Throughout her tenure as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton advocated for an end to the embargo on Cuba which she regarded as providing the Castro regime with a foil for its domestic failures.
When Alan Gross, a U.S.A.I.D. contractor, was detained in Cuba in December 2009, Hillary commenced a long-term effort to procure his release via direct engagement with Cuban officials as well as third party efforts. In her memoir, Hard Choices, Hillary states, “One of my regrets as Secretary was our failure to bring Alan home.” Alan Gross left Cuba today, released on humanitarian grounds due to health issues, accompanied by his wife, Judy, with whom Secretary Clinton remained in close touch during her tenure.
In Hard Choices, Hillary noted that a condition Cuban officials levied on Gross’s release was our release of five convicted Cuban spies. Three of those individuals have been freed in exchange for Gross’s freedom. Two others were released earlier upon completing their sentences.
The exchange signals a thaw in U.S. – Cuba relations that will include re-establishment of diplomatic ties. As Secretary of State, Hillary visited 112 countries. Cuba was not among them. Perhaps she will soon have the opportunity to visit as a private citizen. One of Hillary’s last acts as Secretary was to pen a letter to President Obama containing the recommendation that the Cuban embargo be re-examined. Today it appears likely that the embargo will be terminated sooner rather than later.
U.S., Cuba Seek To Normalize Relations
Posted: 12/17/2014WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Cuba will start talks on normalizing full diplomatic relations, marking the most significant shift in U.S. policy toward the communist island in decades, American officials said Wednesday. The announcement comes amid a series of new confidence-building measures between the longtime foes, including the release of American Alan Gross and the freeing of three Cubans jailed in the U.S.
Welcome home, Alan!
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Given the chapter on Latin America in her memoir (pages 266 – 289), a statement supporting the action she suggested, encouraged, and actively pursued really was not necessary. Hillary released one nevertheless. Anyone who has read her book knows that she campaigned for lifting the embargo right from the start and was a major force in the effort to revise the Cuba policy.
Hillary Clinton backs Obama move on Cuba
WASHINGTON
(Reuters) – Former U.S. Secretary of State and potential presidential contender Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday she supported President Barack Obama’s move to establish diplomatic ties with Cuba after more than 50 years of hostile relations.
“Despite good intentions, our decades-long policy of isolation has only strengthened the Castro regime’s grip on power,” Clinton said in a statement. “As I have said, the best way to bring change to Cuba is to expose its people to the values, information and material comforts of the outside world.”
She added: “I support President Obama’s decision to change course on Cuba policy, while keeping the focus on our principal objective – supporting the aspirations of the Cuban people for freedom.”
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Secretary Kerry’s statement on Cuba policy changes.
Announcement of Cuba Policy Changes
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of StateWashington, DC
December 17, 2014
I was a seventeen year old kid watching on a black and white television set when I first heard an American President talk of Cuba as an “imprisoned island.”
For five and a half decades since, our policy toward Cuba has remained virtually frozen, and done little to promote a prosperous, democratic and stable Cuba. Not only has this policy failed to advance America’s goals, it has actually isolated the United States instead of isolating Cuba.
Since 2009, President Obama has taken steps forward to change our relationship and improve the lives of the Cuban people by easing restrictions on remittances and family travel. With this new opening, the President has committed the United States to begin to chart an even more ambitious course forward.
Beginning more than twenty years ago, I have seen firsthand as three presidents — one Republican and two Democrats — have undertaken a similar effort to change the United States’ relationship with Vietnam. It wasn’t easy. It isn’t complete still today. But it had to start somewhere, and it has worked.
As we did with Vietnam, changing our relationship with Cuba will require an investment of time, energy and resources. Today’s step also reflects our firm belief that the risk and the cost of trying to turn the tide is far lower than the risk and cost of remaining stuck in an ideological cement of our own making.
This new course will not be without challenges, but it is based not on a leap of faith but on a conviction that it’s the best way to help bring freedom and opportunity to the Cuban people, and to promote America’s national security interests in the Americas, including greater regional stability and economic opportunities for American businesses.
In January, as part of the President’s directive to discuss moving toward re-establishment of diplomatic relations, my Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere Roberta Jacobson will travel to Cuba to lead the U.S. Delegation to the next round of U.S.-Cuba Migration Talks. I look forward to being the first Secretary of State in 60 years to visit Cuba. At President Obama’s request, I have also asked my team to initiate a review of Cuba’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism.
Going forward, a critical focus of our increased engagement will continue to be on improving the Cuban Government’s respect for human rights and advocating for democratic reforms within Cuba. Promoting freedom of speech and entrepreneurship and an active civil society will only strengthen Cuban society and help to reintegrate Cuba into the international community.
