17 February 2025
The US Senators Rick Scott (R-Florida) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) have reintroduced a bill aimed at passing into law measures imposing “severe sanctions” on the Cuban government, and on third parties and entities engaged in transactions with sanctioned Cuban persons and bodies.
If passed, The Democracia Act (Denying Earnings to the Military Oligarchy in Cuba and Restricting Activities of the Cuban Intelligence Apparatus act), would authorise the US President to impose “unprecedented financial pressure,” according to Scott, on foreign citizens or entities engaging with many of the most senior members of the Cuban government.
Senator Scott said that the Bill would “impose sanctions—blocking assets and denying entry into the United States—on a foreign person if the President determines that the person knowingly engages in an activity with Cuba’s defence sector, security sector, intelligence sector, or any other sector involved in carrying out human rights abuses or providing support for international terrorism.”
The draft bill also applies sanctions to family members and “any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 25% or more by one or more designated persons.”
It additionally seeks to sanction almost all members of the Cuban government, military, judiciary, and their family members until Cuba has “released all political prisoners, legalised all political parties, establishes a free press, and holds multiparty elections that are internationally observed elections in a timely manner.”
The bill further requires the US President to “use all means possible to provide unrestricted, reliable internet service to the people of Cuba” that cannot be blocked.
Initially introduced in October 2021, the Democracia Act has already gained significant support from Republican legislators in the Senate as well as in the House from the Floridian Republican Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart, Carlos Giménez, and María Elvira Salazar.
The draft bill has been sent to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations for review.
Highlights in this issue:
- Western Union halts its Cuba money transfer operations
- Government temporarily suspends schools and work activities to save electricity
- New economic management model for media may be applied to other sectors.
- Trump Administration to take ‘very creative’ policy approach to Cuba
- Russia’s Ambassador hopes Díaz-Canel will visit Moscow in May
In an indication of the potential likelihood of the draft bill proceeding, Senator Scott noted on his website that he previously “led this legislation with Secretary of State Marco Rubio last Congress.”
The draft text of the bill and details relating to co-sponsors to date can be found at https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/118/s504/cosponsors
17 February 2025, Issue 1267
The Caribbean Council is able to provide further detail about all of the stories in Cuba Briefing. If you would like a more detailed insight into any of the content of today’s issue, please get in touch.
