The Cuban–American lobby are various groups of

Cuban exile A Cuban exile is a person who emigrated from Cuba in the Cuban exodus. Exiles have various differing experiences as emigrants depending on when they migrated during the exodus. Demographics Social class Cuban exiles would come from various eco ...

s in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and their descendants who have historically influenced the United States' policy toward Cuba. In general usage, this refers to anti-

Castro Castro is a Romance language word that originally derived from Latin ''castrum'', a pre-Roman military camp or fortification (cf: Greek: ''kastron''; Proto-Celtic:''*Kassrik;'' br, kaer, *kastro). The English-language equivalent is '' chester''. ...

groups.

History and formation

The Cuban–American lobby was formed by Cuban expatriates during migratory waves throughout the latter half of the twentieth century. In the 1960s, many Cubans left the island due to fear of revolutionary

communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

reforms. They were often white, wealthy, and/or supporters of the

Fulgencio Batista Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar (; ; born Rubén Zaldívar, January 16, 1901 – August 6, 1973) was a Cuban military officer and politician who served as the elected president of Cuba from 1940 to 1944 and as its U.S.-backed military dictator ...

dictatorship. Many Cuban expatriates followed family and friends to the U.S. and built a "second Havana" in Miami, although the concentration of Cubans in Miami has been heavily diluted in recent decades by subsequent immigrant influx from other Latin American countries. Hardships in Cuba during the 1980s and 1990s also encouraged expatriation motivated by economic prospects in the United States. The ideological makeup of the lobby shifted drastically after

Raúl Castro Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz (; ; born 3 June 1931) is a retired Cuban politician and general who served as the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, the most senior position in the one-party communist state, from 2011 to 2021, succeedi ...

lifted travel restrictions in 2013. The group constituting the resulting exodus has been young and much more moderate than earlier groups.

Makeup of the lobby

The Cuban–American lobby is usually seen to be anti-Castro and recognizing the Cuban government as repressive, although it has become much more moderate since the late 1990s. However, the most influential organizations and politicians within the political sector of the lobby are still conservative. They advocate for punitive maintenance of the embargo unless Cuba privatizes its economy. The most notable organization with this viewpoint is the

Cuban American National Foundation The Cuban American National Foundation is a foundation with the aim of assisting members of the Cuban community in Miami, Florida. Background and founding The Cuban National American Foundation was founded at a time when Republican American polit ...

. Other organizations advocate for an easing or lifting of the embargo before or regardless of whether Cuba changes its government structure and policies. The academic circles within the lobby, though not monolithic in opinion, generally believe that the U.S. and Cuba should more readily exchange scientific information and advances. Some organizations within the intellectual wing of the Cuba lobby advocate for travel as a human right, and have affected change on U.S. travel policies towards Cuba.https:// Business interest lobbies often advocate for lifting the embargo to increase trade between the two nations. They believe trade with Cuba would be beneficial for the U.S. economy, and usually point to financial reasons for their stance. Lobbies outside the Cuban-American community have also advocated for liberalization of trade between the two nations, most notably the

agribusiness Agribusiness is the industry, enterprises, and the field of study of value chains in agriculture and in the bio-economy, in which case it is also called bio-business or bio-enterprise. The primary goal of agribusiness is to maximize profit w ...

lobby.

Political influence

In the 1980s, most Cuban expatriate interest groups were only active in southern Florida. These groups were splintered and their voice was poorly organized. The lobby became more powerful after many organizations pledged to change the inner workings of Cuban government, as powers within the U.S. government shared the same objective. The

Reagan administration Ronald Reagan's tenure as the 40th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1981, and ended on January 20, 1989. Reagan, a Republican from California, took office following a landslide victory over D ...

strongly supported the

(CANF), which formed the month the president took office. The lobby built institutional ties with the administration through their ideological sameness, giving conservative Cuban-American groups growing influence and increasingly early access to information through the 1980s.
Organizations within the lobby have affected public policy by collaborating with both Republican and Democratic lawmakers. One of the most notable collaborations occurred in 1992 between the Cuban American National Foundation and Democrat

Robert Torricelli Robert Guy Torricelli (born August 27, 1951), is an American attorney and former politician. A Democrat, Torricelli served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 9th district from 1983 to 1997 and as a United States sen ...

