III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 287 

Commemorating the second anniversary of peaceful protests in Cuba on 

July 11, 2021, condemning the ongoing acts of repression and human 

rights violations against the Cuban people by the Cuban regime, and 

calling for the immediate release of all arbitrarily detained Cuban citizens. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 11, 2023 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. CRUZ, Mr. 

CARDIN, and Mr. SCOTT of Florida) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Commemorating the second anniversary of peaceful protests 

in Cuba on July 11, 2021, condemning the ongoing 

acts of repression and human rights violations against 

the Cuban people by the Cuban regime, and calling for 

the immediate release of all arbitrarily detained Cuban 

citizens. 

Whereas July 11, 2023, marks 2 years since tens of thousands of Cuban citizens took to the streets to protest 

peacefully and call for the respect of their basic human 

rights and fundamental freedoms and the end of communist dictatorship in Cuba; 


dmwilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
2 

•SRES 287 IS 

Whereas the demonstrations on July 11, 2021, were the largest peaceful protests witnessed in Cuba in more than 25 

years, with courageous Cuban men, women, and youth 

taking to the streets in at least 50 different cities and 

towns across every province to affirm a profound aspiration for democratic change and to denounce repression 

and corruption by the Cuban regime; 

Whereas the demonstrations followed decades of grievances 

from the Cuban people regarding the dictatorship, arbitrary repression, and severe mismanagement of the country, including shortages of food and basic medicine, and 

frequent power outages; 

Whereas 2 years after the demonstrations, repression by the 

Cuban regime against Cuban citizens has reached the 

highest rate in recorded history, with thousands of arbitrary arrests, hundreds of politically motivated convictions, and credible allegations of torture and other abuses 

related to such protests, including— 

(1) charges against approximately 800 Cuban citizens, including 115 protestors between the ages of 16 

and 20, with sedition and other illegitimate charges; 

(2) the sentencing of more than 550 Cuban citizens, 

including more than 20 underage protestors, many of 

whom have been sentenced to prison terms up to 30 

years; and 

(3) the subjection of the majority of prisoners to inhumane conditions, including intentional deprivation of 

medical care, sleep, food, and other basic necessities; 

Whereas, according to the Cuban human rights organization 

Justicia 11J, as of the end of 2022, more than 600 protesters from the demonstrations remain arbitrarily detained for exercising their fundamental freedoms, includVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:28 Jul 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR287.IS SR287

dmwilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
3 

•SRES 287 IS 

ing the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly; 

Whereas international human rights organizations have condemned the Cuban regime for violating human rights and 

fundamental freedoms and have called for the immediate 

release of peaceful demonstrators, including organizations 

and individuals such as— 

(1) Human Rights Watch, which assessed that the 

Cuban regime committed systematic human rights violations in response to massive antigovernment protests in 

July 2021 with the intent of punishing protesters and deterring future demonstrations; 

(2) Amnesty International, which has called on the 

Cuban regime to guarantee the human rights of Cuban 

prisoners of conscience and hundreds of other individuals 

arbitrarily detained for exercising their human rights; 

(3) former United Nations High Commissioner for 

Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, who has called on the 

Cuban regime to release protesters and several journalists arrested at various demonstrations and denounced 

the excessive use of force by the regime; and 

(4) the Inter-American Commission on Human 

Rights, which has condemned state repression and the 

use of force during peaceful social protests in Cuba and 

urged the regime to engage in dialogue to address citizen 

demands; 

Whereas Cuba has some of the most restrictive laws on freedom of assembly and freedom of the press in the world, 

which have only further intensified since the demonstrations on July 11, 2021, with the passage of amendments 

to Penal Code of the Republic of Cuba on December 1, 


dmwilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
4 

•SRES 287 IS 

2022, which limit freedom of expression online by criminalizing the sharing of undefined ‘‘fake information’’; 

Whereas the peaceful protests in 2021 continue to inspire numerous protestors across Cuba seeking to advance the 

fundamental rights of the Cuban people, such as the May 

8, 2023, protests in the town of Caimanera; 

