IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 534 
Expressing solidarity with Cuban citizens demonstrating peacefully for funda-
mental freedoms, condemning the Cuban regime’s acts of repression, 
and calling for the immediate release of arbitrarily detained Cuban citi-
zens. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 16, 2021 
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (for herself, Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr. SIRES, Ms. 
CASTOR of Florida, Mr. CRIST, Mrs. DEMINGS, Mr. DEUTCH, Ms. LOIS 
FRANKEL of Florida, Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, 
Mr. MCCAUL, Mrs. MURPHY of Florida, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. 
SOTO, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Ms. MALLIOTAKIS, Mr. MOONEY, and 
Miss GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing solidarity with Cuban citizens demonstrating 
peacefully for fundamental freedoms, condemning the 
Cuban regime’s acts of repression, and calling for the 
immediate release of arbitrarily detained Cuban citizens. 
Whereas, on July 11, 2021, thousands of Cuban citizens took 
to the streets to peacefully protest and to call for respect 
for basic human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the 
end of the dictatorship in Cuba; 
Whereas the demonstrations were the largest protests wit-
nessed on the island in 25 years, with courageous Cuban 
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men, women, and youth taking to the streets in at least 
50 different cities and towns across every province to af-
firm a deep aspiration for democratic change and to de-
nounce the regime’s corruption; 
Whereas the nationwide protests represent the full diversity 
of Cuban society, with demonstrators proudly proclaiming 
‘‘Patria y Vida!’’ (Homeland and Life!) and calling for 
‘‘libertad’’ (liberty); 
Whereas the demonstrations in Cuba follow months of severe 
shortages of food and basic medicine, frequent power out-
ages, record high rates of transmission of COVID–19, 
and the Cuban regime’s ineffective response, in addition 
to the regime’s continued repression and arbitrary im-
prisonment of citizens, peaceful activists, and artists; 
Whereas, despite the authoritarian regime’s blocking of inter-
net service to prevent the spread of information about the 
demonstrations, Cubans witnessed examples of their com-
patriots demanding change in their country and coura-
geously joined the growing protests; 
Whereas, despite the peaceful nature of the demonstrations, 
Miguel Dı´az-Canel incited violence among Cubans and 
encouraged his supporters to attack peaceful protestors, 
declaring in a televised address, ‘‘the order to fight has 
been given–into the streets’’ and pledged his supporters’ 
lives: ‘‘Over our dead bodies. We are prepared to do any-
thing’’; 
Whereas Dı´az-Canel has sought to delegitimize peaceful pro-
testers, crudely stating they constitute a small group of 
‘‘vulgar criminals’’ that are ‘‘paid’’ to be disruptive; 
Whereas Dı´az-Canel sought to blame the endemic problems 
causing so much human suffering by the Cuban people 
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on outside forces instead of on the Cuban regime’s long- 
standing corruption, mismanagement, and theft of public 
resources; 
Whereas the Cuban regime’s domestic security apparatus, in-
cluding military and police, were recorded on video vio-
lently repressing peaceful Cuban citizens, including by 
using live ammunition and attacking journalists; 
Whereas numerous reports indicate deaths of and injuries to 
Cuban protestors at the hands of the regime’s security 
forces, including instances of police firing live ammuni-
tion into crowds and at least one documented police beat-
ing that led to a civilian death; 
Whereas independent Cuban civil society groups have re-
ported that hundreds of individuals have been arrested, 
detained, or are missing; 
Whereas, defying regime repression, continued internet shut-
downs, and illegal searches of the homes of activists and 
protestors, Cuban men, women, and youth continued to 
peacefully protest throughout the island on Monday, July 
12, using social media to organize themselves and docu-
ment acts of regime repression; 
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 long condemned the Cuban regime for vio-
lating human rights and fundamental freedoms; and 
Whereas, for years the Cuban regime has exported its author-
itarian methods to Venezuela, sending intelligence per-
sonnel to assist Venezuelan security forces as they re-
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pressed similar peaceful protests calling for democratic 
change: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) expresses its strong solidarity with the peo-
ple of Cuba in their desire to live in a free and 
democratic country with uncensored access to infor-
mation, justice, and economic prosperity; 
(2) condemns the violence ordered by Miguel 
Dı´az-Canel against peaceful protesters as violations 
of internationally recognized human rights that does 
nothing to address Cuba’s challenges; 
(3) calls on Cuban security forces— 
(A) to respect the Cuban people’s exercise 
of freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, 
and other universal human rights; 
(B) to refrain from restricting internet ac-
cess and connectivity in the country; and 
(C) to permit Cuban citizens to freely com-
municate on digital platforms, as is their funda-
mental right; 
(4) calls for the immediate and unconditional 
release of all arbitrarily detained Cuban citizens and 
all Cuban political prisoners; 
(5) calls on members of the Cuban Revolu-
tionary Armed Forces, the Cuban Ministry of the In-
terior, and Cuba’s National Revolutionary Police 
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Force to refrain from violently repressing peaceful 
protesters and committing other human rights viola-
tions; and 
(6) urges democratic governments and legisla-
tures in Europe, Latin America, and the Carib-
bean— 
(A) to pledge their support for freedom 
and democracy in Cuba; and 
(B) to speak out against the repression of 
demonstrators in Cuba. 
Æ 
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