. Torricelli, whose liberal views on the embargo characterized his early career, sought election campaign funds from the CANF. He adopted a stronger anti-Castro, pro-embargo stance, secured CANF funds, and was reelected to Congress. Torricelli subsequently sponsored the

Cuban Democracy Act The Cuban Democracy Act (CDA), also known as the Torricelli Act or the Torricelli-Graham Bill, was a bill introduced and sponsored by U.S. Congressman Robert Torricelli and aimed to tighten the U.S. embargo on Cuba. It reimplemented the ban of U.S. ...

, often referred to as the Torricelli Act, which was signed into law by President

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...

in 1992. The conservative lobby's influence waned when

Jorge Mas Canosa Jorge Lincoln Mas Canosa (21 September 1939 – 24 November 1997) was a Cuban-American businessman who founded the Cuban American National Foundation and MasTec, a publicly traded company. Regarded within the United States as a powerful lobbyist o ...

, founder of the Cuban American National Foundation, died in 1997. The international custody case of

Elián González Elián González Brotons (born December 6, 1993) is a Cuban technician who, as a child, became embroiled in a heated international custody and immigration controversy in 2000 involving the governments of Cuba and the United States, his father Ju ...

, which lasted from November 1999 to June 2000, also had negative effects on conservative influence within the Cuban-American community. The rise of moderate and liberal influence within the community are often partially attributed to Canosa's death and González's repatriation into Cuba.
While still influential, the Cuba lobby appears to be weakening due to dissenting opinions within groups./ Younger Cuban-Americans are more likely to be open-minded regarding relations between the two countries and the lifting of the embargo. Rising influence of moderate voices allowed room for the agribusiness lobby to push for reforms that softened the embargo. The lobby campaigned for the Trade Sanction Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000, with success partially due to conflict within the Cuban-American community after the death of Canosa and the case of Elián González. The law allowed for the trade of some agricultural and medical goods between the two nations. A more persuasive reason for the agribusiness lobby's success and the rise of moderate and liberal voices is the recent economic reforms instituted by Raúl Castro. For instance, the proportion of state-owned agricultural land has fallen from 75% in 1992 to 20.7% in 2012.

Effect of the lobby's campaign contributions

A logistic regression model analyzed Congress members' attitudes towards two nearly identical pieces of pro-embargo legislation before and after receiving campaign funds from the Cuban–American lobby groups. Trevor Rubenzer found that pro-embargo PAC contributions had a statistically significant effect on Representatives' likelihood to adopt a pro-embargo stance.

Effect of the lobby on presidential elections

During election years between 1992 and 2004, policy regarding Cuba and the embargo followed the hard-line exiles' agenda during presidential election years. During non-election years, any legislation implemented during election years was either nullified or not enforced. Embargo-related legislature became more conservative in presidential years, and less conservative in non-election years.
The lobby typically becomes more successful during presidential election years, as Cuban Americans live in the largest swing state in the U.S. Florida accounts for one-tenth of electoral college votes, and the winner-take-all electoral college system makes Cuban votes in the swing state all the more critical to presidential elections.

Organizations

Center for a Free Cuba The Center for a Free Cuba is a Washington, DC-based organization. It states that it is "an independent, non-partisan institution dedicated to promoting human rights and a transition to democracy and the rule of law on the island. Established in N ...

Congressional Cuba Democracy Caucus The Cuba Democracy Caucus is a bicameral and bi-partisan congressional group that was created in 2004 with the stated purpose of "promoting discussion and proactive policies designed to hasten Cuba's transition towards a free and democratic society ...

* Cuban Liberty Council * US-Cuba Democracy PAC * MAR Por Cuba

Cuban Americans in the United States Congress

Ten

Cuban Americans Cuban Americans ( es, cubanoestadounidenses or ''cubanoamericanos'') are Americans who trace their cultural heritage to Cuba regardless of phenotype or ethnic origin. The word may refer to someone born in the United States of Cuban descent or t ...

currently serve in the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

. Senator Rubio official portrait (cropped).jpg, *

Marco Rubio Marco Antonio Rubio (born May 28, 1971) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the senior United States senator from Florida, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he served as Speaker of the Florida Hous ...

