'America will never become home for foreign communists': Marco Rubio steps up offensive against ICAP
According to the U.S. secretary of state, the organization has been used by the Cuban government to conduct espionage, coordinate anti-Western propaganda campaigns, carry out political influence operations and support leftist revolutionary movements in various countries.
Marco Rubio during a press conference / Eric Lee
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday a further tightening of measures against the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), which he described as one of the Cuban regime’s main tools for influence, intelligence, and propaganda on the international stage.
In a post on X, Rubio asserted that for decades, ICAP has operated as a “vehicle for radical left-wing extremism and subversive foreign influence,” not only within the United States but also throughout the rest of the hemisphere.
According to the U.S. secretary of state, the organization has been used by the Cuban government to carry out espionage activities, coordinate anti-Western propaganda campaigns, execute political influence operations and support leftist revolutionary movements in various countries.
ICAP under new sanctions
Rubio recalled that earlier this month the State Department included ICAP and several entities linked to the Cuban regime among the organizations responsible for participating in subversive activities directed against the country. The measure was adopted as part of the sanctions set forth in the executive order on Cuba signed by President Donald Trump, which expands the legal tools to act against institutions considered part of the Castro regime’s intelligence apparatus or sphere of influence.
According to Rubio, the decision seeks to limit ICAP’s ability to operate internationally and send a clear message to those who maintain ties with the organization.
The case of Carlos Antonio Lloga Domínguez
Rubio indicated that Lloga Domínguez, along with his wife and son, remains in federal custody while the process for his deportation from the United States is underway.
Although he did not provide additional details on the specific circumstances of the case, the official presented the measure as an example of the new policy of strict enforcement against individuals linked to organizations considered instruments of the Cuban regime.
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Warning to ICAP collaborators
The secretary of state also issued a direct warning to citizens, organizations, and institutions that maintain ties with ICAP.
“America will never become home for foreign communists who peddle propaganda, run subversive influence operations, or support radical anti-American movements within the United States,” he stated.
Rubio stated that anyone who conducts transactions or maintains ties with the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples may face economic sanctions, legal action, or even deportation if found on U.S. soil.
What is ICAP?
Founded in 1960, the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) was created by the Cuban regime with the aim of promoting international solidarity with the Cuban Revolution and maintaining relations with social, political and friendship organizations in various countries. For decades, American authorities have maintained that the organization has also served as an instrument for the Cuban state to project its political influence abroad, an accusation that the government in Havana rejects and considers part of Washington’s policy of hostility toward the island.
Rubio’s statements come amid the current U.S. administration’s hardening stance toward Cuba, which has increased sanctions and restrictions against officials, state entities and organizations linked to the Cuban regime.
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