NOTICIAS

Miami, FL – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) issued the following statement today in advance of Friday’s human rights dialogue between the United States and Cuba in Havana:

“For the past two years, President Obama has repeatedly extended his hand to Cuba’s dictators, only to see them to clench their fists even tighter and pummel the Cuban people even harder. President Obama’s Cuba policy has been a one-sided disgrace that has enriched Cuba’s rulers, military and police state while doing nothing to safeguard the Cuban people’s God-given rights. Arbitrary political arrests are at an all-time high, the internet remains censored, confiscation of communication equipment is still routine, innocent democracy activists are beaten daily, religious freedom is under assault, and the Cuban people are no better off today than they were when President Obama announced his capitulation to the Castros in December 2014.

“Tomorrow, the United States will sit across the table from the Cuban people’s repressors and talk about the importance of human rights and freedom. However, the Obama Administration should have secured real commitments on human rights from the Castro regime before greenlighting a financial windfall of increased travel, commercial flights and a litany of other business opportunities.

“President Obama’s Cuba policy has been very good for the Castros, but it has failed the Cuban people and undermined America’s moral standing in the world. I urge the Obama Administration to demand that true and lasting political reforms occur in Cuba before further concessions are made by the United States. In fact, one specific area they could start is with the unconditional release of Ladies In White Yaquelin Heredia Morales, Marietta Martinez Aguilera, Xiomara de las Mercedes Cruz Miranda, and Aimara Nieto Muñoz.”