[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 49 (Thursday, April 8, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4060-S4061]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   EXPRESSING SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS 
                   COMMITTED BY FIDEL CASTRO AND CUBA

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign 
Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 
328 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 legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 328) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate regarding the continued human rights violations 
     committed by Fidel Castro and the Government of Cuba.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that an amendment 
from Senator Nelson of Florida, which is at the desk, be agreed to, the 
resolution, as amended, and the preamble be agreed to en bloc, the 
motion to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action 
or debate, and any statements related to the resolution be printed in 
the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 3044) was agreed to, as follows:

       On page 7, line 20 strike ``commission'' and insert 
     ``committee''.
  The resolution (S. Res. 328), as amended, was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, is as follows:

                              S. Res. 328

       Whereas, one year ago, in March 2003, Fidel Castro and the 
     Government of Cuba led a nationwide campaign to arrest and 
     jail dozens of prominent democracy activists and critics of 
     the repressive regime in Cuba;
       Whereas credible nongovernmental observers report that the 
     imprisoned democracy activists include--
       (1) Osvaldo Alfonso Valdes, sentenced for 18 years;
       (2) Librado Linares Garcia, sentenced for 20 years;
       (3) Raul Rivero Castaneda, sentenced for 20 years;
       (4) Martha Beatriz Roque Cabello, sentenced for 20 years;
       (5) Victor Rolando Arroyo Carmona, sentenced for 26 years;
       (6) Mijail Barzaga Lugo, sentenced for 15 years;
       (7) Oscar Elias Biscet, sentenced for 25 years;
       (8) Margarito Broche Espinosa, sentenced for 25 years;
       (9) Dr. Marcelo Cana Rodriguez, sentenced for 18 years;
       (10) Roberto de Miranda Hernandez, sentenced for 20 years;
       (11) Carmelo Diaz Fernandez, sentenced for 18 years;
       (12) Eduardo Diaz Fleitas, sentenced for 21 years;
       (13) Antonio Diaz Sanchez, sentenced for 20 years;
       (14) Alfredo Dominguez Batista, sentenced for 14 years;
       (15) Oscar Espinosa Chepe, sentenced for 20 years;
       (16) Alfredo Felipe Fuentes, sentenced for 26 years;
       (17) Efren Fernandez Fernandez, sentenced for 12 years;
       (18) Adolfo Fernandez Sainz, sentenced for 15 years;
       (19) Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia, sentenced for 25 years;
       (20) Luis Enrique Ferrer Garcia, sentenced for 28 years;
       (21) Orlando Fundora Alvarez, sentenced for 20 years;
       (22) Prospero Gainza Aguero, sentenced for 25 years;
       (23) Miguel Galban Gutierrez, sentenced for 26 years;
       (24) Julio Cesar Galvez Rodriguez, sentenced for 15 years;
       (25) Jose Luis Garcia Paneque, sentenced for 24 years;
       (26) Edel Jose Garcia Diaz, sentenced for 16 years;
       (27) Ricardo Gonzalez Alfonso, sentenced for 20 years;
       (28) Diosdado Gonzalez Marrero, sentenced for 20 years;
       (29) Lester Gonzalez Penton, sentenced for 20 years;
       (30) Alejandro Gonzalez Raga, sentenced for 14 years;
       (31) Jorge Luis Gonzalez Tanquero, sentenced for 20 years;
       (32) Leonel Grave de Peralta Almenares, sentenced for 20 
     years;
       (33) Ivan Hernandez Carrillo, sentenced for 25 years;
       (34) Normando Hernandez Gonzalez, sentenced for 25 years;
       (35) Juan Carlos Herrera Acosta, sentenced for 20 years;
       (36) Regis Iglesias Ramirez, sentenced for 18 years;
       (37) Jose Ubaldo Izquierdo Hernandez, sentenced for 16 
     years;
       (38) Reinaldo Labrada Pena, sentenced for 6 years;
       (39) Nelson Alberto Aguiar Ramirez, sentenced for 13 years;

[[Page S4061]]

