Our Relations With Cuba

Summary

• Supports a loosening of restrictions on remittances and family visits between the US and Cuba.
• US Cuba policy has been a failure during his lifetime.
• Ultimate goal is normalization of relations.

Summary

• Maintain the embargo
• Investigate the shoot-down of dissident Cubans
• Indict Raul and Fidel Castro if necessary

Q: Do you support normalizing relations with Cuba now?

A: As a show of good faith that we're interested in pursuing a new relationship, I've called for a loosening of the restrictions on remittances from family members to Cuba, as well as travel restrictions for family members who want to visit their family members in Cuba. And I think that initiating that change in policy as a start could be useful, but I would not normalize relations until we started seeing some progress.

Q: But that's different from your position back in 2003, when you called US policy toward Cuba a miserable failure.

A: I support the eventual normalization. And it's absolutely true that I think our policy has been a failure. During my entire lifetime, Cuba has been isolated, but has not made progress when it comes to the issues of political rights and personal freedoms. So I think that we have to shift policy. I think our goal has to be ultimately normalization. But that's going to happen in steps.

Q: Cuban dictatorship has survived nine U.S. presidents. What would you do differently, that has not been done so far, to bring democracy to Cuba?

A: Of course we need to keep our embargo up. Of course we cannot allow economic aid to flow to Cuba. And if I were president of the United States, I would order an investigation of the shoot-down of those brave Cubans who were killed under the orders of Raul and Fidel Castro, and, if necessary, indict them.

February 21, 2008
Austin, TX
Democratic Debate, University of Austin

December 9, 2007
Republican Debate on Univision