Certainly we have good examples, colombia, because of courageous leadership. Im not seeing a lot of democracy flourishing in venezuela or cuba, from that standpoint. Can you help me out in terms of what youre talking about . Theres no doubt that democracys not flourishing in cuba. And its part of the president s effort to pursue a new approach to see what more we can do to help the cuban people begin their own political opening. As we look back over the last several decades, whats important to remember and acknowledge about our hemisphere is this was a region that was largely ruled by authoritarian government, some military, some not, but which has found through its commitment to human rights and its ability to organize and use Interamerican Solutions like the Interamerican Human Rights Court and the Interamerican Court of human rights to develop Civil Societies around human rights issues and use that to build democracy. Whether its chile in the 1980s, our work in Central America to face down insurgencies and move military governments to allow elections to take place for civilians to take over, whether its what weve done in colombia, whether transition to government in argentina, brazil, i think this hemisphere has distinguished itself over the past three decades im running out of time here. Seeing as the primary purpose to continue the National Security of america, is it is anybody going to make the case the castro regime has been helpful in promoting this in the hemisphere . Is it not true they are still supporting farc in colombia, supporting the repressive regime in venezuela . Isnt that true, secretary jacobson . What the cuban government has done and what we asserted in the report we sent to congress is the support for the farc that we have seen recently is support for the Peace Process thats going on in cuba between the farc and the colombian government. Obviously that was not always the case in the past but this time we think theyre playing a constructive role in the Peace Process. In venezuela, its a different issue. I think in many areas, we we do not see cuba in National Security terms, we believe the engagement with cuba through diplomatic relations will be far better for our interests than the previous policy of isolation. The other purpose, to assist the cuban people and regain freedom and prosperity, as senator rubios pointing out, u. S. Is basically the only country engaged in embargo. Cubas been able to trade freely with the rest of the world. Im not seeing the flourishing of prosperity as a result of that engagement . I mean, how in the world do we think being able to trade with with the u. S. Is going to improve their prosperity at all under the repressive regime of the castros . Youre certainly right their Economic System has not made them a magnet for the trade and investment of other countries that theyre able to have. In other words, other countries could have invested and been trading with them more than they are. But cuba has to change to make that possible. But they have been able to promote a narrative of the u. S. embargo and isolation from them as the reason for those economic problems. We have now taken that excuse away. It will be obvious that the problems are the lack of movement in their system. Thank you, madam secretary, vice chair. Senator menendez . Mr. Chairman today is the 113th anniversary of cuban independence day. It is a bittersweet date given the cuban peoples languishing for more than 55 years under a dictatorship. As assistant secretary jacobson opens negotiations between cuba and the United States tomorrow let me be frank, i have deep concerns that the more these talks progress, the more the administration continues to entertain unilateral concessions without in return getting agreement on fundamental issues that are in our National Interests and those are the cuban people. So i know you said in response to another question, these are things we did not negotiate, these are things decided unilaterally. I cant believe that. The cubans said, you want a relationship . Youve got to return the three convicted spies, three convicted spies of the United States, including one who was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, of three u. S. Citizens in international airspace. Check, we gave them the three spies. You want a relationship . Take us off the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Check, we gave them that. You want a relationship . Stop or change the democracy programs that we do throughout the world because we dont like those democracy programs because theyre interfere to our totalitarian regime. I wake up to an article from reuters, u. S. Signals it could change prodemocracy programs in cuba that havana objects to cuba has long objected to the pro democracy program, which includes basic courses for my friends sitting in the press in basic journalism and Information Technology to the u. S. Diplomatic mission in havana. Check. Bring us to the summit of the americas. Even though cuba violates the democratic charter of the oas and one of your people say doesnt matter whos invited to the table, it whats talked about. Guess what . The democratic charter, the message counselor shannon sent to the hemispheres, you can violate the democratic charter and still be part of the club. Why not violate it if you think youre compelled to do so . Pretty amazing. I have not seen any movement at all towards greater freedom. As a matter of fact, i would like to commend committees attention to someone inside of cuba, a cuban blogger peres, in the daily beast. Cubas 12 most absurd prohibitions tourists will never see. Ill read a couple, mr. Chairman. Cubans cant Access Internet from their homes or on cell phones. Not because, in fact, Even Technology infrastructure is not the case. They cant access because the government wont let them because information is a problem. So, yeah, they want to perfect greater infrastructure but for them to control it. You cant live in havana without