    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
    [March 7, 2008]
    [Pages 333-335]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Situation in Cuba
    March 7, 2008

        Sientese. Gracias. Bienvenidos a la Casa Blanca. Mr.
    Secretary, thank you for being here;
    Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, members
    of the diplomatic corps, distinguished officials, honored guests.
        We gather today to remember a tragic moment in the history of Cuba.
    Five years ago this month, Cuban authorities rounded up scores of
    citizens and charged them with offenses against the regime. Those
    arrested included teachers and librarians and journalists. They
    committed no crimes. They simply held views their Government did not
    like, and they refused to be silent. In all, 75 people were given long
    prison terms. In the world of Cuban dissidents, that crackdown 5 years
    ago is remembered as the Black Spring.
        A few moments ago, I met with one of the men arrested in that
    crackdown, Miguel Sigler Amaya, y su
    esposa, Josefa. Miguel was arrested in
    this crackdown because he and his
    brothers had long opposed the Castro
    regime. Over many years, they had been harassed and they had been beaten
    by Cuban authorities. Miguel once had his ribs cracked by one of the
    regime's mobs. One of the brothers survived an assassination attempt,
    and the entire family had received death threats. Now during the Black
    Spring, Miguel was charged with disobedience. He was sentenced to 26
    months in prison. His brothers, Ariel y Guido, each received sentences
    of 20 years.
        When Miguel went to prison, his wife
    Josefa found common cause with the wives
    of other political prisoners. They formed a group and chose as their
    symbol the color white, the color of peace. Every Sunday, these Ladies
    in White--las Damas de Blanco--attend Catholic mass, and then together
    they walk in silence through the streets. In Cuba, even that simple act
    is considered dangerous defiance. The women have been subjected to
    harassment and beatings. Josefa herself was stopped by an assailant who
    told her that he was sending her a message, and then he clubbed her with
    a blunt object on the back of her head.
        Josefa was ordered to leave Cuba with
    Miguel once he was released from prison
    in 2006. In Cuba, they are considered outlaws. In America, they are
    heralds of freedom, and I'm proud to stand with them in the White House.
        Miguel and Josefa tell a compelling story about brutal repression right
    off the shores of the United States. And I want to thank you for letting
    us share your stories, and I thank you for your courage.
        I've asked Josefa to please tell the
    Ladies in White--las Damas de Blanco--that as they pray for a free Cuba,
    the American

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    people--many American people will pray for them. And we can be confident
    that a loving God will listen.
        For Miguel and Josefa, the horrors of life in Cuba are behind them, but
    millions of others are still trapped in the tropical gulag.
    Miguel's brothers still suffer under inhumane conditions in Cuban jails.
    The Ladies in White still bravely march for freedom. And most of the
    Cubans imprisoned during the Black Spring are still in jail, subjected
    to beatings, inadequate medical care, and long separations from their
    family.
        These prisoners of conscience live in daily torment, and so do
    hundreds of others. Yet most of the world says nothing. This is a sad
    and curious pattern.
        Last fall, dozens of young Cubans who wore bracelets imprinted with
    one word, cambio, or change, were arrested by Cuban police because of
    their political beliefs. Yet in the face of this assault on the freedom
    of expression, much of the world was silent.
        Last December, Cuban authorities stormed into a Catholic church,
    teargassed parishioners, and dragged 18 worshipers out. A Catholic
    official called the episode, quote,
    ``the worst attack against a church in 45 years.'' And yet in the face
    of this assault on religious freedom, much of the world was silent.
        And last weekend, Cubans were pushed and shoved and beaten as they
    distributed copies of the U.N. Declaration on Human Rights. That same
    week, Cuba signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political
    Rights. The international community applauded Cuba for signing a piece
    of paper, but on the abuses that same week, much of the world was
    silent.
        In the face of these abuses, the United States has not been silent,
    nor will we be silent. We have been consistently joined in condemning
    the Cuban regime's brutal outrages by a small band of brave nations.
    Countries such as the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,
    Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia have placed themselves at the
    forefront for the fight for human freedom in Cuba. They recently lived
    through Communist tyranny. They remember what life is like under the
    boot of the oppressor. They know the daily hardships that ordinary
    citizens have to endure just to survive. And they refuse to look away.
        Unfortunately, the list of countries supporting the Cuban people is
    far too short, and the democracies absent from that list are far too
    notable. When a new day finally dawns for Cubans, they will remember the
    few brave nations that stood with them and the many that did not.
        A few weeks ago, reports of the supposed retirement of Cuba's
    dictator initially led many to believe that
    the time had finally come for the United States to change our policy on
    Cuba and improve our relations with the regime. That sentiment is
    exactly backward. To improve relations, what needs to change is not the
    United States; what needs to change is Cuba. Cuba's Government must
    begin a process as peaceful democratic change. They must release all
    political prisoners. They must have respect for human rights in word and
    deed and pave the way for free and fair elections.
        So far, all Cuba has done is replace one dictator with another. And its
    former ruler is still influencing events from behind the scenes. This is
    the same system, the same faces, and the same policies that led Cuba to
    its miseries in the first place. The United States is isolating the
    Cuban regime, and we're reaching out to the Cuban people. We've granted
    asylum to hundreds of thousands who have fled the regime. We've
    encouraged private citizens and charities to deliver food and medicine
    and other assistance directly to the people of Cuba. As a result, the
    American people are the largest providers of humanitarian aid to the
    Cuban people in the entire world.
        This assistance is easing burdens for many Cuban families. But the
    sad fact is that life will not improve for the Cuban people until their
    system of government

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    changes. It will not improve by exchanging one dictator for another. It
    will not improve if we prop up the same tyranny for the false promise of
    so-called stability.
        As I told the Cuban people last October, a new day for Cuba will
    come. And we will know when it's here. We will know it's here when
    jailers go to the cells where Cuban prisoners of conscience are held and
    set them free. We will know it is here when Miguel Sigler Amaya is reunited with his brothers, and they can
    say what they think and can come and go as they please. And we will know
    it is here when the Ladies in White no longer make their silent vigils
    or live in constant fear of assault or arrest.
        Until that day comes, the United States will continue to shine a
    bright and revealing light on Cuba's abuses. We will continue to tell
    the stories of Cuba's people, even when a lot of the world doesn't want
    to hear them. And we will carry this refrain in our hearts: Viva Cuba
    Libre.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:35 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House. In his remarks, he referred to President Raul Castro Ruz
    and former President Fidel Castro Ruz of Cuba. The Office of the Press
    Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.