III 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 37 

Expressing solidarity with the San Isidro Movement in Cuba, condemning 

escalated attacks against artistic freedoms in Cuba, and calling for the 

repeal of laws that violate freedom of expression and the immediate 

release of arbitrarily detained artists, journalists, and activists. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 8, 2021 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. DURBIN, and Mr. CARDIN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing solidarity with the San Isidro Movement in Cuba, 

condemning escalated attacks against artistic freedoms 

in Cuba, and calling for the repeal of laws that violate 

freedom of expression and the immediate release of arbitrarily detained artists, journalists, and activists. 

Whereas artists, journalists, and activists in Cuba have faced 

increased censorship, persecution, and arbitrary detention 

by the Government of Cuba as a result of Decrees 349 

and 370, which seek to restrict artistic freedoms and silence independent media in Cuba; 

Whereas, in December 2018, Decree 349 entered into force, 

requiring that artists and those who hire them receive 

prior approval from the Government of Cuba to operate 


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•SRES 37 IS 

in public or private spaces or otherwise be subject to confiscation of materials, fines, or sanctions without the 

right to an appeal; 

Whereas, in July 2019, Decree 370 entered into force, regulating and imposing sanctions with respect to the free 

distribution of information through the internet and leading to increased repression, arbitrary detentions, and censorship by the Government of Cuba; 

Whereas international human rights groups, including 

Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the United 

Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human 

Rights, and the Inter-American Commission on Human 

Rights, have condemned Decrees 349 and 370 as violating fundamental freedoms and contradicting Article 54 

of the 2019 Constitution of Cuba, which guarantees freedom of expression; 

Whereas, in 2018, the San Isidro Movement (MSI), an organization of artists, activists, academics, and journalists, 

began to peacefully protest increased censorship and persecution in Cuba; 

Whereas Denis Solı ́s Gonza ́lez, a musician and member of the 

San Isidro Movement, was detained on November 9, 

2020, and sentenced to 8 months in prison on ‘‘contempt 

of authority’’ charges after sharing a live video online of 

a police officer entering his home without a warrant; 

Whereas, on November 19, 2020, artists and activists from 

the San Isidro Movement launched a day of poetry and 

gathered at a private residence to discuss actions to protest the arbitrary detention of Denis Solı ́s Gonza ́lez, and 

during that peaceful activity, state police blocked access 


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•SRES 37 IS 

to the house, confiscating all food and humanitarian supplies; 

Whereas, in response to the events of November 19, 2020, 17 

independent artists and activists went on a 7-day hunger 

strike at the private residence, during which state authorities allegedly contaminated water sources in order to 

sicken the artists and activists; 

Whereas, on November 26, 2020, state security agents forcibly entered the protest site to remove the 17 artists and 

activists, blocking internet connectivity and communications throughout Cuba during the raid; 

Whereas, on November 27, 2020, approximately 300 people 

gathered outside the Ministry of Culture of Cuba to 

peacefully protest the lack of artistic freedom in Cuba 

and the arbitrary arrest of Denis Solı ́s Gonza ́lez and 

other artists and activists in an unprecedented demonstration against the Government of Cuba, and, despite 

the use of tear gas by state security forces, the protesters 

were undeterred; 

Whereas, as a result of the protest on November 27, 2020, 

Cuban officials met with 30 artists and activists, including 5 leaders of the San Isidro Movement, and agreed to 

stop harassment of Cuban artists and initiate a dialogue 

between the San Isidro Movement, other activists, and 

the government; 

Whereas, despite that commitment by Cuban officials, the 

Government of Cuba subsequently escalated its attacks 

against the artists and activists who participated in the 

meeting, including by surrounding and blocking access to 

their homes; 


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•SRES 37 IS 

Whereas the Cuban regime used state-controlled media to 

label the acts of peaceful protest by the San Isidro Movement as treason, which, according to Article 4 of the 

2019 Constitution of Cuba, is a crime subject to imprisonment and penalty of death; 

Whereas, on December 4, 2020, the Government of Cuba unilaterally ended the dialogue process with Cuban artists 

and independent civil society and political activists; 

Whereas, on January 27, 2021, officials of the Ministry of 

Culture, led by Minister Alpidio Alonso and Vice Ministers Fernando Rojas and Fernando Leo ́n Jacomino, 

physically assaulted a group of 20 to 30 artists who had 

gathered outside the Ministry of Culture to restart a dialogue process with authorities and demand an end to the 

repression of the artistic community; 

Whereas, following the assault on the group by Minister 

Alonso and Vice Ministers Rojas and Jacomino, Cuban 

state security forces violently detained protesters; and 

Whereas, despite the suspension of the dialogue process by 

the Government of Cuba, artists, activists, and independent journalists continue to bravely advocate for fundamental freedoms and denounce human rights violations 

in Cuba: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) stands in solidarity with the members of the 

3 San Isidro Movement and their efforts to advance 

4 freedom of expression in Cuba; 

5 (2) calls on Cuban authorities to engage in a 

6 meaningful dialogue process with the members of 

7 the San Isidro Movement and other artists and acVerDate Sep 11 2014 17:46 Feb 09, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR37.IS SR37

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1 tivists seeking to advance freedom of expression in 

2 Cuba; 

3 (3) calls on the Government of Cuba to imme4 diately release Denis Solı ́s Gonza ́lez and other arbi5 trarily imprisoned artists and journalists; 

6 (4) urges the officials of the Ministry of Culture 

7 of Cuba to refrain from physical violence and any 

8 other acts of repression against Cuban artists and 

9 journalists; 

10 (5) calls for the immediate repeal of Decrees 

11 349 and 370 and other laws in Cuba that violate 

12 freedom of expression; 

13 (6) urges democratic governments and legisla14 tures in Europe and Latin America to renew their 

15 support for democratic activists in Cuba and speak 

16 out against the repression of artists and journalists 

17 in Cuba; and 

18 (7) encourages the Secretary of State to con19 demn the persecution, threats, and intimidation of 

20 Cuban artists and journalists. 

Æ 


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