[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 30, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H2102-H2104]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                PRESIDENT CARTER'S RECENT VISIT TO CUBA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Nunnelee). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 5, 2011, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart) 
is recognized for 30 minutes.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. I appreciate the recognition.
  Mr. Speaker, on March 28, former President Jimmy Carter arrived on a 
trip to Cuba at the invitation of the Cuban dictatorship. He arrived 
there, and originally in his agenda that was made public he had no 
meetings with any of the internal opposition leaders, no meetings with 
any of the civil society leaders, no meetings with anybody other than 
the regime.
  I know that he met with the dictator who's been oppressing and 
torturing and savaging that population without obviously having free 
elections for over 52 years, for over half a century. He called the 
dictator, Mr. Castro, his dear friend.
  Mr. Speaker, right before former President Carter arrived at that 
enslaved island, the regime went about arresting and detaining a rather 
large number of people, people who they wanted to make sure didn't make 
trouble. Now, remember, that making trouble in that totalitarian 
regime, Mr. Speaker, is speaking out, asking for freedom, just getting 
together and organizing and asking for some basic human rights. So they 
started systematically detaining and arresting and harassing people so 
that former President Carter wouldn't have to see, wouldn't have to be 
bothered with the inconvenience of people actually speaking out and 
asking for freedom and asking for democracy.

                              {time}  2000

  A group of people, Mr. Speaker, actually went in front of the old 
capitol building. A capitol building, by the way, that doesn't look 
very dissimilar to this Capitol building, where at one time, debates in 
the democratic society used to take place, where people argued and 
debated in a peaceful fashion about their future, about their 
agreements and disagreements.
  So a group of people decided to demonstrate in front of that 
building, which is actually very emblematic as to what they were 
talking about, and basically just to say, We want freedom. We want 
democracy. We want the ability to speak out and determine our future. 
But for that they were again harassed, and for that they were arrested.
  Eriberto Liranza was reportedly beaten by state security rather 
harshly. Several were detained at the protests in Havana, including 
activist Eriberto Liranza Romero, the president of the Cuban Youth for 
Democracy movement, and Boris Rodriguez Jimenez, a member of that same 
organization.
  Mr. Speaker, one of the heroes that I greatly admired is a man named 
Jorge Luis Garcia Perez. Everybody knows him as ``Antunez,'' by one 
name. He mentions, and he said, This action, this action of just 
demonstrating is a demand for the freedom of the political prisoners; 
and in response, a moral slap in the face for the campaign's 
undertaking by the regime to divide the opposition. He went on to say, 
Mr. Speaker, ``We are true to our motto: The streets belong to the 
people.''
  But, you see, unfortunately in Cuba, just standing out, walking 
together, like the Ladies in White do, and when they just demonstrate 
peacefully together, they walk together as a symbol of just speaking 
out because their relatives, their husbands and fathers and sisters and 
daughters and brothers and sons, et cetera, are in prison. Just for 
doing that, they get savagely beaten by that regime.
  While President Carter was there, did he insist on free elections for 
the Cuban people? No. Did he insist on meeting with and speaking about 
and talking about those who are suffering in the dungeons, the 
political prisoners? No, Mr. Speaker, he did not. And as I mentioned at 
the beginning, sir, he really didn't even have it on an agenda to even 
meet with anybody, other than the regime, until I guess he was a little 
bit embarrassed by some of the reports and eventually decided to allow 
some people to try to meet with him.
  So did he speak out about the savagery of the regime? Did he speak 
out about the lack of elections? Did he demand free elections for the 
enslaved people? Did he demand for an end to the apartheid system? Did 
he demand that that regime turn over the multiple, the many fugitives 
from American law who are harbored by that terrorist regime 90 miles 
away from the United States? No, Mr. Speaker, he did nothing of that 
sort.
  But let me tell you what he did do. He spoke of and he complained 
about the sanctions that the United States Government has to try to 
show solidarity with the Cuban people, to have leverage with that 
regime once Castro is no longer in the picture, which I think is sooner 
than people expect. He complained about the attitude and the policies 
of the United States Government but not about the policies of that 
thug, that dictatorship 90 miles away. He didn't complain about what 
they do, what that dictatorship does to its own people.
  Did he complain about the mass arrests of those heroes who wanted to 
speak out and who decided to use that opportunity in front of the 
capitol building to just ask for freedom? No, he didn't do that, Mr. 
Speaker, but he did complain about U.S. policy.
  He went a step further. He went on to demand the release in the 
United States of five convicted criminals, five people who were 
convicted in the United States, in a country where we have due process, 
we have all the rights and all the rights that are provided to a 
defendant, five people who were convicted of espionage and one who was 
also convicted of conspiracy to commit murder. So former President 
Carter did ask that those convicted in a court of law, with all the due 
process that we have in this country, for espionage and for conspiracy 
to commit murder, he did ask and demand their release. But he did not 
ask or demand the release of the hundreds and hundreds of political 
prisoners who are rotting in prison while he was there.
  So it's a sad day, Mr. Speaker. It's a sad day, I think, for 
humanity.
  I know a lot of people who are listening are probably not surprised. 
I recall that when the Cuban dictator was gravely ill, it was reported 
that former President Carter wrote him a nice little letter, a nice 
note, hoping that he would recover and that he would recover his 
health. And now, again, former President Carter called him his dear 
friend, hoping that he would recover.
  This is a regime who had asked on multiple occasions for the then-
Soviet Union to strike the United States with