       (40) Marcelo Lopez Banobre, sentenced for 15 years;
       (41) Jose Miguel Martinez Hernandez, sentenced for 13 
     years;
       (42) Hector Maseda Gutierrez, sentenced for 20 years;
       (43) Mario Enrique Mayo Hernandez, sentenced for 20 years;
       (44) Dr. Luis Milan Fernandez, sentenced for 13 years;
       (45) Nelson Moline Espino, sentenced for 20 years;
       (46) Angel Juan Moya Acosta, sentenced for 20 years;
       (47) Jesus Mustafa Felipe, sentenced for 25 years;
       (48) Felix Navarro Rodriguez, sentenced for 25 years;
       (49) Jorge Olivera Castillo, sentenced for 18 years;
       (50) Pablo Pacheco Avila, sentenced for 20 years;
       (51) Hector Palacios Ruiz, sentenced for 25 years;
       (52) Arturo Perez de Alejo Rodriguez, sentenced for 20 
     years;
       (53) Omar Pernet Hernandez, sentenced for 25 years;
       (54) Horacio Julio Pina Borrego, sentenced for 20 years;
       (55) Fabio Prieto Llorente, sentenced for 20 years;
       (56) Alfredo Pulido Lopez, sentenced for 14 years;
       (57) Jose Gabriel Ramon Castillo, sentenced for 20 years;
       (58) Arnaldo Ramos Lauzerique, sentenced for 18 years;
       (59) Blas Giraldo Reyes Rodriguez, sentenced for 25 years;
       (60) Pedro Pablo Alvarez Ramos, sentenced for 25 years;
       (61) Alexis Rodriguez Fernandez, sentenced for 15 years;
       (62) Omar Rodriguez Saludes, sentenced for 27 years;
       (63) Pedro Arguelles Moran, sentenced for 20 years;
       (64) Omar Ruiz Hernandez, sentenced for 18 years;
       (65) Claro Sanchez Albtarriba, sentenced for 15 years;
       (66) Ariel Sigler Amaya, sentenced for 20 years;
       (67) Guido Sigler Amaya, sentenced for 20 years;
       (68) Ricardo Enrique Silva Gual, sentenced for 10 years;
       (69) Fidel Suarez Cruz, sentenced for 20 years;
       (70) Manuel Ubals Gonzalez, sentenced for 20 years;
       (71) Julio Antonio Valdes Guevara, sentenced for 20 years;
       (72) Miguel Valdes Tamayo, sentenced for 15 years;
       (73) Hector Raul Valle Hernandez, sentenced for 12 years;
       (74) Manuel Vazquez Portal, sentenced for 18 years; and
       (75) Antonio Augusto Villarreal Acosta, sentenced for 15 
     years;

       Whereas the imprisoned political opponents of Castro 
     include librarians, journalists, poets, and others who have 
     supported the Varela Project, which seeks to bring free 
     speech, open elections, and democracy to Cuba;
       Whereas Fidel Castro seized the opportunity to expand his 
     brutal oppression of the people of Cuba while the attention 
     of the United States and other nations around the world was 
     focused on the war in Iraq;
       Whereas the failure to condemn the Government of Cuba's 
     continued political repression of democracy activists will 
     further undermine the opportunity for freedom on the island; 
     and
       Whereas the international community missed an opportunity 
     to speak against such brutal repression in a meaningful 
     manner during the 59th Session of the United Nations 
     Commission on Human Rights held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 
     March 17, 2003, through April 23, 2003: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) reaffirms--
       (A) Senate Resolution 272, 107th Congress, unanimously 
     agreed to June 10, 2002, calling for, among other things, 
     amnesty for all political prisoners in Cuba;
       (B) Senate Resolution 97, 108th Congress, unanimously 
     agreed to April 7, 2003, condemning the crackdown on 
     democracy activists in Cuba; and
       (C) Senate Resolution 62, 108th Congress, unanimously 
     agreed to June 27, 2003, calling upon the Organization of 
     American States Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, 
     the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the 
     European Union, and human rights activists throughout the 
     world to take certain actions in regard to the human rights 
     situation in Cuba;
       (2) calls on the Government of Cuba to immediately release 
     individuals imprisoned for political purposes;
       (3) 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;
       (4) calls on foreign governments to--
       (A) increase the pressure on the Government of Cuba to 
     improve its record on human rights in Cuba; and
       (B) invite civil society leaders and democracy activists in 
     Cuba to official events;
       (5) calls upon the 60th Session of the United Nations 
     Commission on Human Rights in Geneva from March 15, 2004, to 
     April 23, 2004, to--
       (A) condemn Cuba for its human rights abuses; and
       (B) demand that inspectors from the International Committee 
     of the Red Cross be allowed to visit and inspect the 
     conditions of prisons to assess for the international 
     community the extent of human rights abuses and the current 
     situation in Cuba; and
       (6) urges the President to direct United States 
     Representatives at the 60th Session of the Commission on 
     Human Rights to make the strong condemnation of the human 
     rights situation in Cuba a top priority.

                          ____________________