Florida Governor Nominee Jolly Controversy Over Cuban Consulate Plans
David Jolly’s past meetings with Cuban officials and support for Cuban immigration policies draw political scrutiny.
3 min read
David Jolly, Florida’s Democrat nominee for governor, has come under renewed scrutiny for his past meetings with Cuban officials to establish a communist consulate in St. Petersburg. The revelation has intensified during his campaign against Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.).
Historical Meetings and Controversy
Jolly, a former Republican congressman, discussed his meeting with Cuban officials during a 2016 debate with former Gov. Charlie Crist. He described the proposal to set up a communist base of operations as a “great opportunity” for St. Petersburg.
He stated, “I think it should be in St. Pete and not Tampa, and I’ve met with Cuban officials to do that. I think it’s a great opportunity for this city.” Jolly also supported the former “Wet Foot, Dry Foot” policy, which allowed Cubans who reached U.S. shores to remain.
Cuban Exile Concerns and National Security
The Florida GOP War Room recently revived the issue, highlighting concerns that Cuban diplomatic facilities could serve as intelligence networks. “David Jolly met with members of the Cuban regime to put a Cuban consulate in Florida. Cuban exiles know these entities are used as spy networks and enemies of our country. David Jolly is a danger to Florida and our country!” the post stated.
In 2015, members of Florida’s Cuban exile community raised national security objections to a new Cuban consulate in the state. Then-Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) warned that such a facility could support Cuban espionage, according to The Associated Press. “A Cuban consulate is a headquarters for espionage, so I don’t know what city thinks of that as a badge of honor,” Ros-Lehtinen said.
Support for Cuba Travel and Recent Comments
While in Congress, Jolly supported expanded private travel to Cuba. In 2015, he voted for an amendment that would have removed proposed restrictions affecting flights and ferry service to Cuba, but it failed. More recently, Jolly criticized President Donald Trump’s Cuba policy as incoherent and criticized Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s strategy of pressuring the Castro regime.
“I don’t believe our current president has a sensible foreign policy and that ultimately, it is coherent,” Jolly said. “I know that one of Marco Rubio’s priorities would be to see the Cuban regime fall. But we cannot limit ourselves to pursuing a strategy to provoke its downfall if, at the same time, we are putting the health and lives of the Cuban people at greater risk.”
Donalds Campaign and Political Messaging
An October 16 Donalds campaign advertisement features Raymond Molina, a veteran of the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion. “I know what socialism is,” Molina says. Later in the advertisement, he delivers a closing warning: “I lost my country once. I won’t lose another.”
The advertisement aired in English and Spanish, according to the Tampa Free Press. “David Jolly welcomes the radical left. I’ll stand with Floridians who know the cost of socialism and refuse to let it take root here,” Donalds wrote in an accompanying X post. “Florida MUST remain free.”
Source: PJ Media
