Bernie Sanders declines to retract positive statements on Fidel Castro


Near the end of Wednesday's CNN/Univision Democratic debate, Jorge Ramos gave Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders his "Welcome to Miami" question, asking if the candidates supported President Obama's detente with Cuba and considered Raul Castro a president or a dictator. Clinton said that she backs opening relations with Cuba, viewing it as a way to bring democracy to the island nation. She called Raul and Fidel Castro "authoritarian and dictatorial."
Maria Elena Salinas tweaked the question for Sanders, noting that in the 1980s he had offered praise for Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega (who is once again leader of Nicaragua) and playing a video of him saying positive things about Fidel Castro, then Cuba's leader. She asked if Sanders wanted to take back his positive assessments of Castro, an especially unpopular figure in South Florida, and Ortega. Sanders talked about decades of U.S. policy in Latin America, including support for many coups. When pressed by Salinas, he said that "it would be wrong not to state" that the Castros have done good things with medicine and education.
Clinton jumped in, noting that Sanders also said in the same interview that Cuba had undergone "a revolution in terms of values," and stating that if those values include jailing and killing people for expressing political beliefs, "that is not the kind of revolution of values I want to ever see anywhere." That got a big cheer from the South Florida audience.
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.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
The Week Unwrapped: What does Bake Off say about Channel 4?
Podcast Plus, why are Scottish drug deaths so stubbornly high? And are women in their 30s too anxious about their eggs?
-
BookTok is reviving publishing – but at what cost?
In The Spotlight Social media recommendations are boosting book sales but critics give the trend mixed reviews
-
Canyons under the Antarctic have deep impacts
Under the radar Submarine canyons could be affecting the climate more than previously thought
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
-
Florida aims to end all state vaccine requirements
Speed Read Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to cut vaccine access and install anti-vaccine activists at the FDA and CDC
-
US kills 11 on 'drug-carrying boat' off Venezuela
Speed Read Trump claimed those killed in the strike were 'positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists' shipping drugs to the US
-
Trump vows to send federal forces to Chicago, Baltimore
Speed Read The announcement followed a California judge ruling that Trump's LA troop deployment was illegal
-
Trump crypto token launch earns family billions
Speed Read The World Liberty Financial token is now the Trump family's 'most valuable asset'
-
RFK Jr. names new CDC head as staff revolt
Speed Read Kennedy installed his deputy, Jim O'Neill, as acting CDC director
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich thrower
Speed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer