María Elvira Salazar
Florida Republican congresswoman, hardline Cuba sanctions advocate
Last refreshed: 15 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
What licences do Florida Republicans want to revoke from Cuba?
Timeline for María Elvira Salazar
Co-signed joint letter to OFAC and BIS demanding Cuba licence revocation
Cuba Dispatch: Florida Republicans push for Cuba licence purge- What is Maria Elvira Salazar doing about Cuba in 2026?
- In February 2026 Salazar co-signed a letter demanding OFAC and BIS revoke all active US licences for business with Cuban state entities.Source: Congressional letter Feb 2026
- Why do Florida Republicans oppose Cuba sanctions relief?
- Florida Republicans including Salazar represent large Cuban-American constituencies that strongly favour maximum-pressure policy against the Diaz-Canel government.Source: House Foreign Affairs Committee record
Background
Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27) co-signed a February 2026 joint letter with Mario Diaz-Balart and Carlos Gimenez demanding OFAC and BIS revoke every active licence authorising US business with Cuban state-controlled entities, citing the LIBERTAD Act. The letter reflected Florida Republican unity in opposing any softening of Cuba policy under EO 14380.
Salazar, a Cuban-American former television journalist, has represented Florida's 27th Congressional District since January 2021. She serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and has consistently championed maximum-pressure Cuba policy, opposing Obama-era normalisation and any engagement with the Diaz-Canel government. She was born in Miami to Cuban exile parents.
Her political influence reflects the Cuban-American diaspora's outsized electoral weight in south Florida swing districts. Her demands carry practical force: OFAC licence decisions are politically sensitive, and congressional letters from members of the relevant committees receive formal agency responses.