[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 055 (Monday, April 7, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4914-S4915]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     SENSE OF SENATE REGARDING ARRESTS OF CUBAN DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign 
Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 
97 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read the resolution as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 97) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate regarding the arrests of Cuban democracy activists by 
     the Cuban Government.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. SESSIONS. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed 
to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, the Nelson of 
Florida amendment to the preamble, which is at the desk, be agreed to, 
the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any 
statements relating to this matter be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 97) was agreed to.
  The amendment to the preamble (No. 525) was agreed to as follows:


                           amendment no. 525

 (Purpose: To express the sense of the Senate regarding the arrests of 
           Cuban democracy activists by the Cuban Government)

       Delete the preamble and insert in lieu thereof:
       ``Whereas on March 18, 2003, Fidel Castro and the 
     Government of Cuba began an island-wide campaign to arrest 
     and jail dozens of prominent democracy activists and critics 
     of the repressive regime;
       ``Whereas since March 18, 2003, the Cuban police have 
     arrested approximately 80 Cubans for engaging in free speech 
     under Law 88, the Law for the Protection of National 
     Independence and the Economy of Cuba, which is a notorious 
     law passed 3 years ago by the communist country;
       ``Whereas the imprisoned political opponents of Castro 
     include librarians, journalists, and others who have 
     supported the Varela Project, which seeks to bring free 
     speech, open elections, and democracy to the island nation;
       ``Whereas during this crackdown, widely recognized as the 
     most severe in some time, Fidel Castro is inhumanely pursuing 
     the harshest punishments for these political prisoners, 
     including pursuing life sentences for as many as 12; and
       ``Whereas the failure to condemn the Cuban Government's 
     renewed political repression of democracy activists will 
     undermine the opportunity for freedom on the Island.''

  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
  The resolution (S. Res. 97), with its preamble, as amended, reads as 
follows:

                               S. Res. 97

       Whereas on March 18, 2003, Fidel Castro and the Government 
     of Cuba began an island-wide campaign to arrest and jail 
     dozens of prominent democracy activists and critics of the 
     repressive regime;
       Whereas since March 18, 2003, the Cuban police have 
     arrested more than 100 Cubans

[[Page S4915]]

     for engaging in free speech under Law 88, the Law for the 
     Protection of National Independence and the Economy of Cuba, 
     which is a notorious law passed 3 years ago by the communist 
     county;
       Whereas the imprisoned political opponents of Castro 
     include librarians, journalists, and others who have 
     supported the Varela Project, which seeks to bring free 
     speech, open elections, and democracy to the island nation;
       Whereas Fidel Castro has seized the opportunity to expand 
     his brutal oppression of the Cuban people while the attention 
     of the United States and other nations around the world is 
     focused on the war in Iraq; and
       Whereas the failure to condemn the Cuban Government's 
     renewed political repression of democracy activists will 
     undermine the opportunity for freedom on the Island: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) condemns the recent arrests and other intimidation 
     tactics against democracy activists by the Castro regime;
       (2) calls on the Cuban Government to immediately release 
     those imprisoned and held during this most recent crackdown 
     for activities the government wrongly deems ``subversive, 
     counter-revolutionary, and provocative'';
       (3) reaffirms Senate Resolution 272, 107th Congress, agreed 
     to June 10, 2002, which was agreed to without opposition and 
     which called for, among other things, amnesty for all 
     political prisoners;
       (4) praises the bravery of those Cubans who, because they 
     practiced free speech and signed the Varela Project petition, 
     have been targeted in this most recent government crackdown; 
     and
       (5) urges the President to demand the immediate release of 
     these prisoners and to take all appropriate steps to secure 
     their immediate release.

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