WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott urged Prince Charles to reconsider his planned trip to Cuba to avoid providing legitimacy to the Castro regime. Senator Scott invited the Prince to join him in the fight for freedom and democracy by visiting Florida instead to learn firsthand about the atrocities committed by the Cuban dictatorship. See the full letter attached and below.

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales

Clarence House

London

SW1A 1BA

Dear Sir:

It has come to my attention that you are planning a trip to Cuba, the first of its kind for the Crown since Fidel Castro established the communist state. A trip of this magnitude by the Crown provides unwarranted legitimacy to a dictatorship with a decades-long history of persecuting and imprisoning its defectors and repressing its people. While you may be able to travel freely to the island as a foreigner, Cuban nationals are treated as second-class citizens, unable to enjoy the same freedoms on their own island, creating a reprehensible apartheid system.

In Florida, we stand in direct opposition to ruthless dictators like the Castro regime and its crony successors. Throughout Latin America, the Cuban dictatorship has long attempted to destabilize the region. The Cuba regime harbors terrorist groups and is responsible for propping up other ruthless dictators, like Maduro in Venezuela. Right now, Maduro is terrorizing the people of Venezuela by blocking vital humanitarian aid from entering the country. This horrendous act of terror is orchestrated and supported by the Cuban dictatorship.

I urge you to reconsider this trip for another alternative. I invite you to visit Florida to learn firsthand about the past six decades of atrocities, oppression and misery inflicted on the Cuban people by the regime. In Florida, you will be met by a vibrant Cuban population dedicated to putting an end to the decades of torture, repression, incarceration and death the people of Cuba have endured.

By visiting Florida, you have the opportunity to stand with the people of Cuba and fight for a new era of freedom and opportunity. Conversely, a visit to Cuba signals your support for a ruthless dictatorship that has denied Cubans their basic rights for far too long.

As the heir to the throne, your visit to Cuba or Florida will send a clear message. Spending time with Floridians from Cuba will help you see why a new era of freedom and opportunity for Cuba is so vital. For the sake of standing up for democracy and freedom, I hope you will accept my offer and reconsider a visit to Cuba.

Sincerely,

Rick Scott

United States Senator

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