[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 22, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H1499-H1500]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LACK OF LIBERTY AND FREEDOM IN CUBA
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for 5 minutes.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, in 2014, President Obama said he
wanted to go to Cuba if, and I quote, ``I, with confidence, can say
that we are seeing some progress in liberty and freedom. If we are
going backwards,'' President Obama said, ``then there is not much
reason for me to be there. I am not interested in just validating the
status quo.''
Well, look at this poster, Mr. Speaker. These are human rights
dissidents who were rounded up and beaten. If Obama's Cuba policy is
not going backwards, I don't know what is, because the oppressive Cuban
apparatus of repression only seems to be emboldened.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday in Havana, Raul Castro was asked by a reporter
if he would release political prisoners in Cuba. Castro looked
uncomfortable. Why? Because in Cuba, there is no free press. Reporters
are not allowed to ask real questions to regime leaders.
Castro said, well, there are no political prisoners in Cuba at all,
and if there were, he would free them by nightfall.
That's a good one. Well, there are 11 million people imprisoned by
Castro's communist regime--the entire island.
But here is a list, Mr. Speaker, of over 50 political prisoners, and
this is a list comprised by the Cuban Democratic Directorate. Some of
these individuals have been in jail for over 20 years. Others are
constantly detained, released, and rearrested.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to enter this list into the
Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Preliminary List of Political Prisoners, Cuban Democratic Directorate,
March 21st, 2016
1. Yasiel Espino Aceval/Condemned 4 years/Ariza Prison
2. Alexander Palacio Reyes/Ceramica Roja Prison
3. Alexis Serrano Avila/Condemned 3 years prison
4. Andres Fidel Alfonso Rodriguez/Melena Sur prison
5. Ernesto Borges Perez/Combinado del Este prison
6. Carlos Amaury Calderin Roca/Valle Grande prison
7. Maria del Carmen Cala Aguilera/Pendiente/Provincial
Women's Prison Holguin Province
8. Enrique Bartolome Cambria Diaz/Kilo 8 prison
9. Misael Canet Velazquez/Kilo 8 prison
10. Santiago Cisneros Castellanos/Pendiente/Aguadores
prison
11. Leonardo Cobas Perez/Moscu prison
12. Felipe Martin Companione/Ceramica Roja prison/Condemned
to 8 years in prison
13. Orlando Contreras Aguiar/Aguacate prison
14. Yeri Curbelo Aguilera/Condemned 3 years prison/
Guantanamo Prison
15. Pedro de la Caridad Alvarez Pedroso
16. Jordys Manuel Dosil/Condemned 3 years prison
17. Carlos Manuel Figueroa Alvarez/Combinado del Este
Prison/Condemned to 6 years prison
18. David Fernandez Cardoso/Bungo Ocho Prison
19. Jose Daniel Gonzalez Fumero/Nieves Morejon Prison
20. Ricardo Gonzalez Sendina/condemned 6 years/Combinado
del Este
21. Ariel Gonzalez Sendina/condemned 6 years/Combinado del
Este
22. Eglis Heredia Rodriguez/Boniato Prison
23. Mario Alberto Hernandez Leiva/Melena del Sur prison/
Condemned to 3 years prison
24. Geovanys Izaguirre Hernandez/Aguadores Prison
25. Rolando Erismelio Jaco Garcia/Ceramica Roja Prison
26. Javier Jouz Varona/Social Dangerousness prison/
Condemned to 3 years prison
27. Isain Lopez Luna/Valle Grande Prison
28. Noel Lopez Gonzalez/Condemned 12 years prison
29. Michael Mediaceja Ramos/Condemned 6 months/Guanajay
prison
30. Osmani Mendosa Ferrior/Las Mangas prison
[[Page H1500]]
31. Mario Morera Jardines/Condemned to 3 years prison/
Guamajal prison
32. Ernesto Ortega Sarduy/Valle Grande prison
33. Alexander Palacio Reyes/Ceramica Roja prison
34. Ricardo Pelier Frometa/Condemned to 3 years jail/
Combinado de Guantanamo prison
35. Fernando Isael Pena Tamayo/Condemned to 5 years/El
Tipico prison
36. Silverio Portal Contreras/Campamento Ochiman prison
37. Humberto Eladio Real Suarez
38. Rene Rouco Machin/Melena del Sur prison
39. Laudelino Rodriguez Mendoza/Granjita prison, Santiago
de Cuba
40. Leoncio Rodriguez Poncio/Condemned to 42 years and has
served 28 years in prison/Guantanamo Prison
41. Alfredo Luis Limonte Rodriguez/Condemned 4 years/Ariza
Prison
42. Elieski Roque Chongo/Condemned 5 years/Ariza Prison
43. Alexander Alan Rodriguez/Sentence Pending/Valle Grande
Prison
44. Reinier Rodriguez Mendoza/Condemned to 2 years of
prison/San Jose Prison
45. Mario Ronaide Figueroa Reyes/Condemned to 3 years
prison/Prision 1580
46. Yoelkis Rozabal Flores/Condemned to 4 years/Combinado
de Guantanamo prison
47. Daniel Santovenia Fernandez
48. Emilio Serrano Rodriguez/Valle Grande Prison
49. Armando Sosa Fortuny/Camaguey Prison
50. Liusban John Ultra/Condenado a 7 anos/Jailed in the
Province of Las Tunas/La Granjita Prison
51. Armado Verdecia Diaz/Condemned to 5 years of prison/
Malverde Prison
Sources: Directorio Democratico Cubano; Andry Frometa
Cuenca, former political prisoner; Yordan Marrero, Partido
Democrata Cristiano de Camaguey; Librado Linares Garcia,
General Secretary of the Movimiento Cubano Reflexion; Union
Patriotica de Cuba (UNPACU).
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. During his time in Cuba, President Obama failed to
announce any substantive changes on policies, such as the fugitive
policy.
Is there any news on returning New Jersey cop killer Joanne Chesimard
or any of the other fugitives of U.S. justice, such as Charles Hill,
William Guillermo Morales, or Victor Manuel Gerena? No news.
On confiscated property, there was no positive announcement about the
Castro regime paying back Americans who had their properties
confiscated.
There was no announcement by Castro about improving human rights on
the island. Castro denied that human rights violations occur in Cuba.
Again, look at this poster.
As predicted, Castro also demanded the return of the naval station at
Guantanamo Bay. This Congress has been very clear that it strongly
opposes relinquishing GTMO or transferring detainees to the United
States.
Now, President Obama incorrectly keeps calling the Communist
strongman Castro ``President Castro''--wrong. He is not President of
Cuba. There have never been elections. There are no political parties,
except the Communist Party, in Cuba. There are no free and fair
elections. He is not President. Stop calling a dictator President.
The President, our President Obama, proclaimed that this trip to Cuba
would be fun. That is his word. It has not been fun for all of the
Cubans who have been beaten leading up to the President's visit. It
hasn't been fun for all the Cubans who have been prevented from leaving
their homes until the President departs Cuba because they are human
rights activists.
Now let me show you this other poster, Mr. Speaker. This is a poster
of President Reagan with Gorbachev in 1987. And what happened there?
President Reagan said: ``Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev,
tear down this wall.''
In Havana, 2016, President Obama says: Thank you, President Castro,
for your spirit of openness.
Spirit of openness? And again, President what? He is not a President.
What openness, when press is prohibited in Cuba? What openness, when
the Cuban people are jailed for dissenting views? What openness, when
the economy is controlled by one entity, the communist regime?
America, under the Obama administration, has forsaken those who
suffer under Castro's oppression. That is a sad fact. And this will be
President Obama's legacy, Mr. Speaker, the President who abdicated
America's role as a defender of international human rights, all for a
narcissistic play at building a legacy as the President who restored
America's relations with dictators and tyrants who will do anything to
undermine our country and harm our interests and our citizens.
And that is all there is about Cuba.
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