[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 44 (Monday, March 25, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E375]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING MS. JANISSET RIVERO-GUTIERREZ

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARIO DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 25, 2013

  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, in recognition of Women's History Month 
I rise today to honor Ms. Janisset Rivero-Gutierrez, an outstanding 
individual and someone who has been vital in the effort to bring about 
a democratic Cuba.
   Ms. Rivero-Gutierrez was born in Camaguey, Cuba and left at the age 
of 14. She lived in Venezuela before moving to the United States, where 
she earned a bachelor's degree in communications and advertising from 
the Insituto Universitario de Nuevas Profesiones in Caracas. She is 
currently working on her master's degree in Spanish literature from 
Florida International University.
   In 1994, Ms. Rivero-Gutierrez initiated Operation Boitel, a campaign 
involving travel to other countries in order to generate support for 
the opposition movement in Cuba. She continued to do work to bring 
about a democratic Cuba and in March of 2002 testified before the 
Inter-American Commission of the Organization of American States and 
presented a detailed report on human rights violations in Cuba. 
Similarly, in April of the same year she spoke before the United 
Nations Human Rights Commission, one of only two Cuban exiles who were 
able to testify.
   Ms. Rivero-Gutierrez is a founding member of the Cuban Democratic 
Directorate, a nongovernmental organization that supports human rights 
efforts in Cuba. She has worked extensively for this organization, and 
engages directly with opposition groups in Cuba, relaying their 
messages to the international community and co-author of Steps to 
Freedom, an annual report that documents the opposition movement's 
actions of protest against the totalitarian Cuban regime.
   Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to Ms. Janisset Rivero-
Gutierrez for her continued support of human rights efforts in Cuba and 
I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing this remarkable 
individual.

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