REESTABLISHING RELATIONS WITH CUBA

The time to end the trade embargo against Cuba and reestablish diplomatic relations with the Castro regime is long overdue

President Obama plans to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba after the Castro regime released American contractor Alan Gross and an unidentified American spy in exchange for three former Cuban spies imprisoned by the U.S. Obama ordered Secretary of State John Kerry to begin high-level discussions with the Cubans to reestablish a U.S. embassy in Havana and to ease some of the trade restrictions imposed during the Kennedy administration.

The Los Angeles Times reports that “Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro sealed the historic deal in a 45-minute telephone conversation Tuesday after 18 months of secret talks between the two governments. Canada's government hosted most of the talks, but they included a meeting arranged by Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, at the Vatican in October.”

Obama’s plans were denounced by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and other members of Congress. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) called Obama the “appeaser in chief.”

Total lifting of the trade embargo will require an act of Congress, something that is not likely to happen with a Republican majority in both houses.

I have been a longtime critic of Obama’s foreign policy, but I’m with the president on this move. The U.S. is the only country that does not trade with Cuba. Our trade embargo has not hurt the Castro regime. Instead, it probably strengthened Fidel and Raul Castro’s grip on the country. The embargo only hurt American businessmen and farmers, as well as the Cuban people.

As for those who point to Cuba’s dismal human rights record, let me point out that we have diplomatic relations with countries whose human rights records are far worse than those of the Cubans, starting with China. And some of our allies, like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Indonesia, also have human rights records worse than Cuba’s.

We probably would have reestablished relations with Cuba long ago were it not for the vocal opposition of Cuban-Americans in Florida and other states. If we are going to reestablish diplomatic relations with Cuba it better happen while Obama is still in office because it ain’t about to happen under a Republican administration.