Ron DeSantis waits to hear from Biden administration about Cuba internet hookup
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Biden DeSantis
'We haven't had anybody respond to me in any way about that.'

Gov. Ron DeSantis may have had the former President on speed dial, but he’s having a harder time getting responses from Joe Biden on his Cuba concern.

Thursday in Fort Pierce, DeSantis told reporters he was waiting to hear from the White House still regarding a letter he sent Biden as the “Cuban uprisings” began and the communist regime “moved to snuff out the internet.”

“I wrote Biden a letter saying ‘let’s restore connectivity,'” DeSantis said, noting a number of alternatives that “all require the federal government’s approval.”

“As of yet, we haven’t gotten that. We haven’t had anybody respond to me in any way about that,” DeSantis lamented, saying that circumventing the cyberblockade is “the least you can do at this point.”

“I’m still waiting for a response on that,” DeSantis added.

The Governor made a similar plea at a press conference Monday, saying “time was of the essence.”

“We would like to see not just a response but we’d like to see a positive response. It could make a big difference to the situation that’s going on down there,” DeSantis noted.

The messaging started last week, however.

On Friday, the Governor suggested that satellite technology could be used to provide internet technology to the island. Some have suggested that balloons could be the mechanism.

“One of the things I think we should be able to do with our private companies or with the United States is to provide some of that internet service via satellite,” DeSantis said at a roundtable last week in Miami.

DeSantis also wrote the aforementioned letter formally requesting Biden’s help.

“Steps must be taken immediately,” the Governor urged on July 14.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has said the Biden administration is “looking into” the feasibility of the idea.

“The message is, you have his attention,” Psaki said.

As the White House dithers, fervor continues on the pro-liberation right, as seen on national television with Sean Hannity Wednesday night. DeSantis and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio were featured as part of a town hall from Miami’s famed Versailles where the call to Biden was to “tighten the screws” on the communist Cuban regime that has controlled the island for 62 years and counting.

The internet proposal, as DeSantis’ comments there suggested, is a domino leading to regime change.

“Let’s get real here. Let’s understand who the people are who stand on the side of freedom and stand with them.” the Governor said. “Let’s tighten the screws on the regime.”

DeSantis cited the Monroe Doctrine as a good guidepost for policy.

“We don’t want to have any influence from Russia and China,” DeSantis said, urging an appeal to the Organization of American States, one that Rubio and many other members of the Florida Delegation have already signed off on.

DeSantis’ call has been met with wide praise among conservatives.

Former U.S. Ambassador Carlos Trujillo said it shows that DeSantis “believes in the founding principles of this country, the very principles of liberty that we saw the people of Cuba, for the first time in a long time, taking to the streets to demand — that is until the internet was cut off by the regime.”

Jorge Luis “Antúnez” García Pérez, leader of the Orlando Zapata Tamayo National Resistance Front and Representative Abroad of the Academy of Civic Action Julio Machado, added, “Governor DeSantis is on our side and we have to respect the rule of law here in Florida as we seek to bring the rule of law to Cuba. Our brothers who are in Cuba need to know that we are united and focused on liberty for our country and our enthusiasm, pain and patriotism for liberty will help us reestablish freedom in Cuba.”

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has been the Northeast Florida correspondent for Florida Politics since 2014. He writes for the New York Post and National Review also, with previous work in the American Conservative and Washington Times and a 15+ year run as a columnist in Folio Weekly. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


8 comments

  • Tom Palmer

    July 22, 2021 at 4:44 pm

    Biden said he would respond, but it isn’t as easy as holding a press conference. DeSantis knows this;

  • laurence d myers

    July 22, 2021 at 5:09 pm

    IN SAN FRANCISCO “SANTERIA STREET THEATER”
    about CUBA
    is part of PLAYRIGHTS SANCTUARY
    preview series at DAVID LAMBLE S Back Yard theater WITH

    “”horizon hiccups/hemisphere hemorrhage”

    and

    “Tent City Psychometry”

    SIX FEET APART MASKED INVITED SMALL AUDIENCE OUTDOOR POCKET PLAYHOUSE

  • PeterH

    July 23, 2021 at 10:57 am

    News Alert:

    800 tons of dead fish have washed up on the shores of Florida’s St. Pete and Tampa beach’s because of red tide caused by agricultural toxins and unregulated failing septic tanks leaching into the Gulf.

    Florida is now in the top three states in the USA delivering unvaccinated sick people to our overwhelmed hospitals.

    Instead of interfering in yet another country’s internal affairs …. Maybe we should be laser focused on creating an environment that tourist might enjoy.

  • Tom

    July 25, 2021 at 1:37 am

    Cheap shots and lies from Palmer & Peter H.
    Classic Dem misstatements.
    This POTUS said in his words that he’s reviewing the Govs suggestion. The FCC commissioner told a live press briefing 10 days ago that Live internet access can be provided by air balloon access. Those two other fools Tjb & Hoffman are apologists to. Just saying. Classic Dem do nothing.

    • Michael Hoffmann

      July 26, 2021 at 5:05 pm

      “Just saying.” Just saying what, Thom?

      Beat the drums for war, which you won’t be affected by: War monger, as your Great Leader would say.

    • Tjb

      July 26, 2021 at 5:07 pm

      It is not nice to call people fools when they are not a part of the conversation Tom. But thank you for thinking about me.

  • Tjb

    July 26, 2021 at 5:47 pm

    People forget that there are huge technological challenges if you want to open the internet to the people of Cuba. It is not as simple as flipping on a switch. I would like to hear from DeSantis and Rubio on exactly how they would do the internet hookup if they were in Biden’s position.
    .

    • Michael Hoffmann

      July 26, 2021 at 10:11 pm

      Yes, please, explain why anything in Cuban airspace or national waters that is perceived as hostile won’t be knocked down by the Cuban military.

Comments are closed.


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