H. Res. 388

In the House of Representatives, U.S., 

September 29, 2005.

Whereas the European Union instituted measures on the 

Cuban Government after the Cuban Government exercised extreme repression on peaceful prodemocracy activists in 2003, but in January 2005 the European Union 

suspended its measures; 

Whereas on July 13, 2005, the Cuban Government detained 

24 human rights activists who were participating in a solemn event in remembrance of the victims of the tugboat 

massacre of innocent civilians by the Cuban government 

of July 13, 1994; 

Whereas human rights activists Rene Montes de Oca, Emilio 

Leiva Perez, Camilo Cairo Falcon, Manuel Perez Soira, 

Roberto Guerra Perez, and Lazaro Alonso Roman remain 

incarcerated from the July 13, 2005, event and face 

trumped up charges of ‘‘disorderly conduct’’; 

Whereas on July 14, 2005, the Government of France invited 

the Cuban regime’s Foreign Minister to the French Embassy in Havana for a ‘‘Bastille Day’’ celebration; 

Whereas members of the prodemocracy opposition in Cuba 

sought, on July 22, 2005, in Havana, to demonstrate in 

front of the French Embassy in a peaceful and orderly 

manner, on behalf of the liberation of all Cuban political 
2

•HRES 388 EH 

prisoners, and to protest the current policy of the European Union toward the Cuban Government; 

Whereas the Cuban regime mobilized its repressive state security apparatus to intimidate and harass the peaceful 

demonstrators in order to prevent prodemocracy activists 

from reaching the French Embassy; 

Whereas the Cuban regime arrested and detained many who 

were planning on attending the peaceful protest of July 

22 in front of the French Embassy, including Martha 

Beatriz Roque Cabello, Fe ́lix Antonio Bonne Carcasse ́s, 

Rene Go ́mez Manzano, Jose Javier Baeza Dis, Marı ́a de 

los A ́ngeles Borrego, Ernesto Cola ́s Garcı ́a, Emma Maria 

Alonso Del Monte, Jose Escuredo Marrero, Uldarico Garcia, Yusimi Gil Portel, Oscar Mario Gonza ́lez Pe ́rez, 

Humberto Guerra, Luis Cesar Guerra, Julio Cesar Lo ́pez 

Rodrı ́guez, Miguel Lo ́pez Santos, Jacqueline Montes de 

Oca, Raul Martı ́nez Prieto, Ricardo Medina Salabarrı ́a, 

Francisco Moure Saladrigas, Georgina Noa Montes, 

Niurka Maria Pen ̃a Rodrı ́guez, Luis Manuel Pen ̃alver, 

Pastor Pe ́rez Sa ́nchez, Jesu ́s Adolfo Reyes Sa ́nchez, Gloria Cristina Rodrı ́guez Gonza ́lez, Juan Mario Rodrı ́guez 

Guillen, Miguel Valde ́s Tamayo, Santiago Valdeolla 

Pe ́rez, and Jesu ́s Alejandro Victore Molina; 

Whereas Rene Go ́mez Manzano, a distinguished leader of the 

struggle for freedom in Cuba, and other prodemocracy 

activists, continue to be detained without cause; 

Whereas hundreds of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience languish in the Cuban regime’s prisons for the 

crime of seeking democracy for Cuba; 

Whereas thousands of others languish in Cuba’s totalitarian 

prisons accused of ‘‘common crimes’’, such as illegally at-
3

•HRES 388 EH 

tempting to leave the country and violating the norms of 

the totalitarian economic system, who should be recognized as prisoners of conscience because they are being 

jailed for attempting to exercise personal freedoms; 

Whereas the Cuban regime has arrested more than 400 

young Cubans, from late 2004 through June of 2005, 

and according to the Cuban regime, the arrests were carried out as a ‘‘measure of pre-delinquent security’’; 

Whereas the Cuban regime has continued to repress attempts 

by the Cuban people to bring democratic change to the 

island and denies universally recognized liberties, including freedom of speech, association, movement, and the 

press; 

Whereas the Cuban Government remains designated as one 

of 6 state sponsors of terrorism by the United States Department of State; 

Whereas the Cuban Government continues to provide safe 

harbor to fugitives from United States law enforcement 

agencies and to international terrorists; 

Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which 

establishes global human rights standards, asserts that 

all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and 

rights, and that no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention; 

Whereas the Cuban regime engages in torture and other 

cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment, including extended periods of solitary confinement and denial of nutritional and medical attention, according to the Department of State’s Country Report on Human Rights 2004; 

Whereas the personal representative of the United Nations 

Human Rights Commissioner has not been allowed by the 
4

•HRES 388 EH 

Cuban regime to enter the island to carry out the mandate assigned by the United Nations Human Right Commission in its resolution of 2002/18 of 19 April 2002, 

and reaffirmed in resolutions 2003/13 of 17 April 2003, 

2004/11 of 15 April 2004, and 2005/12 of 14 April 

2005; and 

Whereas the Cuban regime continues to violate the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 

the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights, and 

other international and regional human rights agreements, and has violated the noted Resolutions of the 

United Nations Commission on Human Rights: Now, 

therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) condemns the gross human rights violations 

committed by the Cuban regime; 

(2) calls on the Secretary of State to initiate an 

international solidarity campaign on behalf of the immediate release of all Cuban political prisoners; 

(3) supports the right of the Cuban people to exercise fundamental political and civil liberties, including 

freedom of expression, assembly, association, movement, 

the press, and the right to multiparty elections; 

(4) calls on the European Union to reexamine its 

current policy toward the Cuban regime, before June of 

2006; and 

(5) calls on the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and other inter-
5

•HRES 388 EH 

national organizations, to work with the member countries of the United Nations Commission on Human 

Rights (UNCHR) throughout the 62d session of the 

UNCHR in Geneva, Switzerland, to ensure a resolution 

that includes the strongest possible condemnation of the 

July 2005 measures of extreme repression on opposition 

activists and of all the human rights violations committed by the Cuban regime.

Attest:

Clerk.