Date: 2004-07-07
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

That is not what the gentleman said. Reclaiming my time. Mr. Chairman. the new regulations. this gentleman said and it is on the record. that food and medicine is prohibited to. he said. children and fathers and sons. So anyway. that is factually incorrect. I am glad that he said he read the regulations. but obviously he did not understand them. Maybe he should read them again. Now. Mr. Chairman. prodemocracy leaders inside of Cuba. the gentleman from Virginia just mentioned that he sought to visit with them. risking their lives. have sent us a statement that we received just a few days ago. supporting President Bushs measures. stating. "These measures of the United States Government are designed to bring about democracy in Cuba. These measures will not only benefit the Cubans who live on the island. but also those in exile. leading Cuba to a peaceful transition. and the people themselves will claim their legitimate rights which were stolen from them by the Communist dictatorship in 1959.. The dollars that enter the country go directly into the coffers of Castros Communist system. allowing them to continue enjoying the goodsand pleasures that are denied to the Cuban people. They will continue to live above Cubas working and exploited class. without even thinking of the common Cuban." Now. they signed this. They risked their lives to send us this statement. Numerous prodemocracy activists. They are not. by the way. the socalled "dissidents" that are allowed by the regime to travel the world to get awards or to come here to Congress to lobby against sanctions on the dictatorship. These are people in the political prisons or risking their lives because they know that at any moment they could be thrown into those totalitarian gulagsand given sham trials where they are sentenced to decades in the gulag. But this amendment. Mr. Chairman.. says. We know better than those people. This amendment. Mr. Chairman. is dishonest. This amendment is condescending. It seeks to undermine an entire policy that President Bush has just implemented to serve the interest of a brutal dictatorship. The Democratic Party November 30 "Frank Pais". along with the November 30 Movement in Exile. after debating the pros and cons of the new measures that will be enforced beginning June 30. 2004 state the following consensus: As far as we are informed. we agree to accept the measures. imposed by the United States govemmeht. We know that they are designed to bring about democracy in Cuba. We recognize that many common Cubans will be severely affected and specially the children. the elderly and the ill but we. as members of the Cuban opposition. will try to care for those families as best we can. relying on the unconditional assistance of the Exile community. On the other hand. there are tens of thousands of Cubans who live off the remittances sent to them by their families in the United States. They even travel to the United States and do nothing to help improve the situation of common Cubans. We believe. and are almost certain that these measures will not only benefit the Cubans who live on the island. but also those in Exile. leading Cuba to a peaceful transition and the people themselves will claim their legitimate rights. which were stolen from them by the communist dictatorship in .1959.. It is important that the people know that the government of Fidel Castro. as a decaying system. no longer has anywhere to purchase goods because it is in debt to the entire World and the dollars that enter the Country go directly into the coffers of Castros communist system. allowing them to continue enjoying the goods and pleasures that are denied to the Cuban people. Furthermore. they will continue to live above Cubas working and exploited .class. without even thinking of the common Cbban. Many families live off the clothes and shoes that their families in Exile work so hard to send them. but the Cubans over there. just like the ones here. must remember that the first one who separated. the Cuban family was Castros communist government. who forbade the people from receiving even a single letter from relatives. Many Cubansfar from going out on the streets in protestchose to settle .in Exile and now they protest against whom they should not protest. They should come and protest against Fidel Castro who is the only one responsible for all these measures. The double standard must cease. they must go out into the streets if they wish to receive remittances to change the grey and sad destiny of. the homeland of Marti. Let no one doubt it. victory is closer each day. We only need the unity of all. and with all. of all and by all. therein lies the success of victory against the dictatorship that for 45 years has sunk the people of Cuba into mud and misery. We are counting on you. our Cuban brothers and sisters in Exile and within Cuba. Long Live a Free Cuba! Havana. June 27. 2004. Mirta Villanueva. Reinaldo Gante Hidalgoactivist of the November 30 Movement. Ernesto Medina Pascual--activist of the November 30 Movement. Camilo P6rez Villanuevaactivist of the November 30 - Movement. Afredo Vapn Marquezactivist of the November 30 JMovement. Luis Almansa Veletaactivist of the November 30 Movement. Victor Junier Fernandez Martinezactivist of the November 30 Movement. Ada Kaly Mirquez AbascalNational Coordinator for functions of. the Democratic Party November 30 "Frank Pais" and correspondent for the Oriental Zone of the Information Bridge CubaMiami. Statement given via telephone by Ada Kaly Mrquez Abascal--National Coordinator for functions of the Democratic Party November 30 "Frank Pais" and correspondent for the Oriental Zone of the Information BridgeCubaMiami. for the Information Bridge CubaMiami and Net For Cuba on the 27th day of June. I would ask all of our colleagues to reject this amendment. to support President Bushs policy to hasten the democratic transition in Cuba. Oppose the Flake amendment.