Cuban regime’s reported return to meddling in US elections a ‘badge of honor’ for targeted critics
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar of Miami claimed she is the 'No. 1 target' of Cuban interference
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}With a presidential election drawing near, 90 miles off the U.S. mainland, the Communist Cuban government is reportedly attempting to once again influence down ballot races as it did two years ago.
One such target-rich area is reportedly South Florida, where a large majority of Cuban émigrés and Cuban-Americans now live after their families escaped the regime long controlled by the Castro brothers.
In a Monday briefing with reporters, an ODNI official confirmed the Cuban government is attempting to counter American candidates opposed to the communist regime, according to the Miami Herald.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}During the 2022 election, the intelligence community discovered Cuba had attempted to "denigrat[e]" certain candidates there. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., who was born in Cuba and represents the Florida Keys and part of Miami-Dade, said at the time he believed he was one such target.
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The now-deceased Fidel Castro meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both men's nations have been accused of interfering in U.S. elections. (AP Photo/Alex Castro)
Other lawmakers suspected of being targets of Cuban interference at the time included fellow Miamians Mario Diaz-Balart and Maria Elvira Salazar — both Republicans.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A source told Fox News Digital that one avenue the Cubans have used to target such lawmakers is to utilize social media so-called "bots" that attack Republicans from the political right, to make them unpalatable to the greater electorate.
Salazar said Tuesday she is the "No. 1 enemy… in Congress" of Miguel Diaz-Canel’s regime in Havana.
"[I]t is no surprise to me that they are trying to subvert our elections," said Salazar, who notably represents "Little Havana," just west of downtown Miami.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Our American democracy is stronger than these weak attempts to silence their critics. We will be watching in 2024."
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Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canel (R) and his Mexican counterpart Andrés Manuel López Obrador raise their hands before signing bilateral agreements. (YAMIL LAGE/AFP via Getty Images)
Gimenez added Tuesday that he wears "like a badge of honor" the target Cuba has reportedly placed on him.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The former Miami-Dade County mayor quipped that his goal is to remain in Congress longer than the regime remains in El Capitolio Nacional. Diaz-Canel is the first non-Castro to rule the island since Fulgencio Batista was overthrown in 1959.
"I would expect myself, Maria and Mario would be their main targets again — along with Sen. Rick Scott," Gimenez said in the interview.
"I guess it’s something that we live with here in South Florida: the fact that the Cuban regime thinks that we are their enemies."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We are their enemies. We want freedom for the Cuban people. And we won't stop until we get freedom for the Cuban people. So, take your best shot, what can I say?"
When asked whether Congress can or should act against Cuba’s efforts, Gimenez was hesitant.
"I'm not sure what Congress can do about it," he said, adding that if they were to do anything it would very likely fall in the censorship or "fact-checking" realm.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He said he opposes censorship and has concerns that fact-checkers "fact-check" based inherently on their own ideological bend — suggesting such action would do more harm than good.
"The responsibility really lies with the people and to determine what they're reading is true or false," he said. "So, I'm not concerned about it that much."
At the other end of the Tamiami Trail, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., also condemned Cuba’s behavior.
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Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel is the first non-Castro to hold power since the 1959 revolution. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)
"The Communist Cuban regime is an oppressive dictatorship that has inflicted unimaginable horrors on the Cuban people," the Naples lawmaker said.
"In South Florida, we stand for freedom. In South Florida, we stand for human rights. And in South Florida, we will never surrender to the evils of communism," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Donalds said such election interference from across the Florida Straits should never be tolerated.
Fox News Digital reached out to the ODNI for comment, and was provided a copy of the agency’s report on foreign election "threats" during the 2022 cycle — wherein Cuba was cataloged beside Iran, China and Russia.
Much of the report was redacted, but in unredacted pieces of the Cuba section, the agency assessed that Havana tried to undermine "electoral prospects of specific U.S. congressional and gubernatorial politicians it perceived as hostile."
The report indicated that political parties across the board, including Republicans and Democrats, were the focal points of attention. It further highlighted that South Florida's heightened interest in the island nation made it a particularly susceptible hotspot for influence.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Another angle the Cuban government has sought to influence American voters has been through the media. According to the report, they have sought to build relationships with journalists who share their opposing views of Congress’ Cuba critics.
Gimenez said that sounded like a good strategy for the malign regime, while quipping, "The fact they can find useful idiots in the American media — that’s a problem for the useful idiots."