Secretary Of State Pompeo Speaks At Detroit Economic Club; He Answers 6 Questions- One Is About Cuba

Remarks
Mike Pompeo
Secretary of State
Detroit Economic Club
Detroit, Michigan
June 18, 2018

excerpts......

MR ANDERSON: Well, maybe we will wrap up with one international question that’s a little closer to home, and that’s a question about Cuba. So Cuba now has the first non-Castro president in many decades. Do you continue to think we’ll grow closer with Cuba? How do you see that relationship evolve?

SECRETARY POMPEO: It’s true his last name’s not Castro. (Laughter.) But you wouldn’t know it from looking at his policies and plans. So I don’t see significant changes in the Cuban Government. Having said that, I do see significant opportunity. I think over time that its proximity to the United States, the nature of the human beings there, I think we – I think ultimately we end up in a much better place in Cuba. The question has always been speed, how quickly can you get there, and what are the right toolsets to reinforce that and make that more likely to happen. President Trump’s made clear he wants us to do that, he wants us to be engaged in ways that increase the capacity for ordinary Cubans to have the opportunities that we all have in America, both economic freedoms and political freedoms. And today we still have a lot of work to do.