Communist Sympathizers and Renewed Relations with Dictators: Biden’s Cuba Aspirations

By Tim Kennedy During an interview with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists on Aug. 6, many were taken aback by presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden’s comments on Latino and African American communities. However, one of Biden’s other troubling remarks described his views on renewed relations with the Castro Regime in Cuba. In an exchange between Lulu Garcia-Navarro of NPR News and Biden, Garcia-Navarro asked the former vice president if he would extend Temporary Protective Status (TPS) to Cubans, given that he has already promised TPS to Venezuelans. Biden gave the following response: …I’m gonna look at every single country in the world…That in fact is being…and…this guy is sending them back…The reason why this came up with Venezuela is he’s not even allowing it to exist in the first place. And so, the TPS program is something I will move on the first day I’m in office to make sure we extend it to people…For too long we didn’t get it right, but here’s the deal, I think that we should be extending it. Anybody can prove that they are in jeopardy to return to their home country and the reason they came in the first place. They should be able to say in the United States of America until the circumstances changes in their country… Carcia-Navarro pushed further, inquiring as to whether Biden intends to re-engage with Cuba, to which he answered “yes.” Biden did not specifically say whether he would extend TPS to those Cubans still fleeing the Communist Castro regime. This is because Latino communities in key battleground states, such as Florida, are diversifying as places like ‘Little Havana’ see a rise in migrants from other Latin American countries, such as Venezuela. This trend could potentially help explain why the campaign is vocal in its direct support for Venezuelans, and less so when talking about Cubans. However, it is clear that Biden intends to reawaken the Obama era Cuba policy of re-engagement. President Obama announced plans in 2014 to officially normalize relations with the Castro Regime – the so-called Cuba Thaw. In addition to lifting nearly 50 years of restrictions, such as liberalizing travel from the US mainland to Cuba, the two countries formally reopened their respective embassies in Havana and Washington. President Obama also became the first sitting US president to visit the island nation since 1928. Although, these steps came with a laundry list of political concessions. Many have been all too quick to highlight the Trump administrations increased deportation of Cuban nationals. However, people forget that the current administration is simply enforcing Obama era policies on this front. In the Obama administration’s waning hours, it rescinded many of the special privileges granted to Cubans, such as the Clinton administration’s ‘wet-foot, dry-foot’ policy. In addition to these changes (and after signing an agreement with the Cuban regime to further normalize relations) the Obama administration ended the Department of Homeland Security’s Cuban Medical Professional Prole Program (CMPP). The CMPP was meant to counter the Castro regime’s doctor exchange programs. Many touted the Castro programs as being purely humanitarian good-will missions, but they were largely a guise for human trafficking, espionage and slavery. Biden has also surrounded himself with individuals who have questionable opinions on the regime itself. After the death of Fidel Castro in 2016, Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA) remarked: “the passing of Comandante en Jefe is a great loss to the people of Cuba.” Bass later walked back her statement but reiterated that her position, “is really no different than the position of the Obama administration.” To a similar degree, during the Democratic presidential primary race, Sen. Bernie Sanders was put on the spot for his comments about the Castro regime, in which he praised the dictatorship’s literacy programs. For those who did not appreciate the Senator’s rhetoric, he countered saying, “the truth is the truth. And that is what happened on the first years of the Castro regime." Since taking office, President Trump has sought to undue many harmful Obama-era Cuba policies, such as curbing travel to the island and renewing economic sanctions. Unlike the Obama Administration of past -- and the potential Biden administration of the future – the Trump administration recognizes the shortcomings of re-engaging with Marxist regimes. Consider what happened within East Germany during the Cold War. The Socialist Unity Party (SED), under the stewardship of Eric Honecker, permitted westerns to travel to the East to capitalize on the west’s superior currency. Upon first entering East Germany, tourists were required to exchange currencies (typically, the superior west German Deutsch Mark for inferior East German marks). Despite the difference in value, the currencies traded 1:1 east of the Berlin Wall. The East German government eventually cracked down on the free flow of Deutsch Marks within its own borders, as East German citizens used the funds, typically remittances from their families in the west, to buy black market goods. Cuba operates in a similar fashion. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, as well as the entirety of the Eastern Bloc, Cuba lost most of its trading partners. The country entered a devastating recession in the early 1990s, which was marked by hyperinflation. In 1993, the Castro regime sought to slow the recession by turning to its supposed “imperialist foe,” the United States, and officially legalized the US dollar. The following year, the country went a step further and instituted a dual-currency system. In addition to the Cuban Peso (CUP), the government introduced the Convertible Peso (CUC), a US dollar equivalent. As Peter Posada argues, this system has exacerbated socio-economic inequalities throughout the island. Essential workers, such as doctors, are typically paid state-wages in state currency, while those in the tourist industry, such as taxi drivers, are compensated with the artificial dollar equivalent. The exchange rate between CUP to CUC has stood at 24:1 for the past couple of decades. Adding to the financial uncertainty, the regime’s outlook toward the US dollar has also been tenuous over the years. Beginning in the early 2000s, Fidel Castro enacted policies meant to “de-dollarize” the country. However, as was the case in East Germany, Cubans continued to use western currencies for informal transactions when buying imported goods. Retail stores also continued to mark-up prices in CUCs, disadvantaging many state-wage earners. The economic fallout from the coronavirus has pushed the communist dictatorship’s financial system over the edge once more. To combat this downturn, the regime is finally exploring options to eliminate the CUC and reinstitute the US dollar as an official means of exchange in retail stores. The Castro regime, right now, is in a precarious situation. If the US plays its cards right -- and does not follow Biden’s Cuban Thaw 2.0 strategy -- America can deliver the final blow to the regime’s last line of defense, its financial viability. As we’ve seen time and again in various Marxist nations, outreach with the west in the form of tourism and trade does not bring about political liberalization. Despite the Obama-Biden Cuba Thaw, the island remains a one-party state, with a long list of mounting human rights abuses. Engaging Marxist nations only enriches Marxist dictators -- and harms those living under their rule. Order Newt's Latest Book: https://www.gingrich360.com/trump-and-the-american-future

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