Washington, April 29.- The United States Senate rejected today, with a 51-47 vote, a Democratic initiative that sought to prevent the use of military forces by President Donald Trump against Cuba without Congressional authorization.
The proposal S.J 124, sponsored by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia and his colleagues Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Adam Schiff of California, is similar to other attempts in recent weeks that question Trump's authority to take the United States to war without Legislative approval.
The result was by a narrow margin and along party lines. The Republicans, who control the Upper Chamber, voted in block against the Democratic proposal, although they had the defection of Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky, who joined the opposing side in the vote.
John Fetterman of Pennsylvania separated from the Democrats, voting with the Republicans.
During the debate this Tuesday, prior to the vote, more than one spoke about the inconsistencies of US policies toward Cuba, called for the removal of Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and said that Cuba does not represent any threat to the national security of the northern country.
"The United States has a long, very long history with Cuba that I don't need to relate here. But suffice it to say that, as a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, I have never heard the suggestion that Cuba represents an imminent threat to the security of the United States," Kaine stated while arguing for the resolution.
And I believe -he said- that it is an accepted fact that there is currently no war authorization approved by Congress that authorizes military actions against Cuba.
"President Trump himself has said, and I quote: 'Take Cuba. I mean, whether I free it, take it' (…) But we all know that Cuba is not property that Donald Trump can acquire."
Meanwhile, Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida considered that "President Trump has never suggested that we send troops to Cuba. Therefore, all this effort is irrelevant" and in practice -more or less technicalities- there was a majority support that the United States is not at war with Cuba.
During his speech at a conference in Miami last March, President Trump declared that "Cuba is next."
The Senate had this Tuesday the opportunity to say 'no' to another costly and unnecessary war, but the Republicans killed the resolution.
