The Cuba-Mexico migration accord did not go over well in Miami. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart said that because Mexico will return Cubans who arrive illegally, “Mexico is doing the work of the [Cuban government’s] forces of repression.” I suppose he would say the same about the U.S. Coast Guard, which returns many Cuban migrants intercepted at sea. (More in El Nuevo Herald here.)
The two governments didn’t mince words in blaming the U.S. “dry-foot” policy for the growth in alien smuggling via Mexico. In their joint statement, they said, “United States immigration policies toward Cuba stimulate illegal migration and illegal trafficking in Cubans, and hamper the efforts to fight effectively the criminal organizations that profit from these crimes.”
The Herald’s blog has a good summary of the accord’s provisions here.
The Mexico-Cuba accord is an awful deal for Cubans. But it does seem a bit hypocritical for those who favor WF/DF to blast the agreement. Seems to me that WF/DF actually gives Mexico cover to make this arrangement with Havana.
ReplyDeleteLincoln is a moron. Mexico has no obligation to take anyone it doesn't want to much less with the criminal enterprises that have sprung up due to the smuggling of Cubans. Congrats to Mexico and Cuba for getting a deal done. If Lincoln really wants regime change in Havana go ahead and pull WF/DF - send all the Cubans coming over back - with no options to escape Raul will either change or be gone within a year.
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