The Democratic candidates' positions on Cuba

[Adelante]

With Fidel Castro ailing and Cuba’s leader-designate, Raul Castro, also advanced in age, it appears likely that the next U.S. president will need to alter policy to accommodate a changing political environment in Cuba. The rhetoric and proposed policies of the presidential candidates towards the island nation will undoubtedly hold weight in this contest, especially since, as in past elections, the Cuban exiles in Florida are expected to represent a key voting constituency in 2008.

.
Democratic Candidates on Cuba Policy

.
Joseph R. Biden

Sen. Biden (D-DE) has supported the U.S. policy of economic embargo and now calls for the development of a strategy for democratization in a post-Castro Cuba. In a CNN interview in 2006, Biden said, “We should be putting together a plan as to how we are going to play a positive role in moving that country, after the Castros are gone, to—more toward democratization and liberalization in their society.”

In 1996, Biden voted for the Helms- Burton Act, also known as the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (Libertad) Act. That act, which was passed, sought more stringent international sanctions against the Castro government.

.
Hillary Clinton

Sen. Clinton (D-NY) “is going with the status quo” on Cuba policy, said Sergio Bendixen, an expert in Hispanic public opinion research, in the Washington Post in 2007. In a recent Senate vote, Clinton supported maintaining funding for TV Marti, television programming that the U.S. attempts to broadcast in Cuba. The Castro government has been successfully blocking the signal for this programming, and viewership of TV Marti in Cuba is estimated to be extremely low.

In a 2000 speech at the Council on Foreign Relations, Clinton said she was opposed to lifting the economic embargo (NYT) on an undemocratic Cuba.

.
Christopher J. Dodd

Sen. Dodd (D-CT) has been critical of the Bush administration’s policy toward Cuba and of the embargo more generally, which he says “has failed to bring about the changes in Cuba that all of us wish to see, such as freedom, and democracy, and prosperity.” As such, Dodd is currently cosponsoring the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2007 (PDF), which would allow Americans to travel to Cuba. "The United States' most potent weapon against totalitarianism is the influence of ordinary American citizens," he says.

In 2002, after ex-President Jimmy Carter called for an end to the embargo and said Castro should respect human rights, Dodd said Carter’s approach to Cuba is “far more constructive” than that of President Bush.

Dodd proposed the 1999 Cuba Travel Ban Amendment, which would have lifted restrictions on travel to Cuba. That amendment was tabled but never passed, however.

In 1996, Dodd voted against measures to place sanctions on the Castro government.

.
John Edwards

Edwards has expressed support (BosGlobe) for the economic embargo on Cuba.

During the 2004 presidential campaign, Edwards said he supported sanctions that “target Fidel Castro's regime but help the innocent Cuban people, allowing trade for food and medical supplies that help ease the horrible burdens (AP) they suffer.”

.
Mike Gravel

Gravel opposes the embargo on Cuba and has called for a normalization of relations.

.
Dennis Kucinich

Rep. Kucinich (D-OH) says U.S. policy toward Cuba “has failed.” He calls for an end to the embargo and a repeal of the Helms-Burton Act. He also opposes the travel ban.

Kucinich voted in favor of a 2001 House bill which would stop the enforcement of travel restrictions on Cuba once Castro released all political prisoners and extradited those sought by the United States.

.
Barack Obama

Sen. Obama (D-IL) has broken with the status quo on U.S. policy toward Cuba. In August 2007, he called for travel and remittance restrictions on Cuban-Americans to be lifted. In an op-ed in the Miami Herald, Obama also said he would engage in bilateral talks with Cuba to send the message that the United States is willing to normalize relations with Cuba upon evidence of a democratic opening there.

He has voted twice to cut off TV Marti funding (WashPost).

.
Bill Richardson

Richardson is not in favor of lifting the embargo on Cuba yet, although he has said the United States should be “reevaluating” it (NYT). Instead, he said, Cuba’s democratic transition should be a negotiated process with input from other Latin American leaders “where you push for fair elections, where you push for long-term viability of that country and reintegrate it into the Americas.”

Richardson said in a February 2007 foreign policy speech (PDF) that he would “reverse Bush policies restricting remittances and travel to visit loved ones.”

Richardson negotiated the release of three political prisoners in Cuba in 1996.

http://www.cfr.org/publication/13528/

Please consider fleshing this out on your candidate's Cuba policy, if you've decided on a candidate.

[MethuenProgressive]

1. The Council on Foreign Relations - is it a trustworthy information source?

Opinions? Facts? Please.

[Adelante]

3. It looks pretty factual to me

But it's why I asked for DUers to supplement the information if they could for their candidates.

[janx]

5. I just checked it out, and it seems nonpartisan,

or about as nonpartisan as one could expect.

[janx]

2. This is very helpful! Thank you!

I'm in the process of evaluating the candidates, and it's a pleasure to see some thoughtful and rational information in the forum. :hi:

[Totally Committed]

4. Ditto from me, WesDem...

Awesome post, and darned good information to have, too!

TC

[Adelante]

7. Dodd looks pretty good on this one

I wasn't aware of his record on Cuba.

[Adelante]

6. You're welcome, Janx

I'm trying to do the same. I've given myself until October 1 to make a decision. :hi:

[Colobo]

8. With Obama, America and the World win.

[janx]

9. Richardson sounds very knowledgable on the subject.

It sounds as if he has some experience here and has given it a great deal of thought. Obama sounds good too, but I wonder what he means by "a democratic opening."

[Adelante]

10. Candidate statements this week

"The primary means we have of encouraging positive change in Cuba today is to help the Cuban people become less dependent on the Castro regime in fundamental ways," the Illinois senator wrote in an op-ed piece published in Tuesday's Miami Herald.

Clinton, the New York senator and Democratic front-runner, issued a statement reiterating her support for the current policy toward Cuba, adding, "Until it is clear what type of policies might come with a new government, we cannot talk about changes in the U.S. policies toward Cuba."

-snip

Among other Democratic candidates, Sen. Joe Biden also supports the status quo. Former Sen. John Edwards staked out the middle ground Tuesday, calling for an end to the family travel restrictions but saying he would not immediately change the remittance limits.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has also called for an end to the travel and money restrictions for Cuban-Americans, while Sen. Chris Dodd has said he would lift all travel restrictions. U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich supports scrapping the embargo.

Republicans criticized Obama's proposal.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/21/AR2007082101511.html

[janx]

13. This is just common sense:

Still, Andy Gomez, a senior fellow at the University of Miami's conservative Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, said Obama's position is in line with what many academics have long tried to tell Washington.

"We have to lift the travel ban, not only to allow families to reunite but to allow us to provide information to the Cuban people that will help them form their decisions as to what kind of government they would like for the future," he said.

[Double T]

11. Further proof and fact that HRC represents 'business as usual'........

and the status quo. America and Americans NEED a new direction with a lot of POSITIVE and PRODUCTIVE change.

[LWolf]

12. Good information, thanks. n/t