Mario Diaz-Balart Fights Against Exporting to Cuban Military

U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., weighed in on Wednesday after the U.S. House passed the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. The Florida congressman noted that the bill included efforts to ensure American products were kept out of the hands of the Cuban military, even as normalization efforts with that communist nation continue. 

“I strongly support the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations bill for FY 2016 which passed by a vote of 242-183, and strongly support the provision that prohibits exports to the Cuban military,” Diaz-Balart said on Wednesday night. “I firmly opposed the amendment which would have stripped that common-sense provision that failed by a decisive vote of 153-273. I commend Chairman Culberson on crafting a solid bill that funds our priorities and furthers key American values
 
“On December 17, 2014, President Obama stated, ‘I believe that more resources should be able to reach the Cuban people.’  The CJS provision ensures that exports to Cuba accomplish precisely that goal,” Diaz-Balart insisted. “President Obama even created an exception within the general prohibition on exports to Cuba, entitled ‘Support for the Cuban People (SCP).’  Certainly the supporting of the Cuban people must not include channeling goods to the Cuban military and intelligence service that oppress them through arbitrary arrests, violence, intimidation, and unjust imprisonments.
 
“Not only is the Cuban military responsible for oppressing the Cuban people, but it engages in illegal weapons smuggling, subverts democratic institutions in Venezuela, and assists foreign terrorist organizations and other rogue regimes such as North Korea. Furthermore, several members of the Cuban military remain under indictment for the murder of innocent U.S. citizens,” Diaz-Balart said in conclusion. “Exports delivered to the Cuban military will do nothing to benefit the Cuban people, but can only directly fund the oppressive arm of the Castro dictatorship that remains a malevolent actor on the world stage.  The narrow, common-sense provision in CJS does not prohibit exports to Cuba. Instead, the CJS provision simply ensures that U.S. exports cannot be controlled by the Cuban military and intelligence service.”

From his perch as chairman of the U.S. Senate Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination and an opponent of normalizing relations with the Castro regime, introduced the “Cuban Military Transparency Act” on Wednesday. 

Rubio’s bill would ensure normalization does not include financial dealings with the Cuban Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, its Ministry of the Interior or any of their offshoots. The legislation would also make the U.S. Department of Justice work with Interpol to arrest American fugitives hiding out in Cuba and would ensure the White House reports to Congress on efforts to recover property seized by the Castro regime.