Marco Rubio: World leaders praising Fidel Castro are "hypocrites"
Following the death of Fidel Castro, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida,
offered up sharp criticisms of foreign leaders who eulogized the
90-year-old Cuban dictator, saying they had to "answer for their own
hypocrisy" in reacting to Castro's passing.
When asked by CBSN's Reena Ninan why some would speak positively about
Castro, Rubio, who is Cuban-American, gave a blistering rebuke.
"Some world leaders have praised Castro," Ninan said Saturday in the
CBSN phone interview. "Today, Pope Francis expressed his sorrow. This is
not the usual response to the death of a dictator. What do you think
that is, that people have just not forgotten?"
"You'll have to ask each of these individual leaders. Some of these
people you're talking about are people that have never had to live...
near him, or anywhere around him or been impacted" by what he's done,
Rubio said. "Others, quite frankly have anti-American sentiments and
have always viewed Fidel Castro as a person who stood up to America."
"And others quite frankly are left-leaning -- they just agree with his
ideology," he said. "Each of these people have to account for their own
level of hypocrisy and how they ignore the fact that he jailed and
executed and murdered people."
Leaders like the pope seemed to express their sympathy Saturday in
messages to the family members of Castro, an avowed atheist. In a
telegram to Raul Castro, Fidel's brother and the current leader of Cuba,
Francis offered "my sense of grief to your excellency and family."
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto tweeted that "Fidel Castro was a
friend of Mexico, promoting bilateral relations based on respect,
dialogue and solidarity."
And Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter that "Fidel
Castro was one of the most iconic personalities of the 20th century.
India mourns the loss of a great friend."
"You'll have to ask these leaders why they're hypocrites," Rubio said of
those who complimented the revolutionary. "But I can tell you that he is
not a heroic figure in any way."
In fact, the Florida Republican said, history would judge the Cuban as
"one of the most brutal dictators the western hemisphere has ever known."
Earlier in the day, Rubio even lobbed an attack against President Obama
over his "pathetic" statement on Castro.
Asked on CBSN if Castro deserved forgiveness for his crimes, Rubio
replied: "Forgiven? Well first of all, to be forgiven, you have to ask
for forgiveness...You don't forgive someone who thinks they never did
anything wrong."
Rubio further urged Americans, and the incoming Trump administration, to
bear in mind that "while Fidel Castro is dead, the dictatorship is not."
His advice for President-elect Donald Trump? "Examine all of our
policies towards Cuba with an eye to our goals," Rubio said, otherwise
the island nation will "continue to be a source of mass
migration…continue to be a source of economic crimes."
"Our goal for Cuba should be democracy and freedom because it's in our
national interest. It's the right thing," said the Florida senator.
Mr. Trump has been asked before whether he would break off recently
reinstated diplomatic relations with Cuba on the first day of his
presidency, considering the civil liberties violations by the Castro
government.
"I would do whatever you have to do to get a strong agreement," Mr.
Trump, during an interview with CBS Miami, said late in his presidential
campaign. "And people want an agreement, I like the idea of an
agreement, but it has to be a real agreement. So if you call that for
negotiation purposes, whatever you have to do to make a great deal for
the people of Cuba. So important."
Video:
Marco Rubio: World leaders praising Fidel Castro are "hypocrites"
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Following the death of Fidel Castro, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida,
offered up sharp criticisms of foreign leaders who eulogized the
90-year-old Cuban dictator, saying they had to "answer for their own
hypocrisy" in reacting to Castro's passing.
When asked by CBSN's Reena Ninan why some would speak positively about
Castro, Rubio, who is Cuban-American, gave a blistering rebuke.
"Some world leaders have praised Castro," Ninan said Saturday in the
CBSN phone interview. "Today, Pope Francis expressed his sorrow. This is
not the usual response to the death of a dictator. What do you think
that is, that people have just not forgotten?"
Play VIDEO
Cuban-Americans celebrate Castro's death
"You'll have to ask each of these individual leaders. Some of these
people you're talking about are people that have never had to live...
near him, or anywhere around him or been impacted" by what he's done,
Rubio said. "Others, quite frankly have anti-American sentiments and
have always viewed Fidel Castro as a person who stood up to America."
"And others quite frankly are left-leaning -- they just agree with his
ideology," he said. "Each of these people have to account for their own
level of hypocrisy and how they ignore the fact that he jailed and
executed and murdered people."
Leaders like the pope seemed to express their sympathy Saturday in
messages to the family members of Castro, an avowed atheist. In a
telegram to Raul Castro, Fidel's brother and the current leader of Cuba,
Francis offered "my sense of grief to your excellency and family."
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto tweeted that "Fidel Castro was a
friend of Mexico, promoting bilateral relations based on respect,
dialogue and solidarity."
And Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter that "Fidel
Castro was one of the most iconic personalities of the 20th century.
India mourns the loss of a great friend."
"You'll have to ask these leaders why they're hypocrites," Rubio said of
those who complimented the revolutionary. "But I can tell you that he is
not a heroic figure in any way."
In fact, the Florida Republican said, history would judge the Cuban as
"one of the most brutal dictators the western hemisphere has ever known."
Earlier in the day, Rubio even lobbed an attack against President Obama
over his "pathetic" statement on Castro.
Asked on CBSN if Castro deserved forgiveness for his crimes, Rubio
replied: "Forgiven? Well first of all, to be forgiven, you have to ask
for forgiveness...You don't forgive someone who thinks they never did
anything wrong."
Rubio further urged Americans, and the incoming Trump administration, to
bear in mind that "while Fidel Castro is dead, the dictatorship is not."
His advice for President-elect Donald Trump? "Examine all of our
policies towards Cuba with an eye to our goals," Rubio said, otherwise
the island nation will "continue to be a source of mass
migration…continue to be a source of economic crimes."
"Our goal for Cuba should be democracy and freedom because it's in our
national interest. It's the right thing," said the Florida senator.
Mr. Trump has been asked before whether he would break off recently
reinstated diplomatic relations with Cuba on the first day of his
presidency, considering the civil liberties violations by the Castro
government.
"I would do whatever you have to do to get a strong agreement," Mr.
Trump, during an interview with CBS Miami, said late in his presidential
campaign. "And people want an agreement, I like the idea of an
agreement, but it has to be a real agreement. So if you call that for
negotiation purposes, whatever you have to do to make a great deal for
the people of Cuba. So important."
Source: Marco Rubio: World leaders praising Fidel Castro are
"hypocrites" - CBS News -
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fidel-castro-death-marco-rubio-world-leaders-praising-castro-are-hypocrites/
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