Marco Rubio criticizes Obama's plans to restore ties with Cuba


A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
On Wednesday, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) criticized Obama's plans to ease U.S. travel restrictions to Cuba. His remarks come a day before American and Cuban negotiators will meet for talks about re-opening embassies in both capitals.
Rubio said during a Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing that Cuba's "views on human rights are not legitimate, they're immoral." He added that Americans visiting Cuba would benefit Cuba's government and military, since many tourist destinations are government-owned.
Rubio also criticized Cuba's policies blocking full internet access. "This is a government that won't even allow you to bring in certain books to the island," Rubio said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), meanwhile, responded to Rubio's comments by saying that businesses in Vietnam and China are government-owned, but the U.S. doesn't restrict travel to those countries.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.