Speaker of the House Paul Ryan wants to undo President Barack Obama’s normalization of relations with Cuba, according to a statement.
Ryan issued a scathing statement Tuesday regarding the Obama Administration’s decision to increase trade ties with the Communist island 90 miles south of Florida, stressing that Obama’s policies “help finance the Castros’ grip on power.”
“The Castros continue to jail pro-democracy activists at a rate of hundreds per month, yet it is full steam ahead for the Obama administration’s efforts to appease this oppressive regime” Ryan said in his statement.
“The Castros continue to jail pro-democracy activists at a rate of hundreds per month, yet it is full steam ahead for the Obama administration’s efforts to appease this oppressive regime,” the Wisconsin Republican went on to say. Ryan is also concerned about the risks posed to American businesses that would potentially work with Cuba.
“President Obama’s latest move will only help finance the Castros’ grip on power and jeopardize the intellectual property rights of American businesses,” according to the 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee. Ryan makes clear that he believes the Obama Administration normalizing ties with Cuba in December, 2014, backfired.
“As the past two years of normalizing relations have only emboldened the regime at the expense of the Cuban people, I fully intend to maintain our embargo on Cuba,” said Ryan. The shift in U.S.-Cuba relations conducted via executive order resulted in the re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Havana as well as the Cuban embassy in Washington, D.C.
Americans are now also allowed to travel to the Caribbean nation directly from U.S. airports. Starting Monday, American tourists are now legally able to buy as many cigars and as much rum as they would like for personal use after the Obama Administration lifted a $100 purchasing cap.
GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump says that he will undo Obama’s Cuba policy shift if he is elected president. “The people of Cuba have struggled too long. Will reverse Obama’s Executive Orders and concessions towards Cuba until freedoms are restored” Trump tweeted Oct. 12.
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