S5802 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 31, 2012 

HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY 

OF OSWALDO PAYA SARDINAS 

Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I 

ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be discharged from further consideration of 

S. Res. 525 and that the Senate proceed 

to its immediate consideration. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

The clerk will report the resolution 

by title. 

The assistant legislative clerk read 

as follows: 

A resolution (S. Res. 525) honoring the life 

and legacy of Oswaldo Paya Sardinas. 

There being no objection, the Senate 

proceeded to consider the resolution. 

Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I wish to speak about Oswaldo 

Paya, a Cuban dissident, and his untimely death in Cuba in a supposed 

automobile accident. The Cuban people, indeed all freedom-loving people of 

the world, have recently lost a great 

advocate for freedom. He was someone 

who was in peaceful opposition to the 

tyranny that is on the island of Cuba. 

Oswaldo Paya died in a car crash on 

Sunday, July 22. He was just 60 years 

old. Another Cuban dissident, Harold 

Cepero, was also killed in the accident, 

and two European politicians, one from 

Spain and one from Sweden, were injured. Paya was one of Cuba’s best 

known dissidents. He pushed for civil 

and human rights. He pushed for an end 

to one-party rule. He pushed for freedom for political prisoners. And he 

pushed for support for private businesses. In 2002, his Varela Project delivered more than 24,000 verifiable signatures in support of these ideals to 

the Cuban Government. It was the 

largest petition drive in Cuban history. 

Paya bravely led this initiative at 

great risk to himself, to his loved ones, 

and to his colleagues. For his work, he 

received the European Parliaments’ 

Sakarov Prize for Freedom of Thought 

in 2002, and he was nominated for the 

Nobel Peace Prize. 

The reason I am bringing this up, 

other than pointing out that planet 

Earth has lost a friend for freedom, is 

to note that the circumstances of the 

car accident are the topic of some debate. Cuban officials insist the driver 

was speeding and that he lost control 

and he hit a tree. But others are saying 

that witnesses saw another vehicle hit 

Mr. Paya’s vehicle and drive it off the 

road. Paya’s daughter Rosa Maria says 

she holds the Cuban Government responsible. She has told CNN en Espanol 

that ‘‘we think it’s not an accident. 

They wanted to do harm and then 

ended up killing my father.’’ That is a 

direct quote. 

Paya’s loved ones and the Cuban people and the international community 

deserve to have all the facts surrounding this tragic event examined 

and put out in the public. That is why 

I have submitted, along with a number 

of our colleagues, S. Res. 525, which 

honors the life, legacy, and exemplary 

leadership of Oswaldo Paya. This resolution also calls on the Cuban Government to allow an impartial third-party 

investigation into the accident. I urge 

the Senate to unanimously pass this 

resolution. 

This request comes on the heels of 

other disturbing news out of Cuba. We 

have learned that more than 40 prodemocracy activists were detained 

after Paya’s funeral last Tuesday. The 

reason? They dared to shout ‘‘libertad’’ 

at that time—‘‘freedom’’—during the 

ceremony. Reports also indicate that 

several of the dissidents were severely 

beaten. 

These peaceful activists were only 

honoring one of their own and they 

ended up as victims of an authoritarian 

regime. Now more than ever before the 

United States must continue policies 

that promote the fundamental principles of political freedom, democracy, 

and human rights, to all of which 

Oswaldo Paya devoted his life. 

Senator DURBIN, we are quite concerned the Castro regime continues to 

hold an American hostage, Alan Gross. 

Once again, another Senator rises to 

urge the Cuban regime in the strongest 

possible terms to immediately and unconditionally release him. 

We will never forget Paya’s passion 

and dedication to freedom and faith. 

The least the regime can do is to release Alan Gross. 

Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I 

further ask that the amendment offered by the Senator from Florida, Mr. 

NELSON, which is at the desk, be agreed 

to; the resolution, as amended, be 

agreed to; the preamble be agreed to; 

the motions to reconsider be made and 

laid upon the table, with no interviewing action or debate, and that any 

statements relating to the measure be 

printed in the RECORD at the appropriate place as if read. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

The amendment (No. 2740) was agreed 

to, as follows: 

(Purpose: To condemn the Government of 

Cuba for the detention of nearly 50 pro-democracy activists following the memorial 

service for Oswaldo Paya ́ Sardin ̃ as) 

On page 4, line 13, strike ‘‘; and’’ and insert 

a semicolon. 

On page 4, line 17, strike the period and insert ‘‘; and’’. 

On page 4, after line 17, insert the following: 

(7) condemns the Government of Cuba for 

the detention of nearly 50 pro-democracy activists following the memorial service for 

Oswaldo Paya ́ Sardin ̃ as. 

The resolution (S. Res. 525), as 

amended, was agreed to. 

The preamble was agreed to. 

