DeSantis Calls for End to Cuban Communist Dictatorship at Florida Bill Signing

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called for Cuba's communist dictatorship to be put out to pasture once and for all. He made the remarks Friday afternoon while signing a bill at an event.

"If you look at the state of Cuba today and in 2026, it is time for the Cuban communist dictatorship to be put out to pasture once and for all," DeSantis said. "That would be a good thing for our country. It would be a good thing for Florida."

DeSantis stopped short of urging President Donald Trump to launch military action against the communist island 100 miles off Florida's coast. His comments indicate that Trump is not the only Republican watching instability in Havana.

DeSantis tied his remarks to a new Florida law that restricts Cuban-linked businesses operating in the state in violation of U.S. sanctions. "You can't do business with criminals," he said.

He pointed to Trump's leadership in adopting a renewed, aggressive posture toward U.S. interests in the region. DeSantis suggested some American intervention would align with the administration's approach.

"Certainly, President Trump, and how he's viewed the importance of our own hemisphere, [has] kind of reinvigorated the Monroe Doctrine," DeSantis said. He referred to the interventionist geopolitical philosophy espoused by U.S. President James Monroe.

Trump earlier this year sparked talk of possible U.S. military action against Cuba. He hinted that he might take the island. "I do believe I'll have the honor of taking Cuba... That's a big honor. They're a very weakened nation right now. They were for a long time," Trump told reporters in March.

Trump did not detail what steps the U.S. might take against Cuba or when. His comments followed a military operation that ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and triggered unrest in Cuba over energy shortages.

Cuba has relied on Maduro's regime and Venezuelan oil to power its grid for much of the past 30 years. The country now faces rolling blackouts.

DeSantis signed the Foreign Interference Restriction and Enforcement Act on Friday. The law lets Florida revoke business licenses with ties to Cuba and other countries.

"It does a lot of different things, but particularly with respect to Cuba, it authorizes local governments and tax collectors to revoke business tax receipts for businesses operating in Cuba in violation of federal law," DeSantis said. "It creates accountability for false declarations regarding business activities in Cuba; knowingly submitting a false declaration related to unlawful activity involving Cuba will now constitute a third-degree felony in the state of Florida."

A White House spokesperson declined to say if the U.S. would intervene in Cuba's situation. The spokesperson reiterated that the administration sees the regime's end nearing.

"As the President stated, Cuba is a failing nation that has been horribly run for many years and whose rulers have had a major setback with the loss of support from Venezuela. As the President stated, Cuba is a failing country. Within a short period of time they will fall, 'and we will be there to help them out,'" the spokesperson said.