Communist Cuba praised socialist Bernie Sanders, the front-runner in the race for the Democratic nomination for president, for his recent praise of the communist nation.

“Granma, the Communist Party newspaper, prominently displayed a report about Sanders and his praise of ‘some of the social programs implemented by the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution Fidel Castro,'” The Miami Herald reported. “Adding its own analysis of the Democratic race, the newspaper said Sanders seemed ‘unstoppable’ in his move towards the nomination.”

“Granma and several state media outlets reported the comments made by Sanders in an interview with Anderson Cooper for ’60 minutes’ on Sunday, in which the senator said it was ‘unfair’ to say that ‘everything is bad’ in Cuba, and praised the literacy campaign implemented by Fidel Castro shortly after he rose to power in 1959,” the Herald added. “The report also mentions that Sanders had recognized the role of Cuba in sending ‘doctors all over the world,’ another Castro initiative, but incorrectly attributed these comments, made during a debate in the 2016 elections, to the interview with Cooper.”

The newspaper then attacked Cuban Americans who had escaped the communist nation, writing that Sanders’ “comments sparked the anger of the most extremist sector of Cuban-Americans in South Florida, who oppose any rapprochement with the Caribbean island.”

Sanders’ remarks were widely condemned by Cuban Americans, Republicans, and Democrats who found his praise of a brutal, dictatorial regime appalling.

“Fidel Castro left a dark legacy of forced labor camps, religious repression, widespread poverty, firing squads, and the murder of thousands of his own people,” Michael Bloomberg said in a tweet. “But sure, Bernie, let’s talk about his literacy program.”

Fidel Castro left a dark legacy of forced labor camps, religious repression, widespread poverty, firing squads, and the murder of thousands of his own people. But sure, Bernie, let’s talk about his literacy program. pic.twitter.com/3Xqu435uoA — Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) February 24, 2020

Pete Buttigieg tweeted a link asking for donations, writing, “Chip in if you don’t want to have to defend Fidel Castro.”

Tom Steyer tore into Sanders during a CNN town hall, saying, “I don’t think it’s appropriate to look at a dictator in Cuba who’s been there for 60 years, who has really done a terrible job for the Cuban people, who’s an autocrat who’s never allowed dissent or elections and who has done exactly — he’s had the government own the economy and people are hungry and he’s been a cruel controller of the country. don’t think it’s appropriate to be giving him a lot of compliments.”

“If you’re asking me, will I ever compliment a regime that’s unelected, that rules without the rule of law, that is — that dominates its country without the kind of democracy and — that we have?” Steyer later added. “No, I’m never going to compliment that system. I don’t approve of it. I don’t think it works. I think we stand up for who we are around the country because we’re trying to be the best value driven country in the world. That’s who we are. We should be proud of it and we should never give in to somebody else’s view.”

Left-wing CNN commentator Ana Navarro tweeted: “I was born in Nicaragua. My parents live there. My husband was born in Cuba. Castros & Ortega are corrupt, anti-American, murderous thugs. They jail, kill, torture, starve, beat, persecute political dissidents while enriching themselves. There is no f***ing bright side. Period.”