[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 3 (Monday, January 28, 2008)]
[Pages 105-106]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Meeting With Elsa Morejon

January 24, 2008

    The President. A while ago, I had the honor of presenting the 
National Medal of Freedom to a patriot of Cuba and a lover of liberty, 
Oscar Biscet. He was not able to receive the award because he's in a 
Cuban prison for speaking out on behalf of human rights and human 
dignity. Today his wife, Elsa Morejon, is here. She has taken some time 
from Cuba to come to the United States to visit her son. She came up to 
the Oval Office to see me, and I'm most honored and most grateful.
    We have a comfortable life here in America by and large, and it's 
hard for us to imagine what it would be like for--to live in a society 
as repressive as the society of Fidel and Raul Castro. This good woman 
has had to suffer through days and weeks of deprivation and worry 
because the love of her life is in a Cuban prison simply because of his 
beliefs. It's my honor to welcome you here.
    My call is for the world to help women such as Elsa. My call is for 
those who believe that the Cuba of today is a hopeful place to recognize 
the realities. This is a country that has got political prisoners who 
are languishing in the jails, who are mistreated in the jails. Our 
message is, is that political prisoners ought to be free, and so should 
the Cuban people--free to express themselves and free to realize their 
God-given talents. So I want to welcome you. Que Dios le bendiga.
    Ms. Morejon. My name is Elsa Morejon. I'm a Cuban woman. I've come 
here to the United States to visit my son. My husband has spent most of 
his youth and is now sentenced to 25 more years in jail for defending 
human rights and for defending civil liberties. He has devoted his life 
to the cause of defending human rights in Cuba and throughout the world. 
We do not live in a free country, and I must now return to Cuba.
    I want to thank President Bush for inviting me to this meeting 
today. And I would like to speak to the international community and 
exhort them to work for the release of all political prisoners, along 
with my husband, to obtain their immediate and unconditional release 
from Cuban prisons.

    The President. Thank you.

    Ms. Morejon. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 3 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to President Fidel Castro Ruz and 
Vice President Raul Castro Ruz of Cuba. Ms. Morejon spoke in Spanish, 
and her remarks were translated by an interpreter. The Office of the 
Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these 
remarks.

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