Rubio, Cruz, Scott Introduce Bill to Ensure the Cuban Regime Remains a State Sponsor of Terrorism Under Biden Administration

Press Release

U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced the Fighting Oppression until the Reign of Castro Ends Act or FORCE Act (S.689), which would prevent President Joe Biden or Secretary Antony Blinken from removing Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism List. Under the FORCE Act, Cuba cannot be removed from the U.S. Department of State's Sponsor of Terrorism list until the requirements under the LIBERTAD Act (P.L. 104-114) are met. Specifically, Section 205 of that public law requires Cuba to release all of its political prisoners and transition to a system that guarantees the basic human rights of the Cuban people, as well as free, fair, and democratic elections. Rubio has been a staunch supporter of the former administration's decision to re-designate Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism.

Earlier this year, Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) introduced the House companion of the FORCE Act (H.R.287).

"The Trump Administration was right to reverse President Obama's removal of the Cuban regime as a State Sponsor of Terrorism," Rubio said. "Under this new administration, we must ensure the meaningful actions to hold the despotic Castro and Díaz-Canel regime accountable remain in place. I am proud to work with my colleagues and lead this effort in the Senate, and thank Congresswoman Salazar for her leadership in the House of Representatives."

"My family knows firsthand the brutality of totalitarian Cuban regimes, and Cuba's abuses have not ceased," Cruz said. "I am deeply concerned that President Biden plans to follow in the ill-advised steps of the Obama Administration, which would recklessly and needlessly endanger American national security."

"Cuba is the root of the instability we see in Latin America," Scott said. "The Obama-Biden Administration's appeasement policies toward Cuba allowed Havana to extend its reach and expand its control, giving power to other ruthless dictatorships in Latin America. Today, Cuba continues to oppress its people and those across Latin America by supporting narco-states run by dictators like Maduro in Venezuela and Ortega in Nicaragua, while harboring terrorist groups. Until Cuba is a free and democratic country, the U.S. should not remove Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism List. The Biden Administration cannot back down in the fight against rouge nations or take any action that will help strengthen the Castro regime."

"As the daughter of Cuban refugees who fled the brutal dictatorship that continues to jail, starve, murder, and systematically oppress the people of Cuba, I was so proud to introduce the force act in the U.S. House of Representatives", Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar said. "I want to thank our Senator, Marco Rubio, for leading the FORCE Act through the Senate. The Castro regime has terrorized the Cuban people for 62 years and we must hold them accountable for their participation in international terrorism!"

Rubio is the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues.

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