State of Florida Archives: on Foreign Policy

Ron DeSantis: Oppose socialist president of Venezuela; support opposition

Ron DeSantis: Pro-Israel; take action against boycott

Andrew Gillum: Support American Exceptionalism

A: Support

Edward Janowski: Support American Exceptionalism

A: As a veteran, I fully support this. The UN does not hold the United States best interests at heart. In recent years the UN has been acting more as a world government that a˙coalition of independent nations working together to bring relief to those people suffering from natural or man-made disasters. The UN needs to be strongly reminded of this.

Brian Mast: Aggressive NATO response to Russian expansionism

Pam Keith: Don't live by fear; we're the most bad-ass nation

A: Fear. Fear of the future. Fear of each other. Fear of losing what we have. Fear of change. We are becoming paralyzed by fear and unwilling to challenge the status quo. We have big problems but we can conquer them. We are the most bad-ass nation on this planet. There is nothing that we cannot do when we choose to embrace each other and work together, when we boldly proclaim that we will do what it takes to move our country forward. My campaign is about fearlessness, and embracing our challenges. It's what separates me from the others and what is getting crowds everywhere to believe in me and my vision.

Pam Keith: Born in Turkey; lived outside US for 9 years

A: I lived outside of the U.S. from 0-6, 11-13 and while I served in the Navy for a year and a half.

Q: What impact have your parents had on your life?

A: My Dad emphasized hard work, responsibility, sacrifice and service to others. My Mom emphasized compassion, creativity, self-confidence and humor. They both taught me to respect myself and to be fearless in my pursuit of my dreams.

Carlos Lopez-Cantera: Defend democracy in Cuba, Venezuela, & Israel

Lopez-Cantera, 41, is running as an heir to Rubio--he sat on stage with the incumbent senator when Rubio launched his presidential bid--and cuts a similar campaign figure for a GOP hungry for diversity: a fresh-faced Cuban American with a young family. His wife, Renee, works in the Miami Herald's circulation department, where she does not come into contact with newsroom reporters or editors.

Carlos Lopez-Cantera: After Cuban "normalization," more beatings & more oppression

David Jolly: Help create stability in regions where there is none

Carlos Curbelo: When the US shows weakness, bad actors become emboldened

Rick Scott: Cuba's Castros are terrorists; don't travel there

As the debate wore on, the two did talk about deep differences in their policy positions. On Cuba, for example, Crist said he would support lifting the embargo because "it hasn't worked" in ending the rule of the Castro brothers. Scott called the Castros "terrorists" and said he wouldn't travel to Cuba.

Charlie Crist: Lift the Cuban embargo; it has failed for 50 years

When asked about the influential Cuban bloc of voters, most of whom oppose restoring normalcy with Cuba, Crist denounced the trade embargo as an ineffective relic. "I don't think it worked," Crist said. "We need to move forward and get the embargo taken away."

Crist said lifting the embargo would be a boon for his state. "A lot of construction would be required, and South Florida could be the launching pad for all of that," he said.

Crist's statements are a complete reversal of his previous position. In 2010, Crist said he not only opposed removing the trade embargo, but he also was against loosening travel restrictions to Cuba.

Bill Nelson: Keep the Cuban embargo, but let family members travel

Nelson said the embargo shouldn't be lifted, but that family members should be allowed to travel and take remittances with them.

Connie Mack IV: Keep the Cuban embargo until Cuba is a free democracy

Nelson said the embargo shouldn't be lifted, but that family members should be allowed to travel and take remittances with them.

Mitt Romney: Critical time for American century vs. European socialism

Our economy is becoming weaker. The foundation of our future economy is being eroded. Government has become too large. We're headed in a very dangerous direction.

I believe, to get America back on track, we're going to have to have dramatic, fundamental, extraordinary change in Washington to be able to allow our private sector to once again reemerge competitively, to scale back the size of government and to maintain our strength abroad in our military capacities. I believe that, to change Washington in such a dramatic way, you cannot do it by people who have been there their entire careers.

