[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 12, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H3060-H3061]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     McCAFFREY COVERS UP CASTRO'S PARTICIPATION IN DRUG TRAFFICKING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart) is recognized for 5 minutes.

[[Page H3061]]

  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I rise for two reasons this evening.
  First, I want to say, I would like to say, how embarrassed I was for 
the drug czar, Mr. McCaffrey, recently when I read wire reports that he 
continues to cover up the well-known, established, reiterated, 
longstanding participation by the Castro dictatorship in drug 
trafficking. This is an extremely serious reality, but the drug czar 
and other officials of this administration continue to cover it up. And 
so I make reference once again to the letter that, along with the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) and the gentlewoman from Florida 
(Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), I sent General McCaffrey in November of 1996 in 
detail relating the evidence that has been made public; it is not 
classified, it is well known; of the longstanding and reiterated 
participation of the Cuban dictatorship in facilitating the importation 
of tons of Columbian cartel cocaine into the United States. And I asked 
that he answer, the drug czar, Mr. McCaffrey, our letters, that letter 
and subsequent letters, with the seriousness that this issue deserves.


     clinton administration refuses to return ``the human rights''

  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. I also rise, Mr. Speaker, because a very 
distinguished friend of mine in South Florida at this point is on a 
hunger strike. He is the leader of a movement known as the Democracy 
Movement. It is a peaceful movement that advocates change, democratic 
change, in Cuba.
  And they have two vessels, and on December 10 they were heading 
south, and, pursuant to an executive order issued by the President, the 
Coast Guard boarded the vessel. It is known, it is called, The Human 
Rights, and it was the day that the Universal Declaration of Human 
Rights was being commemorated, the anniversary of it, the 50th 
anniversary, in fact, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And 
the Coast Guard boarded it and found some documents that referred to 
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and since that day 
dissidents within Cuba had announced that they were going to attempt to 
demonstrate peacefully in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the 
Declaration of Human Rights.
  This vessel, The Human Rights, was boarded by the Coast Guard and 
confiscated, and to this date the Clinton administration refuses to 
give it back.
  Mr. Speaker, it is really unconscionable. More than even unfortunate, 
it is unconscionable.
  So I asked the administration to note the hunger strike by Ramon Saul 
Sanchez to return The Human Rights vessel that was confiscated, as I 
say, for the crime, in quotes, of being found on the high seas with 
documents in support of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and 
here is the official communication of the Department of Treasury.
  The Coast Guard received information; this is to Mr. Sanchez; that 
you planned to disembark in Cuba, received information, by the way, 
from the Castro government, and that you planned to join a 
demonstration in support of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 
During the boarding it was determined that there was sufficient 
evidence indicating that the vessel was intending to enter Cuban 
waters, and a decision was made to seize the vessel.
  By the way, the evidence that the Clinton administration says existed 
with regard to intent to enter Cuban waters was finding documents that 
contained the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That is happening 
in this country at this time because of this administration. It is 
shameful, and it is time to release the vessel The Human Rights.

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