, U.S Senator from Florida (2011–present) Robert Menendez official Senate portrait.jpg, *

Robert Menendez Robert Menendez (; born January 1, 1954) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from New Jersey, a seat he has held since 2006. Gale (publisher), Gale Biography I ...

, U.S. Senator from New Jersey (2006–present) Ted Cruz official 116th portrait (cropped).jpg, *

Ted Cruz Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from ...

, U.S. Senator from Texas (2013–present) Three

United States Senators The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and power ...

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Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

(2013–present) *

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, (2011–present) *

Bob Menendez Robert Menendez (; born January 1, 1954) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from New Jersey, a seat he has held since 2006. Gale Biography In Context. A member of the Democratic Party, he was firs ...

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

(2006–present), Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 13th district (1993-2006) Seven are

United States Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

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Rob Menendez Robert Jacobsen Menendez Jr. (born July 12, 1985) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey since 2021. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jers ...

, Democrat,

New Jersey's 8th congressional district New Jersey's 8th congressional district is currently represented by Democrat Rob Menendez, who has served in Congress since January 2023. The district is majority Hispanic and includes some of the most urban areas of New Jersey, including parts ...

(2023–present) *

Maxwell Alejandro Frost Maxwell Alejandro Frost (born January 17, 1997) is an American politician, activist and musician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he was previously the national organizing director for March f ...

, Democrat,

Florida's 10th congressional district Florida's 10th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Florida. It was reassigned in 2012, effective January 3, 2013, from the Gulf Coast to inland Central Florida. Before 2017, the district included parts of wes ...

(2023–present) *

Carlos A. Giménez Carlos Antonio Giménez ( ; born January 17, 1954) is a Cuban-born American politician and retired firefighter serving as the U.S. representative for . He was redistricted from . A Republican, he served as mayor of Miami-Dade County from 2011 to ...

, Republican,

Florida's 26th congressional district Florida's 26th congressional district is an electoral district for the U.S. Congress, which was first created in South Florida in 2013 as a result of Florida's population gain in the 2010 Census. In the 2020 redistricting cycle, it was drawn ...

(2021–present) *

Maria Elvira Salazar Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial *170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 *Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, da ...

, Republican,

Florida's 27th congressional district Florida's 27th congressional district is an electoral district for the U.S. Congress and was first created in South Florida during 2012, effective January 2013, as a result of the 2010 Census. The first candidates ran in the 2012 House electio ...

(2021–present) *

Nicole Malliotakis Nicole Malliotakis (; born November 11, 1980) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 11th congressional district since 2021. Her constituency covers Staten Island and southern Brooklyn. Malliotakis is the on ...

, Republican,

New York's 11th congressional district New York's 11th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. The 11th district includes all of Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn, including the neighborhoods of Ba ...

(2021–present) *

Alex Mooney Alexander Xavier Mooney (born June 7, 1971) is an American politician serving since 2015 as the U.S. representative from . A member of the Republican Party, he represented the 3rd district in the Maryland State Senate from 1999 to 2011 and is ...

, Republican,

West Virginia's 2nd congressional district West Virginia's 2nd congressional district currently stretches from the Ohio River border with Ohio to the Potomac River border with Maryland and the border with Virginia. It includes the capital city of Charleston and the rapidly growing resi ...

(2015–present) *

Mario Díaz-Balart Mario Rafael Díaz-Balart Caballero (; born September 25, 1961) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 25th congressional district. A Republican, he was elected in 2002, and his district includes much of sout ...

, Republican,

Florida's 25th congressional district Florida's 25th congressional district is a congressional district in the Greater Miami area of Florida. In the 2020 redistricting cycle, it was drawn as a successor to the previous 23rd district and includes much of southern Broward County, ...

