Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


               Presidential Candidates Weigh In on US Cuba Policy

   by Sam Verma

   Most of the candidates seeking the Republican Party's nomination for
   president have been strongly opposed to the Obama administration's
   moves toward re-establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba.

   "The beneficiaries of President Obama's ill-advised move will be the
   heinous Castro brothers who have oppressed the Cuban people for
   decades," Florida Governor Jeb Bush wrote on Facebook after President
   Obama announced in December he wanted to end the long-standing U.S.
   trade embargo against Cuba with an eye on reestablishing diplomatic
   ties.

   Senator Ted Cruz of Texas said Cuban President Raul Castro and his
   brother, former leader Fidel, "have just received both international
   legitimacy and a badly-needed economic lifeline from President Obama."

   Florida Senator Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, was also
   strongly opposed, saying the U.S. policy shift was "based on an
   illusion. On a lie. The lie and the illusion that more access to goods
   will translate to political freedom for the Cuban people."

   Lindsey Graham, the Senator from South Carolina, vowed to mount an
   effort to prevent the use of funds for a U.S. embassy to open in
   Havana.  "I will do all in my power to block the use of funds to open
   an embassy in Cuba. Normalizing relations with Cuba is bad idea at a
   bad time," he wrote on Twitter.

   Other candidates have issued similar statements although Kentucky
   Senator Rand Paul bucked the trend. "In the end, I think opening up
   Cuba is probably a good idea," he said.  Rand Paul's father, former
   Congressman Ron Paul was a longtime critic of the past U.S. policies on
   Cuba.

   On the Democratic side, frontrunner Hillary Clinton has been a strong
   supporter of the administration's decision to seek normalized relations
   with Cuba. "Despite good intentions, our decades-long policy of
   isolation has only strengthened the Castro regime's grip on power,"
   Clinton said. "As I have said, the best way to bring change to Cuba is
   to expose its people to the values, information, and material comforts
   of the outside world.

   Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont echoed those sentiments.  "It is time
   for Cuba and the United States to turn the page and normalize
   relations," he said.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/presidential-candidates-weigh-in-on-u
   s-cuba-policy/2844140.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/presidential-candidates-weigh-in-on-us-cuba-policy/2844140.html