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, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. 

COONS, Mr. CRUZ, and Mr. WYDEN) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

MARCH 24, 2021 

Reported by Mr. MENENDEZ, with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble 

APRIL 15, 2021 

Considered, amended, and agreed to with an amended preamble 

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 


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SRES 37 ATS 

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 

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 organizations, 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; 


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SRES 37 ATS 

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 

to the house, confiscating all food and humanitarian supplies; 

Whereas, in response to the events of November 19, 2020, 14 

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, activists, and those supporting them 

through the strike; 

Whereas, on November 26, 2020, state security agents forcibly entered the protest site to remove the 14 artists and 

activists and 6 others supporting them through the 

strike, 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; 


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SRES 37 ATS 

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; 

Whereas the Cuban regime used state-controlled media to 

label the hunger strikers as committing acts of terrorism; 

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) expresses solidarity with the members of the 

3 San Isidro Movement and their efforts to advance 

4 freedom of expression in Cuba; 


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SRES 37 ATS 

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

2 meaningful dialogue process with the members of 

3 the San Isidro Movement and other artists and ac4 tivists seeking to advance freedom of expression in 

5 Cuba; 

6 (3) calls on the Government of Cuba to imme7 diately release Denis Solı ́s Gonza ́lez and other arbi8 trarily imprisoned artists and journalists; 

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

10 of Cuba to refrain from physical violence and any 

11 other acts of repression against Cuban artists and 

12 journalists; 

13 (5) calls for the immediate repeal of Decrees 

14 349 and 370 and other laws in Cuba that violate 

15 freedom of expression; 

16 (6) urges governments and legislatures in Eu17 rope and Latin America to renew their support for 

18 democratic activists in Cuba and speak out against 

19 the repression of artists and journalists in Cuba; 

20 and 

21 (7) encourages the Secretary of State to con22 demn the persecution, threats, and intimidation of 

23 Cuban artists and journalists. 

Æ 


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