(2003–present) Former Congresspeople: * Anthony Gonzalez, Republican,

Ohio's 16th congressional district The 16th congressional district of Ohio is represented by Representative Anthony Gonzalez (R). It is located in the northeast of the state, covering Wayne County and with arms extending north into the suburbs of Cleveland, and east into Grea ...

(2019–2023) *

Carlos Curbelo Carlos Luis Curbelo (born March 1, 1980) is an American politician who served as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for Florida's 26th congressional district from 2015 to 2019. In 2018 United States House of Represen ...

, Republican,

(2015–2019) *

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (; born Ileana Carmen Ros y Adato, July 15, 1952) is a politician and lobbyist from Miami, Florida, who represented from 1989 to 2019. By the end of her tenure, she was the most senior U.S. Representative from Florida. She wa ...

, Republican,

(1989–2019), First Cuban-American & First Latina elected to Congress *

Mel Martínez Melquíades Rafael Ruiz Martínez (born October 23, 1946) is a Cuban-American lobbyist and former politician who served as a United States Senator from Florida from 2005 to 2009 and as general chairman of the Republican Party from November 200 ...

, Republican, U.S Senator from Florida (2005-2009) *

Lincoln Díaz-Balart Lincoln Rafael Díaz-Balart (born Lincoln Rafael Díaz-Balart y Caballero; August 13, 1954) is a Cuban-American attorney and politician. He was the U.S. representative for from 1993 to 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously ...

, Republican, Miami, U.S House of Representatives (1993-2011) *

David Rivera David Mauricio Rivera (born September 16, 1965) is an American Republican politician from Florida. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for one term, representing parts of South Florida from 2011 to 2013. Rivera was arrested on D ...

, Republican, Miami, U.S House of Representatives (2011-2013) *

Joe Garcia José Antonio Garcia Jr. (born October 12, 1963), known as Joe Garcia, is an American attorney and politician. Garcia represented in the House of Representatives from 2013 to 2015. A Democrat, Garcia represented most of western Miami-Dade Cou ...

, Democrat,

(2013–2015) *

Albio Sires Albio B. Sires (; born January 26, 1951) is a Cuban-born American businessman and politician who has served as the U.S. representative for since 2006. The district, numbered as the from 2006 to 2013, includes most of northern and eastern Jerse ...

, Democrat,

(2006–present)

Cuban Americans in state government

Many Cuban-Americans have been elected to office at a state level, especially in Florida. New Jersey also elects many Cubans to state-level positions, though there is only a small concentration of Cubans in Union City, Elizabeth, and Newark. LG Carlos Lopez-Cantera Headshot.jpg, Lt.Governor of Florida Carlos Lopez-Cantera Anitere Flores.jpg, Anitere Flores, Florida Senate, Majority Whip

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

Carlos Lopez-Cantera Carlos Lopez-Cantera (born December 29, 1973) is an American politician who served as the 19th lieutenant governor of Florida from 2014 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Lopez-Cantera represented the 113th district in the Florida House ...

, Republican,

Lieutenant Governor of Florida The lieutenant governor of Florida is a statewide elected office in the government of the U.S. state of Florida. According to the Florida Constitution, the lieutenant governor is elected to a four-year term congruent with that of the governor of ...

, (2014–2019) *

Anitere Flores Anitere Flores (born September 8, 1976) is a Republican politician from Miami, Florida. She served three terms in the Florida House of Representatives from 2004 to 2010. Subsequently, she served in the Florida Senate from 2010 to 2020. In the 201 ...

, Republican, Member of the Florida Senate from the 37th district * René García, Republican, Member of the Florida Senate from the 38th district * José Javier Rodríguez, Democrat, Member of the Florida Senate from the 37th district * Manny Díaz, Jr., Republican, Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 103rd district * Bryan Avila, Republican, Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 111th district *

Jeanette Núñez Jeanette, Jeannette or Jeanetta may refer to: * Jeanette (given name), a given name (including a list of people and fictional characters with the name) Places * Jeannette, Ontario, Canada * Jeannette Island, Russia * Jeannette, Pennsylvania, U.S ...

