USA Today reports officials from the the Obama administration will meet with Cuban officials on July 17 to discuss “migration issues” between the two countries.
The talks will be held in Washington, D.C. and are being portrayed as “consistent with [Obama’s] interest in promoting greater freedoms and respect for human rights in Cuba.”
This comes on the heels of more communications between Obama officials and Cuban diplomats, as well as talks about “restarting direct mail” between the U.S. and Cuba.
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) was outraged by the news:
First we get the news that the Obama State Department is speaking with a top Castro regime diplomat. Then comes the announcement that the administration is restarting talks with the dictatorship regarding direct mail between both countries. Now we hear migration talks will be restarted. It’s concession after concession from the Obama administration.
At the same time, U.S. Government contractor Alan Gross remains imprisoned in Cuba after allegedly being “caught bringing communications equipment onto the island illegally” in 2009. He was sentenced to 15 years.
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins.