{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://mariodiazbalart.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/case-you-missed-it-rep-mario-diaz-balart-newsweek-cubas-terror-network", "IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...  Rep. Mario D\u00edaz-Balart in Newsweek:  Cuba's Terror Network and Its Role in Russia's War", "2025-12-10", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "FL", "Mario Diaz-Balart", "D000600", "mariodiazbalart.house.gov", "mariodiazbalart", "https://mariodiazbalart.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Rep. Mario D\u00edaz-Balart (FL-26) co-authored an op-ed alongside Markus Wiechel, a member of the Swedish Parliament, on the Cuban regime's long history of supporting terrorist groups and adversaries, including its active role today in one of the most urgent security threats: Russia's war against Ukraine.\n\nSince 2022, thousands of Cuban nationals have been deployed as mercenaries for Putin. This scale of involvement is not possible without the Cuban regime\u2019s approval and fits a decades-long pattern: harboring U.S. fugitives, aiding the FARC and ELN, propping up Venezuela\u2019s dictatorship, collaborating with Iran and North Korea, and running cyber and disinformation operations across the hemisphere.\n\nNewsweek\n\nOp-ed: Markus Wiechel and Mario D\u00edaz-Balart\n\nDecember 10, 2025\n\nRead the full op-ed below or here:\n\nIn Cuba, where vibrant streets hide daily struggles, the government silences its people and spreads trouble worldwide. For over 60 years, since the revolution, the regime has crushed free speech at home and backed violent groups abroad. There\u2019s clear evidence that Cuba supports terrorism, yet many countries hesitate to act. Calling Cuba a \"state sponsor of terrorism\" isn\u2019t just a label\u2014it\u2019s a vital step to stop their dangerous actions and protect democracies everywhere.\n\nThe proof is undeniable. Since the 1960s, the Cuban dictatorship has supplied weapons, training and safe hideouts to rebel groups causing chaos in Latin America. Groups like the FARC and ELN in Colombia\u2014labeled terrorists by the U.S. and Europe\u2014have relied on Cuban communist support for years. The Cuban regime has hosted talks for one of these groups, but not as an honest broker\u2014they shielded leaders even after a 2019 bomb attack in Bogot\u00e1 that killed 22 people and injured over 60. Cuban communist agents even work inside Venezuela\u2019s government, propping up its dictatorship and creating a hub for criminals.\n\nThe Cuban regime\u2019s actions go further. They shelter U.S. fugitives wanted for serious crimes by letting these criminals live freely in Cuba, encouraging violence that stretches from U.S. cities to Colombia\u2019s mountains.\n\nThe dictatorship also runs online attacks, spreads false information, and works with countries like Iran and North Korea, making threats worse by mixing terror with economic pressure.\n\nThe communist regime\u2019s role in Russia\u2019s war against Ukraine makes things even clearer. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, thousands of Cubans have been sent to fight for Russia as mercenaries. Some estimates say that the number of Cuban fighters within Russian ranks could be as high as 20,000.\n\nThe Cuban dictatorship denies involvement, but experts say this couldn\u2019t happen without the government\u2019s approval. By supporting Russia\u2019s attacks\u2014bombing Ukrainian schools and hospitals\u2014Cuba is fueling a war that\u2019s a form of state-backed terror, hurting innocent people far away.\n\nThe U.S. recognized this threat and returned Cuba to the terrorism sponsor list, citing its meddling in Venezuela and beyond. It is now time for the rest of the free world to speak the truth about this barbaric regime.\n\nThis is why we push for governments across the world to acknowledge that the Cuban regime is a state sponsor of terrorism, as stated in our written declaration in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.\n\nDemocracies need to stand united, and it is crucial not to look away. The people of Cuba and Ukraine deserve our strong support.\n\nMarkus Wiechel, a member of the Swedish Parliament since 2012 representing the Sweden Democrats, has a deep focus on foreign affairs. He has been a member of various international delegations and is currently chairing Sweden\u2019s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, where he previously served as vice president. He is also vice chairman of Hepatica Foundation and a member of the Swedish OSCE delegation.\n\nCongressman Mario Diaz-Balart is a U.S. member of Congress representing Florida\u2019s 26th Congressional District.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://mariodiazbalart.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/case-you-missed-it-rep-mario-diaz-balart-newsweek-cubas-terror-network"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.668713055551052, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}