Lincoln Diaz-Balart

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Jose Ubaldo Izquierdo Hernandez, a prisoner of conscience in totalitarian Cuba. Mr. Izquierdo Hernandez is a peaceful pro-democracy activist who has worked for basic human rights for the people of Cuba. As a correspondent for the Decorum Task Force and the operator of the private ``Sebastian Arcos Bergnes'' Library, he devoted his energies to depicting the true, decrepit, reality of totalitarian Cuba. Because he bravely defied the communist regime as he worked to bring freedom to Cuba, Mr. Izquierdo Hernandez was constantly harassed by the tyrant's thugs. According to Amnesty International, on March 8, 2002, he was arrested on his way to participate in an event connected with International Women's Day. His house was stoned the same night. Amnesty International also reports that on December 4, 2002, Mr. Izquierdo Hernandez was threatened with imprisonment if he attended an event honoring the Virgin of Santa Barbara. On March 18, as part of the unconscionable crackdown on peaceful pro- democracy activists in March 2003, Mr. Izquierdo Hernandez was arrested. In a sham trial, he was subsequently sentenced to 16 years in the totalitarian gulag. Reporters Without Borders reports that on June 27, 2003, Mr. Izquierdo Hernandez fell down a stairway with no banister as prison guards escorted him to a courtyard. The fall resulted in head wounds and two wrist fractures. Let us be very clear, Mr. Izquierdo Hernandez is suffering, and has suffered serious injury, in the infernal, inhuman, gulag, because he desires freedom for his country. This week we mourn the passing of President Ronald Reagan, a man who knew that freedom is the birthright of all mankind. As we remember the President who made freedom and democracy for all the objective of U.S. foreign policy, let us not forget those, such as Mr. Izquierdo Hernandez, who currently languish in the darkness of repression. Mr. Speaker, it is categorically unacceptable that peaceful pro- democracy activists are locked in dark gulags because they believe that freedom is the essential right of man. My Colleagues, we must demand the immediate release of Jose Ubaldo Izquierdo Hernandez, and every prisoner of conscience throughout the world.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a man who I believe to be the greatest President of the 20th Century. President Ronald Reagan succeeded in defeating the most powerful and dangerous military empire in the history of humanity, without firing a single shot. Reagan knew instinctively that, despite the imperfections inherent in every human enterprise, the United States of America represents good and communism represents evil. President Reagan never wavered in his conviction that freedom is the birthright of all mankind. His firm belief that freedom is the inalienable right of all people changed the world, and is his most enduring legacy. However he also realized the liberties we hold sacred must be constantly protected against the forces of tyranny and oppression. President Reagan proved that when one fights for justice, for human rights, and for the liberty of those suffering under repression, one must persevere in spite of the strength of the opposition and the apparent magnitude of the obstacles one must confront. The enemies of the United States never forgave him for his firmness, for his character, for his faith in the people of the United States and in the cause of liberty. Even in his death they continue to attack him. This hatred is evidenced by the declaration made by the tyrannical regime in Havana yesterday, ``He, who never should have been born, has died.'' That monstrous statement illustrates the ultimate evil of the tyrant who has enslaved the Cuban people for over 45 years. President Reagan knew that Castro, and every Communist tyranny, represents the antithesis of liberty, freedom and human dignity. At home, Ronald Reagan forever changed the political landscape of America. He was a union leader. In fact, he was the only president in the history of the United States to have been a union leader. He was also at first a member of the Democratic Party, having campaigned for Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman. However, ideas and times change. When he became a Republican at the age of 52, he convinced millions of members of his former party that the superior ideas and the better reforms of our age belonged to the Republican Party. Inspired by his leadership and his example, my brother, Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart and I proudly became Republicans. May Ronald Wilson Reagan, apostle of freedom, democracy and human rights, rest in peace.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Pedro Pablo Alvarez Ramos, a prisoner of conscience in totalitarian Cuba. Mr. Alvarez Ramos is a true leader for freedom, human rights, and worker rights for the Cuban people. He is President of the United Cuban Workers Council (CUTC), an organization dedicated to improving the condition and treatment of workers in totalitarian Cuba. As the President of CUTC, Mr. Alvarez Ramos has been a constant advocate for every Cuban worker currently toiling under the nightmare of repression called the Castro regime. Mr. Alvarez Ramos has bravely denounced the cruel policies of the tyrant and demanded that every Cuban laborer be allowed their inalienable human rights and worker rights. Because Mr. Alvarez Ramos committed himself to achieving workers rights for every Cuban, he has been a constant target for the dictator's thugs. According to Amnesty International, Mr. Alvarez Ramos has been the subject of harassment and detention for his trade union activities since at least 1996. In October 2000, in connection with his work in preparing the first CUTC congress, Mr. Alvarez Ramos was thrown in the totalitarian gulag. Eventually, in November 2001, he was charged with resisting arrest and Mr. Alvarez Ramos was finally released from the horrors of the gulag in late January 2001. On March 19, 2003, as part of the tyrant's brutal crackdown on