[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 108 (Thursday, June 11, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2921-S2922]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CALLING FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF CUBAN DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST JOSE 
   DANIEL FERRER AND COMMENDING THE EFFORTS OF JOSE DANIEL FERRER TO 
         PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS IN CUBA

  Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 467, S. Res. 454.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 454) calling for the immediate 
     release of Cuban democracy activist Jose Daniel Ferrer and 
     commending the efforts of Jose Daniel Ferrer to promote human 
     rights and fundamental freedoms in Cuba.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign 
Relations with an amendment to strike all after the resolving clause 
and insert the part printed in italic and with an amendment to the 
preamble to strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic, 
as follows
       Whereas Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia is a Cuban democracy and 
     human rights activist who has dedicated his life to promoting 
     greater political pluralism and respect for fundamental 
     freedoms in Cuba;
       Whereas Mr. Ferrer was born in Cuba on July 29, 1970, in 
     the province of Santiago de Cuba;
       Whereas, in the late 1990s, Mr. Ferrer joined the Christian 
     Liberation Movement (MCL), a peaceful political movement led 
     by late Cuban activist Oswaldo Paya;
       Whereas, through coordination with the MCL, Mr. Ferrer 
     helped lead the Varela Project, an initiative to collect the 
     signatures of citizens to petition the Government of Cuba for 
     democratic reforms and protections for freedom of speech, 
     freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly;
       Whereas, in March 2003, as part of a series of sweeping 
     arrests of 75 democracy activists, Mr. Ferrer was arrested by 
     Cuban authorities for his work on the Varela Project and 
     sentenced to 25 years in prison;
       Whereas, in March 2004, Amnesty International declared the 
     group of 75 democracy activists, including Mr. Ferrer, to be 
     prisoners of conscience and called for their immediate and 
     unconditional release; 
       Whereas, in 2009, Mr. Ferrer was honored with the Democracy 
     Award given annually by the National Endowment for Democracy;
       Whereas, in March 2011, as part of an agreement brokered by 
     the Catholic Church, Mr. Ferrer refused to abandon his 
     homeland and was released from prison to remain in Cuba;
       Whereas, in August 2011, Mr. Ferrer founded the Patriotic 
     Union of Cuba (UNPACU), a nonviolent political movement 
     dedicated to promoting human rights, democratic principles, 
     and fundamental freedoms in Cuba;
       Whereas, on June 7, 2012, Mr. Ferrer testified via digital 
     video conference at a hearing of the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations of the Senate;
       Whereas, since he was released from jail in March 2011, Mr. 
     Ferrer has been frequently harassed, regularly surveilled, 
     and repeatedly jailed by Cuban authorities for his role in 
     UNPACU; 
       Whereas, on October 1, 2019, Mr. Ferrer was imprisoned 
     arbitrarily by Cuban authorities for his leadership of UNPACU 
     and outspoken advocacy for human rights and democratic 
     principles in Cuba;
       Whereas, on October 1, 2019, Cuban authorities detained 3 
     other members of UNPACU, Fernando Gonzalez Vailant, Jose Pupo 
     Chaveco, and Roilan Zarraga Ferrer;
       Whereas the family of Mr. Ferrer was permitted to visit him 
     only twice while he was imprisoned arbitrarily, and the wife 
     of Mr. Ferrer reported that she saw evidence that he had been 
     physically abused and mistreated;
       Whereas, on April 3, 2020, Mr. Ferrer was arbitrarily 
     convicted and sentenced to 4 years and 6 months of house 
     arrest for the purported crimes of ``injuries'' and 
     ``privation of liberty'';
       Whereas, on April 3, 2020, Mr. Gonzalez Vailant, Mr. Pupo 
     Chaveco, and Mr. Zarraga Ferrer were also arbitrarily 
     convicted to multiyear sentences of house arrest; and
       Whereas, since he was placed under house arrest, Mr. Ferrer 
     has informed international media outlets that during his time 
     in prison he was subjected to ``torture'' and ``constant 
     humiliation'', and denied access to food and medical 
     treatment: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,
       That the Senate--
       (1) condemns the arbitrary conviction, sentencing, and 
     imprisonment of leading Cuban democracy and human rights 
     activist Jose Daniel Ferrer and calls for his immediate and 
     unconditional release;
       (2) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of 
     all members of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) that have 
     been arbitrarily imprisoned;
       (3) commends Mr. Ferrer for his unwavering commitment to 
     advance democratic principles, human rights, and fundamental 
     freedoms in Cuba; and
       (4) recognizes the important contributions of UNPACU and 
     all of its members for their efforts to promote greater 
     respect for democratic principles, human rights, and 
     fundamental freedoms in Cuba.

  Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
committee-reported substitute amendment to the resolution be agreed to; 
the resolution, as amended, be agreed to; the committee-reported 
amendment to the preamble be agreed to; the preamble, as amended, be 
agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and 
laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute was 
agreed to.
  The resolution (S. Res. 454), as amended, was agreed to.
  The committee-reported amendment to the preamble was agreed to.

[[Page S2922]]

  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
  The resolution, as amended, and the preamble, as amended, reads as 
follows

                              S. Res. 454

       Whereas Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia is a Cuban democracy and 
     human rights activist who has dedicated his life to promoting 
     greater political pluralism and respect for fundamental 
     freedoms in Cuba;
       Whereas Mr. Ferrer was born in Cuba on July 29, 1970, in 
     the province of Santiago de Cuba;
       Whereas, in the late 1990s, Mr. Ferrer joined the Christian 
     Liberation Movement (MCL), a peaceful political movement led 
     by late Cuban activist Oswaldo Paya;
       Whereas, through coordination with the MCL, Mr. Ferrer 
     helped lead the Varela Project, an initiative to collect the 
     signatures of citizens to petition the Government of Cuba for 
     democratic reforms and protections for freedom of speech, 
     freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly;
       Whereas, in March 2003, as part of a series of sweeping 
     arrests of 75 democracy activists, Mr. Ferrer was arrested by 
     Cuban authorities for his work on the Varela Project and 
     sentenced to 25 years in prison;
       Whereas, in March 2004, Amnesty International declared the 
     group of 75 democracy activists, including Mr. Ferrer, to be 
     prisoners of conscience and called for their immediate and 
     unconditional release; 
       Whereas, in 2009, Mr. Ferrer was honored with the Democracy 
     Award given annually by the National Endowment for Democracy;
       Whereas, in March 2011, as part of an agreement brokered by 
     the Catholic Church, Mr. Ferrer refused to abandon his 
     homeland and was released from prison to remain in Cuba;
       Whereas, in August 2011, Mr. Ferrer founded the Patriotic 
     Union of Cuba (UNPACU), a nonviolent political movement 
     dedicated to promoting human rights, democratic principles, 
     and fundamental freedoms in Cuba;
       Whereas, on June 7, 2012, Mr. Ferrer testified via digital 
     video conference at a hearing of the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations of the Senate;
       Whereas, since he was released from jail in March 2011, Mr. 
     Ferrer has been frequently harassed, regularly surveilled, 
     and repeatedly jailed by Cuban authorities for his role in 
     UNPACU; 
       Whereas, on October 1, 2019, Mr. Ferrer was imprisoned 
     arbitrarily by Cuban authorities for his leadership of UNPACU 
     and outspoken advocacy for human rights and democratic 
     principles in Cuba;
       Whereas, on October 1, 2019, Cuban authorities detained 3 
     other members of UNPACU, Fernando Gonzalez Vailant, Jose Pupo 
     Chaveco, and Roilan Zarraga Ferrer;
       Whereas the family of Mr. Ferrer was permitted to visit him 
     only twice while he was imprisoned arbitrarily, and the wife 
     of Mr. Ferrer reported that she saw evidence that he had been 
     physically abused and mistreated;
       Whereas, on April 3, 2020, Mr. Ferrer was arbitrarily 
     convicted and sentenced to 4 years and 6 months of house 
     arrest for the purported crimes of ``injuries'' and 
     ``privation of liberty'';
       Whereas, on April 3, 2020, Mr. Gonzalez Vailant, Mr. Pupo 
     Chaveco, and Mr. Zarraga Ferrer were also arbitrarily 
     convicted to multiyear sentences of house arrest; and
       Whereas, since he was placed under house arrest, Mr. Ferrer 
     has informed international media outlets that during his time 
     in prison he was subjected to ``torture'' and ``constant 
     humiliation'', and denied access to food and medical 
     treatment: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) condemns the arbitrary conviction, sentencing, and 
     imprisonment of leading Cuban democracy and human rights 
     activist Jose Daniel Ferrer and calls for his immediate and 
     unconditional release;
       (2) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of 
     all members of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) that have 
     been arbitrarily imprisoned;
       (3) commends Mr. Ferrer for his unwavering commitment to 
     advance democratic principles, human rights, and fundamental 
     freedoms in Cuba; and
       (4) recognizes the important contributions of UNPACU and 
     all of its members for their efforts to promote greater 
     respect for democratic principles, human rights, and 
     fundamental freedoms in Cuba.

                          ____________________