Today, the United States Government is announcing the addition of seven new subentities to the Cuba Restricted List. These seven subentities disproportionately benefit the Castro dictatorship, a regime which uses the profits from these businesses to oppress the Cuban people and to fund its interference in Venezuela, at the expense of the Cuban people or private enterprise in Cuba.
Among the seven subentities are one military-controlled financial institution, three military-owned hotels, two military-owned scuba diving centers, and one military-owned marine park for tourists. In particular, the addition of financial institution FINCIMEX to the Cuba Restricted List will help address the regime's attempts to control the flow of hard currency that belongs to the Cuban people. The people should have the freedom to decide what to do with their own money.
The bulk of Cuba's tourism industry is owned and operated by the Cuban military. We urge anyone who would visit the island to be a responsible consumer and avoid providing additional funds to the repressive and abusive Castro regime. Instead, we urge that visitors to Cuba support the Cuban small business owners who struggle to succeed despite the heavy restrictions placed upon them by the regime.
The Cuban people deserve democratic government, freedom of speech and religion or belief, economic prosperity, and respect for human rights. The United States stands with the Cuban people as you struggle to achieve this vision and look forward to the day when the dream of freedom becomes reality.
