Francis Suarez, the Republican mayor of Miami, told Newsmax on Friday that President Joe Biden has given everything to Cuba for nothing in exchange.
Following the announcement of his decision to run for president in 2024, Suarez highlighted the national security threat of Cuba and China working together during an interview on "Eric Bolling The Balance."
Biden and former President Barack Obama's policy "was to give away everything to Cuba for no concessions," Suarez said, "which is to do nothing after the July 11 [2021] spontaneous protests, which converted Cuba from what was an ideological threat to now a national security threat."
"We have the most powerful military on the planet. We have the smartest people on the planet. And we have to come up with a strategy not just for Cuba but for this entire hemisphere," he added.
Suarez said he believes the key to deterring Cuba is taking the money sent to China and redirecting it toward reshoring jobs for critical infrastructure and "bringing property in our hemisphere."
His comments arrived after reports circulated that China was planning to establish an electronic surveillance base in Cuba roughly 100 miles from the Florida coast, a claim the White House has downplayed.
"The original reporting, as we said, was inaccurate," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday. "We did the best we could in the moment to be as forthcoming as we could."
Suarez announced his decision to run Thursday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, becoming the first Hispanic candidate in the 2024 race.
"It's time for a leader who can connect with segments of our country that Republicans have historically lost, like young voters and urban voters, and segments we can make gains with, like Hispanics and suburban women," Suarez said.
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