PANAMA CITY — With just 90 miles of water separating Cuba and the Florida Keys, Florida’s senators had mixed reactions to the president’s announcement on normalizing relations with Cuba.
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, described as a “long-time Castro regime critic and economic embargo supporter” in a press release from his office Wednesday, said he was cautiously optimistic about future relations between the two countries.
When asked about his position on easing the economic embargo with Cuba, Nelson said, “Let’s see if Castro changes the behavior of a brutal police state and provides freedoms for the Cuban people.”
Cuban-American Sen. Marco Rubio, however, vehemently opposed the policy shift, citing it as a failed attempt by the president to “appease rogue regimes at all costs.”
“The entire policy shift is based on the illusion — in fact, on the lie — that more commerce and access to money and goods will translate to political freedom for the Cuban people,” Rubio wrote in a statement. “Cuba already enjoys access to commerce, money and goods from other nations, and yet the Cuban people are still not free.”
Officials with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Florida Chamber of Commerce also presented a mixed bag of opinions.
U.S. Chamber President Tom Donohue said the organization, which represents more than 3 million U.S. businesses, welcomed the announcement, and has long-supported many of the economic policy changes outlined by the president.
“We deeply believe that an open dialogue and commercial exchange between the U.S. and Cuban private sectors will bring shared benefits, and the steps announced today will go a long way in allowing opportunities for free enterprise to flourish,” Donohue said.
The Florida Chamber of Commerce issued a statement Thursday, stating the agency was disappointed the president acted without consulting stakeholders in Florida, which will likely draw the most impact from the policy change.
“When our nation’s leaders talk about normalizing relations with Cuba, all eyes turn to Florida,” said Florida Chamber President Mark Wilson. “No state has been, or will be, as impacted by U.S./Cuba policy as Florida.”
Wilsonsaid chamber is hopeful the basis of any post-embargo relationship will be based on freedom and free enterprise.
“The Florida Chamber has a long-standing position opposing normalizing relations with Cuba, and as long as there is a dictator that won’t recognize democracy, freedom and free enterprise as a path toward a better life for its people, our position will remain the same,” Wilson said.