President Barack Obama’s move to normalize diplomatic relations with Cuba has been called everything from smart and timely to politically naive. Here’s a collection of comments regarding the policy shift.
• Peter Schechter, director of the Adrienne Arsht Latin Amerian Center: "President Obama has used executive orders to address the two largest structural impediments to better U.S. relations with Latin America: immigration and Cuba. We commend his leadership on both counts. Today, nearly 55 years of ineffective Cuba sanctions policy has come to an end. Even our closest Latin allies repeatedly advised us to "fix" our Cuba policy; the Cuba embargo placed a boulder-sized pebble in the shoe of U.S./Latin American relations. It is a relief to have it removed, to walk comfortably together towards a more fully democratic region. The ever-smaller, yet still noisy, pro-embargo crowd in this country will surely kick and scream over these changes, accusing the president of "giving in" to the Castros. They are wrong. With the U.S. sanctions out of the way, the conversation can turn away from U.S. sanctions policy to fully focus on a half-century of dictatorship and repression. The international community — which normalized relations with Cuba long ago — can now openly encourage a democratic Cuba. And isn't that the whole point?"
* Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla: "Appeasing the Castro brothers will only cause other tyrants from Caracas to Tehran to Pyongyang to see that they can take advantage of President Obama's naiveté during his final two years in office. … It's absurd, and it's part of a long record of coddling dictators and tyrants that this administration has established."
* Lt. Col. Allen West, former congressman: "Some say the definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing and expect different results. So with that being said, some are applauding President Obama's unilateral change in policy towards Cuba, by way of opening up diplomatic relations. Now we can debate the pros and cons, but the underlying problem I have with all of this is, why was this not discussed openly? Why was it that once again, we surrendered three Cuban spies with blood on their hands? Yes, we're all happy Alan Gross is home. But we're seeing a repeat of the Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl swap for five senior Taliban leaders. We seem to be operating from a position of appeasement, acquiescence and weakness — not of strength."
* Former President Jimmy Carter: "I hope the U.S. Congress will take steps to remove the economic sanctions against the Cuban people, which have proven to be ineffective in furthering democracy and freedom. As president, I lifted travel restraints on U.S. visitation and approved the opening of interest sections in Washington and Havana, in which hundreds of representatives of our two countries continue to serve. Full diplomatic relations will contribute to easier and more productive communications."
