President Obama confirmed reports that he would travel to Cuba in a statement issued Thursday morning.
In a four-tweet message, Obama said he is making the trip in March “to advance progress” he says the United States has already made in the 14 months since he announced normalized relations with Cuba.
“We still have differences with the Cuban government that I will raise directly. America will always stand for human rights around the world,” Obama said. “Next month, I’ll travel to Cuba to advance our progress and efforts that can improve the lives of the Cuban people.”
White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes added in a post detailing the president’s plans that Obama will meet with Raul Castro. He hedged about how the United States will go about convincing the Cuban government to change course.
“While we do not seek to impose change on Cuba, we strongly believe that Cuba will benefit when the Cuban people can exercise their universal rights,” Rhodes wrote. “President Obama has raised these issues in his discussions with President Castro, and will continue to do so.”
Obama met with Castro in Panama last April.
Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, both of Cuban descent, have admonished the president’s Cuba policy.
Imprisoned Cuban dissidents could not be reached for comment.
