After Sanders’ praise for Cuba, Democrats are headed for defeat in November | Opinion

When Sen. Bernie Sanders praised Fidel Castro’s “literacy program” and “free” education on CBS’ “60 Minutes” and in a CNN town hall, Sanders forgot — or chose not to mention — that most Cubans live on approximately $17 a month, and children are indoctrinated in Marxist texts from Day One in school. But Sanders would never know this as someone who has never lived in a socialist country, only briefly spending time his honeymoon in the USSR. However, I know this, having spent the first 15 years of my life in Cuba.

Championing socialist policies is the new normal in today’s Democratic Party. Even as some of Sanders’ opponents try to distance themselves from the criticism he has faced for praising communist and socialist dictators, they still promote socialist policies and would defend him as their party’s nominee.

President Trump, on the other hand, has a proven record of defending democracy and human rights across Latin America. The administration has sanctioned several entities associated with the Cuban military and intelligence services. In several visits to South Florida, Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have made it clear that they stand with the Cuban community and that the United States will never be a socialist country.

This commitment to freedom however is not limited to Cuba. The Trump administration has stood with Venezuelans as they have faced down their own socialist nightmare in the form of Cuban regime puppet, dictator Nicolás Maduro. The Trump administration has sanctioned the murderous Maduro regime and was the first country to support the legitimate government of interim Venezuelan president Juan Guaidó, who was an honored guest at this year’s State of the Union address and then met with Trump at the White House. The president has also sanctioned the Ortega regime in Nicaragua for corruption and human rights abuses.-President Trump has not only fought for the Latino community on the world stage but has fought hard for us at home. Latino unemployment is at a near record low, our small businesses are growing, and the Latino home ownership rate is on the rise, all thanks to his effective policies.

My life and career in the United States would have been impossible in Cuba. I have worked as a reporter for major news outlets, covering stories on both coasts of the country and beyond. I am now privileged to be one of the leading Hispanic political communications strategists for the Republican Party, whose values in defense of human dignity and liberty at home and abroad embody my worldview and life experience. I fear that if Democrats are elected the opportunities I’ve enjoyed will never be available to the next generation.

The Democratic Party is failing those who once trusted them and are now faced with the prospect of a socialist/communist leading the nomination process. When the time comes in November, Floridians — who better than most, know the pain of socialism — will reject this new wave of socialist Democrats when they reelect President Trump in November.

Yali Nuñez is director of Hispanic media for the Republican National Committee.

This story was originally published February 26, 2020 at 2:55 PM.