[[Page H2103]]

nuclear weapons, to do a first strike on the United States with nuclear 
weapons, and yet former President Jimmy Carter was hoping that he would 
recover. This is a regime that is a state sponsor of terrorism 90 miles 
away from the United States, and yet former President Jimmy Carter sent 
him a note that he would hope that he would fully recover. This is a 
regime who our GIs died in Grenada, the island of Grenada, liberating 
that island and died at the hands of the troops that the Cuban regime 
had sent there, and yet former President Jimmy Carter was hoping and 
writing that that dictatorship would fully recover. This is a 
dictatorship that harbors U.S. fugitives, that harbors terrorists, that 
is on a list of states that sponsor terrorism, one of just four on that 
list, and yes, former President Jimmy Carter was hoping that he would 
fully recover.
  Well, unfortunately, the dictator has somewhat recovered. And what 
has he been doing? Well, more of the same. He still harbors the 
terrorists. He still harbors the fugitives, and he still is creating 
all sorts of havoc around the hemisphere. But he also, in addition to 
that, continues to enslave his people, to oppress his people, to 
torture his people. And we've seen example after example of that with, 
again, the last arrests that I just spoke of.

  Mr. Speaker, a couple of weeks ago a group of us here in Congress 
spoke to another one of my heroes, Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet. Oscar Elias 
Biscet is a brilliant young Afro-Cuban physician. He founded the Lawton 
Foundation for Human Rights in 1997, and that was founded just to 
promote the study and defense of human rights and to denounce human 
rights violations inside of Cuba and wherever else they may take place. 
Now, for denouncing the double standards and discrimination against the 
Cuban people, the discrimination that the Cuban health care system has 
for the Cuban people, he was forbidden from practicing medicine. Again, 
he is an M.D.
  In November of 1999, Dr. Biscet was imprisoned for 3 years just for 
organizing a peaceful pro-democracy protest. He was released in 2002. 
By the way, again, he was no longer allowed to practice medicine. But 
he was released in 2002. So what he did was he organized seminars on 
just the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
  I snicker because, you know, that's something that every day people 
talk about. I mean, my colleague on the other side of the aisle just 
spent quite a large part of his time talking about the evolution of the 
Constitution, et cetera, and human rights. Well, Dr. Biscet, when he 
was released in 2002, he talked about the Declaration of Human Rights.

