[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 22, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H2292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           CUBA AND VENEZUELA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss two foreign 
policy areas that are important to our Nation, our region, and to my 
constituency in south Florida. Cuba and Venezuela are two countries in 
our hemisphere that suffer under dictatorships and are avowed enemies 
of the United States.
  In my native homeland of Cuba, we have seen human rights violations 
on the rise ever since the U.S. concessions to the Castro regime in 
December 2014. One example is the case of Dr. Eduardo Cardet of 
Holguin, Cuba, pictured here. He is a medical doctor and the leader of 
the Christian Liberation Movement who was savagely beaten in front of 
his wife and two children and has been imprisoned since November 2016. 
Just days ago he was sentenced to 3 years in prison.
  Dr. Cardet is condemned and sentenced because he is the voice for 
change and a respected human rights leader. The truth is that Eduardo 
Cardet has been imprisoned because he is willing--and has been doing 
it--to tell anyone who would listen that the Cuban people do not 
approve of the Castro regime. For not supporting this vile Castro 
dictatorship and for speaking out against such cruelty and abuses, he 
was sentenced to 3 years.
  Mr. Speaker, we cannot stand idly by as more and more prodemocracy 
leaders are being beaten and arrested on the island. The President and 
his new administration have committed to reversing some of the damage 
inflicted by the previous administration on the cause of freedom and 
democracy in Cuba. Our policy in Cuba should send a strong message 
throughout the hemisphere that the United States will no longer remain 
silent on these atrocities.
  It is well known that Cuba has exposed, has exported its barbaric 
tactics to other countries in the hemisphere, namely, Venezuela. The 
Venezuelan people believe that there is no justice in their land. They 
believe that there is no respect for law in their country, and they are 
right.
  And what about their economy?
  Well, according to the International Monetary Fund, the inflation in 
Venezuela last year was around 800 percent--800 percent--and the 
inflation projection for this year is 1,600 percent. This is not 
sustainable, Mr. Speaker, especially when press reports are so visual 
when they show that Venezuelan people are scavenging for food. They 
don't have any money, and they are actually leaving their country in 
order to find food.
  Venezuela has only a little over $10 billion worth of foreign 
reserves, yet it owes $7 billion in outstanding debt payments. This 
tells us, Mr. Speaker, that we have, sadly, not yet hit rock bottom in 
Venezuela and that the situation will get worse, which is why it is so 
important that we begin the process to bring democratic reforms to the 
country now in order to prevent a larger crisis that is looming in the 
future.
  One way to achieve this, Mr. Speaker, is to impose sanctions on human 
rights violators. Mr. Speaker, more targeted sanctions against those 
individuals who are responsible for the famine and the human rights 
violations that are ongoing in Venezuela are desperately needed.
  Let's examine some of the individuals who I believe should be on the 
sanctions list. First off we have Maikel Moreno. This individual, 
months ago, used Venezuela's kangaroo courts and ratified the unjust 
sentence against political prisoner Leopoldo Lopez.
  How was he rewarded by the Maduro regime?
  He was appointed to be the president of the Supreme Justice Tribunal. 
Just appalling.
  Next up is Marco Torres. Marco Torres is the Venezuelan Minister of 
Food. Let's examine his awful track record. The food shortages in 
Venezuela are rampant, and it is difficult for the people to feed 
themselves or their families. To make matters worse, Mr. Speaker, press 
reports indicate that Venezuelans are eating from trash in the street 
just to survive. The Venezuelan people deserve better.
  Next we have Jose Viloria Sosa, this gentleman right here. He is the 
director of the military prison of Ramo Verde. This decrepit character 
is responsible for the inhumane treatment and abusive tactics against 
human rights activist Leopoldo Lopez.
  Lastly, Susana Barreiros Rodriguez. In 2015, she was the judge of the 
28th Trial Circuit Court of Caracas who was the one who originally 
unjustly sentenced Leopoldo Lopez to jail.
  We must provide a voice for those whose rights continue to be 
trampled, and take swift and decisive actions such as imposing 
sanctions on all of these regime officials and many more who facilitate 
those abuses.
  When it comes to the tyranny in Cuba and in Venezuela, Mr. Speaker, 
we must have a clear vision and a clear understanding of the nature of 
these rogue regimes that do not respect the rule of law, do not respect 
freedom of expression, and do not respect any kind of human dignity.

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