WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott released the following statement after Joe Biden claimed he would return to Obama-era policies of engagement with Cuba if elected.

Senator Rick Scott said, “The Cuban people have suffered nearly six decades of atrocities, oppression and misery inflicted by the regime – and Joe Biden’s embrace of Obama’s appeasement policies toward the Castro dictatorship did nothing to help. The violence, instability and chaos we see now in Latin America is directly tied to the oppressive Cuban Regime, which continues to prop up dangerous dictators throughout the region, including Maduro in Venezuela and Ortega in Nicaragua. I’ve repeatedly told the story of Sirley Ávila León, a Cuban woman who was attacked by Cuban security forces in 2015 – after Obama’s failed appeasement policies. They cut off her hand and stuck her arm in mud to make sure it got infected. Her crime? She complained that the regime was going to shut down a school in her neighborhood.

“Now, Joe Biden is doubling down on his support for this ruthless dictatorship, reversing any progress toward freedom in Latin America. That’s not going to fly with the people of Florida and all those who have escaped this repressive regime. Instead of pledging his support for a dictatorship that has denied Cubans their basic rights for far too long, Joe Biden needs to stand with the people of Cuba as they fight for their freedom and opportunity.”

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