Garrett: President Should Not Visit Cuba Until Murderers are Returned to U.S.
Menendez : It is totally unacceptable for the president of the United States to reward a dictatorial regime
Feb 18, 2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ – Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) issued the following statement after the Obama Administration announced the president will visit Cuba and meet with President Castro as early as next month:
“I’m disappointed that President Obama is willing to travel to Cuba knowing full well that the Castro regime mocks our laws and continues to harbor convicted New Jersey cop-killer Joanne Chesimard and terrorist William Morales. Despite repeated calls from me and my colleagues, the president has yet to mention the extradition of U.S. fugitives as a condition of building diplomatic relations. Cuba’s refusal to return the fugitives is insulting to everyone who has waited years to see these cold-blooded killers face justice, and the president must prioritize the extradition of U.S. fugitives in all future negotiations with the Cuban regime.”
Garrett has been a longtime critic of the Cuban regime and has repeatedly called on their government to extradite and terrorist William Morales so they can face justice for their crimes.
While NJ Senator Bob Menendez also criticized the Presidents visit :
“It is totally unacceptable for the president of the United States to reward a dictatorial regime with a historic visit when human rights abuses endure and democracy continues to be shunned,” Menendez, who is Cuban-American, said Thursday. Menendez spoke at the Union of Cuban Ex-Political Prisoners.
“Despite the lack of reciprocity from a despotic and reinvigorated Castro regime, the president is rewarding this oppressive regime with a visit,” Menendez said. “In the case of Cuba, we should at very least expect that Joanne Chesimard will step off Air Force One with U.S. marshals.”