, Republican, Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 119th district *

José R. Oliva José R. Oliva (born January 6, 1973) is an American Republican politician from Florida. He served in the Florida House of Representatives, representing the Hialeah and Miami Lakes area in northern Miami-Dade County from 2011 to 2020. He was ...

, Republican, Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 110th district * Mike La Rosa, Republican, Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 42nd district

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

Current

* Angelica Jimenez, Democrat, Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 32nd Legislative District (2012–present)

Former

Marlene Caride Marlene Caride (born August 14, 1963) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2012 to 2018, where she represented the 36th Legislative District. Caride resigned from the Assembly in January 2018 pending her c ...

, Democrat, Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 36th Legislative District (2012-2018) * Rafael Fraguela, Democrat and Republican (from April to December 2003), Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 32nd Legislative District (2002-2004) *

Vincent Prieto Vincent Prieto (born September 11, 1960) is an American Democratic Party politician. He served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2004 to 2018, where he represented the 32nd Legislative District. He formerly served as the 170th Speaker of t ...

, Democrat, Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly (2014–2018), Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 32nd Legislative District (2004–2018) *

Caridad Rodriguez Caridad "Cary" Rodriguez (born September 20, 1947) is an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party politician, who served in the New Jersey New Jersey General Assembly, General Assembly, where she represented the New Jersey's 33r ...

, Democrat, Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 33rd Legislative District (2008-2011)

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

Art Linares Art Linares (born October 31, 1987) is a former American politician who served as a Republican member of the Connecticut State Senate, representing the 33rd District from 2013 to 2018. Political history Linares was the State Senator for the 3 ...

, Republican, Westbrook, Member of the Connecticut State Senate from the 33rd district (2013-2019)

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

* Moises “Mo” Denis, Democrat, Member of the Nevada Senate from the 2nd district

Cuban Americans in executive and judicial roles

Eduardo Aguirre (R) served as Vice Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States in the

George W. Bush administration George W. Bush's tenure as the 43rd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2001, and ended on January 20, 2009. Bush, a Republican from Texas, took office following a narrow victory over Democratic in ...

and later named Director of Immigration and Naturalization Services under the Department of Homeland Security. In 2006, Eduardo Aguirre was named US ambassador to Spain. Cuban Americans have also served other high-profile government jobs including White House Chief of Staff

John H. Sununu John Henry Sununu (born July 2, 1939) is an American politician who was the 75th governor of New Hampshire from 1983 to 1989 and later White House Chief of Staff under President George H. W. Bush. Born in Cuba to an American father and a Salva ...

. Florida-based businessman and Cuban exile Elviro Sanchez made his multimillion-dollar fortune by investing the proceeds of his family's fruit plantations. He is one of the most low-profile philanthropists in the Southern States. Cuban-Americans also serve in high-ranking judicial positions as well. *

Jorge Labarga Jorge Labarga (born 1952) is a justice of the Florida Supreme Court, taking office on January 6, 2009. On June 30, 2014, he was sworn in as Florida's 56th Chief Justice and the first Cuban-American to hold the post. He was succeeded on July 1, 2 ...

, Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court *

Danny Boggs Danny Julian Boggs (born October 23, 1944) is an American attorney and a Senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He was appointed to the court in 1986 and served as its Chief judge from Sep ...

is currently a judge on the

United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (in case citations, 6th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * Eastern District of Kentucky * Western District of ...

* Raoul G. Cantero, III, served as a Florida Supreme Court justice until stepping down in 2008. *

Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina (born February 15, 1952) is a former associate justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court. Fernandez-Vina was nominated to the Supreme Court by Governor Chris Christie on September 30, 2013, and was sworn into office on ...

, is currently an Associate Justice of the

New Jersey Supreme Court The Supreme Court of New Jersey is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, the Supreme Court of New Jersey is the final judicial authority on all cases in the state court system, including cases challenging the ...

Cubans in public service with United States federal government

* Eduardo Aguirre, former

United States Ambassador to Spain The incumbent ambassador is Julissa Reynoso Pantaleón, she was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris on January 7, 2022 and presented her credentials on February 2, 2022. This is a list of United States ambassadors to Spain from 1779 to the ...

and Andorra *Ana Carbonell,

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

for Representative

*Adolfo A. Franco, former Assistant Administrator for

United States Agency for International Development The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...

