Title: 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.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution expresses solidarity with the Cuban people, condemns Cuba's repression of peaceful protestors and journalists, and calls on Cuba to not arrest or detain peaceful protestors and to release all political prisoners and arbitrarily detained individuals. Further, it urges specified U.S. actions to support the Cuban people and their right to demonstrate peacefully in the name of democracy and human rights.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 760 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 760

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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 1, 2021

  Ms. Wasserman Schultz (for herself, Mr. Diaz-Balart, and Mr. Sires) 
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 Cubans took to the streets to express 
        their dissatisfaction with Cuba's continued repression of its people, 
        its worsening economic situation, and shortages of food and medicine;
Whereas these demonstrations were the largest protests on the island in over 25 
        years, with courageous Cuban men, women, and youth taking to the streets 
        in cities and towns across the country;
Whereas the Cuban regime arbitrarily denied a request to allow a peaceful 
        demonstration on November 15, 2021, which the organizers have specified 
        would be ``against violence, to demand that all the rights of all Cubans 
        be respected, for the release of political prisoners and for the 
        solution of our differences through democratic and peaceful means'';
Whereas the Cuban regime also denied an earlier request for protests to be held 
        on November 20, 2021, stating that date was off-limits because it would 
        conflict with ``national defense day'' and claiming without evidence 
        that ``subversive organizations'' with links to the United States 
        Government were promoting the protest;
Whereas artists, academics, activists, and journalists have been long engaged in 
        ongoing protests calling for an end to Cuba's persecution, censorship, 
        arbitrary detention, and other human rights violations;
Whereas expanded internet access is foundational for the Cuban people to be able 
        to exercise their internationally recognized human rights of access to 
        information and freedom of expression, creating opportunities for Cubans 
        to communicate more openly with one another and for their voices to be 
        heard around the world;
Whereas numerous public reports and first-hand accounts revealed that the Cuban 
        regime deliberately blocked access to certain websites and messaging 
        apps, throttled internet access, and launched targeted attacks to 
        disrupt the internet connections of private Cuban citizens;
Whereas during the July protests, regime security officials physically assaulted 
        domestic and international journalists, including Associated Press 
        correspondent Ramon Espinosa, and prevented dozens of reporters from 
        leaving their homes to report on the protests, according to the 
        Committee to Protect Journalists;
Whereas Cuba is among the most restrictive countries in the world for 
        journalists, ranked 171 of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' 
        2021 World Press Freedom Index;
Whereas Cuban human rights groups report there were already at least 150 
        political prisoners in Cuba before the July 11 protests, and Cuba has 
        reportedly been responsible for over 400 additional arrests or forced 
        disappearances since then;
Whereas hundreds of Cubans who participated in the July protests continue to 
        face unjust detention and other forms of retribution, including dozens 
        who have been sentenced in summary trials without due process and dozens 
        of others who remain unaccounted for;
Whereas United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet 
        expressed concern about ``the excessive force against demonstrators in 
        Cuba and the arrest of a large number of people, including journalists'' 
        and noted ``it is particularly worrying that these include individuals 
        allegedly held incommunicado and people whose whereabouts are unknown'';
Whereas, on July 25, 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the foreign 
        ministers of 20 countries issued a statement to ``condemn the mass 
        arrests and detentions of protestors in Cuba and call on the government 
        to respect the universal rights and freedoms of the Cuban people, 
        including the free flow of information to all Cubans'';
Whereas, on October 17, 2021, Assistant Secretary of State for Western 
        Hemisphere Affairs Brian A. Nichols said ``Denying the right of peaceful 
        assembly to Cubans this November 15th shows the Cuban regime's disregard 
        for the human rights and freedoms of its people. This and other blatant 
        attempts to intimidate their citizens is a clear sign the regime won't 
        listen to what Cubans have to say.'';
Whereas over the summer, Cuba has seen record numbers of COVID-19 infections and 
        deaths, pushing hospitals and health centers to near collapse; and
Whereas basic medicines and common goods have become scarce throughout the 
        country and economists estimate Cuba's economic conditions will become 
        even worse in the coming months: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses strong solidarity with the Cuban people who 
        took to the streets throughout the country on July 11, 2021, 
        and with those who plan to peacefully demonstrate on November 
        15, 2021, to once again express their desire to live in a free 
        country with self-determination;
            (2) condemns the Cuban regime's violent repression of 
        peaceful protesters and journalists and its other efforts to 
        restrict the Cuban people's right to peacefully protest, freely 
        express themselves, and exercise their other universal human 
        rights;
            (3) calls on Cuba to end all efforts to block or throttle 
        the Cuban people's internet access or restrict their access to 
        certain websites or applications and to permit them to freely 
        communicate online, including during future demonstrations and 
        peaceful protests;
            (4) calls on members of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed 
        Forces, the Cuban Ministry of the Interior, and Cuba's National 
        Revolutionary Police Force to not arrest or detain peaceful 
        protesters, provide due process to all individuals, and 
        immediately release all political prisoners and arbitrarily 
        detained individuals still in their custody; and
            (5) urges the Biden administration to--
                    (A) work with Cuban activists, civil society 
                groups, private United States companies, and the 
                international community to expand internet access for 
                the Cuban people;
                    (B) support the Cuban people's inherent right to 
                demonstrate peacefully in the name of democracy and 
                human rights;
                    (C) continue to stand behind the aspirations of the 
                Cuban people for freedom, for dignity, for prosperity, 
                and the basic rights that they have been denied by the 
                regime since 1959;
                    (D) assess whether the United States can develop 
                methods to allow remittances, medical supplies, and 
                other forms of support from the United States to 
                directly benefit the Cuban people in ways that 
                alleviate humanitarian suffering without providing 
                United States dollars to the Cuban military; and
                    (E) rally the international community to join the 
                United States in condemning human rights abuses and 
                honoring the Cuban people's demands for freedom.
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