Sanders and Trump on Obama’s Cuba Trip
![Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Photo: newsmax.com/Getty images](https://havanatimes.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/trump-sanders-300x250.jpg)
HAVANA TIMES — US presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump weighed in today on the president Obama’s trip to Cuba that began on Sunday afternoon. Both politicians have previously supported the rapprochement between the two countries.
From Seattle, Washington, Sanders, who trails Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic Party nomination, issued this statement:
“I applaud President Obama for making history by traveling to Cuba and moving relations between our two countries into a new era. This is an approach that is long overdue. I continue to stand by his calls for Congress to fully lift the failed embargo. Fifty years of Cold War is enough. It is time for Cuba and the United States to turn the page and normalize relations.”
Meanwhile Republican Donald Trump, the leader in a now shortened field of three contenders, reacted to the treatment Obama received upon reaching Cuba.
![Barack and Michelle Obama arriving to Cuba. Photo: Ismael Francisco/cubadebate.cu](https://havanatimes.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/obama01-580x316-300x163.jpg)
“Wow, President Obama just landed in Cuba, something very important, and (Cuban President) Raul Castro was not even there to greet him. He has gone to meet the pope and others. Without respect,” wrote Republican candidate in his Twitter account.
Obama was met at the airport by Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, Josefina Vidal, who has headed up official negotiations with the US, and the Cuban ambassador to Washington Jose Cabañas.
Obama and Raul Castro will meet on Monday morning, the beginning of the official program. The US president will also take part in a State dinner Monday evening in his honor at the Palace of the Revolution.
While saying he would try to get a “better deal” in the negotiations with Cuba, Trump has thus far supported the move by the Obama administration to open a new era in bilateral relations.
This is a mistake. Obama should atleast try to impose our freedoms and will on Cuba to put a hault to the authoritarian regime and help Cuba’s people. He won’t ask for anything in return nor wants to free the political prisoners. Obama just wants to open up a market for his corporate donors that bought him to exploit while we have to pay extra in the future on military hardware to block them off just like we’re doing with the oppressive China regime. The future president needs to undo this disasterous deal and start over and demand that the Cuban people receive their freedoms before giving Castro a single penny.
When GTMO is turned over to Cuba, will terrorists be considered political prisoners and turned over to the United States prison system????
Who gives a flip what that moronic Trump(et) thinks?
And who gives a rat’s butt what Trump(et) thinks?
As a democratic socialist myself and a critical supporter of ” socialist ” Democrat Bernie Sanders of Vermont I am very pleased that here Sanders is speaking for every ” progressive ” soul in America : end this immoral and reactionary embargo against these good and beautiful people.