US secretary of state testified that Barack Obama’s reforms effectively removed pressure from Raúl Castro’s regime to alter its behaviour
Rex Tillerson: ‘If we’re going to sustain the sunny side of this relationship, Cuba must –absolutely must– begin to address its human rights challenges.'
Washington DC, June 13.─ Cuba must end human rights violations if it wants the US to continue normalising relations, secretary of state Rex Tillerson has warned.
Donald Trump is expected to travel to Miami on Friday to announce reversals to elements of Barack Obama’s Cuba policy, which saw embassies reopen, direct flights resume and companies do business after half a century of cold war hostility.
Addressing the Senate foreign relations committee in Washington on Tuesday, Tillerson testified that Obama’s reforms effectively removed pressure on Raúl Castro’s regime to alter its behaviour.
“Cuba has failed to improve its own human rights record, political opponents continue to be imprisoned, dissidents continue to be jailed, women continue to be harassed", said Tillerson.
“So what we have to achieve in approaching Cuba is, if we’re going to sustain the sunny side of this relationship, Cuba must – absolutely must – begin to address its human rights challenges.” (...)
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