If former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush were to win the presidency next year, it is unlikely he would keep a U.S. embassy open in Cuba.

"Probably not," Bush told the editorial board of the New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper in Manchester when asked if he would would maintain President Obama's ongoing project.

Obama announced last week that the U.S. and Cuba were working toward opening embassies in each other's countries, part of his administration's effort to reestablish diplomatic ties with the communist island nation. The embassies are set to open on July 20.

Though Bush said he is giving Obama the "benefit of the doubt" when it comes to his work with Cuba, he has yet to see many benefits from the closer relations with the the nation.

"We're negotiating without getting anything in return," Bush said. "While we're negotiating, the repression has actually increased."

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According to Bush, he has "a lot of friends who have suffered a lot" under the Castros' rule.

Bush's critical comments come on the same day as those by rival, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Rubio, who is also aiming to capture the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, published an op-ed in the New York Times critiquing the Obama administration's policy toward Cuba.

According to a RealClearPolitics average of polls, Bush is in the lead among Republican presidential candidate hopefuls with 16.3 percent. Rubio is fourth at 9.3 percent.

(h/t The Miami Herald)