A resolution commending the courage, bravery, and resolve of the fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters of Cuba, who, 4 years ago, stood in the face of brutal harassment, beatings, and torture to protest against the Communist Cuban regime, demanding access to their fundamental rights to life, dignity, and freedom.

Bill: 119-sres-317
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL]
Introduced: 2025-07-10
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2025-07-10
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text: CR S4318)

Summaries:

tv_txt: III 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 317 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 10, 2025 Mr. Scott of Florida (for himself and Mrs. Moody ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations RESOLUTION Commending the courage, bravery, and resolve of the fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters of Cuba, who, 4 years ago, stood in the face of brutal harassment, beatings, and torture to protest against the Communist Cuban regime, demanding access to their fundamental rights to life, dignity, and freedom.

Whereas July 11, 2025, marks 4 years since the historic, pro-democracy demonstration in Cuba when thousands of courageous Cubans took to the streets in more than 40 cities, across all provinces, to demand access to their freedoms and civil liberties and call for an end to communism, censorship, and the oppression imposed by the totalitarian Cuban regime; Whereas, in an attempt to silence the Cuban people and prevent future protests from taking place, the Cuban dictatorship responded with a wave of terror, repression, and criminalization and detained and persecuted more than 1,400 protestors, including women and children; Whereas, in a crude and savage effort to silence the Cuban people, the Communist regime cut internet connectivity and mobile services throughout Cuba, which hindered the Cuban people from organizing and hid from the outside world images and videos of the oppressive and brutal crackdown by the regime; Whereas totalitarian regimes such as Communist China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, and Nicaragua continue to surveil and repress their citizens in a similar manner to the Cuban regime, with China maintaining electronic surveillance facilities in Cuba to spy on Americans and citizens of China abroad; Whereas the ongoing imprisonment of José Daniel Ferrer García and hundreds of other Cuban human rights and democracy activists who have worked tirelessly to advocate for fundamental civil liberties for the Cuban people continues to demonstrate the brutal, despotic nature of the regime in Cuba, which aims to silence anyone who would dare speak out against its cruelty and barbarity; Whereas, according to human rights organizations, since the July 11, 2021, protests, hundreds of Cuban activists have been subjected to months of solitary confinement, physical and psychological torture, and inhumane treatment from Cuban operatives, resulting in dire health conditions; Whereas many imprisoned Cuban democracy activists continue to suffer from severe health complications, malnutrition, and physical signs of repeated torture while being denied adequate medical care and contact with their families; Whereas, 4 years after the historic demonstration, an unknown number of protesters remain in prison, including minors, many are being held without access to or communication with family members, international human rights organizations, or legal counsel, and some have been disappeared; Whereas, in an effort to intimidate Cubans from daring to protest again, the Cuban regime has continued to hold mass sham trials that lack any semblance of due process and has imposed disproportionate prison terms of up to 25 years for ill-defined charges such as public disorder, contempt, or violence ; Whereas the brutal and illegitimate Communist regime remains terrified of the brave and resilient men and women of Cuba who stand resolute in speaking out against the regime’s humanitarian crimes and efforts to persecute, kidnap, torture, and kill anyone who stands up against its tyranny; Whereas the economic situation in Cuba has continued to deteriorate under the failed policies of the Communist regime, with widespread shortages of food, medicine, and basic necessities affecting the daily lives of the Cuban people; Whereas the corruption and failures of Cuba’s closed, Communist economy, in which many industries are run by the Cuban military, have continued to fail the people of Cuba while enriching the regime’s elite; Whereas President Donald J. Trump has strengthened the policy of the United States toward Cuba through a National Security Presidential Memorandum that restores a robust Cuba policy, ends economic practices that disproportionately benefit the Cuban government and military, enforces the statutory ban on United States tourism to Cuba, supports the economic embargo, and mandates a review of human rights abuses in Cuba, demonstrating a firm commitment to standing with the Cuban people in their quest for justice, liberty, and freedom; and Whereas the international community should stand in solidarity with the Cuban people in condemning the human rights atrocities committed by the brutal, illegitimate, totalitarian, Communist regime and should demand freedom and democracy for the men, women, and children of Cuba: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1) commends the bravery, courage, and resolve of the members of the pro-democracy movement and all freedom activists in Cuba for risking their lives to bring freedom to the Cuban people; (2) condemns the continued repression of the hundreds of pro-democracy activists and political prisoners, including children, that the Cuban regime is unjustly detaining and subjecting to physical and psychological torture, and calls for their immediate and unconditional release; (3) condemns the Cuban regime’s brutal, totalitarian dictatorship and demands an end to the suffering of the men, women, and children of Cuba and the impunity of the regime’s human rights abusers; (4) calls for the international community to stand with the Cuban people and speak out against the Cuban regime's repressive acts and infringement on fundamental freedoms, such as expression, belief, and assembly; (5) urges the international community to hold the Cuban regime accountable for its human rights violations through coordinated sanctions and diplomatic pressure; (6) calls upon the administration of President Trump to put democracy, human rights, and civil liberties at the core of its Cuba policy by maintaining strong sanctions on the Cuban regime until all conditions in United States law for removing sanctions are met; (7) supports the right of the Cuban people to peaceful assembly and free expression, and condemns any efforts by the Cuban regime to suppress those fundamental rights; and (8) encourages continued support for Cuban civil society organizations and independent media that work to promote democracy and human rights in Cuba.