    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [October 10, 2003]
    [Pages 1292-1295]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Cuba
    October 10, 2003

        Hola. Sientese. Thank you for coming. Welcome to the Rose Garden.
    It's my honor to host you for an important policy announcement.
        I'm proud to be joined by our great Secretary of State Colin
    Powell and a son of Cuba, a graduate of the
    Pedro Pan program, Mel Martinez. I'm also
    pleased to be joined with other members who will be--of my
    administration who will be charged with implementing policy. From the
    Department of Homeland Security, Under Secretary Asa
    Hutchinson is with us today. From the
    Treasury Department, Rick Newcomb,
    Director of the Office of Foreign Asset Control, is with us today. Rick,
    thank you for coming. Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere
    Roger

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    Noriegais with us today. Y por fin, from my
    staff, Envoy Otto Reich.
        As well we're honored to have distinguished Members of the Congress
    with us, starting with the very capable and able Senator from the State
    of Virginia, George Allen--bienvenidos, Jorge--
    [laughter]--from the State of Florida, Congressman Lincoln Diaz-
    Balart; y su hermano, Congressman Mario
    Diaz-Balart; Ileana Ros-Lehtinen; and Porter Goss.
    Thank you for coming. I'm honored you all are here.
        The Secretary mentioned to me that Bob Dole is
    with us. Bob Dole is not with us.
        One hundred and thirty-five years ago today, the struggle for Cuban
    freedom began at a sugar mill near Manzanillo. Carlos Manuel Cespedes,
    known as the Father of the Homeland, led an uprising against colonial
    rule. Today, the struggle for freedom continues--it hasn't ended--in
    cities and towns of that beautiful island, in Castro's prisons, and in
    the heart of every Cuban patriot. It is carried on by brave dissidents
    like Oscar Elias Biscet, Marta Beatriz
    Roque, Leonardo Bruzon Avila.
        Last year in Miami, I offered Cuba's Government a way forward, a way
    forward toward democracy and hope and better relations with the United
    States. I pledged to work with our Congress to ease bans on trade and
    travel between our two countries if and only if the Cuban Government
    held free and fair elections, allowed the Cuban people to organize,
    assemble, and to speak freely, and eased the stranglehold on private
    enterprise.
        Since I made that offer, we have seen how the Castro regime answers diplomatic initiatives. The dictator has
    responded with defiance and contempt and a new round of brutal
    oppression that outraged the world's conscience.
        In April, 75 peaceful members of Cuban opposition were given harsh
    prison sentences, some as long as 20 years. Their crimes were to publish
    newspapers, to organize petition drives, to meet to discuss the future
    of their country. Cuba's political prisoners are subjected to beatings
    and solitary confinement and the denial of medical treatment. Elections
    in Cuba are still a sham. Opposition groups still organize and meet at
    their own peril. Private economic activity is still strangled. Non-
    government trade unions are still oppressed and suppressed. Property
    rights are still ignored. And most goods and services produced in Cuba
    are still reserved for the political elites.
        Clearly, the Castro regime will not change
    by its own choice, but Cuba must change. So today I'm announcing several
    new initiatives intended to hasten the arrival of a new, free,
    democratic Cuba.
        First, we are strengthening enforcement of those travel restrictions
    to Cuba that are already in place. U.S. law forbids Americans to travel
    to Cuba for pleasure. That law is on the books, and it must be enforced.
    We allow travel for limited reasons, including a visit to a family, to
    bring humanitarian aid, or to conduct research. Those exceptions are too
    often used as cover for illegal business travel and tourism or to skirt
    the restrictions on carrying cash into Cuba. We're cracking down on this
    deception.
        I've instructed the Department of Homeland Security to increase
    inspections of travelers and shipments to and from Cuba. We will enforce
    the law. We will also target those who travel to Cuba illegally through
    third countries, and those who sail to Cuba on private vessels in
    violation of the embargo.
        You see, our country must understand the consequences of illegal
    travel. All Americans need to know that foreign-owned resorts in Cuba
    must pay wages--must pay the wages of their Cuban workers to the
    Government. A good soul in America who wants to be a tourist goes to a
    foreign-owned resort, pays the hotel bill; that money goes to the
    Government. The Government, in turn, pays the workers a pittance in
    worthless pesos and keeps the hard currency to prop up the dictator and
    his

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    cronies. Illegal tourism perpetuates the misery of the Cuban people. And
    that is why I've charged the Department of Homeland Security to stop
    that kind of illegal trafficking of money.
        By cracking down on the illegal travel, we will also serve another
    important goal. A rapidly growing part of Cuba's tourism industry is the
    illicit sex trade, a modern form of slavery which is encouraged by the
    Cuban Government. This cruel exploitation of innocent women and children
    must be exposed and must be ended.
        Second, we are working to ensure that Cubans fleeing the
    dictatorship do not risk their lives at sea. My administration is
    improving the method through which we identify refugees and redoubling
    our efforts to process Cubans who seek to leave. We will better inform
    Cubans of the many routes to safe and legal entry into the United States
    through a public outreach campaign in southern Florida and inside Cuba
    itself. We will increase the number of new Cuban immigrants we welcome
    every year. We are free to do so, and we will, for the good of those who
    seek freedom. Our goal is to help more Cubans safely complete their
    journey to a free land.
        Third, our Government will establish a Commission for the Assistance
    to a Free Cuba, to plan for the happy day when Castro's regime is no
    more and democracy comes to the island. This commission will be
    cochaired by the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Mel
    Martinez. They will draw upon experts within
    our Government to plan for Cuba's transition from Stalinist rule to a
    free and open society, to identify ways to hasten the arrival of that
    day.
        The transition to freedom will present many challenges to the Cuban
    people and to America, and we will be prepared. America is not alone in
    calling for freedom inside of Cuba. Countries around the globe and the
    United Nations Human Rights Commission increasingly recognize the
    oppressive nature of the Castro regime and have denounced its recent
    crackdowns. We will continue to build a strong international coalition
    to advance the cause of freedom inside of Cuba.
        In addition to the measures I've announced today, we continue to
    break the information embargo that the Cuban Government has imposed on
    its people for a half a century. Repressive governments fear the truth,
    and so we're increasing the amount and expanding the distribution of
    printed material to Cuba, of Internet-based information inside of Cuba,
    and of AM-FM and shortwave radios for Cubans.
        Radio and TV Marti are bringing the message of freedom to the Cuban
    people. This administration fully recognizes the need to enhance the
    effectiveness of Radio and TV Marti. Earlier this year, we launched a
    new satellite service to expand our reach to Cuba. On May 20th, we
    staged the historic flight of Commando Solo, an airborne transmission
    system that broke through Castro's jamming efforts. Tyrants hate the
    truth. They jam messages. And on that day, I had the honor of speaking
    to the Cuban people in the native language.
        It's only the beginning of a more robust effort to break through to
    the Cuban people. This country loves freedom, and we know that the enemy
    of every tyrant is the truth. We're determined to bring the truth to the
    people who suffer under Fidel Castro.
        Cuba has a proud history of fighting for freedom, and that fight
    goes on. In all that lies ahead, the Cuban people have a constant friend
    in the United States of America. No tyrant can stand forever against the
    power of liberty, because the hope of freedom is found in every heart.
    So today we are confident that no matter what the dictator intends or
    plans, Cuba sera pronto libre.
        De nuevo, Cuba libre. Thank you all.

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    Note: The President spoke at 11:03 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to former Senator Bob Dole; and
    President Fidel Castro of Cuba. The Office of the Press Secretary also
    released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.