H. Res. 179

In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

April 8, 2003.

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

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;
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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

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 in-
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carcerated 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 activists 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
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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

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) condemns the brutal crackdown of the Cuban

Government on the island’s peaceful pro-democracy

movement;

(2) calls for the immediate release of all Cuban political prisoners;

(3) supports the right of the Cuban people to exercise fundamental political and civil liberties, including

freedom of expression, assembly, association, movement,

press, and the right to multiparty elections;

(4) calls on the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, to work

with the member countries of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to ensure a resolution that includes the strongest possible condemnation of the cur-
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rent crackdown of dissidents and of the gross human

rights violations committed by the Cuban Government;

and

(5) calls on the Latin American and Caribbean

group (GRULAC) at the United Nations Commission on

Human Rights to exclude Cuba from its slate of candidates for the United Nations Commission on Human

Rights and urges all member nations to oppose renewing

Cuba’s membership on the United Nations Commission

on Human Rights until the Government of Cuba adheres

to international human rights standards, such as those

delineated in the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights.

Attest:

Clerk.