[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 272 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 272

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the success of the Varela 
  Project's collection of 10,000 certified signatures in support of a 
 national referendum and the delivery of these signatures to the Cuban 
                           National Assembly.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 20, 2002

  Mr. Nelson of Florida submitted the following resolution; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the success of the Varela 
  Project's collection of 10,000 certified signatures in support of a 
 national referendum and the delivery of these signatures to the Cuban 
                           National Assembly.

Whereas Article 88 of the Cuban Constitution states that the Cuban National 
        Assembly should schedule a national referendum if it receives the 
        verified signatures of 10,000 legal voters;
Whereas on May 10, 2002, a group of Cuban citizens led by Oswaldo Paya delivered 
        11,020 verified signatures to the Cuban National Assembly in support of 
        a referendum;
Whereas Mr. Paya's petition drive is inspired by the 19th-century priest and 
        Cuban independence hero, Padre Felix Varela, and is known as the Varela 
        Project;
Whereas the Varela Project seeks a referendum on civil liberties, including 
        freedom of speech, amnesty for political prisoners, support for private 
        business, a new electoral law, and a general election;
Whereas the Varela Project is supported by 140 opposition organizations in Cuba 
        and has received no money or support from foreign citizens or foreign 
        governments;
Whereas the Varela Project is the largest petition drive in Cuban history;
Whereas the Varela Project seeks amnesty for all of those who have been 
        detained, sanctioned, or jailed for political motives and who have not 
        participated in acts directly threatening the lives of others;
Whereas the Varela Project seeks to guarantee citizens the right to form private 
        businesses, to carry out economic activities that could be productive 
        and of service, and to establish contracts between workers and 
        businesses for the development of these businesses in fair and just 
        conditions so that no one may obtain profits by exploiting the work of 
        others;
Whereas the Varela Project is a step in moving Cuba toward achieving 
        international standards for human rights;
Whereas the goal of United States policy in Cuba is to promote a peaceful 
        transition to democracy through an active policy of supporting the 
        forces of change on the island; and
Whereas the Varela Project is engaged in the promotion of a peaceful transition 
        to democracy in Cuba: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) supports the constitutional right of the citizens of 
        Cuba who have signed the Varela Project to petition the Cuban 
        National Assembly for a referendum;
            (2) calls on the Cuban government to accept the Varela 
        Project petition and, in accordance with its obligation under 
        Article 88 of the Cuban Constitution, to hold a referendum on 
        civil liberties, including freedom of speech, an amnesty for 
        political prisoners, support for private business, a new 
        electoral law, and a general election;
            (3) praises the bravery of Oswaldo Paya and his colleagues 
        in collecting 11,020 verified signatures in support of the 
        Varela Project;
            (4) calls on the Cuban government to provide its citizens 
        with internationally accepted standards for civil and human 
        rights, and the opportunity to vote in free and fair elections;
            (5) urges the President and his representatives to take all 
        appropriate steps to support the Varela Project and any future 
        efforts by the Cuban people to assert their constitutional 
        right to petition the National Assembly in support of a 
        referendum; and
            (6) urges the President to pursue an action-oriented policy 
        of directly assisting the Cuban people and independent 
        organizations to strengthen the forces of change and to improve 
        human rights in Cuba.
    Sec. 2. The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy of this 
resolution to the President.
                                 <all>