Romney campaign hits Obama over decision to give Cuban president's daughter US visa

Romney campaign hits Obama over decision to give Cuban president's
daughter US visa
By Justin Sink - 05/18/12 09:07 AM ET

Mitt Romney's campaign is blasting the Obama administration after the
State Department approved a travel visa for Mariela Castro, the daughter
of Cuban President Raul Castro.

"The Obama administration's decision to grant a visa to Mariela Castro,
daughter of the Cuban dictator Raul Castro, is a slap in the face to all
those brave individuals in Cuba who are enduring relentless persecution
for fighting for the universal rights we Americans hold dear.
Unfortunately, this decision is part of a larger pattern. For even as
the Castro brothers have tightened repression on the island over the
past three years, the Obama administration has softened its approach.
The United States should be standing up for freedom, not coddling the
privileged children of communist dictators," said Romney policy director
Lanhee Chen in a statement.

Mariela is a gay-rights activist and the head of Cuba's National Center
for Sex Education, and had petitioned to attend a panel discussion on
sexual diversity next week in San Francisco. The Castro daughter, who
has been a vocal advocate for same-sex marriage in Cuba, will also
attend an event at the New York Public Library.

The decision to grant a travel visa has already drawn heavy criticism
from some in the Cuban exile community in Florida, a crucial swing state
in the 2012 campaign. The move by the State Department is also drawing
fire from some Democrats.

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), who is Cuban-American, blasted the
decision, labeling Mariela Castro "a vociferous advocate of the regime
and opponent of democracy," according to The Associated Press.

Four Cuban-American lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton on Thursday protesting the move.

"The administration's appalling decision to allow regime agents into the
U.S. directly contradicts congressional intent and longstanding U.S.
foreign policy," wrote Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), Ileana
Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), Albio Sires (D-N.J.) and David Rivera (R-Fla.).

"While the Cuban people struggle for freedom against increasing
brutality at the hands of Castro's thugs, the Obama administration is
greeting high-level agents of that murderous dictatorship with open
arms," they wrote. "It is shameful that the Obama administration would
waive the common-sense restrictions in place to appease the Castro
dictatorship once again."

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who is also Cuban-American and has been
widely rumored to be among the leaders for Romney's vice presidential
nomination, likewise slammed the decision as "shameful" in a video
statement Friday.

"I think the U.S. government's decision to grant the daughter of Raul
Castro a visa to come to the United States and spread the propaganda of
her father's regime is outrageous and an enormous mistake. Not only
that, it sends a terrible message to the democratic movement in Cuba, to
those brave people in Cuba who every single day resist and speak out
against the tyranny of the Castro brothers," Rubio said.

The Obama campaign returned fire later Friday afternoon, dismissing the
Romney criticism as "bluster."

"This is yet another example of Mitt Romney's campaign trying to score
political points to distract from the fact that he has no policy ideas
of his own to successfully confront the challenges of the future. The
President believes that the promotion of democracy and human rights in
Cuba is in the national interest of the United States and that, while
maintaining the embargo, decreasing the dependency of the Cuban people
on the Castro regime is a means to obtaining the widely-shared goal of a
Cuba that respects the basic rights of all its citizens. It is clear
that Gov. Romney and his advisors would rather bluster and score
political points than say what kind of leader he would be in the world,"
said Obama Hispanic issues adviser Freddy Balsera.

Romney was campaigning in Florida earlier this week, but returns to New
Hampshire on Friday for a campaign event and weekend rest at his home there.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/228281-romney-campaign-hits-obama-over-decision-to-give-cuban-presidents-daughter-us-visa