Charleston, South Carolina (Agencies) – On Monday February 24 2020 , Bernie Sanders stood behind remarks he had made during a “60 Minutes” interview.
Bernie Sanders, a self-proclaimed “democratic socialist”, pointed to social welfare programs introduced under Castro’s regime that he described as “redeeming”, despite the communist dictator’s often violent, repressive human-rights violations against its own people.
“We’re very opposed to the authoritarian nature of Cuba but you know, it’s unfair to simply say everything is bad. You know? When Fidel Castro came into office, you know what he did? He had a massive literacy program. Is that a bad thing?
Fidel Castro relinquished power to his brother, Raúl, in 2011 after nearly half a century in charge of the nation.
Sander´s remarks have sparked outrage, particularly among Florida Democrats, who represent a state with a large community of Cuban exiles. State Rep. Javier Fernandez, who is supporting Democratic rival Joe Biden, went so far as to say: “Donald Trump wins Florida if Bernie is our nominee.”(…) “If Bernie Sanders is atop the ticket, it’s going to make it tougher for all of us to win in Florida,” Fernandez said.
Sanders declared: “Truth is truth. All right? If you want to disagree with me, if somebody wants to say that — and by the way all of the Congress people you mentioned just so happen to be supporting other candidates … but you know, the truth is the truth. And that is what happened on the first years of the Castro regime.”
Sanders’ remarks on “60 Minutes“ came as many voters remain concerned about his past refusal to condemn Soviet-backed leaders. Sanders had previously argued that Castro “had done some good things for his country” including expanding health care and education to the poor.
Still, Sanders emphasized Monday that he is opposed to authoritarian states and their methods of ruling.
“I think teaching people to read and write is a good thing. I have been extremely consistent and critical of all authoritarian regimes all over the world including Cuba, including Nicaragua, including Saudi Arabia, including China, including Russia. I happen to believe in democracy, not authoritarianism.”
Perhaps Mr. Sanders who praises the glories of Castro´s Cuba, regarding healthcare and literacy has forgoten or doesn´t know about Fidel Castro’s firing squads, about Fidel Castro killing Cuban women and children, about Fidel Castro’s shooting down of an American civilian aircraft, about Fidel Castro’s Cuban political prisoners, about Fidel Castro’s Cuban forced labor camps, also known as the UMAPs, about Fidel Castro’s religious repression against Cubans, about Fidel Castro’s constant aggression, torture, imprisonment and violence against homosexuals, about how Fidel Castro restricted the movement of Cubans on the island, about Fidel Castro’s foreign interventions all throughout Latin-America, about Fidel Castro’s espionage networks and let´s not forget about how Fidel Castro separated thousands of Cuban families.
The Yucatan Times
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