a permit. The blogger goes on to say, can someone from l. A. Live in washington, d. C. . The answer is obviously yes. But you cant live in havana without a permit from the government. No public demonstrations allowed. Imagine that. No Political Parties are allowed except the Cuban Communist Party. No investment in media and large enterprises, no inviting a foreigner to spend a night without a permit in your own home. Among many others, you cant bring 25 fingernails. In violation of the law. I ask unanimous consent that the full article be included in the record. Without objection. So here we are, human rights abuses continue unabated with more than 1600 cases of arbitrary political arrest this year alone, only five months into the year. So, president obama may have outstretched his hand but the castros still have their fists real tight. You and secretary molinowski came before the committee, were skyrocketing back up in Human Rights Violations and including the rearrest of the people who you negotiated to ultimately be released, several of them rearrested. Now, despite the desire to move into different direction, i see we get nothing in return. We still have you have taken cuba off the terrorism list. Well, joanne on the fbis ten most wanted terrorist list for murdering a state trooper, charles hill wanted for killing a new mexico state trooper, and hijacking a u. S. Civilian plane, both living in cuba, protected by the regime. The regime says well talk to you, well talk to you. Even though your counterpart already said she got political asylum and shes not going anywhere, because well talk to you about it. Well talk to you about it. Talk ad infinitum. I hope my colleagues who are so passionate, and i listened to them about democracy and human rights in many parts of the in burma in vietnam, but almost silent when it comes to cuba. Somehow democracy and human rights is not as important as other places in the world. I hope we can keep the same standard. Let me ask you, madam secretary, to your knowledge were you or any member of the state department told not to push for sanctions on cuba in violation of sending migs and missiles to north korea in violation of the u. N. Security Council Resolutions . The type of missiles that in fact were in hull of a cargo ship full of sugar being hidden where the migs of cuba were taken off to try to hide it . Were you told not to push . Was any member told not to push for sanctions. Not that i know of. Did the u. N. Sanction cuba . They did not. They did not. Let me ask you this, in the list of statesponsor terrorism you got a letter that says that, in fact, cuba has not, never did, oddly the castro regimes assurances asserted the government of cuba has never this is in their letter has never supported any active International Terrorism and the cuban territory has never been used to organize, finance or execute terrorist acts against any country including the United States. Do you intend for members of the committee to believe that the castro regime never supported any acts of International Terrorism over the last half century . Senator, i think whats crucial not whats crucial. Answer my question. Sorry. Do you believe, do you want the committee to believe the cuban government has never sponsored any act of terrorism over the last half century . I i cant say that i would urge you all to believe that it has never occurred, no. But i hope you dont mean to suggest that the historical examples of providing support to former armed insurgents in the 1980s including the n19 in colombia, the fsl in nicaragua, or that the fact that cuban military didnt shoot unarmed civilian planes carrying american citizens over International Waters for which they are pending indictments from a United States jurisdiction against several individuals in cuba, im wondering are you pursuing that in your negotiations with cuba about them answering those indictments . That is why were going to have the Law Enforcement conversation for the Justice Department to be able to pursue do you realize some of those indictments are against . Yes, sir. And do you think youre going to engage in a conversation with them responding to justice . Do you think the castros are going to say, yes, were going to appear in a court . I dont think so. Let me ask you one last question, if i have the chairs indulgence. You know, you all came here and said that, oh, theres a reduction of political arrests in january. As a sign that the administrations cuba policy was achieving results. Not surprisingly these numbers climbed dramatically in the ensuing months with more than 450 political arrests in february, more than 600 in march, more than 1600 political arrests in total during the first four months of 2015. 1,600 in the first four months of 2015. Now, as im sure you know, this past sunday, more than 100 activists in cuba were violently arrested including 60 members, following their attendance at a church service. So i guess bertia was right when she said the cuban government will only take advantage to strengthen its repressive machinery. All these women were doing was marching in white with a gladiola to church. And the result of that is to be beaten and thrown into prison. That is not success. I dont get it. The final thing ill say, mr. Chairman, i have a lot of other questions, but in deference to my colleagues and i appreciate it, this is a onesided i dont know what weve gotten in return. Weve gotten nothing in return but the cubans have gotten plenty in return. If thats our way of negotiating, then we have a real problem on our hands. And the message we send in the western hemisphere, in venezuela, where we have i dont see your partners engaging with us because we change our cuba policy, this opens door towards promotion democracy. Were not seeing democracy in venezuela. Im not sure about it happening in other places in the hemisphere for which we have challenges as well. So i think that that is a hollow promise based on what we see. I appreciate the chairs courtesy based on my interest in the subject. Thank you. Senator purdue . Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you both for being here today. This is an important topic. In my career ive watched and seen the u. S. Strategy of engagement in china, vietnam, the dominican republic, haiti, to mention a few. Its worked in some, its not in others. I echo what senator menendez just said about venezuela, we buy 32 billion of oil a year. We havent affected their regime one iota, that i can see. I have three concerns about what were talking about today with regard to our changing our relationship with cuba. One is their continued support of terrorism. Two is their human rights record that continues today. And, three, their activity in armed smuggling. Well get to those in a second i have a very short question i hope youll be brief. 2003, cuba allowed iran to operate on their soil, we know about the attack on u. S. Telecommunications. Cubas reported to have supplied Intelligence Services to venezuela recently in its allies. Cuba provided assistance in safe haven to terrorists including members of farc and the bask eta. They continue to harbor fugitive including one listed on the fbis most wanted terrorist list. Helping member of hezbollah slip into north america. A cuban state owned enterprise provided venezuela with advanced tennell used to provide illicit documentation to 173 individuals from the middle east between 08 and 12. Thats ancient history, according to the administration. Talk about recent history. Just sense president obama started the secret negotiations with the castro regime june 2013, a report of 15,000 political arrests, 2500 such arrests since the president s speech on u. S. Cuban relations in december. To make it even worse, between february and march of this year alone cuba increased the number of politically motivated arrest by 70 . As troubling as that is, im more troubled by cubas continued nefarious activities with regard to arm smuggling. We know about the shipment of 240 tons of military equipment confiscated on the way to north korea but we are talking about february 28th of this year, 2015, chinese flag vessel was intercepted, over 100 tons of explosives, 2. 6 million detonators, over 3,000 artillery shells, bought by a bought from a chinese arms manufacturer, on behalf of technoimport a Shadow Company from the cuban military. The question is, with this type of activity, what assurances can you give us, mr. Ambassador, id like you to take a shot at this first. With this continuing and current activity, why should we be optimistic that just by opening up economic relations with these people this regime, that this type of activity will change . Thank you very much, senator. I can assure you that just by opening up Economic Activity we will not necessarily change behavior. Its a longer process in this. But in regard to the larger diplomatic environment and assistant secretary jacobson can address more specific issues, in regard to a larger diplomatic environment, the fact that these ships were stopped was significant. The fact they were inspected was significant. The fact that these items were found was significant and shows an ability to cooperate with our partners in the region to control and monitor this kind of activity. And this will deepen with time as people understand that the broader purpose of our diplomacy is not simply to normalize relations with cuba and build a relationship with cuba that will change how we try to promote our interests in Democratic Values but that its also about how we enhance the integration and cooperation inside the hemisphere and partners of our leery of working with us around cuba issues because they do not want to get cate into the vortex of the very powerful and historic animosity are going to be more open to engaging with us on this kind of activity. So i believe were going to be able to do more in the area of security, were going to be able to do more in the area of nonproliferation, more in the area of fighting drugs because of this. I ask a followup on that, mr. Ambassador. Why wouldnt we make that a prerequisite that better behavior would lead to open economic relations . Or madam secretary, either one. I think, senator, if i could, we all want the same end. It is a question of how we motivate that behavior or how we how effectively we can help support change. The president believes firmly that the efforts we made in the past, which were in fact to say you must change first and then we will engage, just didnt work to make the changes inside cuba. Can i ask you a question on that . Certainly. We have evidence, cause and effect of several other countries, britain, canada, others having open trading relations with cuba. Were the only one embargoing and yet that engagement has not changed behavior. What makes us believe that today our opening up of economic relations with cuba will have that effect . I mean, i think thats a fair point. We dont know yet what the effect of this policy will be on the cuban government. We do see already the effect, the beginning of the effect on the cuban people while we decry the detentions of the activists, we know there are cubans benefiting from this new policy in their independent businesses and in their belief that theyre going to prosper and have a better life because of engagement with the u. S. The other thing i would say is, im very engaged with my eu counterpart and with my counterpart in spain in working with them so that we can now work together, and when we work together, not just with our regional counterparts but with our european counterparts, that is more powerful. I think that could have a more galvanizing effect but it will be slow, i dont deny that. Thank you. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Senator kane . Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you to the witnesses. My colleagues have asked Great Questions about particular of the u. S. Cuba discussion. I want