[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 138 (Tuesday, August 3, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5699-S5701]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
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. Mr. President, I am proud to come to the floor today to
ask for unanimous consent on this bipartisan resolution expressing
solidarity with the people of Cuba. This resolution passed out of the
Foreign Relations Committee by a voice vote, with overwhelming
bipartisan support.
I want to thank the senior Senator from Florida for his partnership
on this resolution, which has the support of Senators Durbin, Kaine;
Senator Risch, the ranking member on the Foreign Relations Committee;
as well as many others on both sides of the aisle.
In passing this resolution today, the U.S. Senate can send a powerful
message about the truly historic events occurring in Cuba in recent
weeks.
On July 11, in an unprecedented wave of demonstrations across the
island, the Cuban people peacefully took to the streets and raised
their voices to call for freedom and an end to tyranny. We saw the
courage of the Cuban people. Images of Cubans chanting ``abajo la
dictadura,'' which means ``down with the dictatorship,'' and singing
``Patria y Vida,'' or ``Fatherland and Life,'' spread around the globe.
Yet the Diaz-Canel regime responded with an authoritarian crackdown and
violent repression out of fear of losing its iron grip over the Cuban
people.
The regime cut the internet to stop the Cuban people from accessing
social media--a tool they were bravely using to open the eyes of the
world. Who does that? Only a country that fears its people shuts down
the internet. But it was too late. The truth went viral.
The regime has arrested more than 700 people, and most remain
incommunicado. Dozens more are already being subjected to summary
trials, without access to legal defense or even a veneer of due
process. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the U.N. High
Commissioner for Human Rights have all spoken out against the Cuban
regime's campaign of oppression.
President Biden rightfully and repeatedly denounced the regime's
actions and has announced two rounds of Global Magnitsky sanctions on
human rights abusers. The President has brought together allies of
Cuban freedom both at home and abroad. On Friday, the President
convened a meeting of Cuban-American leaders to discuss this crisis and
hear our suggestions on how to best support the pro-democracy efforts
underway in Cuba.
Last week, Secretary of State Blinken led a coalition of 20 countries
in a joint statement to express international solidarity with the Cuban
people and their rights to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly,
freedom to determine their own future.
While important steps are being taken, more needs to be done. The
Cuban people, in this unprecedented hour of uncertainty and need,
cannot afford anything less than our full support.
With this resolution, the Senate will add its voice to the ongoing
efforts and reinforce U.S. solidarity with the Cuban people and their
efforts to restore democracy and human rights in their country. It is
the same resolution that is also being offered in the House of
Representatives on the same bipartisan basis.
Therefore, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the
immediate consideration of Calendar No. 111, S. Res. 310; further, that
the committee-reported substitute amendment to the resolution be agreed
to; the resolution, as amended, be agreed to; the preamble be agreed
to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon
the table.
Thereupon, the Senate proceeded to consider the resolution (S. Res.
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, 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, as follows
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
[[Page S5700]]
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; and
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 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.]
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 the Interior, and Cuba's
National Revolutionary Police Force to refrain from violently
repressing peaceful protesters and committing other human
rights violations;
(6) urges foreign governments, including authoritarian
regimes, to halt the provision of technology, equipment, and
other forms of assistance that are increasing the capability
of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, the Cuban Ministry
of the Interior, and Cuba's National Revolutionary Police
Force to violently repress peaceful protestors, curtail
freedom of expression through censorship of the internet, and
commit other human rights abuses; and
(7) 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.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there an objection?
The Senator from Florida.
Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I rise today in solidarity with
the brave Cuban people fighting for freedom. For decades, the Cuban
people suffered atrocities, oppression, and misery at the hands of the
illegitimate communist Castro regime.
I have repeatedly told the story of Sirley Avila Leon, a Cuban woman
who was attacked by communist Cuban security forces in 2015. They cut
off her hand and stuck her arm in the mud to make sure it got infected.
Her crime? She complained that the regime was going to shut down a
school in her neighborhood.
I have spoken to brave leaders like Jose Daniel Ferrer and the
courageous members of his Patriotic Union of Cuba, who are fighting
every day to defend human rights, freedom, and the democratic movement
in Cuba. Jose Daniel Ferrer is currently being detained by the
communist regime, and his family doesn't know where he is. Activists
like Jose Daniel Ferrer and the artists of the San Isidro Movement are
the future of Cuba, not the ruthless communist regime.
This is the same communist regime that for decades has been the root
of the instability we see across Latin America. The communist Cuban
regime props up other dangerous dictators, like Maduro in Venezuela and
Ortega in Nicaragua, threatening the region and the national security
of the United States.
What we are seeing now in Cuba should send a clear message to the
world: Communism is a failed ideology that does nothing but lead to
suffering and oppression. Communism doesn't work. Socialism doesn't
work.
