The Bacardi family in exile very much wants to get its hands on its old Rum distillaries that Castro took over a few decades ago. They are looking to a post-Castro day when they can reclaim them. They have a lot of money, which they feed into politics, especially in lending financial support to the Cuban exiles in Florida, which in turn gives them political clout.

There was a bill passed a few years that barred companies from selling stuff from Cuba in the US. This was primarily targetted at the Cuban rum company, and their European distribution partner, from selling Cuban rum in the US. This bill was heavily pushed by the Bacardis