I want to see the peaceful transition to democracy occur on the Island of Cuba in my life time. That isn't going to happen if we continue the misguided policies of the last forty-six years. We must open the flood gates to contacts with the Cuban people. We must remove restrictions on the ability of Cuban Americans to provide financial assistance to their loved ones. Even small sums of money in the hands of ordinary Cuban families can serve as catalysts for private investment to gain a foothold in Cuba. I have long supported the freedom to travel to Cuba, which is why I have joined with twenty of my colleagues in a bi-partisan way to co-sponsor S.721 the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2007. It is simply un-American to bar American citizens from traveling to foreign countries. In fact, Americans are currently free to travel to both Iran and North Korea, two countries which pose far more serious threats to American national security than the government of Cuba. But more than that, the United States' most potent weapon against totalitarianism is the influence of ordinary American citizens. They are some of the best ambassadors we have, and the free exchange of ideas and the interaction between Americans and Cubans are important ways to encourage democracy in Cuba. For more than forty-six years, the United States has maintained an isolationist policy toward Cuba, which I believe has not achieved its intended objectives, namely to hasten a peaceful and democratic transition on the Island of Cuba. Rather, it has solidified the authoritarian control of Fidel Castro, and has adversely affected the already miserable living conditions of 11 million innocent men, women, and children on the Island. I have long opposed restrictions on the sale of food and medicine to the Cuban people. Frankly I believe it is immoral to deprive innocent people from access to American medical and farm products. Moreover, we hurt our American farm families with such an ill conceived policy. It is a commonsense policy to encourage Cuban authorities to purchase US food and medicine rather than other foreign purchases that may impact adversely on our nation's security. The Island of Cuba is in the throes of a transition to a post-Castro Cuba. A US policy of staying the course leaves us on the sides as the future of Cuba is being written. It is time to engage before it is too late to have a positive influence on the political landscape which is rapidly taking shape there. In a Dodd administration the United States will engage with the Cuban people in support of a peaceful transition to democracy.
Dodd on Cuba Policy
posted by Matt Browner-Hamlin, Campaign Blogger on August 15, 2007 - 2:12pm
Senator Dodd has been a long-time advocate for free travel to Cuba and ending the economic restrictions that prevent American food and medicines from reaching Cuba. Here's a statement from Dodd on his thoughts about US policy on Cuba.
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Comments
I agree 100% with your assessmnent of the foolish and failed policy of isolating Cuba. As you are well aware this policy is designed to appease the politically powerful Miami Cubans who feel that once Castro is gone they will assume their rightful (in their eyes) place as leaders of Cuba.
I have been to Cuba (legally) and I found the Cubans to be friendly and warm. They may not agree with our government policies but they do not turn that into a dislike for Americans.
Please try to get this ridiculous policy overturned.
Huh. I've been an Obama man so far, and to be quite honest, kind of thought you were a long shot candidate behind him and Hillary.
But (and you had to know there was a "but" coming), this is awfully persuasive. I think a lot of politicians, even a lot of people, just maintain the status quo with Cuba, a status quo established forty years ago.
Thanks for stepping back and taking a more objective look at the situation, instead of holding a half-century-long grudge over the Cuban Missile Crisis.
I'm glad that Senator Dodd's conviction and experience is winning you over. Steve Clemons called Dodd's view on Cuba "adult foreign policy" -- and I think that sums up his commitment to using diplomacy as a tool in our arsenal and spending time talking to people whether we like them or not.
Though I may have been leaning toward support for Obama, I really have not paid much attention to the field of candidates to date. Frankly, I have been waiting for someone to start to speak intelligently about our Cuba policy.
I do not like being put in a position where I need to decide between the law and the right thing to do, but I have traveled to Cuba to see the situation for myself. Frankly, the people of Cuba are extremely friendly to Americans and are better educated in many fields including US history, than most Americans. Even though they know the facts pertaining to the past US occupation, support for dictatorship and invasion, they are intelligent enough to know the difference between bad policy and people.
