[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 165 (Tuesday, October 24, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2008]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THE ``REAL'' CUBA TODAY

                                 ______


                        HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 24, 1995

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, in the debate a few days ago over the 
Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1995 we heard 
conflicting appraisals of Cuba today. From time to time, ``Dear 
Colleague'' letters and even congressional newsletters are distributed 
in this body about Cuba.
  One aspect of Cuba that our sense of decency demands to incorporate 
in our discussions about the island is the continuing imprisonment of 
hundreds of political prisoners by Fidel Castro. This past June, the 
Cuban Commission for Human Rights and Natural Reconciliation prepared 
in Havana a partial list of Cubans detained for political reasons. The 
list has been submitted to Ambassador Carl Johan Groth, the United 
Nations Special Rapporteur for Cuba, who has yet to be granted 
permission by Fidel Castro's government to visit the island to carry 
out his human rights work.
  Regardless of the differences of opinion some may have on U.S. trade 
sanctions against Havana, it is my hope that we do not turn a deaf ear 
to the cries for help from Castro's political prisoners. We must all 
work to obtain the prompt and unconditional release of all political 
prisoners in the island.
  Their suffering for their Democratic convictions is an undeniable 
part of Cuba today.
  Here are just a few of the more than a thousand names that appear on 
the list of political prisoners and the made up crimes they were 
charged with by the Castro regime: Alfonso Eduardo Agueda Perez, 
sentenced to 4 years for being considered dangerous; Arnaldo Pascual 
Acevedo Blanco, sentenced to 5 years for spreading enemy propaganda and 
rebellion; Antonio Guillermo Acevedo Labrada, sentenced to 7 years for 
spreading enemy propaganda; Ricardo Acosta Alvarez, sentenced to 3 
years for air piracy; Humberto Dorga Acosta, sentenced to 3 years for 
disorderly conduct in public; David Aguilar Montero, sentenced to 30 
years for piracy; Rafael Juan Alfonso Leyva, sentenced to 30 years for 
espionage; Alberto Guevara Aguilera, sentenced to 10 years for 
distributing enemy propaganda and attempted attacks against state 
officials and property; Ernesto Verto Aguilera, sentenced to 2 years 
for falsifying documents; and Arturo Aguirre Acuna, sentenced to 10 
years for illegal exit from the island and piracy.
  In the weeks to come, I will discuss other political prisoners 
languishing in Castro's gulags.

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