By José Luis Méndez Méndez on June 24, 2025
The bellicose mayor of Miami, Francis Suárez, who in July 2021 called for bombing first and then invading Cuba “humanitarianly” on the ruins of its cities, is now being echoed by the disastrous US demagogues Carlos Gimenes and the convert María Elvira Salazar, US representatives who are loudly demanding that the island be wiped off the map in the name of peace from the grave and US-style democracy.
All those who claim to represent the so-called Cuban community abroad, without exception, have turned their backs on their constituents, voters, and sponsors of Cuban origin, for fear of contradicting the lacquered boss in Washington and being caught up in some measure of state terrorism, which is being experienced in the country of lost opportunities and the defunct “American dream.”
A barrage of unilateral coercive measures emerges every day, in an open competition to see who can strangle the most besieged, blockaded, slandered, and threatened island.
Republican presidential hopeful and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is contributing to the suffocation. This past May, he approved a law restricting trade relations with countries considered “threats” to his state, particularly Cuba and Venezuela, already labeled by Donald Trump as part of the “axis of evil.”
According to the text of CS/CS/SB 768, or “Foreign Countries of Concern,” that went into effect June 1, which regulates the use of foreign technology in state laboratories. The law amends Article 408.810 and adds Article 381.0202, which states: “Under this section, the use of any operating or research software produced by an agency or company from the foreign countries of concern is prohibited.”
The ordinance also affects other countries that have had “historic tensions” with the United States, particularly under the administration of the current Republican president, who is nearly 80 years old. The law not only bans the use of these technological means, but also targets pharmaceutical laboratories in Florida, which will now have to certify and verify that their personnel have no ties whatsoever with the countries being punished.
A package of punitive measures has been designed for violators, including revoking licenses, eliminating state funding, permits to practice, operating certificates, and even imposing criminal charges.
The legislation is generic, and goes beyond the pharmaceutical sector, by closing off any possibility of commercial ties with these banned countries, stating: “Any business in Florida must limit or cut off dealings with companies or individuals linked to the designated ‘Foreign Countries of Concern’.
Governor DeSantis is aligning Florida with the federal administration’s restrictive trade and anti-immigration policies, particularly to increase overall pressure on Cuba, where private businesses that depend on minimal trade with Florida suppliers are growing, given the proximity.
Now, the meager mutually beneficial ties established between scientists and merchants on both sides of the Florida Straits will have to wait for the gates to open and the glossy nightmare to pass.
Source: Cuba en Resumen