[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 87 (Thursday, June 29, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1341]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   FREEDOM FOR RAFAEL CORRALES ALONSO

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 29, 2006

  Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
speak about Rafael Corrales Alonso, political prisoner in totalitarian 
Cuba.
  Mr. Corrales Alonso is a pro-democracy activist and a member of the 
30 November Democratic Party, an island wide movement dedicated to the 
establishment of a democratic society, in opposition to the Castro 
tyranny. Unfortunately, those who believe that freedom, and human 
rights are the birthright of all men and women, are targeted by the 
tyrant's machinery of repression.
  According to Amnesty International, on February 28, 2002, Mr. 
Corrales Alonso was arrested by the dictatorship. More than 2 years 
later he was tried on the supposed ``crime'' of ``contempt'' and, in a 
sham trial, Mr. Corrales Alonso was sentenced to 5 years in the 
totalitarian gulag.
  Let me be very clear, Mr. Corrales Alonso is currently languishing in 
the depraved conditions of the totalitarian gulag for his belief in 
freedom. The U.S. State Department describes the conditions in the 
gulag as, ``harsh and life threatening.'' The State Department also 
reports that police and prison officials beat, neglect, isolate, and 
deny medical treatment to detainees and prisoners. It is a crime of the 
highest order that people are imprisoned in these nightmarish 
conditions simply for their belief in democracy and freedom.
  Mr. Corrales Alonso is one of the many heroes of the peaceful Cuban 
democratic movement who are locked in the dungeons of the dictatorship 
for their beliefs. They are symbols of freedom and democracy who will 
always be remembered when freedom reigns again in Cuba. President Bush 
addressed those brave men and women who spread the light of freedom in 
the darkest corners of the world when he said, in his second inaugural 
address, ``Democratic reformers facing repression, prison, or exile can 
know: America sees you for who you are: the future leaders of your free 
country.''
  Mr. Corrales Alonso represents the very best of the Cuban people: No 
matter how intense the beatings, no matter how remorseless the 
repression, no matter how inhumane the conditions, he will never relent 
in his belief that the people of Cuba should be and will be free.
  Mr. Speaker, it is as inconceivable as it is unacceptable that, in 
the 21st century and only 90 miles from our shore, brave men and women 
are locked in grotesque dungeons because they believe that all people 
have basic human rights. It is a profound embarrassment for mankind 
that the world stands by in silence and acquiescence while political 
prisoners are systematically tortured because of their belief in 
freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. My colleagues, we 
must demand the immediate and unconditional release of Rafael Corrales 
Alonso and every political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba.

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