Democrats split on Cuba policy
Candidates disagreed over whether to maintain an embargo on Cuba during the debate
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Sunday, 02, Dec 2007 11:27
Candidates vying to win the Democrat nomination for United State president differed over the country's policy towards Cuba in a debate yesterday.
The discussion among the presidential hopefuls focused on issues of race and healthcare which saw few differences among candidates.
However, diverging policy options began to appear as candidates discussed attitudes towards Cuba.
The US has had a comprehensive embargo in place banning goods to and from Cuba ever since the cold war confrontation over missiles in the island nation in October 1962.
But Democrat presidential candidates called for a mix of confrontation and compromise in their approach to the issue at the forum in Iowa.
During the debate frontrunner Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Joseph Biden called for democratic reforms to be made in the communist state before the US considered revising its policy.
However senator Barack Obama from Illinois, who is thought to be closing the gap on Ms Clinton, said aspects of policy such as restrictions on visits to the country could be eased in order to provide an incentive to change.
In contrast, senator Chris Dodd from Connecticut said relations with Cuba would have to be normalised for progress to be made towards democracy in the country.
Previously Democrat candidates have clashed over policy on the war in Iraq with Mr Obama attacking Ms Clinton over voting for the war.
Commentators have said that members of the Democrat party are ganging up on the wife of former president Bill Clinton who is seen as the favourite for the nomination for the country's highest post. She has also faced repeated attacks for not clearly declaring her position on healthcare and immigration in the past.