IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 251 
Recognizing the life of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, who died on February 
23, 2010, in the custody of the Government of Cuba, and calling for 
a continued focus on the promotion of internationally recognized human 
rights, listed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in Cuba. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 11, 2010 
Mr. MCGOVERN (for himself and Mr. BERMAN) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the life of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, who died 
on February 23, 2010, in the custody of the Government 
of Cuba, and calling for a continued focus on the pro-
motion of internationally recognized human rights, listed 
in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in Cuba. 
Whereas Orlando Zapata Tamayo (referred to in this pre-
amble as ‘‘Zapata’’), a 42-year-old plumber and brick-
layer and a member of the Alternative Republican Move-
ment and the National Civic Resistance Committee, died 
on February 23, 2010, in the custody of the Government 
of Cuba after conducting a hunger strike for more than 
80 days; 
Whereas, on February 24, 2010, the Foreign Ministry of 
Cuba issued a rare statement on the death of Zapata, 
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•HCON 251 IH 
stating, ‘‘Raul Castro laments the death of Cuban pris-
oner Orlando Zapata Tamayo, who died after conducting 
a hunger strike.’’; 
Whereas Reina Luisa Tamayo has asserted that her son Or-
lando Zapata Tamayo was tortured and denied water 
during his incarceration and has called ‘‘on the world to 
demand the freedom of the other prisoners and brothers 
unfairly sentenced so that what happened to my boy, my 
second child, who leaves behind no physical legacy, no 
child or wife, does not happen again’’; 
Whereas Zapata began a hunger strike on December 9, 2009, 
to demand respect for his personal safety and to protest 
his inhumane treatment by the prison authorities in 
Cuba; 
Whereas according to his supporters, Zapata was denied 
water during stages of his hunger strike at Kilo 8 Prison 
in Camagu¨ey, was then transferred to Havana’s 
Combinado del Este prison, and was finally admitted to 
the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital on February 23, 
2010, in critical condition, where he was administered 
fluids intravenously and died hours later; 
Whereas, on February 25, 2010, Freedom House condemned 
the Government of Cuba for ‘‘the deplorable prison condi-
tions, torture, and lack of medical attention that led to 
the death of political prisoner Orlando Zapata Tamayo’’; 
Whereas Zapata was arrested in 2003 on charges of con-
tempt for authority, public disorder, and disobedience, 
and was initially sentenced to 3 years in prison; 
Whereas Zapata was later convicted of additional ‘‘acts of de-
fiance’’ while in prison and was resentenced to a total of 
36 years; 
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•HCON 251 IH 
Whereas in 2003, Zapata and approximately 75 other dis-
sidents and peaceful supporters of the Varela Project 
were arrested during the ‘‘Black Spring’’ and were sen-
tenced to harsh prison terms; 
Whereas more than 25,000 Cubans have signed on to the 
Varela Project, which seeks a referendum on civil lib-
erties, including freedom of speech, amnesty for political 
prisoners, support for private business, a new electoral 
law, and a general election; 
Whereas in 2003, Amnesty International designated Zapata 
as a prisoner of conscience; 
Whereas the Government of the United States raised the 
plight of Zapata during migration talks on February 19, 
2010, and urged the Government of Cuba to provide all 
necessary medical care; 
Whereas, on February 25, 2010, Secretary of State Hillary 
Clinton said in response to the death of Zapata, ‘‘We 
send our condolences to his family and we also reiterate 
our strong objection to the actions of the Cuban govern-
ment. This is a prisoner of conscience who was impris-
oned for years for speaking his mind, for seeking democ-
racy, for standing on the side of values that are uni-
versal, who engaged in a hunger strike.’’; 
Whereas following the death of Zapata, the Inter-American 
Commission on Human Rights reported that at least 50 
dissidents were detained or forced to remain in their 
houses to prevent them from attending the wake and fu-
neral for Zapata; 
Whereas the Department of State’s 2009 Country Report on 
Human Rights states that Cuba continues to deny its 
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