[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 136 (Wednesday, October 16, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H8018-H8019]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




UPDATE ON EFFORTS TO BRING ABOUT DEMOCRATIC REFORM IN CUBA; AND HALTING 
                      OF NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2001, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I only plan to take about 10 minutes of the 
hour this evening, and I rise to discuss matters in two foreign 
countries. The matters are unrelated but are of a great deal of concern 
to me. First, I would like to turn to Cuba and then, later, to Northern 
Ireland.
  Mr. Speaker, I wanted to draw attention once again to the continued 
denial of peaceable efforts to bring Democratic reforms on the Island 
of Cuba. Early this year, 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 was the first ever 
peaceful challenge to Castro's four-decade-long control of the island.
  During his visit to the island, former President and now Nobel Peace 
prize winner Jimmy Carter spoke about the Project on Cuban television. 
Because Varela received no attention from the Castro government press, 
this marked the first time many on the island heard of the Project.
  Shortly after Carter's speech, Castro organized mass island-wide 
demonstrations as a sign of ``so-called'' support for the Cuban 
socialist system of government. Castro then started his own 
``petition,'' forcing almost all of Cuba's voting population to sign in 
support of an amendment to the Cuban constitution mandating the current 
government structure as ``untouchable.''

[[Page H8019]]

  And yet Cuban officials, in the very few times they have responded to 
questions about Varela, called Oswaldo Paya and other organizers 
insignificant and have ignored their constitutional duty to respond to 
the petition.
  In a recent article in the New York Times, Paya responded by saying, 
``This may not be of statistical importance, and it may not be 
understood well outside Cuba, but as a sign it had great value and the 
government understood that well. The key to the Varela Project is the 
personal and spiritual liberation of people. No more masks. The regime 
did not respond, it fled.''
  Mr. Speaker, despite receiving extensive international attention for 
his efforts, life in Cuba has not been easy for Paya. Paya has received 
numerous obscene phone calls and has been subject to government 
surveillance. He was denied permission to travel to the United States 
to receive an award from the National Democratic Institute in 
Washington. And during the week he would have traveled, someone defaced 
his front door with red paint.
  Other human rights leaders in Cuba connected to the Project have 
fared even worse. The president of the Human Rights Foundation, Juan 
Carlos Gonzalez Leyva, is in jail and faces a possible 6-year sentence 
for official disrespect and resisting arrest, among other charges, 
after protesting the arrest of an independent journalist in March. His 
group had been active in collecting signatures for the Varela Project 
petition.
  Guillermo Farinas Hernandez, a psychologist in Santa Clara, said this 
week he expected he might face criminal charges for his endorsing the 
Varela Project at a local meeting last month where officials discussed 
scheduled National Assembly elections.
  Paya has said the government's referendum, as well as the harassment 
of the Project's supporters, only further reflect the need for change 
in Cuba. To that end, Paya and other opposition figures continue to 
collect signatures and have formed a civic committee to direct the 
drive, stating that they wanted it to be a nonpartisan project to 
demand fundamental rights like freedom of expression, the right to own 
private businesses, electoral reform, and amnesty for political 
prisoners.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to conclude talking about Cuba tonight and 
the Varela Project with one final note from the New York Times article 
I mentioned earlier. In response to foreign visitors that have 
suggested that things in Cuba were not as bad as in other Latin 
American countries that are plagued by poverty, corruption, and 
violence, Paya said only this, and I quote: ``They ask if we are ready 
for change. What people are never ready for is oppression.''
  Once again I commend all those involved in the Varela Project, and I 
will continue to speak out in favor of the Project until the Cuban 
government responds in some way.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, I would also like to turn briefly to Northern 
Ireland this evening because of my great concern about events over the 
last 2 weeks. I would like to initially urge British Prime Minister 
Tony Blair to take serious steps in preserving the peace in 
Northern Ireland. Mr. Blair must take immediate actions to ensure that 
the Good Friday Agreement does not fall apart.

  Mr. Speaker, as you may know, on Monday, October 14, Prime Minister 
Blair suspended the power-sharing government of Northern Ireland. It is 
important that the agreement and the devolved institutions are 
reinstituted as soon as possible. The Good Friday Accords, and more 
specifically the participation of all parties in the Belfast assembly 
power-sharing government, are the only real solution to lasting peace 
in Northern Ireland.
  The only way for the agreements and power-sharing institutions to 
succeed, however, is for the Unionists to immediately accept equality 
amongst all citizens and parties in the north. The Protestant ruling 
parties must cease their stall tactics and work within the confines of 
the agreement to create a government that will be representative of all 
residents of Northern Ireland.
  Northern Ireland must also immediately implement all the Patten 
Commission's recommendations. The north must provide its citizens with 
a full, fair, and just reform of their police service. The PSNI, Police 
Service of Northern Ireland, must be representative of all ethnic, 
religious, and political groups in Northern Ireland. Prime Minister 
Blair should immediately demand the full implementation of the Patten 
police recommendations and ensure that Northern Ireland has a police 
service that is representative of all parties involved.
  Mr. Speaker, I am quite worried that the Good Friday Agreement is 
hanging by a thread. These historic accords, which have shown the world 
that two parties which have battled for centuries can come up with an 
agreed-upon solution, are the only real way to preserve peace in 
Northern Ireland. And I once again urge Prime Minister Blair to 
reinstitute the Belfast Assembly and take immediate action on the 
Patten Commission's recommendations on policing.
  It is my hope these historic accords can be salvaged and a real and 
lasting peace will be preserved.

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