Melissa Ross
North Florida U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, says in an email to constituents that President Barack Obama is engaged in a “naked concession to the Castro dictatorship” by removing Cuba from the administration’s list of state sponsors of terrorism.
“The removal of Cuba from the list of state-sponsors of terrorism is a boon to the Castro dictatorship and is in keeping with the President’s ‘dancing with dictators’ approach to foreign affairs,” said DeSantis, seen as a rising star among Florida Republicans.
The email goes on to say, “Not only has Cuba sponsored terrorist activity around the globe, the Cuban government continues to harbor Joanne Chesimard, who is on the FBI’s list of most wanted terrorists. This decision was based on ideology, not facts. Since the Cuban regime has not changed, Congress needs to ensure that all sanctions related to the terror designation remain in place.”
The White House announced the move Tuesday as a key step in Obama’s bid to normalize relations between the two countries.
In a message to Congress, Obama said the government of Cuba “has not provided any support for international terrorism” during the past six months. He also told lawmakers that Cuba “has provided assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future.”
