DeSantis university appointee investigated professor's Cuba travel
EXCLUSIVE — A University of South Florida professor’s repeated trips to Cuba sparked internal security concerns amid a crackdown on academic ties with the island, records obtained by the Washington Examiner show.
TL;DR
- A University of South Florida trustee, appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, investigated economics professor Dr. Gabriel Picone's four trips to Cuba between July 2022 and June 2025.
- The trustee cited concerns about Cuba's surveillance and intelligence apparatus, suggesting USF should avoid ties with the island.
- The investigation was prompted by a 2021 Florida law signed by DeSantis requiring public universities to report annual travel to specific adversarial countries and prohibiting foreign governments from controlling university activities.
- Dr. Picone's travel was self-funded for academic research on diabetes and wound care, aiming to foster international collaboration.
- The University of Havana and the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, which Picone visited, have been cited in past U.S. reports for potential intelligence network involvement and aiding Iran in developing weapons of mass destruction, respectively.
- The professor was not accused of wrongdoing, and his trips were described as purely academic.