peaceful pro-democracy; activists, Mr. Alvarez Ramos's home was searched and his private library confiscated. He was subsequently sentenced by a sham court to 25 years in the totalitarian gulag because. of his efforts for worker rights in Cuba. Mr. Alvarez Ramos is languishing in the inhuman conditions of the totalitarian gulag, because he believes every Cuban worker should have rights, not repression. It is unconscionable that, at the dawn of the 21st century and just 90 miles form our shore, Mr. Alvarez Ramos is imprisoned in a gulag because he is attempting to achieve workers rights for the citizens of Cuba. Mr. Speaker, this Congress convenes in a building that represents freedom to those languishing in the darkness of repression. It is incumbent on those of us who have the privilege of serving in this monument to liberty to demand freedom for all pro-democracy activists locked in infernal gulags. My Colleagues, we must demand the immediate release of Pedro Pablo Alvarez Ramos, and every prisoner of conscience in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Miguel Galvan Gutierrez, a prisoner of conscience in totalitarian Cuba. Mr. Galvan Gutierrez is an engineer by profession and thus a student of transforming ideas and concepts into concrete reality. As a man who studied how things work, he quickly grasped the broken and irreparable nature of Castro's infernal totalitarian regime. As a pro-democracy activist, Mr. Galvan Gutierrez has committed himself to portraying the true horrors of life under the tyrant in Cuba. He has written articles for Havana Press and served as president of the College of Independent Engineers and Architects of Cuba. As a leading advocate for freedom for every Cuban, Mr. Galvan Gutierrez has been constantly harassed by Castro's thugs. According to Amnesty International, he has endured numerous interrogations and short term detentions. On March 18, 2003, Mr. Galvan Gutierrez was arrested and he was subsequently ``sentenced'' to 26 years in the totalitarian gulag. Mr. Galvan Gutierrez is languishing in the nightmarish conditions of the totalitarian gulag because he believes in freedom for every Cuban citizen. According to Reporters Without Borders, Mr. Galvan Gutierrez is suffering from abdominal and joint pain, together with an inflammation of the feet and a paralyzed arm. Reporters Without Borders has also reported that Mr. Galvan Gutierrez was put in solitary confinement and deprived of water and light because he staged hunger strikes to protest the inhuman conditions in the totalitarian gulag. Mr. Speaker, today is May 20 and on this day, 102 years ago, the Cuban people obtained their independence; the Republic of Cuba was born. Today the Cuban people, led by heroic activists such as Mr. Galvan Gutierrez, continue to fight for freedom. It is my fervent hope that next year, on May 20, the Cuban people will be able to celebrate the anniversary of Cuba's independence and also celebrate the return of freedom to that long suffering island. Mr. Speaker, we must constantly demand freedom for the Cuban people. My Colleagues, today, on Cuban Independence Day, we must demand the immediate release of Miguel Galvan Gutierrez and every political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay homage to all of our fallen heroes in arms that have defended our Nation from despotism, nazism, fascism, communism and terrorism. The life we live has been shaped by those we honor today. Each answered Liberty's call to duty in defense of their country. Our Nation owes an immeasurable debt of gratitude for their service. Our humble words can never adequately put into perspective their overwhelming contribution to freedom. We cannot forget the last full measure of devotion they gave us. Not for fame or fortune, but for a love of country, with determination, courage and honor, the men and women of our armed services have dedicated their lives to the defense of our democratic ideals. We honor their memory. The freedoms we enjoy today because of their valor are their eternal legacy to us and our posterity. I join a grateful nation in sending my thoughts and prayers to all the bereaved families who have lost loved ones who served to protect our sacred liberty.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the brave troops from El Salvador who are participating in the peacekeeping operations in Iraq. Their bravery, honor, competence and professionalism are playing a critical role in the creation of a free and democratic Iraq. The Salvadoran peacekeepers have been doing remarkable work delivering humanitarian relief and reconstruction assistance in Iraq. These peacekeepers have provided supplies, electricity, books, and playground equipment to impoverished schools as well as delivering aid to local farmers. However, Iraq remains a dangerous place for those who are contributing to the liberation of Iraq. The hazards of this important task were apparent on April 4, 2004 when the Salvadoran soldiers encountered armed resistance around Najif. On April 4, 17 Salvadoran troops bravely stood their ground in the face of overwhelming opposition from the armed followers of Sheik Muqtada al-Sadr. In the face of mounting injuries and certain defeat, at one point fighting when 12 of the 17 were wounded and one had died, the Salvadoran soldiers never stopped fighting. Fortunately, a relief unit arrived to join the fight and rescue the Salvadoran troops. The brave deeds of these valiant few will be remembered by all. Mr. Phil Kosnett, who leads the Coalition Provisional Authority in Najiv, described the Salvadoran troops as ``the bravest and most professional troops I've ever worked with.'' Tragically, PVT Natividad Mendez perished on the field of battle. He will always be in our hearts and prayers. Mr. Speaker, it is imperative that we recognize the enormous efforts of every nation and every troop serving in Iraq. The world has arrived at a momentous turning point. If Iraq can become a stable democracy the world will have changed for the better. El Salvador and the Salvadoran troops in Iraq recognize the importance of this moment and are acting to ensure that Iraq is transformed from a terrorist state into a free and democratic nation. They will always have our profound gratitude.