Florida Progressives Respond to Criticism on Cuba Statement
Plantation - Carolina Ampudia, President of the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida (DPCF), has released the following statement:
Over the past few weeks, there have been numerous demonstrations and statements about the current situation in Cuba from various political viewpoints. This is a healthy response in a democracy which allows for and encourages different political opinions. Everyone is in agreement that the Cuban people on the island are suffering. Though there may be disagreement on solutions, each of these diverse groups understand that the Cuban people need help.
The well-being and right to self-determination of the Cuban people have always been at the center of DPCF’s policy views on Cuba. We believe that causes of and responsibility for the shortages and other deprivations of the country and her people lie both with the regime itself AND the nearly 60-year long U.S. embargo.
What the U.S. has within its power to do to help the Cuban people is normalization of relations between our two countries, which Obama began and Trump rolled back. That includes lifting the embargo, which was intended to dislodge the Castro regime. Sixty (60) years later, the embargo has not achieved that goal. We believe changing the current regime is in the hands of the Cuban people and the Cuban people alone.
The Democratic Party is a very big policy tent to cover a multitude of issues and differences of opinion on how to address those issues. It is certainly not unexpected that Florida Democrats might have a difference of opinion on how to address the Cuba issue. It's become the third rail of Florida politics.
We speak as progressive Democrats. We do not speak for all Florida Democrats or the Party itself. That's why there are caucuses--to act as avenues for Democrats to express and advocate for specific policy positions. The statement by the chair of the Florida Democratic Party published today by the Miami Herald incorrectly states that the FDP has never supported lifting the embargo. As part of the Democratic Party, the FDP supported lifting the embargo in the 2016 DNC Platform. In the same year, a poll referenced by the Miami Herald indicated that 70% of Cuban voters support lifting the embargo. However, we absolutely respect our Chair's right to personally take a different position on Cuba and would hope that he can respect ours. We are, after all, on the same team.
We want to be clear, the DPCF has always stood on the side of freedom and the right to dissent. We oppose the violence that the regime has perpetrated against those who are speaking out. However, the only viable way for us to help, beyond words, is to strongly urge our government to lift the embargo and continue on the path to the normalization of US relations with the Caribbean nation.
Once again we call on President Biden and the United States Congress to support the people of Cuba by lifting the embargo.
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