Businesses Tell Marco Rubio - Change Your Cuba Stance

Businesses Tell Marco Rubio: Change Your Cuba Stance
POSTED 2:24 PM, AUGUST 11, 2015, BY CNN

NEW YORK, New York — Marco Rubio is clear about his views on Cuba: He
calls the Cuban government "immoral" and communist, and he doesn't think
Americans should vacation there or do business with the island.

He has an entire section of his presidential campaign website dedicated
to Cuba where he calls President Obama's concessions "flat out dangerous."

For Rubio, it's personal. His parents emigrated to the U.S. from Cuba in
1956, a fact he highlighted in the first Republican debate last week.

But there's one problem for Rubio: big business and an increasing number
of major donors don't agree with him on Cuba. That divide could
eventually jeopardize his campaign's success.

Nearly three-quarters of Americans approve of U.S. efforts to restart
diplomatic relations with Cuba, according to a recent Pew Research poll.

Two-thirds Republicans want to end trade embargo

Even among Republicans, 59% now support ending America's trade embargo
with Cuba, according to Pew. Businesses have become especially active in
pushing Congress and Republican presidential candidates to change their
stances.

"The issue is done," says Kirby Jones of Alamar Associates, which
advises companies on how to deal with Cuba. Jones has been to Cuba three
times this year alone to accompany business leaders looking to make
connections. Executives from JetBlue, Pfizer and MasterCard have also
made recent trips to the island, and Netflix and Airbnb have already
opened up shop there.

"Rubio's name does come up a lot. There's a reason for that," says
Jones. "He's one of the few voices on that side. You just don't have
very many anymore."

President Obama began normalizing relations with Cuba in December. Since
then, the U.S. has taken Cuba off of the official "state sponsors of
terror" list, relaxed travel restrictions to the island (to an extent),
and reopened an embassy in Cuba for the first time since 1961.

Secretary of State John Kerry will be in Cuba on Friday to raise the
American flag at the new U.S. embassy in Havana.

Businesses push for change

Business are playing a key role in pushing the changes, especially in
Republican circles. Many companies want the embargo lifted so they can
trade freely with Cuba.

"Since U.S. companies realize trade is at least a medium-term reality,
they've been lobbying U.S. representatives increasingly over the past
few months," says Lawrence Gutman, a Cuba expert and fellow at the World
Policy Institute.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, corporate America's largest lobbying
group, is actively working on the issue. The Chamber first visited Cuba
in 1999 in an effort to draw attention to the business potential. The
Chamber wants the embargo repealed.

Companies like Caterpillar, Colgate-Palmolive and Chubb have also been
actively lobbying in Washington to remove restrictions. They argue
opening trade will encourage democracy and capitalism in Cuba.

2016 GOP leaders are starting to shift

There are signs that GOP politicians are changing their minds.

"Early on, their initial reflex was to be against something that the
president had come out so strongly in favor of doing," says Ric Herrero,
executive director of CubaNow and one of the founders of the New Cuba
PAC, a non-partisan group that aims to see trade and travel restrictions
with Cuba lifted.

Now, "you're seeing support on the Republican side of the aisle grow
significantly," says Herrero. He points out that record numbers of
business executives are traveling to the island this year, and when they
come back, they often call their congressman.

Rubio doesn't seem convinced yet.

"Money flowing into Cuba as a result of Obama's new policies is going
straight to their government — a regime that has actively worked against
U.S. interests at every turn," Rubio writes on his campaign website.

Fellow presidential candidate Ted Cruz, whose father was tortured in
Cuba and came to the U.S. in 1957, also leaves no question about where
he stands. Cruz closed his remarks at the first presidential debate last
week by saying, "My father fled Cuba, and I will fight to defend liberty
because my family knows what it's like to lose it."

But businesses want the liberty to trade with Cuba, and they will keep
pushing the GOP field.

Source: Businesses Tell Marco Rubio: Change Your Cuba Stance | whotv.com
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http://whotv.com/2015/08/11/businesses-tell-marco-rubio-change-your-cuba-stance/