Switching between English and Spanish before an exuberant Cuban crowd, Jack Kemp on Saturday said a Dole-Kemp administration, unlike President Clinton, "will put the pressure on Cuba" to replace communism with democracy.
"We must not rest until that day when we see, once again," free elections in Cuba, Kemp said, switching languages in the same sentence. He addressed an outdoor rally where the crowd frequently waved Cuban flags and chanted "Viva Kemp! Viva Kemp.""There must be free elections in Cuba," he repeated.
The Republican vice presidential nominee also criticized Clinton, saying the president - who has campaigned for the votes of Cubans, a traditionally Republican constituency - has played on their emotions.
Last February, Clinton signed the Helms-Burton Act, which allows lawsuits in U.S. courts against foreigners whose U.S. property was seized after Cuban President Fidel Castro brought communism to the island 37 years ago.
Clinton signed the bill partly in retaliation for the deadly February shootdown of two U.S. civilian planes piloted by exiles. He delayed enforcement of the law for several months, but has enforced a provision denying visas to executives of companies doing business in Cuba.
Kemp said Clinton said during the election four years ago that advancing democracy worldwide would be a "central aspect" of his foreign policy.
"Yet, they have yet to undertake any strategy for bringing democracy to Cuba," Kemp charged.