[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 21, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5021-S5022]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 310--EXPRESSING SOLIDARITY WITH CUBAN CITIZENS 
DEMONSTRATING PEACEFULLY FOR FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS, CONDEMNING THE CUBAN 
 REGIME'S ACTS OF REPRESSION, AND CALLING FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF 
                  ARBITRARILY DETAINED CUBAN CITIZENS

  Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Risch, Mr. 
Kaine, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Coons, Mr. Booker, Ms. Cortez Masto, 
Mr. Brown, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Warner, Mr. Cardin, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Warnock, 
and Mr. Lujan) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 310

       Whereas on July 11, 2021, thousands of Cuban citizens took 
     to the streets to peacefully protest and to call for respect 
     for basic human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the end 
     of the dictatorship in Cuba;
       Whereas the demonstrations were the largest protests 
     witnessed on the island in 25 years, with courageous Cuban 
     men, women, and youth taking to the streets in at least 50 
     different cities and towns across every province to affirm a 
     deep aspiration for democratic change and to denounce the 
     regime's corruption;
       Whereas the nationwide protests represent the full 
     diversity of Cuban society, with demonstrators proudly 
     proclaiming ``Patria y Vida!'' (Homeland and Life!) and 
     calling for ``libertad'' (liberty);
       Whereas the demonstrations in Cuba follow months of severe 
     shortages of food and basic medicine, frequent power outages, 
     record high rates of transmission of COVID-19, and the Cuban 
     regime's ineffective response, in addition to the Cuban 
     regime's continued repression and arbitrary imprisonment of 
     citizens, peaceful activists, and artists;
       Whereas despite the authoritarian regime's blocking of 
     internet service to prevent the spread of information about 
     the demonstrations, Cubans witnessed examples of their 
     compatriots demanding change in their country and 
     courageously joined the growing protests;
       Whereas despite the peaceful nature of the demonstrations, 
     Miguel Diaz-Canel incited violence among Cubans and 
     encouraged his supporters to attack peaceful protestors, 
     declaring in a televised address, ``the order to fight has 
     been given - into the streets'' and pledged his supporters' 
     lives: ``Over our dead bodies. We are prepared to do 
     anything'';
       Whereas Diaz-Canel has sought to delegitimize peaceful 
     protesters, crudely stating they constitute a small group of 
     ``vulgar criminals'' that are ``paid'' to be disruptive;
       Whereas Diaz-Canel sought to blame the endemic problems 
     causing so much human suffering by the Cuban people on 
     outside forces instead of on the Cuban regime's long-standing 
     corruption, mismanagement, and theft of public resources;
       Whereas the Cuban regime's domestic security apparatus, 
     including military and police, were recorded on video 
     violently repressing peaceful Cuban citizens, including by 
     using live ammunition and attacking journalists;
       Whereas numerous reports indicate deaths of and injuries to 
     Cuban protestors at the hands of the regime's security 
     forces, including instances of police firing live ammunition 
     into crowds and at least one documented police beating that 
     led to a civilian death;
       Whereas independent Cuban civil society groups have 
     reported that hundreds of individuals have been arrested, 
     detained, or are missing;
       Whereas defying regime repression, continued internet 
     shutdowns, and illegal searches of the homes of activists and 
     protestors, Cuban men, women, and youth continued to 
     peacefully protest throughout the island on Monday, July 12, 
     using social media to organize themselves and document acts 
     of regime repression;
       Whereas international human rights groups, including Human 
     Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the United Nations 
     Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the 
     Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, have long 
     condemned the Cuban regime for violating human rights and 
     fundamental freedoms;
       Whereas for years the Cuban regime has exported its 
     authoritarian methods to Venezuela, sending intelligence 
     personnel to assist Venezuelan security forces as they 
     repressed similar peaceful protests calling for democratic 
     change;
       Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) expresses its strong solidarity with the people of Cuba 
     in their desire to live in a free and democratic country with 
     uncensored access to information, justice, and economic 
     prosperity;
       (2) condemns the violence ordered by Miguel Diaz-Canel 
     against peaceful protesters as violations of internationally 
     recognized human rights that does nothing to address Cuba's 
     challenges;
       (3) calls on Cuban forces--
       (A) to respect the Cuban people's exercise of freedom of 
     assembly, freedom of expression, and other universal human 
     rights;
       (B) to refrain from restricting internet access and 
     connectivity in the country; and
       (C) to permit Cuban citizens to freely communicate on 
     digital platforms, as is their fundamental right;
       (4) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of 
     all arbitrarily detained Cuban citizens and all Cuban 
     political prisoners;
       (5) calls on members of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed 
     Forces, the Cuban Ministry of

[[Page S5022]]

     the Interior, and Cuba's National Revolutionary Police Force 
     to refrain from violently repressing peaceful protesters and 
     committing other human rights violations; and
       (6) urges democratic governments and legislatures in 
     Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean--
       (A) to pledge their support for freedom and democracy in 
     Cuba; and
       (B) to speak out against the repression of demonstrators in 
     Cuba.

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