Ann Arbor, my home town, has joined with many other cities in the US in forming a Cuban sister city relationship, in our case with Remedios in west-central Cuba. Unfortunately, US policy explicitly forbids us to do the type of people to people diplomacy that you advocate.
It is time for Americans to demand their right to travel freely. Unfortunately most Americans are more likely to be able to tell you who they like on American Idol than where Cuba is on the map. I hope your voice and leadership might begin to influence us as to where our priorities and policies should be headed.
I look forward to reading more about your policy objectives and campaign.
Jeff McCabe
Ann Arbor, MI
Senator Dodd's candidacy merits special consideration because of his courageous act of challenging conventional wisdom inside the beltway--and among Democratic Party campaign gurus.
He has charted a path that must be followed by his candidate colleagues in the Senate if they truly aspire to provide an alternative to the Bush Administration's disastrous foreign policy.
Senator Obama, Biden and Clinton have lost the chance to be first, but surely now they won't want to be seen as still carrying water for Bush. I hope they give due credit to Dodd when they join him as cosponsors of S 721.
A new US policy toward Cuba is equally important to provide the space for reform there and to restore our national reputation, especially in this hemisphere.
Dodd gives other former Peace Corps volunteers another reason to be proud of the enduring impact of our service on understanding the world.
I have contributed before to Dodd, and to other candidates as well. I have just doubled my contribution and created a page that can be a vehicle for representatives of the two-thirds of Americans who favor normalization with Cuba to express their appreciation for his leadership.
http://action.chrisdodd.com/my/donate.jsp?supporter_my_donate_page_KEY=132
John McAuliff
Peace Corps Peru, 1964-66
Dear Mr. Dodd:
I applaud your common sense approach to a long overdue revision of our foreign policy towards Cuba. It is time to bring back this issue to the State Dept. and take it out of 8th St. in Miami.
Thank you Senator Dodd for taking the high road in co-sponsoring S.721 the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2007. I am an citizen of the great State of Texas, which is very close to Cuba, but due to the failed policy of our country for the last forty-six years, I can't visit the wonderful country of Cuba and meet many of its friendly people.
These very same people never did anything against the United States and do not deserve the isolation that has been placed apon them by our country.
Please remember that the Cuban Revolution was a popular uprising against a ruthless dictator who was controlled by the American Mafia. The idea of allowing the sons of these gangsters to hop right back to Cuba and continue their fathers dirty business dosen't leave a good taste in my mouth either.
I am not saying that everyone who fled Cuba was connected with the mob, as many good people fled the island also, but one thing is for sure and that is the fact that Castro cleaned up his country from likes of Lucky Luciano.
The idea of being called "America's Brothal" wasn't exactly what one would call very moralistic and as the song once said..."Drinking Run and Cola-Coca...working for the Yankee Dollar" was the norm before the revoulion.
Fidel has said many times that he was in favor of better relations with the United States, he just didn't want Cuba to be an annex of the U.S.A.
How wonderfully refreshing for Sen. Dodd to think about Cuba in a realistic light. My wife and I cruised with our boat to Cuba in 1999 and spent several months there. Outside of the bureaucracy being clumsy and ridiculously inefficient everyone treated us very well. Cuba is no threat to anyone and could be a good neighbor if we will take down the U.S. Iron Curtain that curtails our freedom to travel.
But, no one except the Cubans want the Iron Curtain taken down. The Bahamas, Mexico, The Caiman Islands, Turks & Caicos, DR and so on will be economically screwed when Cuba opens up. Power and Money rules.
I am Cuban,I came to USA on 1995,(Not to long ago)I am against Castro's goverment and against communism,and I support 100% your policy of discontinuing embargo and restrictions to visiting Cuba by all americans.As you said before,this war to communism should be in the field of ideas and not in the economic field,if we take the battle to this last one,we will strengthen our own enemy by giving Castros the benefit of the doubt,and transforming our selves,in a way,in cuban people enemies.Thank you for considering my opinion.God bless America!!!
Mario Hernandez.