                              {time}  2010

  So he was arrested once again in December of 2002 for attending 
seminars and for organizing some of those seminars.
  On April 7, 2002, Dr. Biscet was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He 
has been incarcerated in multiple prisons around the island in multiple 
gulags and has suffered greatly in his incarceration.
  On November 5, 2007, President Bush recognized Dr. Biscet by 
presenting him, in absentia of course, he was not allowed to visit with 
him, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and stating that Dr. Biscet is 
a champion in the fight against tyranny and oppression. Despite being 
persecuted and imprisoned for his beliefs, he continues to advocate for 
a free Cuba in which the rights of all people are respected.
  I said, Mr. Speaker, that a group of us, Chris Smith from the State 
of New Jersey, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chairperson of the 
International Relations Committee, and I, spoke to Dr. Biscet by 
telephone. And, obviously, the first thing was we asked him about his 
health. And he has suffered greatly in prison.
  I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that he has not, however, given up his 
efforts. He said, You know, I am recuperating so I can continue the 
struggle for freedom.
  We asked him about, well, what was his opinion about the policy, the 
United States policy? By the way, the same policy that former President 
Jimmy Carter now has just criticized. He said, there are some that 
claim that if we just opened up trade and we just opened up and we got 
rid of the sanctions that freedom would come to the Cuban people.
  He was emphatic. He was so emphatic. He said, no, no, no, no, no. He 
said, tyrants are always looking at ways to get more money. Tyrants are 
always looking at ways of getting more revenue. But he further stated, 
the only thing that would do--and I'm paraphrasing what he said--but he 
was very emphatic and very clear. The only thing that would do, he 
said, would be to strengthen the dictatorship. It wouldn't help the 
Cuban people. It would strengthen the dictatorship.
  Did former President Jimmy Carter meet with Dr. Biscet, the recipient 
of the Medal of Freedom? No, he did not. He did not because he probably 
would have not liked to have heard what Dr. Biscet would have had to 
say. He would have not liked to have heard about the oppression and the 
lack of human rights and the lack of dignity that those who suffer in 
Castro's gulags have to suffer, while former President Jimmy Carter 
calls the dictator in Havana his good friend.
  There are other such incredible heroes that are on the island, Mr. 
Speaker. I mentioned Dr. Biscet, but I also want to mention Antunez, as 
I mentioned before. Antunez served almost two decades in prison. He 
received incredible tortures, beatings, multiple beatings, while he was 
there; and, yet, when released, his attitude has been what? His 
attitude has been one of great dignity, of great courage, of standing 
up and he continues to demand elections, continues to demand freedom.
  And he also would tell you, if he could be speaking here today, that 
we have to stay firm and we have to hold steadfast and show solidarity 
with the Cuban people, not with the regime, not with those that former 
President Carter calls his good friends, not with those that former 
President Carter says that they should continue to prosper, when they 
were ill, hoping that they would do well and fully recover. No, we have 
to hold firm and stand with the Cuban people.
  Mr. Speaker, I'm so convinced, so convinced that the Cuban people 
will be free, despite the apologists, despite those that go out of 
their way to try to make the regime look good, try to make the regime 
look like they're this wonderful, charitable regime because every once 
in a while they may free a political prisoner as a token gesture.
  Despite that, the Cuban people continue to stand firm. Their heroes 
are still there; the Mandelas and the Havels of Cuba are on the island. 
They're speaking out. Most of them, many of them have been in prison. 
Many of them have been tortured and beaten, but their spirit remains 
strong, Mr. Speaker. They continue to speak out.
  And despite individuals like, unfortunately, former President Jimmy 
Carter, who looks for every excuse and every opportunity to criticize 
the policies of the United States and yet refused to criticize the 
savagery of that dictatorship, despite that, I'm absolutely convinced 
that the Cuban people will be free because of the heroes like Dr. 
Biscet and Antunez and many more.
  So I am not discouraged. I am not discouraged when I see these 
gestures of solidarity with the dictatorship. I am not discouraged when 
people go down to Havana and, you know, might have a mojito and relax 
and go to the beaches and tour the hotels where the Cubans are not 
allowed to go unless they're accompanied by foreigners. I'm not 
discouraged because ultimately truth always reigns, because ultimately 
the rights of individuals always surface. Ultimately, those that 
sacrifice and that work hard and the heroes who, by the way, are the 
future leaders of a free Cuba, those heroes who are in the dungeons or 
who are in and out of the dungeons, they don't give up. And they're not 
discouraged, and they're not quieted, and they will not be intimidated.
  So, Mr. Speaker, despite this, what some would call a slap in the 
face to the cause of human rights and democracy in Cuba, I will tell 
you further than that, the cause of human rights and human dignity 
around the planet, despite that that former President Jimmy Carter has 
just attempted to do, I'm not discouraged. On the contrary, I am as 
encouraged as ever.
  I think I might end by reading a letter, if I actually have it here. 
No, I