The people of Cuba are crying out for freedom. They are denouncing
the oppressive communist rule that has brought ruin to their nation for
more than 60 years. This disgusting assault on the people of Cuba
cannot go unchecked.
I very much appreciate my colleague's efforts to condemn the
atrocities of the regime, but this resolution is missing one thing:
These atrocities are undeniably linked to communism.
I stand today to offer a friendly amendment that simply condemns
communism in this resolution, labeling the Cuban dictators Diaz-Canel
and Raul Castro what they are: a ruthless, communist Cuban regime.
In America, we understand the value and importance of freedom in our
everyday lives, and it is our duty to support and stand up for those
who are oppressed by dictators and denied the right to live freely. It
is our duty to speak the truth about communism.
I stand proudly with the heroic freedom fighters across Cuba who have
taken to the streets, determined to regain their freedom and put an end
to the communist Castro dictatorship.
To the people of Cuba: You are not alone. Together, we will defeat
communism.
The freedom of Cuba is closer than ever, and we are not going to stop
until we see a new day of freedom, democracy, and ``Patria y Vida'' in
Cuba.
I urge my colleagues to support my important amendment today.
Therefore, I ask that the Senator modify his request to include my
amendment, which is at the desk; that the resolution, as amended, be
agreed to; that the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; and that the
motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the Senator so modify his request?
Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I totally
agree that the Castro regime and its prodigy is a communist-socialist
dictatorship in tyranny. Before the Senator was ever in this
institution or involved with the issue, for 30 years, I have been
saying exactly that.
The Senator, however, knows that in order to accept an amendment to a
resolution that has been hotlined in both caucuses, this process could
not move forward. I cannot simply accept the amendment. I would have to
go through the whole process. And the fact of the matter is, I think
there is a fierce urgency of now. This resolution already has the
approval of 99 Senators, and if the Senator were to insist on his
amendment, the junior Senator from Florida would be the only one
standing in its way.
This bipartisan resolution is cosponsored by 19 Senators. The
initiative is co-led by Senator Rubio, the senior Senator from Florida,
the ranking member of the Senate Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere
affairs. It is sponsored by Senator Risch, the ranking member of the
full Foreign Relations Committee. It is supported by Senators Cruz and
Romney and Hagerty, all of them leading Republican voices on the
Foreign Relations Committee. With this strong Republican backing, the
Foreign Relations Committee passed this resolution last Wednesday on a
voice vote, with overwhelming bipartisan support.
Now, intervening, we have had this infrastructure bill, and so we are
here trying to get this finally done. We have an opportunity to act
today and send a powerful, bipartisan message in support of the Cuban
people and condemn the regime's brutal repression.
Now, I personally agree with the sentiment of the junior Senator from
Florida, but that reality is the reality that
[[Page S5701]]
has existed. We are talking about the reality today of trying to send a
bipartisan, bicameral message.
This resolution already condemns its present Cuban dictator, Miguel
Diaz-Canel, by name for his direct role in ordering a violent crackdown
against the Cuban people. It also documents the massive wave of arrests
in Cuba. It denounces in plain language the regime's brutal violence
and its use of summary trials to arbitrarily sentence protesters who
have no access to a lawyer.
So let me be clear. I have led U.S. and international efforts to
oppose Cuba's communist dictatorship for 30 years in the Congress,
including my role in helping create the Cuban Democracy Act and
drafting the LIBERTAD Act. No one in Congress has a longer or more
unwavering track record than I do when it comes to condemning the Cuban
regime. But this resolution is a strong rebuke of the regime's recent
actions, and it also achieves the bipartisan opportunity we need for
Senate approval.
There comes a time when we have to put actions over words. Today, the
Senate has a chance to act. We should not delay another hour in passing
this resolution, and because that is exactly what would happen, I have
to object to the Senator's amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard to the modification.
Is there an objection to the original request?
The Senator from Florida.
Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, reserving the right to object,
let me just read this. All I am saying is, the resolution would add
``condemns the murderous Communist party of Cuba for decades of
oppression against the Cuban people, the destruction of the Cuban
economy, and the destructive spread of communism in the Western
Hemisphere.''
I wish my colleague from New Jersey would accept my simple but
important, friendly amendment, but I will consent to allowing this
resolution to move forward.
I will always stand proudly with the brave people in Cuba, fighting
for their freedom, and against the brutal communist regime which
continues to oppress them.
I yield the floor.
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. 310), as amended, was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Jersey.
Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I appreciate that the Senator from
Florida, while I share his sentiments, did not press forward on
insisting on the amendment, which would have delayed this, and most
importantly, I think the Cuban people are the ones who are going to
thank him as well.
I yield the floor.
____________________