CNN reports:
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday stood by his partial defense of Fidel Castro’s Cuban revolution, stating bluntly: “The truth is the truth.”
The senator from Vermont has faced a wave of bipartisan criticism since his interview on CBS’ “60 Minutes” aired Sunday night in which he praised a “literacy program” the Cuban government launched in its first years and asserted that “it’s unfair to simply say everything is bad” with the way Castro ruled the country.
He added: “I have been extremely consistent and critical of all authoritarian regimes all over the world including Cuba, including Nicaragua, including Saudi Arabia, including China, including Russia. I happen to believe in democracy, not authoritarianism.”
Bernie Sanders stands by his qualified praise of Fidel Castro’s regime in Cuba: “(Castro) went out and they helped people learn to read and write. You know what, I think teaching people to read and write is a good thing” https://t.co/WEiDzKKvfb #CNNTownHall pic.twitter.com/yJLLUDApde
— CNN (@CNN) February 25, 2020