Two days before Florida’s primary, Biden and Sanders continue to debate Castro

Bernie Sanders refused to back down from his comments praising Fidel Castro’s literacy programs during the last presidential debate two days before Florida’s Democratic Primary.

Sanders was asked Sunday night by CNN moderator Ilia Calderon to explain why Cubans in Florida should vote for him after he said during a 60 Minutes interview, “We’re very opposed to the authoritarian nature of Cuba, but, you know, it’s simply unfair to say everything is bad.”

In response, Sanders tried to pivot away from Cuba and highlight his larger record against authoritarian regimes around the world, but he did not apologize or admit his words about Castro were a mistake.

“I have opposed authoritarianism whether it’s in Cuba, Saudi Arabia, whether it’s in China, or whether it’s in Russia. That is my life record,” Sanders said. “What I believe right now in this world is we are faced with a global crisis and a movement toward authoritarianism.”

Sunday’s debate was the first with only two candidates on stage, with former Vice President Joe Biden and Sanders often speaking directly to each other at CNN’s Washington studios after the coronavirus forced the event to move from Phoenix. Florida’s Democratic primary is Tuesday, and voting continues despite widespread shutdowns of schools and many businesses.

Biden leads the nationwide delegate count over Sanders, 890-736, after winning a majority of delegates on Super Tuesday and subsequent primary contests in states like Michigan.

The exchange on Cuba highlighted a difference in approach between Sanders and Biden, who leads in every Florida poll and has the support of the state’s entire congressional delegation. Biden said it’s not worth praising policy achievements by foreign governments if they are implemented by dictators.

Biden is expected to win Florida by a large margin. Sanders has struggled and his Castro comments set off a wave of criticism from Florida Democrats.

But when Calderon asked, “Shouldn’t we judge dictators on their violation of human rights and not on any of their alleged achievements?” Sanders reiterated that authoritarian regimes can sometimes do admirable things.

“Would any economist deny that extreme poverty in China today is less than it was 40 or 50 years ago?” Sanders said. “That’s a fact.”

Biden was then asked about Barack Obama’s Cuba comments from 2016, when he praised Cuba’s education system as “an extraordinary resource.” Biden defended the comments, which Sanders has used as a defense for his remarks, as necessary to broker a new Cuba policy, while attacking Sanders.

“He was trying to change Cuba policy so the Cuban people would get out from under the thumb of Castro and his brother,” Biden said. “The praising of the Sandinistas, the praising of Cuba, the praising just now of China. China is an authoritarian dictatorship, that’s what it is. The idea they have increased the wealth of people in that country, it’s been marginal the change that’s taken place.”

Sanders took issue with Biden’s attack, again arguing that China did some good things despite its authoritarian government. “Did China make progress in ending extreme poverty 40 or 50 years ago?”

This story was originally published March 15, 2020 at 10:46 PM.