•HCON 252 IH 
Whereas Zapata was later convicted of additional ‘‘acts of de-
fiance’’ while in prison and was resentenced to a total of 
36 years; 
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; 
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•HCON 252 IH 
Whereas the Department of State’s 2009 Country Report on 
Human Rights states that Cuba is a totalitarian state 
with a government that continues to deny its citizens 
basic human rights and continues to commit numerous 
serious human rights abuses; 
Whereas Human Rights Watch states, ‘‘Cuba remains the 
one country in Latin America that represses virtually all 
forms of political dissent. The government continues to 
enforce political conformity using criminal prosecutions, 
long- and short-term detention, harassment, denial of em-
ployment, and travel restrictions.’’; and 
Whereas in a 2008 annual report, the Inter-American Com-
mission on Human Rights reported that ‘‘restrictions on 
political rights, on freedom of expression, and on the dis-
semination of ideas, the failure to hold elections, and the 
absence of an independent judiciary in Cuba combine to 
create a permanent panorama of breached basic rights 
for the Cuban citizenry’’: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress— 
(1) recognizes the life of Orlando Zapata 
Tamayo, whose death on February 23, 2010, high-
lights the lack of democracy in Cuba and the injus-
tice of the brutal treatment of more than 200 polit-
ical prisoners by the Government of Cuba; 
(2) calls for the immediate release of all polit-
ical prisoners detained in Cuba; 
(3) pays tribute to the courageous citizens of 
Cuba who are suffering abuses merely for engaging 
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•HCON 252 IH 
in peaceful efforts to exercise their basic human 
rights; 
(4) supports freedom of speech and the rights 
of journalists and bloggers in Cuba to express their 
views without repression by government authorities 
and denounces the use of intimidation, harassment, 
or violence by the Government of Cuba to restrict 
and suppress freedom of speech, freedom of expres-
sion, freedom of assembly, and freedom of the press; 
(5) desires that the people of Cuba be able to 
enjoy due process and the right to a fair trial; and 
(6) calls on the United States to continue poli-
cies that focus on respect for the fundamental tenets 
of freedom, democracy, and human rights in Cuba 
and encourage peaceful democratic change consistent 
with the aspirations of the people of Cuba. 
Æ 
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