Newt Gingrich: I supported Helms-Burton to isolate the Castro regime

GINGRICH: I was very proud as Speaker to be able to make sure that the Helms-Burton Act passed, and I'm delighted that Rep. Dan Burton is campaigning with me, because it was a very important step towards isolating the Castro regime. We should facilitate the transition from dictatorship to freedom. We want to bring together every non-military asset we have, exactly as Pres. Reagan did in Eastern Europe: he broke up the Soviet empire without a general war by using a wide range of things, one of which is just psychological, saying to the next generation of people in Cuba, the dictatorship is not going to survive. You need to bet on freedom & prosperity in Cuba, and we will help you get to that freedom.

Rick Santorum: Stand up for our friends in Latin America, not leftists

PAUL: Well, I think free trade is the answer. Free trade is an answer to a lot of conflicts around the world, so I'm always promoting free trade. And you might add Cuba, too. I think we would be a lot better off trading with Cuba.

SANTORUM: I'm not with Congressman Paul & I'm not with Barack Obama on this issue. Our policy in Central and South America under this administration has been abysmal: A consistent policy of siding with the leftists, siding with the Marxists, siding with those who don't support democracy. Not standing up for our friends who want to engage and support America, who want to be great trading partners and great allies for our country, to be able to form that kind of bond that is so essential in our own hemisphere. We not only have to come together as an economic unit, but against the threat of radical Islam growing in that region.

Rick Santorum: Keep embargo on Cuba--the heart of cancer in Latin America

SANTORUM: I would oppose it. I've been 100% in support of the right to a free Cuba, and the US should stand on the side of the Cuban people against these despots who are not just reigning terror in Cuba, but now have their puppet, Chavez in Venezuela, and it keeps like a cancer growing. So the idea that a president would take the heart of the cancer that is in Central & South America, and begin to reward behavior that has spread this cancer because of our dilly-dallying and our inattentiveness there-- Now, we're going to reward this type of thuggery, this type of Marxism in our region. We're going to reward a country that is now working with these other countries bring in Iran and the Jihadists who want to set up missile sites and to set up training camps. And so we're going to reward this behavior by opening up and liberalizing. This is the exact wrong message at the exact wrong time.

Rick Santorum: Self-determination on statehood for Puerto Rico

SANTORUM: When I was a Senator, we did a lot of work with Puerto Rico. I was made aware of problems, for example, in the Medicaid program. We passed things to help with deplorably low reimbursement rates. We also worked on hurricane relief and a whole host of other things as a result of my relationship with many Puerto Ricans in PA.

I believe in self-determination: That the Puerto Rican people should have the opportunity to be able to be able to speak on this. I have supported that. I don't take a position one way or the other on statehood, commonwealth, or independence; that's for the people of Puerto Rico to decide.

But I also supported a lot of things to help the Puerto Rican economy. The poverty & unemployment rates are simply not something that we as Americans should allow to occur in our country. We need to make sure that there are pro-growth, supply side economics to make sure that Puerto Rico can succeed as an economy.

Ron Paul: In Latin America, standing up for allies has meant military

PAUL: The senator mentioned standing up for some of these nations, but he doesn't define it, but standing up for nations like this usually means that we impose ourselves, go and pick the dictators, undermine certain governments, also sending them a lot of money. It doesn't work. Most of the time, this backfires. They resent us. We can achieve what he wants in a much different way than us using the bully attitude that you will do it our way. This is not a benefit to us. Because you're talking about force.

SANTORUM: What I talked about is building strong national security relationships. No one's talking about force. Nobody's talking about going into Cuba or going into Venezuela.

Jeff Greene: 2007: Visited Cuba to repair yacht & support synagogues

Greene initially said he went to Cuba as part of a humanitarian mission to visit the Jewish community there. He then said the Cuba visit was the result of mechanical troubles on his yacht and he visited synagogues there while he was waiting for the vessel to be repaired.

Greene says he went to Cuba merely because his yacht, Summerwind, needed repairs for a diving trip. On Tuesday he produced receipts for yacht parts and an attorney's letter saying no law was violated based on how Greene explained the trip.

Ron Paul: Stronger national defense by changing our foreign policy

A: I would like to change Washington, and we could by cutting three programs, such as the Department of Education-- Ronald Reagan used to talk about that--Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security is the biggest bureaucracy we ever had. And besides, what we can do is we can have a stronger national defense by changing our foreign policy.

Mike Huckabee: Law of the Sea Treaty gives away our sovereignty

Betty Castor: Bush’s travel restrictions to Cuba are wrong