WASHINGTON — Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said Thursday the lengthy U.S. economic embargo against Cuba “just hasn’t worked” and voiced support for opening trade with Cuba in the aftermath of the Obama administration’s policy shift regarding the communist island.
Paul became the first potential Republican presidential candidate to offer some support for President Barack Obama’s decision to attempt to normalize U.S. relations with Cuba. The president’s surprise announcement on Wednesday was criticized by several potential GOP candidates, who said it amounted to appeasing the Castro regime.
Paul said in a radio interview with Tom Roten of News Talk 800 WVHU in Huntington, West Virginia, that many younger Cuban Americans support open trade with Cuba. And many U.S. farmers, he said, would back Obama’s moves because Cuba would offer a new market for their crops.
“The 50-year embargo just hasn’t worked,” Paul said. “If the goal is regime change, it sure doesn’t seem to be working, and probably, it punishes the people more than the regime because the regime can blame the embargo for hardship.
“In the end, I think opening up Cuba is probably a good idea,” he said.
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