According to White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, President Obama will send an unofficial U.S. delegation to attend Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro's funeral.
President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will not attend, but White House Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes and U.S. Ambassador to Cuba Jeffery DeLaurentis will be present. Earnest argues this isn't an "official" presidential delegation.
"The President has decided not to send a presidential delegation to attend the memorial service today. I can tell you however that Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes will attend the service as will the top U.S. diplomat in Cuba, Jeff DeLaurentis," Earnest said. "Those of you who have been following this story closely over the last couple of years know that Mr. Rhodes has played a leading role in crafting the normalization policy that President Obama announced two years ago."
Pres Obama not sending official delegation to Fidel Castro funeral, says @PressSec.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) November 29, 2016
But @PressSec also says @rhodes44 will attend funeral along with Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis, US Embassy Chief of Mission in Havana.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) November 29, 2016
WH clarifies. @rhodes44 and Amb DeLaurentiis representing US at Castro memorial service tonight. But no official US delegation to funeral.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) November 29, 2016
President Obama has received criticism for his statement, which was released over the weekend, on Castro's death.
President Obama issued a pathetic statement on death of dictator #FidelCastro with no mention of thousands he killed & imprisoned. #Cuba
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 26, 2016
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