our policies toward Cuba should be geared toward accomplishing that

I commend your initiative in visiting Hama to demonstrate American support for the Syrian people's demands for an end of the Assad regime and a more democratic future.

the cost of doing that is that it provides hard currency to the regime

political repression has increased

there's an open resistance in Cuba now; a resistance which is being oppressed

But if our policy, ultimately, is to foster democracy, shouldn't these groups be evaluated on the basis of what they would do to foster democracy?

So we've already conceded, the administration has, that there's a price to be paid, that we recognize that these trips are providing hard currency for a repressive regime.

I would hope that we would establish a policy that clearly creates a nexus between the trips and our foreign policy toward the island, which is the hope of advancing democracy.

So we make clear to people who are traveling to Cuba for people-to-people contact, we make clear to them that if they go too far in advocating for democracy or regime change that they could go to jail?

the only safe way to go to Cuba is to travel there and not really do anything more than, you know, cultural stuff, but really don't talk about politics because that could get you in trouble.

access to Americans will somehow provide information to the average Cuban

the benefit of having Americans travel to Cuba outweigh the hard currency

I would just advocate that if indeed we're going to allow people to travel to Cuba, and our hope is that somehow this travel to Cuba will help foster democracy...

Isn't that something we're concerned about?

And my other concern is that Alan Gross was on the island for the purpose of fostering access to information.

we have never offered unilateral concessions to the Cuban Government in exchange for Mr. Gross.

If confirmed, combating human trafficking would be one of my top priorities in Ecuador.

the United States is going to be a clear voice condemning this practice and calling out those nations and those governments that tolerate this or, worse, actually participate in this.