Billionaire Sugar Barons Fuel Trump’s Push to Reclaim Cuba

Donald Trump’s recent boasts about “taking Cuba” come with a powerful sugar-coated backing: the Fanjul family, billionaire sugar barons and longtime allies of Trump with a fortune north of $8 billion. José “Pepe” Fanjul and his brother Alfonso “Alfy” Fanjul, who have lived near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate for decades, are not just friends of the former president—they are major political donors who have bankrolled campaigns across party lines to protect and expand their sugar empire.

The Fanjuls’ story is a textbook case of how wealth and political influence intertwine to serve private interests under the guise of patriotism. Originally Cuban sugar magnates before the 1959 revolution forced them into exile, the brothers rebuilt their empire in Florida and Louisiana, now controlling companies like Florida Crystals and Domino Sugar. Their reach extends to the Caribbean, including ownership of the Casa de Campo resort and Central Romana Corporation in the Dominican Republic—the latter notorious for labor abuses including forced labor and hazardous conditions.

Despite a 2022 Biden administration ban on imports from Central Romana due to these abuses, Trump reversed that order, delivering a lucrative lifeline to the Fanjuls. His administration also imposed tariffs favoring their sugar business and pressured Coca-Cola to use cane sugar, moves that underscore how Trump’s policies have often prioritized the profits of his billionaire friends over ethical concerns and environmental health.

The Fanjuls have long played both sides politically, donating over $24 million since 1977 to Democrats and Republicans alike. More recently, they have funneled over $7 million into Trump’s campaigns and super PACs. Their influence helped kill a proposed tax on Florida sugar growers under Bill Clinton, illustrating their knack for turning political favors into business advantages.

Their ambition to reclaim Cuban sugar lands isn’t new. Alfonso Fanjul visited Cuba during the Obama administration, meeting officials and discussing business opportunities, frustrating hardline Cuban-American politicians. Now, with Trump’s aggressive stance and the Fanjuls’ financial muscle behind him, their decades-old dream of restoring their family’s Cuban sugar empire seems poised to move forward—at the expense of democracy, labor rights, and environmental protections.

This is not just a story about sugar. It’s a stark example of how Trump’s presidency has been a vehicle for billionaire interests to rewrite rules and crush opposition, all while cloaking greed in nationalist rhetoric. The Fanjuls’ backing of Trump’s Cuba plans is a reminder that behind every political stunt lies a network of power and profit waiting to be exposed and challenged.