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute a dear friend who I love and who my entire community loves, Sister Jeanne O'Laughlin, president of Miami's Barry University. It has been a privilege to be able to work with Sister Jeanne. It has been one of the truly wonderful things I have been able to do in Congress. You see, Mr. Speaker, Sister Jeanne is so special, it is difficult to choose only a few words to describe her. Talent, imagination, compassion, faith, perseverance, sense of humor, devotion, integrity, charisma, success, all those realities about Sister Jeanne are evident. But the meaning of one word outweighs all others in regard to her, one word describes her best, ``love.'' Thank you, Jeanne O'Laughlin, for loving your family, your neighbors, your community, for loving us all. Thank you for having put your love into action in your life and with your entire life.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Jorge Olivera Castillo, a political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba. Mr. Olivera Castillo worked for 10 years as a national television editor. After being confronted on a daily basis with the blatantly false propaganda mandated by the tyrannical regime, he left his job to join other pro-democracy activists working for freedom and human rights for every Cuban citizen. Using his skills as a journalist, Mr. Olivera Castillo began to report on the brutal policies of the totalitarian regime. He later became the director of the Havana Press agency. Starting in 2001, Mr. Olivera Castillo's articles concerning the state of Cuba under totalitarian rule were published in Spain. Because of Mr. Olivera Castillo's unrelenting commitment to writing the truth about the totalitarian regime, he has been constantly harassed by the dictator's thugs. According to Amnesty International, Mr. Olivera Castillo has been expelled from his house, arrested, and accused of ``counterrevolutionary'' activities by the tyrant Castro. During the brutal March 2003 crackdown on peaceful pro-democracy activists and independent journalists, Mr. Olivera Castillo was arrested. In a sham trial, Mr. Olivera Castillo was sentenced to 18 years in the totalitarian gulag because of his commitment to truth over propaganda. Mr. Olivera Castillo is currently languishing in an infernal cell in the totalitarian gulag. Reporters Without Borders reports that Mr. Olivera Castillo is suffering from numerous medical problems, is confined with common prisoners, and is being forced to drink seriously polluted water. These depraved conditions are truly appalling. It is a crime of the highest order that people who work for freedom are imprisoned in these nightmarish conditions. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Olivera Castillo is suffering in a grotesque, inhumane, totalitarian gulag because he believes in freedom. My colleagues, we can no longer allow peaceful prodemocracy activists to languish in the depraved prisons of tyrants. We must demand immediate freedom for Jorge Olivera Castillo and every prisoner of conscience in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, Pat Tillman was assigned to A Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, and was based at Fort Lewis, Washington. On April 22, 2004, he was killed in the line of duty near the Pakistan border as he led his Army Ranger team to help comrades caught in an ambush. He was 27 years old. Pat Tillman attended Leland High School in San Jose, California. As a linebacker on the Arizona State University football team, he was named the 1997 PAC-10 Defensive Player of the Year. Finishing with a marketing degree in three and a half years, he graduated summa cum laude with a 3.84 GPA. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the seventh round in 1998, the 226th pick overall. He became the Cardinals' starting safety and in 2000, he set a new franchise record with 224 tackles. Following the terrorists attacks of September 11, 2001, Pat Tillman spoke of his admiration for his relatives who had taken up arms to defend the nation in previous conflicts. He went on: ``I really haven't done a damn thing as far as laying myself on the line like that. And so I have a great deal of respect for those that have and what the flag stands for.'' In 2002, he turned down a $3.6 million contract from the Arizona Cardinals and enlisted in the Army instead. Following his death, the military posthumously promoted Pat Tillman from specialist to corporal. He also was awarded a Purple Heart and the distinguished Silver Star award for gallantry on the battlefield. In the world of professional sports, Pat Tillman's story is extraordinary; choosing duty over dollars. However, in the context of our military, his sacrifice is typical of our soldiers. His death reminds us about the sacrifices that our veterans and fighting forces have made for us. Not for fame or fortune, but for a love of country, with determination, courage and honor, the men and women of our armed services have dedicated their lives to the defense of our democratic ideals. Pat Tillman will be remembered as one of the most admirable of America's heroes. His legacy will strengthen the United States of America forever. The life we live today is shaped by men and women like Pat Tillman. Each has stood ready in defense of their country. Our nation owes an immeasurable debt of gratitude for their service. We enjoy our freedoms because of their valor. I join a grateful nation in sending my thoughts and prayers to the Tillman family and all families who have lost loved ones serving to protect our sacred liberty.