Latin America and the Caribbean * Emilio González, former

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

and former director of

United States Citizenship and Immigration Service U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that administers the country's naturalization and immigration system. It is a successor to the Immigration and Naturaliza ...

Carlos Gutierrez Carlos Miguel Gutierrez (originally Gutiérrez; born November 4, 1953) is an American former CEO and former United States Secretary of Commerce. He is currently a Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of EmPath. Gutierrez is a former Chairman of the ...

, former Kellogg

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

and former

United States Secretary of Commerce The United States secretary of commerce (SecCom) is the head of the United States Department of Commerce. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to commerce. The secretary rep ...

Nilda Pedrosa Nilda Pedrosa (1974 – January 23, 2021) was an American politician in the Republican party and the acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs of the United States Department of State, from September 28, 2020, until ...

, former Chief of Staff for Representative

, former Senior Policy Director for Senator Mel Martinez, and former Acting

Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs The Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs is currently a top-10 ranking position in the U.S. Department of State that is intended to help ensure that public diplomacy is practiced in combination with public affairs and traditiona ...

(2020-2021) *Pedro Pablo Permuy, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Inter-American Affairs under

President Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again f ...

, former senior aid to Senator

* Alberto Piedra, former

United States Ambassador to Guatemala The following is a list of ambassadors of the United States, or other chiefs of mission, to Guatemala. The title given by the United States State Department to this position is currently ''Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.'' See ...

Hugo Llorens Hugo Llorens (born September 7, 1954) is a retired American diplomat. He is a former U.S. Special Chargé d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, (2016–17) and United States Ambassador to Honduras (2008–2011). In his 36-year ...

, former United States Ambassador to Afghanistan and Honduras

Other politically active Cuban Americans

Mauricio Claver-Carone Mauricio Claver-Carone (born 1975) is an American lawyer, former Treasury Department and National Security Council official, and lobbyist, who was the president of the Inter-American Development Bank from October 2020 until 26 of September 2022. ...

, Washington Director of the US-Cuba Democracy PAC, Capitol Hill Cubans Blog *Sylvia Iriondo, President of MAR por Cuba *Eugenio Llamera, President of La Federacion Mundial de ExPresos Politicos *Gus Machado, Treasurer of the US-Cuba Democracy PAC *Remedios Diaz Oliver, Prolific Republican (GOP) fundraiser *

Jesús Permuy Jesús A. Permuy (born 1935) is a Cuban-American architect, urban planner, human rights activist, art collector, and businessman. He is known for an extensive career of community projects and initiatives in Florida, Washington, D.C., and Latin A ...

, human rights activist and community leader; founder of Human Rights Center of Miami and former president of several influential Cuban organizations including Unidad Cubana, the Cuban Municipalities in Exile, and the Christian-Democratic Movement of Cuba *

Otto Reich Otto Juan Reich (born ) is an American diplomat and lobbyist who worked in the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush. Reich was born in Cuba; his family moved to North Carolina when he was fifteen. He ...

, former senior official in the administrations of Presidents

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

and

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs The Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs is the head of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs within the United States Department of State, the foreign affairs department of the United States federal government. The Assi ...

and US Special Envoy to the Western Hemisphere for the Secretary of State in the Bush administration. *John Suarez, Founder of Free Cuba Foundation * Armando F. Valladares, former Cuban prisoner for twenty-two years, American ambassador to the

Human Rights Commission A human rights commission, also known as a human relations commission, is a body set up to investigate, promote or protect human rights. The term may refer to international, national or subnational bodies set up for this purpose, such as nationa ...

of the UN in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

during the administrations of

and

, and author of the book-testimonial ''Contra toda esperanza'' (''Against All Hope'') about his life in Cuban jails

Politically active Cuban authors and academics

* Frank Calzón, Executive Director of Center for a Free Cuba. * Antonio de la Cova, academic *

Carlos Eire Carlos M. N. Eire is the T. Lawrason Riggs Professor of History and Religious Studies at Yale University. He is a historian of late medieval and early modern Europe. Education Eire received his Bachelor of Arts in History and Theology in 1 ...

