DeSantis university appointee investigated professor’s Cuba travel
A university professor from the University of South Florida, dr.Gabriel picone, faced scrutiny after records revealed his four trips to Cuba between July 2022 and June 2025, amid increased concerns over academic ties with Cuba and fears related to surveillance and intelligence risks. The university’s board of trustees investigated these trips, with trustee Charbel Barakat-a DeSantis appointee-advising the university to avoid cuban connections to mitigate potential security threats. The article highlights ongoing investigations into these academic exchanges and the broader concerns about security associated with Cuba.
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.
The public university’s board of trustees investigated economics teacher Dr. Gabriel Picone over four Cuba visits he took between July 2022 and June 2025, leading trustee Charbel Barakat to suggest that USF steer clear of Cuba in an August 2025 email. Barakat, an appointee of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), referenced “risks” associated with Cuba’s “surveillance and intelligence apparatus.” Six trustees on the 13-member board were DeSantis appointees by the time of the inquiry.
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