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva, a pro-democracy activist ``sentenced'' by a sham court yesterday in totalitarian Cuba. Mr. Gonzalez Leiva is a blind lawyer who has devoted his life to the cause of human rights and liberty for every Cuban. He is the president of the Cuban Foundation for Human Rights. Though Mr. Gonzalez Leiva is unable to see, his vision of a free Cuba is an inspiration to freedom loving people throughout the world. On March 4, 2002, Mr. Gonzalez Leiva was savagely beaten and locked in the totalitarian gulag for drawing attention to a journalist who had been admitted to a local hospital after being attacked by the tyrant's thugs. For over two years, Mr. Gonzalez Leiva languished in Castro's totalitarian gulag. His cane and Bible were confiscated; he was forced to sleep on the floor of his diabolical cell; the thugs who run the gulag threatened his life; and he was tortured with chemical substances. In a letter recorded by his wife, and that I brought to the attention of the House, Mr. Gonzalez Leiva describes the heinous conditions of the totalitarian gulag in this translated excerpt from that letter: State security used inmate Joe Prado, as he calls himself, to throw in my cell a substance that produced a burning sensation on the skin and nasal congestion, a great deal of phlegm and bronchial inflammation. The situation still continues. Since January, they have added another substance to the sawdust they throw at me. This one gives me the sensation of millions of bugs constantly running all over me. It causes a great deal of itching and prevents me from sleeping. I do not know if this is a biological substance or chemical agent, but I know it is not insects because when I touch my skin there are no actual bugs that I can feel, although this sensation is palpable. Normally the sawdust shower is a daily occurrence. Yesterday it started around 6:00 p.m. when I was on my knees praying. The sensation is that of a multitude of bugs suddenly coming down on my face and my body. This torment continues until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. Mr. Gonzalez Leiva was trapped in these brutal conditions for over two years before he was ever tried. I want to repeat that, Mr. Gonzalez Leiva was locked in the totalitarian gulag for over two years before he was even brought before a sham court. According to an AP story that appeared in the April 28 edition of The Miami Herald, Mr. Gonzalez Leiva ``was released on parole shortly after being sentenced to four years in prison.'' Let us be very clear about parole in totalitarian Cuba. Parole is not freedom; it is a temporary release, conditioned on constant observation, before being locked in the gulag again. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Gonzalez Leiva has been imprisoned for over two years without trial and ``convicted'' by a sham court because he believes in basic human rights for every Cuban. My Colleagues, we must demand true freedom for Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva, every prisoner of conscience languishing in the totalitarian gulag, and every Cuban suffering under the nightmare called the Castro regime.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the upcoming elections on the Annan Plan in Cyprus to be held on Saturday April 24, 2004. I wish to make it clear that there should be no pressure on the outcome of these elections. If the Greek or Turkish Cypriots reject the Annan Plan, then negotiations will ultimately continue. This vote will not be the last chance to have a reunited Cyprus. The goal of the process must be to attain a just and lasting solution, not a rushed solution. I know the people of Cyprus are being made to feel that this is the only way to achieve a solution, but that is not true. This is the way to achieve a pressured solution. In the end, it may be too much to ask that concerns that have been unresolved for 30 years be effectively settled in a process that lasted less than 3 months. I encourage each and every eligible Cypriot voter to cast a free ballot on Saturday. Please vote for your beliefs, not the beliefs of others. The great privilege of free and fair elections is that they are just that, free and fair. Vote freely and for what you think is fair. If that is `no', do not believe that this is the end of negotiations. They will continue, because a lasting and equitable solution for the people of Cyprus, and the goal of a united Cyprus, is too important to abandon, now or ever. Mr. Speaker, I myself have very serious reservations about the Annan Plan that I have expressed in writing to both General Secretary Annan and Secretary Colin Powell. I ask unanimous consent that these letters be introduced into the Record immediately following my remarks. Regardless of my personal reservations, it is the people of Cyprus who will vote on Saturday. I hope every Cypriot realizes that they need to vote for what they believe. They must understand that, while we are interested in the outcome, there can be no pressure on them. We will accept any outcome so long as the elections are free and fair. Have no fear, people of Cyprus, your friends will never abandon you. U.S. Congress, Washington, DC, March 23, 2004. Hon. Colin L. Powell, Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC. Dear Secretary Powell: We want to thank you for your active engagement in the issues and negotiations that concern the reunification of the Republic of Cyprus. As you know, negotiations between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots are currently being conducted under the framework outlined by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on February 13, 2004. While we applaud both Greek and Turkish Cypriots for agreeing to negotiate the important issues affecting the future of a reunited Cyprus, we believe the timeframe outlined by the Annan Plan is too compressed. Under the Annan Plan, there is a deadline for the people of Cyprus to vote on a referendum concerning the future of Cyprus on April 20, 2004. As you know, the people of Cyprus have been struggling with issues related to the division and reunification of Cyprus for 30 years. It is difficult for us to believe that concerns that have been unresolved for 30 years can be effectively and permanently settled in negotiations that are scheduled to be completed in less than three months. It is our belief that a