, T. Lawrason Riggs Professor of History and Religious Studies at

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

and author of Waiting for Snow in Havana *

Andy García Andrés Arturo García Menéndez (born April 12, 1956), known professionally as Andy García, is a Cuban-born American actor, director and musician. He first rose to prominence acting in Brian De Palma's ''The Untouchables'' (1987) alongside ...

author, actor, producer, director * Rafael Román Martel poet, journalist *

Ricardo Pau-Llosa Ricardo Pau-Llosa (born May 17, 1954 in Havana, Cuba, lived in the United States since December 1960) is a Cuban-American poet, art critic of Latin American art in the US and Europe, art collector, and author of short fiction. Early life and ed ...

, poet and pioneering critic and curator of modern Latin American art *

Enrique Ros Enrique Emilio Ros y Pérez (1924 – April 10, 2013) was a Cuban-American businessman, author, and activist opposed to Cuban president Fidel Castro. Early life Enrique Ros was born in 1924 in Cienfuegos, Cuba. Career Ros hosted radio shows o ...

, prolific author on historical topics * Dr. Eduardo J. Padron, President, Miami Dade College, American Council on Education – Innovator of the Year, Children's Hero Award, Hispanic Achievement Award in Education *

Mirta Ojito Mirta Ojito is a Cuban-born author and journalist. She has written two nonfiction books, ''Finding Mañana: A Memoir of a Cuban Exodus'' a book about her journey to the U.S. as a teenager in the Mariel boatlift, and ''Hunting Season: Immigration a ...

, Pulitzer Prize Winner, Professor, Columbia University School of Journalism, Author, “Finding Mañana”, American Society of Newspaper Editors Award-winning journalist * Gustavo Perez Firmat, Feinson Professor of Humanities, Columbia University, Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Award-winning author and poet * Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat, Former Professor of Political Science, Director of The Cuban Assembly of Resistance

Spanish Language Media

Ninoska Pérez Castellón Ninoska Pérez Castellón (born 1950) is a prominent member of the Cuban exile community in Miami, and outspoken opponent of Fidel and Raul Castro. In relation to this mission of hers, she was one of the founding members of the Cuban Liberty Coun ...

, prominent Cuban-American radio and television talk show host on

Radio Mambi WAQI (710 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Miami, Florida, United States, featuring a Spanish-language talk format known as . Currently owned by Uforia Audio Network, the radio division of TelevisaUnivision, the station broadcasts ...

710 AM * Lourdes D’Kendall, prominent Cuban-American radio talk show host on Radio Mambi 710 AM * Armando Perez-Roura, prominent Cuban-American radio talk show host, former director of Radio Mambi 710 AM, now on La Poderosa 670 AM * Martha Flores, prominent Cuban-American radio talk show host on Radio Mambi 710 AM * Tomas Garcia Fuste, prominent Cuban radio and television talk show host * Rey Anthony, third-generation Cuban-American radio talk show host on Actualidad Radio 1020/1040 AM * Lourdes Ubieta, prominent Venezuelan-born Cuban-American radio talk show host on Actualidad Radio 1020/1040 AM *Agustín Acosta, prominent Cuban-American radio talk show host on Actualidad Radio 1020/1040 AM

References

External links

Anti-Castro Politicians Frozen Out as U.S. Eases Island's Isolation
by Daniel Dombey, ''Financial Times'', June 3, 2009 {{DEFAULTSORT:Cuban-American Lobby Cuba–United States relations Opposition to Fidel Castro Foreign policy political advocacy groups in the United States Ethnic and national lobbies in the United States Identity politics in the United States Anti-communism in the United States

History and formation

Makeup of the lobby

Political influence

Effect of the lobby's campaign contributions

Effect of the lobby on presidential elections

Organizations

Cuban Americans in the United States Congress

Cuban Americans in state government

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

Current

Former

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

Cuban Americans in executive and judicial roles

Cubans in public service with United States federal government

Other politically active Cuban Americans

Politically active Cuban authors and academics

Spanish Language Media

See also

References

External links