[[Page H2104]]

don't think I have it. I do want to mention, though, that one of our 
colleagues in the Senate, a Democrat, Democrat from New Jersey, Senator 
Menendez, wrote a letter to former President Jimmy Carter where he 
expressed, and I will be submitting that for the Record, Mr. Speaker, 
where he expressed what Jimmy Carter, what former President Jimmy 
Carter should be talking about. And he expressed how it was rather 
incredible that the former President would not demand the freedom of 
the Cuban people and would criticize the policies of the United States.
  And as Senator Menendez says in that letter, the issue is not what 
the policy of the United States is with the Cuban regime. The issue is 
the policies of the regime and the oppression of the regime with its 
own people. And once again, Senator Menendez, Democrat from New Jersey, 
is right on.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I just want to again say that we do not 
forget the heroes in the island. We do not forget those who are 
struggling and working and speaking out and suffering the consequences 
for their actions in the island. We do not forget them. We admire them. 
We support them. We are humbled by their courage. We are humbled by 
their love for freedom and what they are willing to sacrifice for that 
freedom, and we know that sooner than I think some may believe and 
clearly sooner than some would like, they too will be free. They too 
will be able to discuss the issues in public. They too will be able to 
make the determination as to the future of their country.
  I am encouraged and humbled by their leadership, despite sometimes 
the sadness of what we have to listen to by those who still continue to 
call Fidel Castro their good friend.

                                                   March 29, 2011.
     Hon. Jimmy Carter,
     The Carter Center, One Copenhill,
     Freedom Parkway, Atlanta, GA.
       Dear President Carter: I am writing to express my grave 
     concern about your visit to Cuba this week to discuss 
     improving U.S.-Cuba relations.
       Your visit suggests that the improvement of relations 
     between the United States and Cuba is contingent upon some 
     action by the United States, rather than acknowledging that 
     it is Cuba's intolerant and tyrannical actions that continue 
     to define the future of U.S.-Cuba relations. While you are 
     visiting with President Castro and other Cuban officials to 
     learn about new economic policies and the upcoming party 
     Congress, the regime's thugs are in the streets harassing and 
     arresting scores of political dissidents who dared to hope 
     that you would hear their pleas and argue on their behalf for 
     the adoption of political reforms. The fate of American Alan 
     Gross, a USAID contractor who sought to assist the island's 
     Jewish community, also hangs in the balance while you meet 
     with the political elite that are directing the crackdown on 
     Cuba's peaceful civil society activists. On Sunday, the 
     regime detained activists Adriano Castaneda Meneses, Yris 
     Tamara Perez Aguilera and Jorge Luis Garcia Perez Antunez and 
     on Monday, Liranza Romero, president of the Cuban Youth for 
     Democracy Movement and Boris Rodriguez Jimenez were arrested 
     when they attempted to stand in front of the Capitol with 
     signs reading ``Freedom without Forced Exile for Cuba's 
     Political Prisoners'' and ``The Streets belong to the Cuban 
     People.''
       I urge you to address with President Castro the aspirations 
     of Cuba's civil society to live in a democratic state whose 
     laws are derived and implemented by their democratically 
     elected representatives and are based on the core principles 
     of respect for human and civil rights, including the freedom 
     of expression and freedom of assembly.
       As we witness unprecedented movements for democratic change 
     in the Middle East, I appeal to you to recognize that same 
     heartfelt desire amongst the Cuban people and to urge the 
     regime to fulfill the democratic aspirations of the Cuban 
     people.
           Sincerely,
     Senator Robert Menendez.

                          ____________________