[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 23, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H682]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RENEW COMMITMENT TO BRING FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY TO ENSLAVED PEOPLE IN 
                                  CUBA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow we commemorate 3 years since 
the Castro dictatorship indiscriminately killed four young men, three 
of them American citizens, when two Cuban MIGs shot down their aircraft 
over international waters while they were on a humanitarian mission.
  Three years after the cold blooded murder of Pablo Morales, Carlos 
Costa, Armando Alejandre, and Mario de la Pena, the Castro dictatorship 
continues its brutal reign of terror over the Cuban people, and in fact 
it has intensified this attack.
  Just last week, the rubber stamp Cuban National Assembly approved a 
new law that punishes with 15 years in prison or more anyone on the 
island who promotes information that the totalitarian regime considers 
to be counter-revolutionary.
  This measure outlaws ``the supply, search or gathering of 
information'' and bans ``the collaboration directly or through third 
parties, with radio and television stations, newspapers, magazines, and 
other mass media'' that do not follow the lines of the Castro regime.
  The new law is aimed at silencing the increasing number of 
dissidents, of independent journalists, and of human rights activists 
who are fighting day in and day out for freedom and democracy in my 
native homeland of Cuba.
  These activists are a main source of information to the international 
community on the human rights violations that occur in Cuba. They 
literally put their lives on the line to let the world know of the 
repression imposed on the Cuban people. Because of their effectiveness, 
the regime has initiated an allout crackdown against them.
  According to the International Press Institute, ``Cuban authorities 
routinely threaten, arrest and jail journalists, often attempting to 
persuade them to leave the country.''
  One persecuted independent journalist, Juan Tellez Rodriguez, 
recently said of the Castro regime that ``The government in Havana 
continues to close itself off to the world, it is deaf to the cries of 
the international community and it insists on its closed, oppressive 
political system.'' He continues saying ``It does not even open to its 
own people, who suffer and die slowly.''
  Castro himself has made it clear that he has no intention of 
implementing any type of democratic reform in Cuba.
  Earlier this year, the Cuban tyrant reiterated his commitment to 
socialism or death and claimed ``I still speak the same, dress the same 
and think the same.'' Oh, yes, we know this.
  The last few weeks have been particularly busy for Castro and his 
thugs. For example, on January 5, pro human rights activist, Ernesto 
Colas Garcia, was detained, threatened, and beaten by Castro's thugs 
when returning home from a human rights organization meeting.
  On January 14, five dissidents, among them, Rolando Munoz Yyobre and 
Ofelia Nardo, were detained while on their way to attend a peaceful 
march in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.
  On January 20, Cuban independent journalist, Jesus Diaz Hernandez, 
was sentenced to 4 years in jail for dangerous social behavior for his 
reporting of human rights abuses. Sadly, under the new law imposed by 
the dictator, the next independent journalist like Jesus Diaz Hernandez 
will not be sentenced to 4 years but rather at least 15 years in 
prison.
  Just this morning, The Miami Herald reports that Dr. Oscar Eliaz 
Biscet, of the Lawton Foundation for Human Rights, a leading dissident 
group on the island, was arrested after participating in an event to 
commemorate the third anniversary of the regime's massacre of the 
Brothers to the Rescue pilots. Dr. Biscet had been previously detained 
and arrested for pro-democracy activities.
  Mr. Speaker, the Clinton administration should wake up and take 
notice before it continues weakening U.S. policy toward Castro, because 
the dictator has no intention of loosening up his grip on power. 
Flirting with the dictator through easing of sanctions will not work. 
And certainly no baseball game or rock musical concert will bring 
freedom to Cuba either.
  The United States should not reward Castro for his repression. Doing 
so would be unconscionable.
  Let us remember the four brave young men who were killed by Castro's 
thugs just 3 years ago, Pablo Morales, Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre, 
and Mario de la Pena. In their names and in the names of so many others 
who are victims of Castro oppression, let us renew our commitment to 
help bring freedom and democracy to the enslaved people of Cuba.

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