President Barack Obama displayed "political courage" when he changed over 50 years of U.S. policy by announcing a renewal of diplomatic relations with Cuba, former President Jimmy Carter told MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
Critics of Obama's announcement have said the move only served the Cuban government, but Carter said there was "no doubt" that the "beneficiaries of this primarily will be the Cuban people."
"I'm very proud and grateful that President Obama has shown such good wisdom, and, also, I'd say, political courage in taking this long overdue step," Carter said Thursday.
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In addition to aiding Cubans, Carter said Americans were in a position to gain from the opening of trade and travel with the communist country 90 miles south of the U.S., which would, in turn, boost the concept of democracy in Cuba.
"I think that, as far as the openness of communication would be much better, there'll be, obviously, more trade, commerce, visitation back and forth, which I think will promote democracy," he said.
It was within the scope of Obama's executive power to realign diplomatic relations with Cuba, Carter said, since "the Congress has nothing to say about which country is recognized diplomatically."
He said lifting the embargo the U.S. imposed in 1960 against Cuba was "something that Congress has to do."
"(Diplomatic relations) is a privilege or opportunity or maybe some kind of burden that's given to the president alone. Congress has nothing to say about that. Obviously, the Senate, though, will have to approve the nominee to be a full ambassador down there," he said.
Opening up trade would allow Cubans to see that Americans weren't "the villains in their economic plight," Carter said, adding the road to democracy and freedom would take place in "small, incremental steps."
Carter said that even though Cuban President Raul Castro has said he would step down "in several years," he expected his successor would be carefully selected.
"The Castros will be very careful in orchestrating their successors, who'll be, obviously, much younger, but also committed to the same basic communist principles," he said.
Carter also maintained the influence of Catholic and Protestant churches in Cuba had instilled moral and ethical values, as well as commitments to human rights, that caused democracy and freedom to be "much more likely to be implemented now than before."
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