De Blasio says Cuba, Nicaragua have gone astray

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says the Cuban and Nicaraguan revolutions have gone astray, a day after he was criticized for quoting a Cuban revolutionary slogan.

De Blasio was asked to comment on the governments of the two Latin American countries on Friday.

The mayor and Democratic presidential candidate later said he did not realize that the slogan “Hasta la Victoria, siempre!” was associated with the Cuban revolution.

De Blasio said Friday that the revolutionaries were right to overthrow Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista, but the revolution later “went astray.” He said Cuba “could have emerged as a democratic society.”

De Blasio said the situation in Nicaragua is “very sad to watch,” and President Daniel Ortega’s time “has come and gone.”

De Blasio has visited both countries.