Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Monday that he hopes President-elect Donald Trump doesn't return the United States to rigid trade restrictions with Cuba.
Trump "has had a hard line toward Cuba, and that's understandable," Hutchinson said at a news conference when asked whether he's concerned that the Trump administration might pull back some of the U.S. diplomatic and trade relations forged with Cuba.
"I would like to see this first as an opportunity to open up Cuba for the sale of our agricultural products. I don't want that taken off the table. I would like to see that as a step forward," he said.
Hutchinson's comments came on the same day that Trump, a fellow Republican, threatened to end Democratic President Barack Obama's push to forge diplomatic relations and relax sanctions against Cuba. Trump suggested that he might wipe away two years of executive action to strengthen ties if he cannot reach "a better deal" for both Cuba and the United States.
In a post on Twitter that came three days after the death of Fidel Castro -- the father of Cuba's revolution and embodiment of a half-century of suspicion and hostility between the United States and Cuba -- Trump gave no details about what kind of changes he would seek in Obama's policy.
But the comment hinted that the New York real estate magnate and reality TV star, who has been critical of greater engagement between Americans and Cubans, is considering reinstating restrictions on commerce, trade and financial transactions that Obama has stripped away since he announced two years ago that he and President Raul Castro had agreed to normalize relations.
"It is time for a change. But that is change that should not come without an enhancement of freedom on the part of the Cuban government in changes that we would expect there," Hutchinson said. "So we need to balance keeping the pressure on Cuba, but at the same time expressing to them a willingness to re-engage as we see freedom and opportunity changing in that country."
Hutchinson led a three-day trade mission to Cuba in September. Arkansas' rice, pork and poultry producers are particularly eager to sell their products to Cuba.
Hutchinson has said his trip to China helped lead that country to lift its ban on Arkansas poultry. The ban was related to avian flu.
After the death of Fidel Castro, Hutchinson tweeted that the death "opens a freedom window for the oppressed Cuban people. More freedom is not certain, but [the] US must seize the moment."
Asked what the United States should do now, Hutchinson said, "It looks like there is going to be a fairly robust debate as to the right steps to take at this point."
He said part of his comment was based on his experience working on these issues while he worked as an undersecretary in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush.
"I knew that this is a momentous occasion with the death of Fidel Castro that gives an opportunity we've never had before. There is a lot of unknowns here, as I have mentioned," Hutchinson said.
"It important that this opportunity is there now for enhanced freedom for the Cuban people," Hutchinson said.
"And that's an objective that's important to enhance freedom and commerce and ownership, freedom to choose your professions, the direction that you want to go in in life. freedom of movement, all of these are freedoms that have been deprived that need to be reinvigorated in Cuba. As we see enhanced freedom hopefully we can see increased relationship with Cuba as we see changes that are there. That's the moment that I believe needs to be seized," he said.
Information for this article was contributed by The New York Times.
A Section on 11/29/2016