United States to Sanction Cuban Officials – Is It Too Little Too Late?

The Biden Administration announced that the United States is going to sanction a number of Cuban officials following attacks on Cuban protestors by their own government. This announcement by President Biden comes two weeks after these protests and demonstrations initially started. Is this too little too late?

ACLJ Senior Military Analyst Wes Smith described in his new article what he calls the Cuban people’s cry for freedom. Col. Smith explained the significance of this moment:

This is a rare opportunity – both for the Cuban people and the United States of America. The Cuban people – unlike other countries in Latin America – they have never demonstrated. They have never come out in mass demonstrations demanding freedom. Part of the reason for this is that the other countries in Latin America have been somewhat free, somewhat democratic, and then over the last 10-15 years they have gradually become an authoritarian government. So, for them to be protesting – they remember what democracy is like. Most of the Cuban people have lived under the Castro regime all of their lives. For them to say enough is enough and come out in mass demonstrations and risk being tortured, imprisoned, or even being executed to do that is an unprecedented thing. . . .

We are talking about [President Biden] and these new sanctions. . . . His response thus far has been tepid and very measured. This is not the time to be tepid and measured. He needs to be unequivocal in his support of the people who are demanding freedom in Cuba. And part of that equivocation and the hesitation on the President’s part is that he has not expressly countered the contingents by people like Bernie Sanders and AOC and others in the last two weeks who have come out in support of the Cuban regime saying that it is one of the most equitable and fair countries in the Western Hemisphere – which is a blatant lie. They brag on the Cuban regime. When people who are a part of the Democrat party do that thing, the President needs to come out and flat out reject those kinds of contingents and arguments. Thus far, he has not done that.

All across our country, even entertainers are making stronger statements than the President of the United States in support of the Cuban people. Rapper and singer Pitbull, a Cuban American, decided to speak up after seeing the protests exploding all across Cuba and Miami. Pitbull called for humanitarian aid and response for these people who are fighting for change and freedom:

Not only do we live for freedom, we ride for freedom, we die for freedom, but we . . . appreciate freedom. And it gets me hot, it bothers me, and it frustrates me to a certain extent, being a Cuban American, and having a platform to speak to the world and not being able to help my own people, not being able to get them food, not being able to get them water, not being able to get the medicine. But most of all, not being able to help and really get them what they deserve, which is freedom.

He wrapped up his speech by adding:

So, to everybody out there, stand up, step up. And if you don’t understand, get with the . . . program and wake up. This is about Freedom and it’s about human rights. And everybody in Cuba, keep the fight up.

So, before President Biden finally stepped up to voice any kind of support for the Cuban people, Pitbull, a hip-hop artist, beat him to it and did it better. ACLJ Senior Advisor for National Security and Foreign Policy Ric Grenell talks about this slow response by the Biden Administration:

I don’t know why they are so slow at the White House. Let’s be honest, the State Department sanctioned conservatives in Albania. They moved quickly to sanction people in the Balkans and Eastern Europe. But yet, when it comes to Cuba which is really right on our shores and we know the country well, we know their habits well, we know the communist regime control’s that country well. I don’t understand why when people are in the streets and they are getting attacked that our government doesn’t act faster. We’ve got to be able to act timely with the sanctions otherwise they just don’t work.

The United States has a history of standing with people as they demand freedom and break away from oppressive governments. Cuba is no different. The Biden Administration can do many things to show support for the Cuban people and stand with them for freedom.

Today’s full Sekulow broadcast is complete with further analysis of the Biden Administration’s announcement to sanction Cuban officials.

Watch the full broadcast below.