Florida senator files for official vote condemning China-Cuba ‘partnership’ amid spy base report

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A proposed memorial in the Florida Senate urges the U.S. secretary of state to condemn the “emerging partnership” between the Chinese Communist Party and the communist regime in Cuba.

A memorial is a way for the legislature to formally express their views to the federal government.

The memorial would also condemn the establishment of Chinese espionage and military capabilities in Cuba.

Sen. Bryan Avila, R-Hialeah Gardens, sponsored the Senate memorial.

Rep. Juan Carlos Porras, R-Miami, proposed a similar memorial in the House.

The memorial noted that on Feb. 4, the U.S. military shot down a Chinese spy balloon off the South Carolina coast. The U.S. military said that the balloon was used to intercept electronic signals and to monitor sensitive military sites.

An unnamed administration official confirmed that since 2019, China has been operating a spy base in Cuba as part of a global effort to “upgrade its intelligence-gathering capabilities,” according to the memorial.

The memorial would condemn the Chinese Communist Party for “establishing a potential base for its military and intelligence services 90 miles from the U.S.” It called the move an “aggressive action that threatens our national security.”

Avila said he is “proud” to be “leading the fight against communism” by proposing the memorial.

“The collaboration between the Chinese Communist Party and the communist Cuban regime is a threat to national security that needs to be taken seriously by the federal government,” Avila said.

If passed, the memorial would be sent to President Joe Biden, the president of the U.S. Senate, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Secretary of State and each member of the Florida delegation to the U.S. Congress.