[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 83 (Thursday, June 20, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H3771]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       INTRODUCTION OF RESOLUTION PRAISING CUBA'S PROJECT VARELA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to draw attention to a 
troubling development in the democratic reform effort in Cuba. Last 
week Fidel Castro staged mass demonstrations throughout Cuba in a sign 
of so-called ``support'' for a proposed amendment to the Cuban 
Constitution declaring his failed Soviet-style economic system to be 
``untouchable.''
  Mr. Speaker, there is no question as to what has left Castro feeling 
threatened to the point that he feels the need to reaffirm his 
dictatorial control of Cuba and that is Project Varela. On Friday, May 
10, over 11,000 citizens of Cuba took a courageous stand and petitioned 
the Cuban National Assembly to hold a nationwide referendum vote on 
guarantees of human rights and civil liberties.
  Named for the 19th century priest and Cuban independence hero, Padre 
Felix Varela, the Varela Project received no funding or support from 
foreign organizations or foreign governments. Project Varela is a 
grassroots effort by the Cuban people to call on their government to 
provide them with internationally accepted standards of human and civil 
rights, including freedom of speech, the right to own a business, 
electoral reform and amnesty for political prisoners.
  Beyond the obvious threat that a grassroots political effort poses, 
Project Varela represents an even greater challenge to Castro's control 
of the island. With its 11,000 plus signatures, the project qualifies 
under article 88 of the Cuban Constitution, which states that if the 
Cuban National Assembly receives the verified signatures of 10,000 
legal voters, a referendum on the issue should be scheduled. However, 
Mr. Speaker, instead of allowing his Parliament to consider Project 
Varela, today Castro introduced his own referendum that would stop 
future consideration of Project Varela and any other democratic reform 
efforts.
  My question to Castro is that if he is so sure that he has the 
support of the Cuban people, why will he not schedule a referendum? If 
Castro is unfazed by the Varela Project, then why propose reforms to 
the Cuban Constitution 1 month to the day that the petition was 
delivered?
  Mr. Speaker, the ultimate goal of U.S. policy towards Cuba has always 
been to promote the island's peaceful transition to democracy. Many of 
my colleagues have varying views on the best approach to achieve a 
democracy. However, we can all agree on the importance of a grassroots 
democratic effort like Project Varela. That is why today I have 
introduced a resolution commending the citizens of Cuba for actively 
exercising their constitutional rights and taking a stand for the 
rights of all Cubans. The resolution praises Oswaldo Paya and the other 
organizers of Project Varela for their courage and bravery, for their 
willingness to stand up to a dictator.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join with me and cosponsor this 
important resolution. It is time Castro realized that his orchestrated 
demonstrations and forced petitions are fooling no one.

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