The resolution, as amended, with its 

preamble, reads as follows: 

S. RES. 525 

Whereas, on Sunday, July 22, 2012, 60-yearold Cuban dissident and activist Oswaldo 

Paya ́ Sardin ̃ as died in a car crash in 

Bayamo, Cuba; 

Whereas at a young age, Oswaldo Paya ́

Sardin ̃ as criticized the communist government in Cuba, which led to his imprisonment 

at a work camp on Cuba’s Isle of Youth in 

1969; 

Whereas, in 1988, Oswaldo Paya ́ Sardin ̃ as 

founded the Christian Liberation Movement 

as a nondenominational political organization to further civil and human rights in 

Cuba; 

Whereas, in 1992, Oswaldo Paya ́ Sardin ̃ as 

announced his intention to run as a candidate to be a representative on the National 

Assembly of Popular Power of Cuba and, 2 

days before the election, was detained by police at his home and determined by Communist Party officials to be ineligible to run 

for office because he was not a member of 

the Communist Party; 

Whereas, in 1997, Oswaldo Paya ́ Sardin ̃ as 

collected hundreds of signatures to support 

his candidacy to the National Assembly of 

Popular Power, which was rejected by the 

electoral commission of Cuba; 

Whereas the Constitution of Cuba supposedly guarantees the right to a national 

referendum on any proposal that achieves 

10,000 or more signatures from citizens of 

Cuba who are eligible to vote; 

Whereas, in 1998, Oswaldo Paya ́ Sardin ̃ as 

and other leaders of the Christian Liberation 

Movement created the Varela Project, a signature drive to secure a national referendum 

on ‘‘convert[ing] into law, the right of freedom of speech, the freedom of press and freedom of enterprise’’; 

Whereas, in May 2002, the Varela Project 

delivered 11,020 signatures from eligible citizens of Cuba to the National Assembly of 

Popular Power, calling for an end to 4 decades of one-party rule, to which the Government of Cuba responded by beginning its own 

referendum that made Cuba’s socialist system ‘‘irrevocable’’, even after an additional 

14,000 signatures were added to the Varela 

Project petition; 

Whereas the Varela Project is the largest 

civil society-led petition in the history of 

Cuba; 

Whereas Oswaldo Paya ́ Sardin ̃ as bravely 

led the Varela Project at great risk to himself, his loved ones, and his associates; 

Whereas, in March 2003, the Government of 

Cuba arrested 75 human rights activists, including 25 members of the Varela Project, in 

the crackdown known as Cuba’s ‘‘Black 

Spring’’; 

Whereas Oswaldo Paya ́ Sardin ̃ as’s dedication to freedom and faith earned him the 

Sakarov Prize for Freedom of Thought from 

the European Parliament in 2002; 

Whereas Oswaldo Paya ́ Sardin ̃ as received 

the W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award 

from the United States National Democratic 

Institute for International Affairs in 2003; 

Whereas Oswaldo Paya ́ Sardin ̃ as was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Va ́ clav 

Havel, the former president of the Czech Republic, in 2005; and 

Whereas President Barack Obama stated, 

‘‘We continue to be inspired by Paya ́’s vision 

and dedication to a better future for Cuba, 

and believe that his example and moral leadership will endure.’’: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Senate— 

(1) recognizes and honors the life and exemplary leadership of Oswaldo Paya ́

Sardin ̃ as; 

(2) offers heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Oswaldo Paya ́

Sardin ̃ as; 

(3) praises the bravery of Oswaldo Paya ́

Sardin ̃ as and his colleagues for collecting 

more than 11,000 verified signatures in support of the Varela Project; 

(4) in memory of Oswaldo Paya ́ Sardin ̃ as, 

calls on the United States to continue policies that promote respect for the fundamental principles of religious freedom, democracy, and human rights in Cuba, in a 


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July 31, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5803 

manner consistent with the aspirations of 

the people of Cuba; 

(5) in memory of Oswaldo Paya ́ Sardin ̃ as, 

calls on the Government of Cuba to provide 

its citizens with internationally accepted 

standards for civil and human rights and the 

opportunity to vote in free and fair elections; 

(6) calls on the Government of Cuba to 

allow an impartial, third-party investigation 

into the circumstances surrounding the 

death of Oswaldo Paya ́ Sardin ̃ as; and 

(7) condemns the Government of Cuba for 

the detention of nearly 50 pro-democracy activists following the memorial service for 

Oswaldo Paya ́ Sardin

f 

 ̃ as. 

ORDERS FOR WEDNESDAY, 

AUGUST 1, 2012 

Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I 

ask unanimous consent that when the 

Senate completes its business today, it 

adjourn until 9:30 a.m., on Wednesday, 

August 1; that following the prayer and 

pledge, the Journal of proceedings be 

approved to date, the morning hour be 

deemed expired, and the time for the 

two leaders be reserved for their use 

later in the day; that the majority 

leader be recognized, and the first hour 

be equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, with the Republicans controlling the first half and the majority 

controlling the final half. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

f 

PROGRAM 

Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, the 

majority leader filed cloture on the 

cyber security bill today. As a result, 

the filing deadline for first-degree 

amendments to S. 3414 is 1 p.m. on 

Wednesday. 

I want to indicate to my colleagues 

that we continue to work on an agreement on amendments to the bill which 

I hope we can reach. If no agreement is 

reached, the cloture vote will be on 

Thursday. 

ADJOURNMENT UNTIL 9:30 A.M. 

TOMORROW 

Mr. LIEBERMAN. If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it 

adjourn under the previous order. 

There being no objection, the Senate, 

at 7:14 p.m., adjourned until Wednesday, August 1, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. 

f 

NOMINATIONS 

Executive nominations received by 

the Senate: 

INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES

ERIC J. JOLLY, OF MINNESOTA, TO BE A MEMBER OF 

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES BOARD 

FOR A TERM EXPIRING DECEMBER 6, 2016, VICE KAREN 

BROSIUS, TERM EXPIRED. 

SUSANA TORRUELLA LEVAL, OF NEW YORK, TO BE A 

MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM AND LIBRARY 

SERVICES BOARD FOR A TERM EXPIRING DECEMBER 6, 

2015, VICE KATHERINE M. B. BERGER, TERM EXPIRED. 


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