Former Diplomats Urge Trump To Reverse Obama's "Illegal" Policy On Cuba
Five former Latin American diplomats with long experience in Latin America sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump this week asking him to repeal the executive orders signed by President Barack Obama to soften sanctions on Cuba and prevent further collaboration with Cuban security forces.
Retired diplomats are asking Trump to in the first 100 days cancel the ill-conceived and illegal executive orders that lifted restrictions on doing business with the Castro regime.They urge Trump, as soon as possible, to revert the Obama directive sent to government agencies to cooperate with their Cuban counterparts, including the feared State Security, according to Fox Business.
The letter was signed by Everett Ellis Briggs, who was ambassador to Panama and Honduras, as well as George Bush's special assistant to the National Security Council. Also signed were Elliot Abrams and Otto Reich, former Secretaries of State for Latin America; The former United Nations ambassador, Jose S. Sorzano and the former head of the US diplomatic mission in Havana and former mayor of Coral Gables, James C. Cason.
"We want him to take a fresh look at politics toward Cuba", Cason said of Trump. he added. Trump has promised to end the thaw in relations between the two countries if the Castro government does not offer concessions. Supporters of the policy approach (engagement) driven by Obama fear that Trump reverse the progress made, especially if you feel indebted to the Cuban exiles who voted for him in Florida.
The signatories believe that there is no need to nominate an ambassador in Cuba until issues such as hiring Cuban employees through agencies of the Cuban State have been resolved, which entails security implications. However, they suggested that a new manager be appointed more in line with the views of the new Administration, according to Miami Herald.
The letter, coordinated by the Center for a Free Cuba - which supports a hard-line policy towards Cuba - aims to remind the president-elect of the promises he made to Cuban-Americans in the hope that the same thing happened to Obama, who promised that the focus would be on Cuba's freedom and then changed his mind.