solution should come through comprehensive negotiations that do not force the citizens of Cyprus to vote on a referendum that may be perceived as an ultimatum. It is also our firm belief that the people of Cyprus will not approve any plan they are pressured to accept. It is in the best interest of a permanent, peaceful solution for Cyprus that the important negotiations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots be given an adequate amount of time to decide these issues. Mr. Secretary, we respectfully request that you use your influence to ensure that the people of Cyprus are given a longer, more appropriate, schedule in order to ensure that all issues affecting the reunification of Cyprus are settled to the satisfaction of all concerned. The reunification of Cyprus should be settled through comprehensive negotiations that do not impose an arbitrary time constraint on the affected parties. We appreciate the support that you have provided to the efforts of the UN Secretary General in resuming the Cyprus talks and your personal commitment and involvement in the process. We urge you to continue to use your diplomatic abilities for reaching a just, functional and viable settlement in Cyprus. Sincerely, Lincoln Diaz-Balart. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. Mario Diaz-Balart.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the deterioration of democratic institutions in Venezuela under Hugo Chavez and the need for immediate international action. Under Hugo Chavez, Venezuela is becoming a cancer in the Americas. As Chavez seeks closer ties with the tyrant Castro, and other totalitarian regimes, the rule of law in Venezuela is eroding, human rights abuses are on the rise, and ties with terrorists are continuing. The community of nations can no longer remain impassive as freedom loving Venezuelans are trampled on by the Chavez regime. At this moment in time, the countries of the Western Hemisphere must take a stand for freedom, and support the immediate approval of the recall referendum on the tenure of Chavez. Why is immediate international action needed? Under the OAS agreement of May 2003, the recall referendum must occur before August 19, 2004 if the Chavez regime is to be removed from office before January 2007. If the referendum is held after August 19, 2004, and Chavez is removed from office by the Venezuelan people, then his appointed Vice-President would serve the remainder of his term. The Chavez regime will then have been removed from office but allowed to retain power. This would be a tragedy for the Venezuelan people. If the referendum is held before August 19, 2004, and Chavez is ousted by the Venezuelan people, then there will be a special election 30 days later to elect a new President. Under the OAS agreement of May 2003, after the recall is certified and approved, the recall referendum must be held within the next 97 days. If Chavez is to be held accountable to the democratic will of Venezuela, then the recall must be approved by the second week of May. The community of democracies must not allow Venezuela to become the next totalitarian state in the Western Hemisphere. Though Venezuela has been moving steadily towards a dictatorship, we must not allow the slow pace of repression to shield us from the reality of a Chavez regime with tyrannical intent. Today and everyday we must extend our solidarity to the freedom loving people in Venezuela. We must bring an international spotlight and coordinated pressure on the recall process and Chavez' delaying tactics. It is my belief that the longer the international community passively observes the erosion of rights in Venezuela, the more probable dictatorship becomes. We cannot practice the politics of appeasement in Venezuela. We must practice the politics of solidarity and put pressure on the regime to ratify the recall signatures before the regime runs out the clock and retains two more years to wrap the rope of dictatorship around the necks of all Venezuelans.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker I rise today to speak about Pedro Arguelles Moran, a prisoner of conscience in totalitarian Cuba. Mr. Arguelles Moran is a member of the Cooperative of Independent Journalists and the Cuban Committee for Human Rights. He is an independent journalist who has contributed to CubaPress, Cuba Free Press and Nueva Prensa, all publications who seek to expose the nightmarish reality imposed by the totalitarian regime. Because Mr. Arguelles Moran fought to expose the truth about the ruthless dictator's politics of fear and repression, he has been constantly harassed by Castro's thugs since 1997. According to Amnesty International, the harassment Mr. Arguelles Moran has endured includes threats, warnings, and detentions in the totalitarian gulag. On January 15, 1999 he was summoned to appear before a chief of the so-called Revolutionary National Police where Mr. Arguelles Moran was found to be a ``danger'' because he didn't work for a state enterprise. On January 27, 1999 he was locked up for two days to prevent him from covering the birthday celebrations of Jose Marti on January 28. On March 20, 2003, as part of the totalitarian regime's ruthless crackdown on prodemocracy activists, Mr. Arguelles Moran was arrested and, after a sham trial, sentenced to 20 years in the totalitarian gulag. According to CubaNet, Mr. Arguelles Moran has been confined in a security cell with inmates held for common crimes who are mistreating him. He also reportedly has kidney problems. Let there be no doubt, Mr. Arguelles Moran has been ``sentenced'' to 20 years in Castro's violent, inhumane totalitarian gulag because he believes in, and wrote about, freedom, democracy, and human rights for the people of Cuba. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Arguelles Moran is languishing in the deplorable, inhuman conditions of Castro's totalitarian gulag, simply because he wrote the truth about the tyrant's repressive regime. My Colleagues, we must demand the immediate release of Pedro Arguelles Moran and every prisoner of conscience in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Mario Enrique Mayo Hernandez, a prisoner of conscience in totalitarian Cuba. Mr. Mayo Hernandez is a lawyer by profession who was fired by the Castro dictatorship from his job as a lawyer because he believes in freedom and democracy. After being terminated for his democratic opinions, Mr. Mayo Hernandez began working as an independent journalist so the world could understand the reality of Castro's hideous oppression. Using the limited tools of independent journalism in a totalitarian state, Mr. Mayo Hernandez courageously wrote about the bleak, broken, society that is the result of the tyrannical policies of the Cuban totalitarian dictatorship. In order to better disseminate the truth about totalitarian Cuba, Mr. Mayo Hernandez eventually became the director of the press agency ``Felix Varela.'' On March 18, 2003, as part of Castro's brutal March 2003 crackdown on peaceful prodemocracy activists, Mr. Mayo Hernandez was arrested by the tyrant's police thugs. According to Amnesty International, he was accused of ``creating conditions'' that would allow the UN Commission on Human Rights to condemn the totalitarian regime for its gross human rights violations. In the sham trial that sentenced him to 20 years in the totalitarian gulag, Mr. Mayo Hernandez was convicted because of ``counterrevolutionary'' articles on the abhorrent prison conditions and the situation of families of political prisoners. Mr. Mayo Hernandez is currently languishing in the oppressive conditions of the totalitarian gulag. According to Reporters Without Borders, Mr. Mayo Hernandez has been held in conditions of ``maximum harshness'' that include being locked in solitary confinement, having to wait four months between family visits, and being transferred to a cell with common law criminals. Let there be no doubt, Mr. Mayo Hernandez is being tortured in the totalitarian gulag. Because of his belief in freedom and democracy, because of his truthful depictions of the decrepit reality of the Castro regime, Mr. Mayo Hernandez has been ``sentenced'' to 20 years in Castro's violent, corrupt, inhumane, totalitarian gulag. Mr. Speaker, it is categorically unacceptable that peaceful pro- democracy activists languish in the gulags of tyrannical regimes. My Colleagues, we must demand the immediate release of Mario Enrique Mayo Hernandez and every prisoner of conscience in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Pablo Pacheco Avila, a prisoner of conscience in totalitarian Cuba. Mr. Pacheco Avila works as an independent journalist with the agency Avilena Cooperative of Independent Journalists, because he believes it is his obligation to expose the factual realities of totalitarian Cuba. Due to Mr. Pacheco Avila's desire to communicate the truth about the nightmarish reality of Castro's repressive regime, he has been constantly harassed by the dictator's thugs. According to Amnesty International, in November 2002, Mr. Pacheco Avila was detained by Castro's agents of repression for six hours after attempting to video two totalitarian police officers mistreating two women. In March 2002, he was detained for providing news coverage on a peacefeul pro- democracy meeting. Unfortunately, under the tyrannical dictatorship, freedom is banned and repression is law. Mr. Pacheco Avila was arrested in Castro's brutal March 2003 crackdown on peaceful pro-democracy activists. After a summary, sham trial he was sentenced to 20 years in the totalitarian gulag. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Pacheco Avila is a great example how the dictator torments and commits aggression against those who advocate for truth and democracy. Today marks the one year anniversary of Castro's infamous March 2003 crackdown on Cuba's prodemocracy activists. Amnesty International recognizes 75 prisoners of conscience from this condemnable March 2003 crackdown. Currently thousands of freedom-loving Cubans languish in Castro's totalitarian gulags because they refuse to accept the nightmarish oppression in Cuba. Today, I extend my solidarity to Mr. Pacheco Avila and the thousands of Cuban men and women who are shackled and suffering because they desire to see freedom reign in Cuba. Mr. Pacheco Avila suffers today in an inhumane dungeon because he believes in writing and reporting the truth. My colleagues, on the one year anniversary of the brutal, March 2003 crackdown on pro-democracy activists in totalitarian Cuba, we must demand the immediate release of Pablo Pacheco Avila and every prisoner of conscience suffering in the gulags of totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, exactly 1 year ago, taking advantage of the attention of the world on the liberation of Iraq where U.S. Armed Forces and coalition forces eliminated a dangerous madman from power, that formerly oppressed country, the Cuban dictator 90 miles from the United States utilizing that cover of attention on Iraq, commenced a campaign to throw dozens of peaceful pro-democracy activists, librarians and economists and journalists and students and workers and others into the totalitarian gulag where they joined the thousands of others who languish as political prisoners in that enslaved island. Mr. Speaker, each day we must remind the world of the existence of the totalitarian gulag 90 miles from the United States. We must demand the release of each and every political prisoner on that island. We must not rest until they are all free.