Giménez Demands Delta, American Suspend Cuba Flights

Cuban-American Congressman Carlos Giménez, a Florida Republican, sent letters to Delta, American Airlines, and other carriers demanding they suspend all flights to Cuba as the Trump Administration’s pressure on the island intensifies.

”They Benefit the Regime, Not the People”

In his letters to airline executives, Giménez was emphatic:

“Persistent commercial flights to Cuba directly benefit the regime, not the Cuban people, and contradict U.S. law and decades of bipartisan policy designed to deny resources and legitimacy to the dictatorship.”

The legislator, born in Havana and representing a Miami district, leads the House Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security.

Security Risk Warning

Giménez warned that allowing commercial flights “to a regime that is openly hostile to the United States presents serious national security and public safety risks.”

The congressman cited Trump’s recent executive order declaring a “national emergency” over “the threat” Cuba poses, in addition to its designation as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism.”

Escalating Demands

This letter escalates Giménez’s demands. Last week, he announced he would ask President Trump to ban all travel and remittances to Cuba “to accelerate political change.”

“Continuing such operations risks legitimizing and financially sustaining a government that represses its citizens, threatens regional stability, and acts in direct opposition to U.S. security interests.”

Cuba Open to Dialogue

As the congressman made his letters public, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel stated in a televised message that the island “is willing to dialogue with the United States” on “any topic” to build “a civilized relationship between neighbors” of “mutual benefit.”

Trump, for his part, said in an NBC interview that “Cuba is in big trouble” and claimed his Administration is “talking with Cuba.”

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Source: OnCubaNews, EFE