[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 27, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H1254-H1255]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          DEADLY MISADVENTURE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shays). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of May 12, 1995, the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Goss] is 
recognized during morning business for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, Fidel Castro has done it again. He's caused 
tragedy and pain and suffering in pursuit of brutal repression. 
Castro's actions this weekend coupled with Clinton administration 
foreign policy ineptness present the world with another misadventure in 
the Caribbean, resulting in the apparent death of four innocent human 
beings and the human rights violations and arrest of dozens of others. 
Why? Because Fidel Castro is a brutal tyrant and because the Clinton 
administration has spent its efforts in Cuba on developing ways to 
appease Fidel Castro and to ease restrictions on the flow of money and 
people into the country he holds captive. All the while, the 
President's foreign policy ``B'' team has studiously ignored Fidel 
Castro's track record as a liar and a bullying tyrant and an egregious 
violator of human rights of people he is supposed to serve, not 
torment.
  Those who closely follow Cuba and have unbiased knowledge of Cuban 
affairs were deeply saddened, but I guess not really surprised, to hear 
about the tragic murder of Brothers to the Rescue this past weekend. 
Murder is something Castro does. It is a tool of this dictator's trade. 
My thoughts went back to the 13th of March tugboat and a long series of 
similar incidents where innocents were deliberately killed. Added to 
this is that fact that even as Fidel's jets were scrambling, the 
crackdown on Cuban dissidents and prodemocracy groups on the ground in 
Cuba was being stepped up. I hope that this weekend's events will be 
the wake-up call the Clinton White House has clearly needed on this 
issue. The announcement that the White House will support legislation 
to strengthen the embargo is good news, as long as it follows through 
on that pledge. Rather than cozying up to this long-time self-avowed 
enemy of the United States, the administration should step up the 
pressure on his regime. After all, only last year the Clinton White 
House leveled a devastating and effective blockade embargo against the 
poorest people in our hemisphere--against the friendly neighboring 
country of Haiti. After that, I would think stepping up the embargo on 
Castro's Cuba would be easily justified. Part of doing that will mean 

[[Page H1255]]
demanding quid pro quo from our allies--and aid recipients--in this 
hemisphere.

  Take Mexico, as an example. If we are going to bail them out, then we 
expect them to join us in squeezing Fidel Castro out of Havana. The 
same applies for our European allies, who have benefited greatly from 
American support against the tide of aggression in Europe. Even now, 
these allies are keeping Fidel Castro's corrupt regime--a mere 90 miles 
from our shores--afloat with trade and tourism. In this context, it is 
scandalous to think that the United States went out of its way to 
support a new Spanish pro-Castro leader for NATO.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope the administration will finally take off the 
rose-colored glasses and take a close look at the man they have chosen 
to extend a helping hand to. Ultimately, I think any meaningful 
examination will produce an understanding that Fidel Castro isn't a man 
to trust or to bargain with. That reality should be the basis of any 
United States policy in Cuba.
  Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Missouri asked me what I would 
recommend as a Member from Florida. I would recommend getting serious 
with the embargo. I would recommend that we remember that Fidel Castro 
is the problem, and, if you do not know that, you should not be dealing 
in Cuban foreign policy matters.

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