B37 3-16-89 [OC's]
HCON 75 IH
101st CONGRESS
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 75
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Cuban Government permit a free
and open plebiscite on whether the Cuban people wish to continue to be ruled
by Fidel Castro and the Cuban Communist Party.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 15, 1989
Mr. DOUGLAS (for himself, Mr. ARMEY, Mr. BALLENGER, Mr. BARTLETT, Mr. CAMPBELL
of California, Mr. COBLE, Mr. GINGRICH, Mr. GOSS, Mr. GUNDERSON, Mr. HERGER,
Mr. HUNTER, Mr. IRELAND, Mr. KYL, Mr. DONALD E. `BUZ' LUKENS, Mr. SMITH of
Mississippi, Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire, Mr. PAXON, Mr. WALKER, Mr. WALSH,
Mr. HANCOCK, Mr. HASTERT, Mr. COX, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. UPTON, Mr. WEBER,
Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. PEPPER, Mr. JAMES, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. GEKAS,
Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. MCCOLLUM, Mr. DANNEMEYER, Mr. KASICH, Mr. SLAUGHTER
of Virginia, Mr. SCHUETTE, Mr. DORNAN of California, Mr. PACKARD, Mr. BLILEY,
Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. BENNETT, Mr. SMITH of Florida, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. MONTGOMERY,
Mr. CRAIG, Mr. EMERSON, Mr. STUMP, Mr. STENHOLM, Mr. HEFLEY, Mr. ROWLAND
of Georgia, Mr. BUNNING, Mr. STANGELAND, Mr. VALENTINE, and Mr. STEARNS)
submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Cuban Government permit a free
and open plebiscite on whether the Cuban people wish to continue to be ruled
by Fidel Castro and the Cuban Communist Party.
Whereas social and political development in Latin America over the past
decade has been toward freedom and democracy, and a number of countries in
the region have made important strides in fostering full self-government
and the rule of law;
Whereas Fidel Castro and the Cuban Communist Party have denied the Cuban
people participation in this democratic development and have ruled Cuba for
30 years without allowing Cubans to express their will through a free and
open election or plebiscite;
Whereas the recent overthrow of the military government in Paraguay leaves
Fidel Castro the longest reigning dictator in Latin America;
Whereas the human rights report of the Cuba Working Group of the United
Nations documents widespread incidents of `torture, cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment, missing people, murder . . .' and a `lack of all
fundamental liberties' in Cuba;
Whereas the Working Group's report charges that the Cuban Government imposed
imprisonment, beatings, and other reprisals on Cuban citizens who testified
before the Working Group, in violation of the government's promise not to
harass these witnesses;
Whereas according to a State Department human rights report, Cuba ranks with
North Korea and Romania as the world's worst violators of human rights;
Whereas the Cuban economy since 1959 has failed to share in the level of
economic growth achieved by other Latin American countries, and despite $5
billion a year in direct Soviet economic and military aid, Cuba's gross
national product has fallen in each of the last four years, dropping 3.5
percent in 1987 alone;
Whereas the Cuban Government has sent tens of thousands of soldiers to fight
in support of regimes in Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Nicaragua; and
Whereas 169 internationally recognized artists, writers, intellectuals,
and human rights activists have called upon Castro to hold a plebiscite to
let the Cuban people decide on his rule: Now, therefore, be it
  Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  This resolution may be cited as the `Resolution on a Plebiscite in Cuba'.
SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
  It is the sense of Congress that--
  (1) after 30 years, Fidel Castro has failed to recognize the basic human
  rights, aspirations, and freedoms of the Cuban people;
  (2) oppressive government policies and economic mismanagement have increased
  the suffering and hardship on the people of Cuba;
  (3) the Cuban people should be allowed to express their view on their
  country's political future, that the Cuban Communist Party permit a
  plebiscite, by a secret `yes/no' ballot, of the people's approval or
  rejection of Castro's continued rule;
  (4) in order to guarantee an open and honest plebiscite, the Government
  of Cuba meet the following conditions--
  (A) allow opposition and human rights groups to organize publicly and
  repeal all laws curtailing freedom of expression and of assembly;
  (B) grant all opposition groups equal access to national press, radio,
  and television media;
  (C) release all political prisoners; and
  (D) invite a neutral, international commission to oversee the voting and
  ensure the legitimacy of the results;
  (5) should the `no' vote on Castro's rule prevail, the regime would
  respect the will of the people, initiate a period of democratic openness,
  and hold prompt national elections through which the Cuban people could
  freely choose their leaders; and
  (6) that normalized relations between the Governments of the United
  States and Cuba should one day be restored, and that a democratic Cuban
  Government elected by all the people must be an essential condition for
  such normalization.