Jeb Bush: No talks with ‘repressive regime’

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) on Wednesday voiced his opposition to President Obama’s move to begin normalizing relations with Cuba. 

{mosads}”I don’t think we should be negotiating with a repressive regime to make changes in our relationship [until Cuba changes],” Bush said at an event in Florida on Wednesday morning, according to USA Today. 

Bush announced on Tuesday that he has decided to “actively explore” a presidential run. Florida is home to a large Cuban population, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), another possible presidential candidate, called the move “just the latest in a long line of failed attempts by President Obama to appease rogue regimes at all cost.”

The Obama administration announced on Wednesday that U.S. aid worker Alan Gross had been released after being imprisoned for five years in Cuba. The administration is also in broader talks to normalize diplomatic relations. 

The move is set to shake-up the political world and draw more responses from likely presidential candidates. 

Bush did say that he is happy for Gross’s return. 

“It’s a tragedy that he had to be in prison that long for simply doing his job,” Bush said, NBC6 South Florida reports. “But the fact is that he’s coming home and that’s great news.”