María Elvira Salazar U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 27th district | Official U.S. House Headshot
María Elvira Salazar U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 27th district | Official U.S. House Headshot
Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) has sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, with a copy to Benjamin Ziff, the Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, demanding the revocation of Manuel Menéndez Castellanos's visa. Menéndez Castellanos is the former First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba for Cienfuegos and recently arrived in the United States on an immigrant visa.
Salazar stated, “Since Manuel Menéndez Castellanos worked so hard to defend communism, he must spend his retirement living in the communist system.” She urged, “Do the right thing and cancel Manuel Menéndez Castellanos's visa immediately – he does not deserve to spend his retirement in freedom.”
Local media reported that Menéndez Castellanos landed at Miami International Airport on August 16, 2024. His career includes ten years as First Secretary of the Communist Party for Cienfuegos province and membership in the National Assembly from 1998 to 2008. He was also part of Fidel Castro’s Coordination and Support Team and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba.
Salazar emphasized that it is "unthinkable" for someone who has subjugated Cuban people under communism to benefit from American freedoms. She called on Secretary Blinken to revoke his visa immediately.
To read the full letter, click here.
Alerts Sign-up