Presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle heralded Fidel Castro’s decision Tuesday to step down from power in Cuba as a major and promising step in the country’s history, but firmly called on the country to release its political prisoners.

Three of the four top candidates said Cuba must release its political prisoners and take other steps toward improving human rights before the United States would consider restoring relations with the country.

– Barack Obama: “Today should mark the end of a dark era in Cuba’s history. Fidel Castro’s stepping down is an essential first step, but it is sadly insufficient in bringing freedom to Cuba. Cuba’s future should be determined by the Cuban people and not by an anti-democratic successor regime. The prompt release of all prisoners of conscience wrongly jailed for standing up for the basic freedoms too long denied to the Cuban people would mark an important break with the past. It’s time for these heroes to be released. If the Cuban leadership begins opening Cuba to meaningful democratic change, the United States must be prepared to begin taking steps to normalize relations and to ease the embargo of the last five decades.”

– Hillary Clinton: “Fidel Castro has decided to step down as the leader of Cuba. And I think this provides a great opportunity for the people of Cuba. I’m hoping that the new leadership will take steps to move Cuba toward democracy, release political prisoners, lift a lot of the oppressive burdens that have prevented the Cuban people from really having the kind of future they deserve to have. Certainly, the people of the United States would meet a new government to talk about what needs to happen if that new government takes some action that demonstrates they’re willing to change. So we’re hoping we’ll see some evidence of that. But it is a very stark reminder that even if you’ve been in power for 50 years, you cannot hold on to power forever.”

– John McCain: “This is a great opportunity for Cuba to make a transition to a democracy, to empty their political prisons, to invite human rights organizations into their country and begin the transition to a free and open society and allow people of Cuba the same opportunity that people all over the world deserve … We should make it very clear that once free elections are held, that the political prisoners are released and human rights organizations are functioning in Cuba that we would be willing to provide whatever aid and assistance that’s necessary.”

– Mike Huckabee: “The Cuban people deserve nothing less than free and fair elections which would provide the only hope for a prosperous and democratic Cuba. Until Fidel Castro is dead there can be no significant movement towards reform in Cuba. Raul Castro has proven that he’s as much a tyrant and dictator as his brother Fidel. Simply providing more power to another dictator does nothing to promote freedom and democracy to the Cuban people.”

 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 19th, 2008 at 1:38 pm and is filed under Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Mike Huckabee. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.