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Other news emanating from the State Department today includes the forthcoming departure of U.S.A.I.D. Administrator, Dr. Rajiv Shah. Some will remember the “infinite frustration” Hillary expressed early in her term in filling that post. Dr. Shah has done a magnificent job. We should all be grateful for his dedicated service.
See Dr. Shah’s statement here >>>>
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, December 17, 2014USAID Press Office
hillary has released a statement backing obama’s cuba decision.
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Her Guantanamo recommendation letter as she left office was excellent. At the time there were videos depicting the practice of force feeding that was going on there due to the hunger stikes. It was almost as brutal as the “rehydration” feedings. Hillary came out in favor of stopping the torture even though the polls are in favor of allowing it. Hard to believe but more people side with Cheney and his ignorant stance which is not based on actual information in the report and her hard thought out decisions and opinions. Clearly she will prevail and the country will come around to seeing she is right and Cheney is wrong.
The Cubans are torn over this, understandably. I was friends with a family who escaped and who waved our flag more enthusiastically than any native born person would. They are surely feeling abandoned today but both sides have merit and both sides have to respect the other as legitimate opinion. It is time and the arguements in favor of normalizing relations are very valid. The pain of the exiles is also valid. They feel betrayed but hopefully that will pass with time and hopefully it is a new day in Cuba and in the US. Trade Guantanamo for an embassy!Hell yeah, Hillary is of course on the right side of history here. It will not take long to spruce up and man the old embassy and put people in charge even if Cruz manages to block it and Rubio continues whining about it.
It is a remarkable event to those of us who remember the past well. I bird watch and scuba dive and I live in nearby Florida – I have always wanted to go to Cuba! The rest of the world could go but we alone could not. I say yay.
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I would LOVE to go to Cuba. Only flew over to and from Jamaica. It’s so strange to see tape from there. It reminds me of the old tv show, The Twilight Zone: they’re in a time warp where it’s always 1960! Greg Sargent of the Plum Line blog says Hillary can argue that her position looks to the future, ours and the Cuban people’s. The GOP contenders are frozen in the past. I would add like Cuba is now.
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I flew over it once coming from Haiti which is very mountainous, dry, and brown. Cuba is so lush and green! So much water!
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from Newsday:
Although President Barack Obama is taking the credit for Wednesday’s historic deal to reverse decades of U.S. policy toward Cuba, when Hillary Clinton was secretary of state, she was the main architect of the new policy and pushed far harder for a deal than the Obama White House.
From 2009 until her departure in early 2013, Clinton and her top aides took the lead on the sometimes public, often private interactions with the Cuban government. According to current and former White House and State Department officials and several Cuba policy experts who were involved in the discussions, Clinton was also the top advocate inside the government for ending travel and trade restrictions on Cuba and reversing 50 years of U.S. policy to isolate the Communist island nation.
Repeatedly, she pressed the White House to move faster and faced opposition from cautious high-ranking White House officials.
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/oped/hillary-clinton-secretly-pushed-the-obama-cuba-deal-josh-rogin-1.9728014
Anyone surprised? lol. HE did the historic thing, don’t cha know… copying her homework since 2007.
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read the whole article at the Newsday link. They quote Clinton staff. This report is out so fast it could have been prepared in advance, on purpose, perhaps. It is NY and she surely knew Obama was going to do this and take credit (along with giving some to the Pope too.)
“There was a lot of reluctance in the White House to do that at the time because of various kinds of domestic problems. If it hadn’t been for the State Department and her leadership, then these reforms might not have happened.”
“Either way, if she does run for president in 2016, Republicans can cast the new policy as her policy, not Obama’s. She was a major author of the effort and will rightly be the recipient of the credit, or the blame, depending on what happens in Cuba between now and then.”
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There is no question that she knew this move was coming. She saw Obama in the Oval Office earlier this month so it makes sense that her staff might have prepared remarks indicating her role in this pivot. Personally, I thought it was all clear enough from her own statements in her book. She was steadfast and very consistent on this issue from her first months at DOS.
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Every time she meets with Obama something big happens soon thereafter. I’ve noticed this pattern before.
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It appears that Elizabeth Warren played no role in this at all! 😉
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I hope she gets the credit she deserves from the news media. She worked hard at the State Department. As time goes by all of us will start to see her efforts made more public. This is a major good step for the people of Cuba.
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[…] Alan Gross was finally released from Cuban detention and a relaxation of U.S. – Cuban relations ensued. This was something Hillary strongly advocated and actively sought for years as Secretary of State. […]
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