Republican presidential candidate and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry said the United States should not have re-established relations with Cuba without getting more concessions from the communist Castro government.
"I happen to think we had Cuba on the ropes economically," Perry said Thursday on Fox News Channel's
"Your World with Neil Cavuto."
The Castros are "dealing with a country with a lot of challenges," Perry said, "and our president throws them a lifeline and then … seems to be wanting to give away one of the most powerful negotiating tools that we have. Bad idea."
Perry was referring to the fear of some critics that President Barack Obama is willing to return the land now occupied by the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base as Cuba is demanding.
"Obviously, the president of the United States is not a good negotiator here, giving up positions early on," Perry said, "but this president is making mistake after mistake."
Obama
announced this week that the United States and Cuba will be re-establishing embassies in each others' countries with lifted travel restrictions for diplomats. The countries continue to negotiate on a return to full diplomatic relations.
Perry also addressed the controversy surrounding one of his presidential rivals, real estate developer Donald Trump, who is under fire for comments he made about Mexicans who are entering the country illegally.
Trump isn't reflecting the Republican Party by calling Mexican immigrants "rapists" and "killers," Perry said.
"I think that was huge error on his part and, No. 1, it's wrong," Perry said.
Mexico is an important trade partner and shouldn't be insulted, he added.
Securing the border is an important issue, Perry said, but added, "What I would say is that we want somebody who’s actually dealt with this before, not somebody that’s just going to shoot from the hip."