Tuesday on MSNBC’s “MTP Daily,” Jose Diaz-Balart, host of “The Rundown,” said since President Barack Obama opened up diplomatic relations, Cuba is violating human rights with political prisoners and described it as a “increase of repression.”
Responding to Raul Castro’s call to end the U.S. embargo on Cuba during his first speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Monday, Diaz-Balart said, “You know, the embargo, if you look at how it was codified into law, it’s pretty basic and simple on how the embargo would be lifted. How all of the blockades that exist between the United States being able to fully have economic relations and support for the Cuban government. It’s pretty simple how that would go away. If there is a call for free and fair elections, if political prisoners are released, if unions are allowed to organize and people can move freely within the country. If those three things happen in Cuba, then the embargo would cease to exist. So it’s almost as if people are speaking in New York on different planets, because it’s pretty simple. You call for democratic elections, you have a release of political prisoners, and have unions and the embargo’s over.”
Host Chuck Todd asked, “Ever since the United States cut this deal and opened up diplomatic relations with Cuba, tell me what’s happened to political prisoners in Cuba.”
Diaz-Balart replied, “Well, the increase of repression has been clear. A young man, El Sexto, who is an artist, currently in a prison in Cuba, no charges against him. He’s on a hunger strike, very close to death, and that is because, in an art exhibit, he brought out an art exhibit that had two apparently paper mache pigs. One said Fidel and one said Raul. And for that art exhibit, he’s close to death. Over the weekend, 70 people were arrested in Cuba. That includes Ladies of White and dissidents. The three dissidents that tried to approach the pope are still unaccounted for in prison. A lot of questions by Raul Castro, but what is going to cause a change in that government that’s been in power since January 1st of 1959?”
Host Chuck Todd added,”It was very important, I thought, we bring up that political prisoner point. These are people that the pope supposedly was blessing all these things. They put on a good show. Then when we all leave, something seems to change.”
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