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me this time. I think it is appropriate on the 1-year anniversary of the liberation of Iraq that we focus on that monumental and extraordinary event on the floor of this House today. The resolution before us congratulates the valiant men and women of the United States Armed Forces and the Coalition for having liberated the people of Iraq, and it states that because of that heroic effort by the Armed Forces of the Coalition and principally the United States, the world is safer today. The world is safer, Mr. Speaker. Each time a dangerous madman is removed from power anywhere in the world, the entire world is safer because there is one less madman kidnapping power in a country and holding the entire people of that country hostage and linking with terrorist groups throughout the world. Saddam Hussein was not the only dangerous enemy of freedom and peace in the world; but he was a dangerous enemy of freedom and peace in the world, and the entire world is safer because Saddam Hussein is gone from power and facing justice. I would ask the people of Iraq if they feel safer after having seen the regime deposed or if they do not feel safer. The entire world is safer and especially, I believe, Mr. Speaker, the people of Iraq are safer. Just like we can ask the people of Albania if they feel safer because Hoxha is no longer in power or in Romania because Ceausescu is no longer in power or in Russia because Stalin is no longer in power. I think that we should ask all those peoples if they believe that they are safer or not safer because their former totalitarian despots are no longer in power. Or ask the people in Cambodia if they feel safer because Pol Pot is no longer in power. Each time a madman is removed from power, not only the people that that madman had kidnapped and was torturing and oppressing are safer, the entire world is safer. Or is it that when we talk about Iraq, Iraq is not on planet Earth? The entire world is safer, but especially the people of Iraq are safer and the American Armed Forces are the primary liberators of that people. They deserve the commendation and the admiration of the entire world and most especially of this House. That is why I thank the authors for having brought it forward at this important occasion, the 1-year anniversary of the liberation of Iraq. Announcement By the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Luis Milan Fernandez, a political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba. Dr. Milan Fernandez is a medical doctor by profession. He chose to dedicate his life to healing people; but, Dr. Milan Fernandez realized that the people of Cuba are in need of freedom as well as medicine. In June, 2001 he signed the Manifesto 2001, a document that protested the lack of basic freedoms in Cuba. Dr. Milan Fernandez continued to advocate for freedom for every Cuban when he joined the Independent Medical Association of Santiago. According to Amnesty International, he also joined fellow health professionals in a one-day hunger strike to call attention to the medical situation and other issues pertaining to the lack of freedom in totalitarian Cuba. Because of his commitment to freedom for Cuba, Dr. Milan Fernandez was a victim of the dictator's brutal March 2003 crackdown on pro- democracy activists. In a sham trial, Dr. Milan Fernandez was sentenced to 13 years in the totalitarian gulag. The U.S. State Department's 2003 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices describes conditions in the totalitarian gulag as . . . harsh and life threatening. . . . police and prison officials often . . . beat, neglected, isolated, and denied medical treatment to detainees and prisoners, including those convicted of political crimes or those who persisted in expressing their views . . . Detainees and prisoners, both common and political, often were subjected to repeated, vigorous interrogations designed to coerce them into signing incriminating statements, to force collaboration with authorities, or to intimidate victims. Some endured physical and sexual abuse, typically by other inmates with the acquiescence of guards, or long periods in punitive isolation cells. Dr. Milan Fernandez is a brilliant example of the heroism of the Cuban people. No matter how fierce the repression, no matter how brutal the consequences of a dignified struggle for freedom, the prisons of Cuba are full of men and women of all backgrounds and ages who represent the best of the Cuban nation. Thousands languish in the gulag because they refuse to accept the current reality of nightmarish oppression in Cuba today. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Milan Fernandez is languishing in the horror of the totalitarian gulag because he believes in freedom for the people of Cuba. My Colleagues, we must demand the immediate release of Luis Milan Fernandez and every prisoner of conscience suffering in the indescribable gulags of the nightmare called the Castro regime.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Juan Adolfo Fernandez Sainz, a prisoner of conscience in totalitarian Cuba. Mr. Fernandez Sainz worked for about 15 years as an interpreter for government agencies before being dismissed for his support of democracy and the rule of law in 1994. After being forced from his government job, Mr. Fernandez Sainz began to expose the repression and corruption of the dictator's regime as an independent journalist. He originally joined the independent news agency Nueva Prensa and a year later became part of the Patria agency where he wrote about all aspects of totalitarian Cuban society. Mr. Fernandez Sainz contributed to numerous foreign publications and became a correspondent for Prima, the Russian human rights news agency, in July 2001. Because Mr. Fernandez Sainz wrote the truth about a ruthless, repressive, bankrupt, and broken tyranny, he was arrested as part of the brutal March 2003 crackdown against Cuban pro-democracy activists. After a sham trial, where he was accused of supplying information to the U.S. government and endangering Cuban internal security, Mr. Fernandez Sainz was sentenced to 15 years in the totalitarian gulag. However, Castro's ruthless machinery of repression does not stop after sentencing innocent Cubans to the totalitarian gulag. According to the U.S. State Department's 2003 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: On December 6, a common prisoner in Holguin Provincial Prison beat 54-year-old political prisoner Adolfo Fernandez Sainz until Fernandez was unconscious. The prisoner who carried out the beating was authorized by prison guards to exercise control over other inmates. Prison officials told Fernandez the common prisoner should have beaten him harder in order to kill him. In April, Fernandez was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for his work as an independent journalist. Mr. Speaker, we cannot allow Mr. Fernandez Sainz to languish in a gulag where he is abused and tortured. My Colleagues, we cannot allow Mr. Fernandez Sainz to remain in a gulag with totalitarian thugs who want to murder him. We must demand the immediate release of Juan Adolfo Fernandez Sainz and every prisoner of conscience languishing in the totalitarian gulags of the nightmare called the Castro regime.