NEWARK – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement in reaction to the decision by the Trump Administration to make modifications to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

“In Cuba, private business remains under the full control of the Cuban regime, most significantly the military, with the benefits flowing directly to the Castro’s political and military leadership. The regulatory changes announced today are a step in the right direction to better prevent the regime and its vast network of control over the economy from further enriching itself at the expense of the Cuban people it continues to repress and exploit. However, the effectiveness of today’s announcement is diminished by allowing certain businesses with existing connections to the Cuban regime to be grandfathered in and exempt.

“The message that the United States will not give-in or give-up on our commitment to a free and democratic Cuba must be backed by firm actions that make clear for the world and for the Cuban people yearning for freedom from repression and tyranny.”


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