. >> if i could ask mr. duran to follow up on that point. if i could ask mr. duran real quickly to follow up on that point, that which is a central one i think that cuba policy for too long in the united states has been based in eyes of many on cuban exile anger which is obviously very justified but not the basis for sound foreign policy perhaps. i wonder if you could address that. >> that has been precisely the point. that is why it is so important what president obama has done. up until now u.s. foreign policy towards cuba did not exist. it was u.s. policy for elections to get electoral votes in new jersey and florida and get political contributions from wealthy cubans in new jersey and in florida. that is what has determine u.s. foreign policy towards cuba until now. now first time there is foreign policy toward cuba. that is the president obama is doing. he is not taking electoral policy or political contributions of the fact of the matter we have to deal with cuba. changeses are coming. like i said there are only two or three walk around, they have more th

i hope it works but hope is not a policy. >> mr. duranwanted to ask you off the bat, what led you a quarter century ago more than a quarter century ago, to come to the conclusion that engaging communist cuba was the best way to go? >> when the soviet union disappeared and the cold war was over, i came to the conclusion that if we continue in the same path that had not worked for so many years and that every president from kennedy to the present president have tried to negotiate with cuba the end of the embargo, and every time cuba does something so that embargo will not end. because the embargo is the one thing that protects cuba and gives it an excuse for everything that is wrong within the island and keeps it from doing what is right. denied civil rights denied political rights, denied everything because they're at war with the united states. because no friendly country embargoes another friendly country. therefore, they're at war and they have to take extraordinary actions to protect themselves from the united states. when the soviet u

calzon if i could ask mr. duran to follow up on that point. if i could just ask mr. ally quickly to follow up on that point which is a centralone, i think, that cuban policy for too long in the united states has been based in the eyes of many on cuban exile anger lpwhich albeit, it very justified, obviously, but is not the basis for sound foreign policy perhaps. i was wondering if you could afdress that aspect. >> that's been precisely the point and that is why it is so important what president obama has done. up until now, u.s. foreign policy towards cuba did nott( exist. it was u.s. policy for the elections, to get electoral votes in new jersey and in florida, and to get political contributions from wealthy cubans in new jersey and in florida. that is what has determined u.s. foreign policy towards cuba until now. for the first time, there is a foreign policy towards cuba. and that is what obama is doing. he is taking the best interest of the united states into account and not electoral policy nor political contributions. the fact of the matter is that we're going t

mr. duran was also born in cuba and is a veteran of the bay of pigs invasion. he was, in fact -- [applause] he was, in fact, a president of the bay of pig, veterans -- pigs veterans' association but his eventual call for peaceful dialogue with cuba led to his break with that group. mr. duran is a former miami-dade school board member and a former chair of the florida democratic party. welcome, mr. duran. [applause] and to his left finally, mr. ricardo herrero, executive director of cuba now which advocates engagement with cuba. mr. herrero is an attorney and the son of cuban exiles previously director of the cuba study group in washington. he is a former executive director of the miami-dade democratic party and served on the 2012 presidential campaign of venezuelan opposition leader enrique -- [inaudible] his articles have appeared in "usa today" and the miami herald among others, and he has appeared frequently on cnn in espanol. welcome, ruc. ms. . [applause] >> okay, so i want to start with y

i hope it works but hope is not a policy. >> mr. duran what led you a quarter-century ago more than a quarter century ago to come to the conclusion that engaging communist cuba was the best way to go? >> when the soviet union disappeared and the cold war was over i came to the conclusion that if we continue on the same path that had not worked for so many years and that every president from kennedy to the present president have tried to negotiate with cuba the end of the embargo, every time she would do something so that the embargo will not end because the embargo is one thing that protects cuba and gives it an excuse for everything that is wrong with in the island and keeps it from doing what is right or denying civil rights, denying medical rights, denied everything because they alleged that they are at war with the united states because no friendly country embargoes another friendly country. therefore, they are at war and have to take extraordinary actions to protect themselves from the united states. when the soviet union disappeared