Malliotakis, Cuban Colleagues Condemn Squad’s Secret Trip to Cuba, Call on State Department to Keep Cuba on State-Sponsor of Terrorism List

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), the daughter of a Cuban refugee, today joined Cuban Reps. Maria Salazar (FL-27), Mario Diaz Balart (FL-26), and Carlos Gimenez (FL-28) to condemn the Socialist Squad's secret trip to Communist Cuba, bring attention to Cuba's human rights violations and call on the State Department to keep Cuba on the State-Sponsor of terrorism list.

"These are Anti-American Members of Congress - they are Communist sympathizers," Rep. Malliotakis said. "They go to Cuba to appease the communist regime that jails, beats, and murders peaceful protestors and political opponents, harbors terrorists and cop-killers, helped spread communism across South America and allows Russia and China to operate spy bases 90 miles from our shores. Then, they return to Congress and call for Cuba to be removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. It’s anti-American and it’s shameful."

In 2021 at the height of protests for freedom in Cuba, the Socialist Squad and Rep. Jayapal voted against H.Res.760, which expressed solidarity with Cuban citizens demonstrating peacefully for fundamental freedoms, condemning the Cuban regime’s acts of repression, and calling for the immediate release of arbitrarily detained Cuban citizens.

“For six decades, the Cuban regime has been financing guerrillas, sponsoring leftist dictatorships and harboring terrorist fugitives all while the left in the United States turns a blind eye,” said Rep. Salazar. “The regime continues to terrorize its people and support terror abroad and must remain on the State Sponsor of Terrorism list.”

“It is imperative the State Department maintain the designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism due to its harboring of terrorists such as Joanne Chesimard, who was convicted for the murder of a New Jersey Trooper, and ELN terrorists. Cuban troops receive training in Belarus by the Belarus military, and many are fighting for Russia against Ukraine. The Cuban dictatorship is closely aligned to rogue regimes and U.S. adversaries like Communist China, Iran, and North Korea. The regime was even caught attempting to smuggle 240 tons of weapons illicitly into North Korea. Moreover, their espionage network against the United States has been exceedingly damaging to our national security interests, with Manuel Rocha recently admitting to spying for the regime for decades. Information released by one of the most dangerous spies, Ana Belen Montes, was tied to the death of at least one American. Yet, instead of publicly demanding freedom, free and fair elections, or the regime to stop helping terrorist groups and rogue nations around the country, our colleagues’ demand was not to turn over those who have been living the high life in Cuba harbored. No, their request was to ask for a lifeline to the regime so that it can cling to power. But at least the regime’s apologists are consistent; they were among the relatively small number who voted against a resolution by our Democratic colleague, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, condemning the abusers of pro-democracy protesters peacefully asking for freedom. We ask our colleagues not to be blinded by ideology, to follow the facts, and not be used as a propaganda tool by an unelected, terrorist regime 90 miles from our shores. The Cuban people will be free, and they will remember those who stood with them,” said Rep. Díaz-Balart.

"I condemn the socialist, far-left Member of Congress, traveling in secret, to meet with officials of the murderous Castro regime," said Rep. Gimenez. "It is reprehensible for any U.S. official to lobby on behalf of a foreign Communist regime. As the only Cuban-born Member of Congress, I know first hand the evils posed by Communist Cuba and the dangerous ideology they parrot. I was proud to host Cuban opposition leader Rosa María Payá as my honored guest at the State of the Union to continue denouncing the ongoing brutality of Communist Cuba and hold them accountable for crimes against humanity."

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