[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 75 (Monday, June 10, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S5278]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             VARELA PROJECT

  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, in just a few minutes we will 
have a vote on a resolution, thanks to the chairman of our Western 
Hemisphere Subcommittee, Senator Dodd, and the chairman of the Foreign 
Relations Committee. He so graciously, for me, has set this vote in 
just a few minutes on a resolution that passed out of the Foreign 
Relations Committee unanimously commending, as a Senate resolution, the 
very courageous citizens in the country of Cuba who have put their 
lives on the line by putting their names and addresses on the line 
under the Cuban Constitution, petitioning for free elections, 
petitioning for freedom of speech, petitioning for a release of 
political prisoners, petitioning to move from a state-controlled 
economy to an economy of free enterprise. Those 11,000 courageous 
citizens, operating under the Constitution of Cuba, stepped forth under 
the constitutional provision that says if over 10,000 petition the 
Government, the Government will take up the matter in the National 
Assembly to act on those four freedoms I just mentioned.
  I want to bring to the attention of our colleagues the fact that 
these people have put their lives on the line. The Castro government 
could stop it tomorrow. But today the Senate will send a strong message 
of support for these courageous citizens of Cuba who are playing by the 
rules and who want to see the winds of change and the fresh breath of 
freedom suddenly start to be realized in Cuba.
  I am so grateful to the chairman of the full committee and the 
chairman of the subcommittee that they have brought forthwith so 
quickly this resolution so that the Senate can stand on record to 
commend these citizens in Cuba.
  I see my colleague, the chairman of our subcommittee, ready to speak. 
Few people knew about this project called the Varela Project until 
President Carter went to Cuba. When he had that chance to speak live to 
the Cuban people by radio and TV, he spoke about the Varela Project and 
how courageous these folks were. All the people of Cuba now know what 
it is. Today, the Senate is going to have a chance to go on record to 
support them.
  I thank the Chair and yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, there are only a few minutes before the 
vote. What time is the vote?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The time is 5:45.
  Mr. DODD. I see my colleague from the State of Washington who wants 
to address another matter. I will be brief.
  I commend our colleague from Florida for crafting this resolution, 
which will be voted on shortly, by the Senate. He is absolutely 
correct, it did come out of our committee with a unanimous vote.
  Mr. President, I rise in support of S. Res. 272. All too often when 
we have engaged in debate on matters related to Cuba, there have been a 
great deal of polemics--a lot of heat but very little light shed on the 
subject matter under debate. That is not the case with the resolution 
we are considering this afternoon.
  I have been critical in the past on various policies the US has 
pursued regarding Cuba. The audience we ought to listen to most are the 
people behind the projects like the Varela Project, the people who have 
stayed in Cuba to try to bring about change there--those who have been 
incarcerated for 15, 20, 25 years, in some cases longer--because of 
their political views. Those who have authored this Varela Project 
deserve a great deal of credit for having the courage to round up 
11,000 signatures, which is remarkable considering some of the 
pressures they will be under.
  I commend Senator Bill Nelson of Florida for crafting this 
resolution. He has attempted to stick to the facts and to keep the 
spotlight on what is actually happening on the Island of Cuba.
  This resolution recognizes a remarkable occurrence--the fact that 
11,000 Cubans have petitioned their government for the holding of a 
referendum on civil, political and economic changes they wish to see. 
It is also refreshing that, thus far, the government of Cuba has taken 
no action against the organizers of this effort.
  Thanks to the recent visit of former President Jimmy Carter to Havana 
last month, the Varela project now has international visibility. More 
importantly, because President Carter's speech, including references to 
this effort, was broadcast on Cuban TV and radio, and reprinted 
verbatim in the official Cuban newspaper, the Cuban people are now 
aware of this as well.
  The organizers of Varela have chosen to exercise their rights under 
the Cuban Constitution to submit legislative proposals to the National 
Assembly for its consideration. Some in the Cuban exile community have 
been critical of this effort because they believe it legitimizes the 
Cuban constitution and therefore it should be opposed. I reject that 
argument.
  For too long we in the United States have tried to tell the Cuban 
people what is best for them. We did so at the time of Cuban 
independence from Spain and we did so again during the Batista regime. 
The result was the 1959 Cuban revolution and the Castro Government.
  Let's listen to the voices inside Cuba. Let's listen to those who 
have stayed in Cuba and sought to change it from within.
  Those voices have called for the United States to engage with Cuba. 
Those voices have called for an end to the travel ban.
  If the Carter visit demonstrated anything, it demonstrated that the 
presence of Americans in Cuba offers opportunities for more political 
space in Cuba not for shoring up the Castro regime.
  Mr. President, the Varela project was inspired by Cuban citizens. 
These citizens have taken advantage of rights provided to them under 
the Cuban Constitution. The Cuban government should honor those rights 
and give serious consideration to this request.
  We in the United States should demonstrate self restraint and allow 
Cubans to retain ownership of this initiative. We need to be careful 
not to appropriate these internal efforts inside Cuba. If we give it 
too much of a label of ``made in the U.S.,'' then this project will be 
hurt and the effort will be hurt. We have been warned repeatedly by 
dissidents and human rights activists inside Cuba that, too often, if 
we become associated with efforts there, they are seen as nothing more 
than tools of United States foreign policy with regard to Cuba. We 
should try not to give the Castro government any opportunities to 
suggest that this is just another plot by the United States to attack 
the Cuban people.

  I commend the organizers of the Varela initiative and all who have 
joined with them in their effort to seek peaceful change in Cuba. I 
stand ready to listen to their voices and assist them in any way they 
believe will be helpful in bringing their aspirations to fruition.
  What is most important is not what we do, but rather what they are 
doing in Cuba, what they are showing by their tremendous sense of 
commitment to democracy and freedom. For those reasons, we are 
endorsing their effort with this resolution, and I strongly support it 
and urge its adoption.
  I yield the floor.

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