Rubio urges Kerry to show strength toward Cuba

In a letter sent Tuesday, Rubio pointed to more than 100 arrests of Cuban political activists since President Obama announced plans on Dec. 17 to re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba.

“Many have also had their passports confiscated, so these activists cannot travel outside of Cuba and tell the truth about government repression,” Rubio said to Kerry in the letter. “Normalizing relations with the Castro regime without verified improvements in the situation faced by the Cuban people would not be consistent with our values as a nation.”

Rubio, whose parents fled the communist dictatorship, is among many Republicans and a handful of Democrats who oppose Obama’s change in Cuba policy.

In addition to human rights violations, Rubio cited billions of dollars in assets and property the regime of Fidel and Raul Castro seized from citizens who fled to the United States.

“In the past, as in the case of Libya, the United States has not normalized relations with countries subject to outstanding American claims until they have been resolved or a process for their resolution has been established,” Rubio wrote. “There are thousands of verified American claimants who have been waiting for decades to be compensated for the Castro regime’s illegal expropriation of their property and assets.”

Republicans will use the State of the Union to register their opposition to Obama’ new policy.

Rubio’s has invited Rosa María Payá, the daughter of the late Cuban dissident Oswaldo Payá, to be his guest at the president’s speech.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has also invited a Cuban dissident.

Jorge Luis Garcia Perez, who is known as “Antunez,” was jailed by the Cuban government for 17 years and will be sitting among Boehner’s guests at the speech.

Obama has invited Alan Gross, the American contractor freed by the Cubans just before the administration announced restoration of diplomatic relations.