Cuba accused the U.S. Senate on Thursday of "aggression" after it adopted an amendment calling on President Joe Biden to ensure internet access to bypass the censorship imposed by Havana. The Cuban government usually controls access to the internet and the data available on mobile phones. Following unprecedented anti-government protests across the country on July 11, facilitated by sharing photos on social media, the government cut internet access for five days. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez tweeted, "I condemn the aggression of the U.S. Senate through the amendment concerning the internet in Cuba, which contributes to the profitable trade in destructive political schemes in Florida."
Republican Senator Marco Rubio from Florida, who is of Cuban descent, proposed the amendment, which includes creating a fund to find the necessary technology to ensure internet access on the island. The amendment proposed by Rubio and his Republican colleague Ron DeSantis involves deploying satellites, balloons, and offshore access points to provide Cubans with unrestricted internet access. Rubio stated on Tuesday that "the technology exists to do this without delay, and I urge the Biden administration to move forward immediately." The U.S. Departments of Treasury and Commerce published a statement on Wednesday detailing the steps required to obtain a license for internet and telecommunications services related to Cuba. The Cuban Foreign Minister stated that the tightened U.S. sanctions imposed under former President Donald Trump are the "main obstacle to the free and sovereign access of the Cuban people to the internet."