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Omar Rodniguez Saludes, a prisoner of conscience in totalitarian Cuba. Mr. Rodriguez has been active in the Cuban pro-democracy movement since 1995. In his capacity as an activist for freedom, he has worked primarily as an independent journalist and photographer. Mr. Rodriguez is the director of the New Press, an independent news agency in Havana. Mr. Rodriguez has dedicated his life to reporting and photographing the truth in totalitarian Cuba. Because Castro's totalitarian regime denies and abhors the truth, Mr. Rodriguez has been continually arrested and harassed by the dictator's ruthless machinery of repression. According to Amnesty International, Mr. Rodriguez was detained repeatedly between December 1998 and January 2002 for attempting to disseminate the truth about the only totalitarian dictatorship in the Western Hemisphere. On March 20, 2003, as part of the brutal crackdown on Cuban pro- democracy activists, Mr. Rodriguez was arrested by the totalitarian government. Amnesty International reports that Mr. Rodriguez was convicted based on accusations such as ``he photographed places that, because of the state they were in, gave a distorted image of Cuban reality.'' After this sham trial, Mr. Rodriguez was sentenced to 27 years in the totalitarian gulag. I repeat, Mr. Rodriguez was sentenced to 27 years in Castro's gulag, because he captured the truth about a decayed, bankrupt, and ruthless regime on his roles of film. Mr. Speaker, we must fight for freedom whenever and wherever human beings are shackled by totalitarian dictators. My colleagues, we must demand the immediate release of Omar Rodriguez Saludes and every prisoner of conscience in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Angel Juan Moya Acosta, a prisoner of conscience in totalitarian Cuba. Mr. Moya is a tireless advocate for the freedom of Cuba. He is the founder and president of the Alternative Action Movement, a member of the Independent National Labor Federation and a signatory of the ``All United'' manifesto that asked for changes in Cuban society and demanded the release of all political prisoners. Mr. Moya has dedicated much of his work to the cause of freedom for the Cuban people. However, under Castro's totalitarian regime, Mr. Moya has been constantly harassed and arrested for his pro- democracy activities. In December, 1999, Mr. Moya was detained after participating in a peaceful demonstration to celebrate the 51st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. One year later, in December, 2000, Mr. Moya was sentenced to one year in the Cuban gulag and 10 years confinement to his home province, Matanzas. According to Amnesty International, The sentence was reportedly imposed because, in the course of a mass celebrated at his home in November 2000, prayers were said for political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, including calls for them to be amnestied. Following his release from the totalitarian gulag, Mr. Moya resumed his peaceful quest to guarantee fundamental human rights for every citizen of Cuba. On August 15, 2002, Mr. Moya received the second annual Pedro Luis Boitel Freedom Award for his courage in carrying out nonviolent civic resistance in totalitarian Cuba. As part of the Cuban tyrant's brutal March, 2003 crackdown against pro-democracy activists, Mr. Moya was once again arrested. In a sham trial, Mr. Moya was sentenced to 20 years in the totalitarian gulag. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Moya is languishing in the wretched filth of Castro's totalitarian gulag, simply because he is an advocate for freedom. My Colleagues, we must demand the immediate release of Angel Juan Moya Acosta and every prisoner of conscience in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Librado Ricardo Linares Garcia, a prisoner of conscience in totalitarian Cuba. Mr. Linares is an engineer who was expelled from Castro's totalitarian Communist Party in 1992 after he called for economic reforms. Following his eviction, Mr. Linares decided the most effective way to fight Castro's brutal repression was to join the dissident movement. Eventually, Mr. Linares became president of the Cuban Reflection Movement. Between 1995 and November 1999, Mr. Linares was continually harassed, arrested, detained, and fined by Castro's ruthless machinery of repression. Despite these constant setbacks, Mr. Linares persevered in his quest to obtain basic human rights for every Cuban citizen. Unfortunately, on March 18, 2003, the tyrant Castro had Mr. Linares arrested and convicted on sham charges. According to Amnesty International, in the sham trial verdict, Mr. Linares was accused of ``using his human rights work as a front for alleged counterrevolutionary activities such as meetings, conferences and seminars.'' Mr. Speaker, Mr. Linares is suffering because of the gross human rights abuses and outrageous repression that continue every day in totalitarian Cuba. Mr. Linares is languishing in the totalitarian gulag because he believes in basic human rights for every Cuban. It is that simple, Mr. Linares is confined in a dungeon because he believes in freedom and the tyrant Castro believes in repression. My colleagues, we must stand as one and demand freedom for Librado Ricardo Linares Garcia and every prisoner of conscience in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 502 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I yield to the gentleman from Maryland.