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CNN Host Asks Dem. Congresswoman to Name Just One Reason Why Raul Castro Deserves Obama's Cuba Deal — Watch and See if She Could
A motorcycle is parked next to wall painted with a Cuban flag and an image of revolutionary hero Ernesto "Che" Guevara in Havana, Cuba, Monday, Oct. 25, 2010. Cuba has made official the economic changes it announced last month, publishing nearly 100 pages of rules and regulations for small businesses in the government Gazette, raising hopes that eagerly anticipated licenses for the newly self-employed could be issued soon. (AP Photo/Javier Galeano)

CNN Host Asks Dem. Congresswoman to Name Just One Reason Why Raul Castro Deserves Obama's Cuba Deal — Watch and See if She Could

"What about human rights violations?"

CNN's Ashleigh Banfield left Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee fumbling a bit on Wednesday when she pressed the lawmaker to name just one reason why Raul Castro deserves the president's new deal with Cuba.

"In your mind, what has Raul Castro done to deserve this? Give me one thing," Banfield said.

Lee had a difficult time.

"I don't think it's about what any country has done to deserve anything," she responded. "We have normal relations with Vietnam, we have normal relations with China, we need to move forward to work with President Raul Castro to make sure that normal relations between the United States are respectful and that, in fact, all of the issues that we care about as it relates to Cuba--."

Banfield cut in: "What about human rights violations?"

Lee responded: "Any human rights violations that we all are aware of need to be addressed, will be addressed, but remember that the president has always talked about human rights violations everywhere in the world. And we have to really recognize that you can't do anything about human rights if you have an embargo where you're not engaged in talks and discussions."

Watch it below:

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Jonathon M. Seidl is a former managing editor of Blaze News and a best-selling author and speaker. His next book, “Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic,” will be released on October 7, 2025.
Jonathon M. Seidl

Jonathon M. Seidl

Jonathon M. Seidl is a former managing editor of Blaze News and a best-selling author and speaker. His next book, “Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic,” will be released on October 7, 2025.

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