Republicans largely oppose move to restore diplomatic ties between the US and Cuba

After months of planning, President Obama announced this week that the embassies would reopen

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President Obama has officially announced that the US and Cuba will be restoring diplomatic ties after 54 years of frozen relations.

That move will include opening embassies in Washington and Havana, respectively, which is expected to happen later this summer.

Wednesday's announcement follows some six months of work by US and Cuban officials in preparation for normalizing relations between the two countries.

Since the president announced in December that he was pursuing a renewed diplomatic relationship with Cuba, Republicans have come out in opposition.

That did not stop with Wednesday's announcement.

Jeb Bush, Republican presidential front-runner

Mr Bush said improved relations should "advance the cause of human rights and freedom for the Cuban people" and said the administration's moves were "failing this test", the New York Times reported.

Ted Cruz, Texas senator and presidential candidate

Nevermind that the US has an embassy in Tel Aviv.

John Boehner, House speaker

"Relations with the Castro regime should not be revisited, let alone normalized, until Cubans enjoy freedom."

Marco Rubio, Florida senator and presidential candidate

"Throughout this entire negotiation, as the Castro regime has stepped up its repression of the Cuban people, the Obama Administration has continued to look the other way and offer concession after concession," he told Breitbart News. "The administration’s reported plan to restore diplomatic relations is one such prized concession to the Castro regime."

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