Businesspeople linked to the Republican Party met, such as Ernesto Rodríguez, Michael Fux, Omar Sixto, and Nick Gutiérrez
14ymedio, Madrid, April 1, 2026 – A group of Cuban American millionaires linked to the Republican Party met this Tuesday in Miami to “support the Trump Administration for real and effective change in a democratic Cuba,” according to Ernesto Rodríguez, an executive member of the organizing committee. The entrepreneurs plan to hold at least three more meetings and hope to have, at the last one, Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The meeting drew the attention of a good number of businesspeople who explained to Telemundo 51 their intentions to invest multimillion-dollar sums on the Island, although they ask that the U.S. oversee the first phase of that change. “At least until Cuba gets fixed. Once it’s fixed, I think it can continue on its own, because it did so long before Castro and they can do it again,” argued Michael Fux, born in Havana, who left in 1958 with his parents for Miami, where he made his fortune in the mattress industry.
“In the event that Cuba is free and sovereign and there is a Constitution that protects private enterprise, the Cuban American exile will stand together with Cubans on the Island”
A few weeks after the Cuban regime opened the door to investment by Cubans living abroad, businessman Omar Sixto was very clear about the condition that must be met. “In the event that Cuba is free and sovereign and there is a Constitution that protects private enterprise, the Cuban American exile will stand together with Cubans on the Island who want to start businesses. And that is the essence of today’s meeting,” he emphasized, firmly rejecting the proposal of Deputy Prime Minister Oscar Pérez-Oliva.
“I am relatively a newcomer to this issue,” admitted Nick Gutiérrez, a specialist in claims for property confiscated by the Revolution in the 1960s and a member of the Cuban Democratic Directorate in Miami. “There are people here much older than I am who have longed for seven decades for what is happening now. The freedom of the Cuban people is near. It is the first time I can say that, and I have been involved in this issue for at least 35 years,” continued the jurist, a firm supporter of Donald Trump’s government.
“Now we have an Administration that has helped us more than any other. We have not won yet, and there are people, inside and outside this Administration, who favor and oppose our ideals. We have to remain steadfast in our ideals, which are not radical. We are not asking for anything special, a special privilege. We are asking for the same thing that most of the peoples of the world enjoy: democracy, freedom, rule of law,” he said.
“We are not asking for anything special, a special privilege. We are asking for the same thing that most of the peoples of the world enjoy: democracy, freedom, rule of law”
Asked why there were no Cuban Americans from the Democratic Party and whether they considered including them, Ernesto Rodríguez stated that this meeting was planned exclusively for people linked to “the right, conservatives,” but that they would have no problem, when the time comes, with other profiles joining who want to contribute. “We are looking, through the Trump Administration, for strong economic support to be able to put our nation, the Island we love so much, where it should have been a long time ago, and for that resources are needed,” he acknowledged.
“I think the meeting is very positive. There is a lot of interest in progress, there is a lot of interest in rebuilding the Cuba we fled from,” concluded lawyer José Villalobos.
The meeting, which will have its second session on May 20, coincided with the controversy generated this Tuesday in Miami over the export of fuel from the U.S. to the private sector on the Island, which has been authorized by the Trump Administration. Several Florida companies have joined the business, particularly that of Cuban American Hugo Cancio, who aligns with those who support negotiation, without prior conditions, with the regime in Havana.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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