Republican Senator John McCain, speaking before a noisy crowd in Miami on Cuban Independence Day, on Tuesday pledged to keep the embargo against the Caribbean island, prevent Bolivia and Venezuela from taking the same road taken by Cuba, and strengthen ties with Brazil, Chile and Peru, if he is elected as US president.

McCain criticized his Democrat rival, Senator Barack Obama, for saying that he is willing to sit down with Cuban President Raúl Castro, reported AP.

"If I am elected president (…) We will work to prevent Venezuela and Bolivia from taking the same road to failure Castro has paved for Cuba, and we will broaden and strengthen ties with key states like Brazil, Peru, and Chile," McCain said.

Likewise, McCain criticized Obama for opposing to a free trade agreement with Colombia.

"Colombia is a beacon of hope in a region where the Castro brothers, [Venezuelan President] Hugo Chávez, and others are actively seeking to thwart economic progress and democracy," McCain added.