Date: 2006-06-14
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Chairman. I noted with interest that the distinguished ranking member of the subcommittee stated that he was interested in this intellectual exercise. Perhaps this could be because we are in a free Parliament. in a democracy. and it could be interpreted as an intellectual exercise. But I will tell you for whom this issue is not an intellectual exercise. When a year ago. despite the totalitarian nature of the Cuban regime. over 100 delegates from the peaceful prodemocracy movement managed to meet. Many others were not able to meet. They were stopped. They were arrested. For many reasons many others were not allowed. but over 100 did manage to meet in assembly. And they elected leaders and principles. Those leaders sent us a year ago. after their assembly. after this amendment. the same amendment and a few others had been filed. a statement of position with regard to the amendments. including this one that was filed a year ago. Now. of these three leaders. the elected leaders of the prodemocracy leader in Cuba. one was thrown in the gulag after sending this letter. where he is today. He remains uncharged. Who knows if the dictator will ever charge him? He was sent to the gulag and he is -today in that inferno gulag after sending us his position.- That is not an intellectual exercise. it is an exercise of extraordinary heroism. And they stated in the letter that those amendments. and one of them was this one. if any of them would be passed. that Cuban regime in Havana. which has given continuous examples of its absolute immovability and of its repressive and antidemocratic vocation. would consider such amendments unilateral actions by this Congress as a policy of accommodation with the regime. So this is not an intellectual exercise. We are dealing with a tyranny of 47 years. And let no one be confused. Despite the 47year duration of that tyranny. let no one be confused that for one single day the Cuban people have failed to fight for their freedom. And they will be free and the tyrant who is about to celebrate his 80th birthday will soon be elsewhere and the Cuban people will be free. By the way. statements like the resolution that was mentioned recently. that only 22 Members of this House voted against. in support of the prodemocracy movement and in condemnation of the violation of the human rights of the Cuban people. those statements and manifestations by this Congress will always be seen as admirable. admirable statements of solidarity of the people who deserve to be free and who will be free despite 47 years of oppression. So I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to once again stand for the rights of the Cuban people to live in freedom. And these amendments. like this one which seeks to confuse. because it is already legal for Americans with educational purposes to get a license and study in Cuban. but not to engage in child prostitution and not to engage in the endeavors of the regime. like our State Department has stated publicly just a few days ago on the redord. Ambassador John R. Miller. AmbassadoratLarge on International Slavery: Cuba has a tourism industry. government operated or affiliated. which engages in promoting child prostitution. which is not only trafficking under United States law but under United Nations protocol. and it is done very openly. That isamong the realities. the horrible realities of the Cuban tyranny which will soon come to an end but that we must continue to condemn and we must continue to reject unilateral rewards for. So I ask my colleagues to vote down this amendment.