IV 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 179

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the systematic 

human rights violations in Cuba committed by the Castro regime, calling 

for the immediate release of all political prisoners, and supporting respect 

for basic human rights and free elections in Cuba. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 7, 2003

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida (for himself, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. 

MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. BALLENGER, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. 

SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. KINGSTON, Mr. MCCOTTER, and Mr. PALLONE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the systematic human rights violations in Cuba committed by the Castro regime, calling for the immediate 

release of all political prisoners, and supporting respect 

for basic human rights and free elections in Cuba.

Whereas the Cuban Government continues to repress all 

peaceful attempts by the Cuban people to bring democratic change to the island by denying universally recognized liberties, including freedom of speech, assembly, association, movement and of the press; 

Whereas on March 9, 2003, many of Cuba’s prominent dissidents issued a statement titled ‘‘Joint Statement’’ to 
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the European Union, wherein they reaffirmed their view 

of the Cuban Government’s ‘‘total vocation to immobility 

and its refusal to respect internationally recognized 

human rights or accept the existence of legitimate political opposition’’ and further stated that ‘‘in recent times 

the Cuban Government has intensified its political and 

social repression’’; 

Whereas commencing on March 17, 2003, the Cuban Government carried out a massive, island wide crackdown on 

members of Cuba’s pro-democracy movement, which included the arrest of over 80 dissidents, among them 

many who signed the ‘‘Joint Statement’’, activists of the 

Assembly to Promote Civil Society, promoters of the 

Varela Project, independent journalists, and numerous 

members of Cuba’s nascent independent civil society; 

Whereas the Cuban Government arbitrarily searched the 

homes and confiscated personal items belonging to prodemocracy activists; 

Whereas independent journalists were among those incarcerated in this massive crackdown, including Raul Rivero, 

known as the dean of the dissident independent journalists in Cuba; 

Whereas independent librarians, who make their homes available so that the Cuban population may have access to 

publications otherwise censored by the Cuban Government, also became victims of repression, as many were 

arrested, their homes ransacked and searched, and publications and other belongings confiscated; 

Whereas Marta Beatriz Roque, and other leaders of the ‘‘Assembly to Promote Civil Society’’, an islandwide movement seeking to coordinate the various sectors of Cuba’s 
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nascent independent civil society who work for a democratic transition, were incarcerated and face lengthy sentences, including life sentences; 

Whereas activists who have collected or signed petitions for 

the Varela Project were also incarcerated in this crackdown and may also face life sentences; 

Whereas more than 80 pro-democracy leaders who work for 

a peaceful transition to democracy in Cuba have been incarcerated and sentenced under ‘‘Law 88’’ and ‘‘Law 

91’’, two draconian totalitarian laws that call for long 

sentences of 10, 15, or 20 years, or life imprisonment, or 

even death for pro-democracy activity; 

Whereas there is concern for the well-being and safety for all 

of Cuba’s political prisoners, particularly Juan Carlos 

Gonzalez Leyva, who is a blind human rights activist incarcerated since March of 2002 without being formally 

charged, and Leonardo Bruzon Avila, who has been denied medical attention according to Amnesty International, despite the effects of a prolonged hunger strike 

while in prison.; 

Whereas a plea for solidarity was made from within the notoriously harsh prison in Cuba known as ‘‘Combinado del 

Este’’ and signed by 21 political prisoners, among them 

Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, Francisco Chaviano, Rafael 

Ibarra, and Jorge Luis Garcia Perez ‘‘Antunez’’ to the 

member states of the 59th Session of the United Nations 

Human Rights Commission; 

Whereas the Cuban Government has carried out ‘‘summary 

trials’’ to expeditiously sentence pro-democracy leaders to 

try to intimidate and silence other pro-democracy activ-
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ists on the island, while world attention is primarily focused on Iraq; 

Whereas the Castro regime has engaged in mass arrests of 

dissidents while the United Nations Commission on 

Human Rights, of which Cuba is a member, is meeting 

in Geneva; 

Whereas certain member countries of the Latin American 

and Caribbean group (GRULAC) at the United Nations 

Commission on Human Rights are currently drafting a 

resolution on the violations of human rights by the 

Cuban Government; 

Whereas the Cuban Government has repeatedly violated 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 mandates issued 

by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights; 

Whereas foreign diplomats and members of the international 

press have been barred by the Cuban Government from 

being present at the ‘‘summary trials’’; and 

Whereas pro-democracy leaders on the island have come together to call for the immediate release of all Cuban political prisoners, and are requesting international solidarity with the internal opposition, as reflected in a 

March 31, 2003, statement signed by some of the most 

prominent dissidents on the island: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) condemns the brutal crackdown of the 

3 Cuban Government on the island’s peaceful pro-de4 mocracy movement; 
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1 (2) calls for the immediate release of all Cuban 

2 political prisoners; 

3 (3) supports the right of the Cuban people to 

4 exercise fundamental political and civil liberties, in5 cluding freedom of expression, assembly, association, 

6 movement, press, and the right to multiparty elec7 tions; 

8 (4) calls on the United States Permanent Rep9 resentative to the United Nations and other Inter10 national Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, to 

11 work with the member countries of the United Na12 tions Commission on Human Rights to ensure a res13 olution that includes the strongest possible con14 demnation of the current crackdown of dissidents 

15 and of the gross human rights violations committed 

16 by the Cuban Government; and 

17 (5) calls on the Latin American and Caribbean 

18 group (GRULAC) at the United Nations Commis19 sion on Human Rights to exclude Cuba from its 

20 slate of candidates for the United Nations Commis21 sion on Human Rights and urges all member na22 tions to oppose renewing Cuba’s membership on the 

23 United Nations Commission on Human Rights until 

24 the Government of Cuba adheres to international 
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1 human rights standards, such as those delineated in 

2 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

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