Whereas, since July 11, 2021, the Cuban regime continues 

the systemic repression of protestors, particularly the selective and deliberate criminalization of individuals who 

exercise their rights to freedom of expression, assembly, 

and association by speaking up against government policies and the arbitrary suspension of internet communications, according to a May 12, 2023, statement by the 

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; 

Whereas the report entitled ‘‘2022 Country Reports on 

Human Rights Practices: Cuba’’, published by the Department of State, details ‘‘significant human rights 

issues’’ in Cuba, including credible reports of 

extrajudicial killings, restrictions on freedom of movement, restrictions on freedom of religious expression, unreasonable restrictions on political participation, and 

state-sponsored forced labor practices; 

Whereas, according to the nongovernmental organization 

Prisoners Defenders, the Cuban regime continues to detain an estimated 1,048 political prisoners; 

Whereas, on June 12, 2023, the Inter-American Commission 

on Human Rights concluded that there was ‘‘serious and 

sufficient’’ evidence to hold the Cuban regime responsible 

for the 2012 murders of Nobel Peace Prize nominee 

Oswaldo Paya and activist Harold Cepero, and called on 

the Cuban regime— 


dmwilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
5 

•SRES 287 IS 

(1) to make full reparation for the murders; 

(2) to initiate a prompt investigation to identify the 

responsible actors; 

(3) to pursue accountability measures against such 

actors; and 

(4) to undertake structural reforms to protect 

human rights defenders in the Cuba; and 

Whereas, despite gross and systemic efforts to violate the 

human rights of the Cuban people, Cuba remains a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, a position the Cuban regime uses to prevent scrutiny on the 

human rights records of other authoritarian regimes: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) commemorates the second anniversary of 

3 the largest peaceful protests against the communist 

4 dictatorship in Cuba; 

5 (2) expresses solidarity with the brave people of 

6 Cuba who participated in the peaceful demonstra7 tions on July 11, 2021, and were subsequently arbi8 trarily detained and sentenced; 

9 (3) commits to supporting the people of Cuba 

10 in their aspirations to transition to democracy under 

11 a government that respects human rights and demo12 cratic freedoms; 

13 (4) calls on the Secretary of State— 

14 (A) to advocate for the immediate release 

15 and humane treatment of all political prisoners 


dmwilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
6 

•SRES 287 IS 

1 and democratic protestors arbitrarily detained 

2 in Cuba in the aftermath of the peaceful dem3 onstrations on July 11, 2021; 

4 (B) to continue supporting independent 

5 Cuban civil society groups and democratic activ6 ists; 

7 (C) to call for— 

8 (i) the recognition of the June 12, 

9 2023, decision of the Inter-American Court 

10 of Human Rights, holding the regime re11 sponsible for the murders of democratic ac12 tivists Oswaldo Paya and Harold Cepero; 

13 and 

14 (ii) accountability for the murders; 

15 and 

16 (D) to work with member states of the 

17 United Nations to deny Cuba a second consecu18 tive term on the United Nations Human Rights 

19 Council; and 

20 (5) urges democratic governments and legisla21 tures in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Car22 ibbean— 

23 (A) to speak out against the ongoing re24 pression facing the Cuban people and call on 

25 the Cuban regime to immediately release all poVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:28 Jul 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR287.IS SR287

dmwilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
7 

•SRES 287 IS 

1 litical prisoners and democratic protestors arbi2 trarily detained in Cuba in the aftermath of the 

3 peaceful demonstrations of July 11, 2021; 

4 (B) to publicly recognize the June 12, 

5 2023, decision of the Inter-American Court of 

6 Human Rights, finding the Cuban regime di7 rectly responsible for the murders of democratic 

8 activists Oswaldo Paya and Harold Cepero, and 

9 call on the Cuban regime to implement the rec10 ommendations in the decision; and 

11 (C) to hold the Cuban regime accountable 

12 for violent repression and other human rights 

13 violations in the aftermath of the July 2021 

14 protests, including by committing to deny Cuba 

15 a second consecutive term on the United Na16 tions Human Rights Council. 

Æ 


dmwilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS