Cuban culture and held Fidel Castro responsible for harming it with the establishment of the communist regime.
The statements come after Attorney General James Uthmeier announced on Tuesday an investigative subpoena against the Democratic Socialists of America to determine whether the organization received contributions or support from sources linked to the governments of Cuba and China.
The research is based on Florida legislation that regulates fundraising and prohibits certain contributions from countries deemed to be of concern.
Uthmeier explained that investigators will examine trips made by DSA delegations to Cuba and China, as well as the fundraising campaigns aimed at financing those trips and other activities related to their chapters in Florida.
Among the background details is a delegation of approximately 40 members that visited Cuba in October 2025 and met with officials from the Cuban government, as well as another delegation that traveled to China in September of that year.
Authorities are also investigating donation requests amounting to tens of thousands of dollars connected to those trips. So far, the existence of these activities does not prove that DSA received illegal funds from the Cuban or Chinese governments.
The organization, which has chapters in various cities across Florida, has publicly advocated for the lifting of the U.S. embargo against Cuba and has maintained contacts with representatives of the Havana government.
In another moment of the same interview granted to Fox News, DeSantis avoided commenting on a potential presidential candidacy in 2028 and affirmed that the Republican Party must first analyze the reasons for its defeats in the recent midterm elections.
The Florida Prosecutor's Office is seeking to determine whether DSA complied with the regulations regarding fundraising and donation transparency. The organization confirmed that it was aware of the subpoena, but its national spokesperson, Priscilla Yeverino, stated that she had no comments on the case.
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