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Rubio Pledges to Undo Normalization with Cuba

It's silly to assert that support for a failed Cuba policy has something to do with a commitment to the freedom of Cubans.

Rubio confirmed yesterday that he would undo normalization of relations with Cuba if he were elected president:

Absolutely, and I think the reason why is because I’m interested in, my interest in Cuba is freedom and democracy.

Rubio’s opposition to engagement with Cuba is well-known, so this isn’t really news. What stood out was the justification that he offered for his determination to undo Obama’s opening to Cuba: “my interest in Cuba is freedom and democracy.” Half a century of punitive measures and no formal diplomatic relations has done nothing for Cuban freedom or democracy. It’s not as if the opening to Cuba is sacrificing any gains that have been made over the last fifty years. So it’s just silly to assert that dead-ender support for a failed Cuba policy has something to do with a commitment to the freedom of Cubans. It’s also absurd to reject normalization and defend the embargo in the name of promoting Cuban democracy when Cubans overwhelmingly favor normalization and an end of the embargo. According to the survey, most Cubans don’t expect normalization to produce political changes, and the results show that they very much want a different political system, but this doesn’t stop them from welcoming closer ties because of the benefits that they can offer.

At worst, there will be no political changes in Cuba, which will be just as “successful” as the old Cuba policy was in this regard. But it is more likely that it would allow for an increasing number of exchanges and contacts to be made between many more Americans and Cubans, and over time that would improve economic conditions on the island. That wouldn’t necessarily lead to major political changes anytime soon, but it should make Cubans somewhat more prosperous in the near term and could produce more meaningful changes in their government over the long term.

Apart from his general hostility to diplomatic engagement, Rubio’s main objection to normalization is that it won’t fix everything that’s wrong with Cuba in a short period of time. This is similar to the unrealistic goals that hawks have for diplomacy with Iran. It isn’t enough for them for engagement to produce some tangible benefits. As far as these hawks are concerned, engagement has to deliver everything on their wish list at no cost to the U.S. or else it isn’t worth attempting. It’s an unreasonable position, and it’s one that most Americans fortunately don’t share.

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