June 11, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 108 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
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CALLING FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF CUBAN DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST JOSE DANIEL FERRER AND COMMENDING THE EFFORTS OF JOSE DANIEL FERRER TO PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS IN CUBA; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 108
(Senate - June 11, 2020)
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[Pages S2921-S2922] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] CALLING FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF CUBAN DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST JOSE DANIEL FERRER AND COMMENDING THE EFFORTS OF JOSE DANIEL FERRER TO PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS IN CUBA Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 467, S. Res. 454. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title. The legislative clerk read as follows: A resolution (S. Res. 454) calling for the immediate release of Cuban democracy activist Jose Daniel Ferrer and commending the efforts of Jose Daniel Ferrer to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms in Cuba. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign Relations with an amendment to strike all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic and with an amendment to the preamble to strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic, as follows Whereas Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia is a Cuban democracy and human rights activist who has dedicated his life to promoting greater political pluralism and respect for fundamental freedoms in Cuba; Whereas Mr. Ferrer was born in Cuba on July 29, 1970, in the province of Santiago de Cuba; Whereas, in the late 1990s, Mr. Ferrer joined the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL), a peaceful political movement led by late Cuban activist Oswaldo Paya; Whereas, through coordination with the MCL, Mr. Ferrer helped lead the Varela Project, an initiative to collect the signatures of citizens to petition the Government of Cuba for democratic reforms and protections for freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly; Whereas, in March 2003, as part of a series of sweeping arrests of 75 democracy activists, Mr. Ferrer was arrested by Cuban authorities for his work on the Varela Project and sentenced to 25 years in prison; Whereas, in March 2004, Amnesty International declared the group of 75 democracy activists, including Mr. Ferrer, to be prisoners of conscience and called for their immediate and unconditional release; Whereas, in 2009, Mr. Ferrer was honored with the Democracy Award given annually by the National Endowment for Democracy; Whereas, in March 2011, as part of an agreement brokered by the Catholic Church, Mr. Ferrer refused to abandon his homeland and was released from prison to remain in Cuba; Whereas, in August 2011, Mr. Ferrer founded the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), a nonviolent political movement dedicated to promoting human rights, democratic principles, and fundamental freedoms in Cuba; Whereas, on June 7, 2012, Mr. Ferrer testified via digital video conference at a hearing of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; Whereas, since he was released from jail in March 2011, Mr. Ferrer has been frequently harassed, regularly surveilled, and repeatedly jailed by Cuban authorities for his role in UNPACU; Whereas, on October 1, 2019, Mr. Ferrer was imprisoned arbitrarily by Cuban authorities for his leadership of UNPACU and outspoken advocacy for human rights and democratic principles in Cuba; Whereas, on October 1, 2019, Cuban authorities detained 3 other members of UNPACU, Fernando Gonzalez Vailant, Jose Pupo Chaveco, and Roilan Zarraga Ferrer; Whereas the family of Mr. Ferrer was permitted to visit him only twice while he was imprisoned arbitrarily, and the wife of Mr. Ferrer reported that she saw evidence that he had been physically abused and mistreated; Whereas, on April 3, 2020, Mr. Ferrer was arbitrarily convicted and sentenced to 4 years and 6 months of house arrest for the purported crimes of ``injuries'' and ``privation of liberty''; Whereas, on April 3, 2020, Mr. Gonzalez Vailant, Mr. Pupo Chaveco, and Mr. Zarraga Ferrer were also arbitrarily convicted to multiyear sentences of house arrest; and Whereas, since he was placed under house arrest, Mr. Ferrer has informed international media outlets that during his time in prison he was subjected to ``torture'' and ``constant humiliation'', and denied access to food and medical treatment: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) condemns the arbitrary conviction, sentencing, and imprisonment of leading Cuban democracy and human rights activist Jose Daniel Ferrer and calls for his immediate and unconditional release; (2) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all members of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) that have been arbitrarily imprisoned; (3) commends Mr. Ferrer for his unwavering commitment to advance democratic principles, human rights, and fundamental freedoms in Cuba; and (4) recognizes the important contributions of UNPACU and all of its members for their efforts to promote greater respect for democratic principles, human rights, and fundamental freedoms in Cuba. Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment to the resolution be agreed to; the resolution, as amended, be agreed to; the committee-reported amendment to the preamble be agreed to; the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute was agreed to. The resolution (S. Res. 454), as amended, was agreed to. The committee-reported amendment to the preamble was agreed to. [[Page S2922]] The preamble, as amended, was agreed to. The resolution, as amended, and the preamble, as amended, reads as follows S. Res. 454 Whereas Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia is a Cuban democracy and human rights activist who has dedicated his life to promoting greater political pluralism and respect for fundamental freedoms in Cuba; Whereas Mr. Ferrer was born in Cuba on July 29, 1970, in the province of Santiago de Cuba; Whereas, in the late 1990s, Mr. Ferrer joined the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL), a peaceful political movement led by late Cuban activist Oswaldo Paya; Whereas, through coordination with the MCL, Mr. Ferrer helped lead the Varela Project, an initiative to collect the signatures of citizens to petition the Government of Cuba for democratic reforms and protections for freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly; Whereas, in March 2003, as part of a series of sweeping arrests of 75 democracy activists, Mr. Ferrer was arrested by Cuban authorities for his work on the Varela Project and sentenced to 25 years in prison; Whereas, in March 2004, Amnesty International declared the group of 75 democracy activists, including Mr. Ferrer, to be prisoners of conscience and called for their immediate and unconditional release; Whereas, in 2009, Mr. Ferrer was honored with the Democracy Award given annually by the National Endowment for Democracy; Whereas, in March 2011, as part of an agreement brokered by the Catholic Church, Mr. Ferrer refused to abandon his homeland and was released from prison to remain in Cuba; Whereas, in August 2011, Mr. Ferrer founded the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), a nonviolent political movement dedicated to promoting human rights, democratic principles, and fundamental freedoms in Cuba; Whereas, on June 7, 2012, Mr. Ferrer testified via digital video conference at a hearing of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; Whereas, since he was released from jail in March 2011, Mr. Ferrer has been frequently harassed, regularly surveilled, and repeatedly jailed by Cuban authorities for his role in UNPACU; Whereas, on October 1, 2019, Mr. Ferrer was imprisoned arbitrarily by Cuban authorities for his leadership of UNPACU and outspoken advocacy for human rights and democratic principles in Cuba; Whereas, on October 1, 2019, Cuban authorities detained 3 other members of UNPACU, Fernando Gonzalez Vailant, Jose Pupo Chaveco, and Roilan Zarraga Ferrer; Whereas the family of Mr. Ferrer was permitted to visit him only twice while he was imprisoned arbitrarily, and the wife of Mr. Ferrer reported that she saw evidence that he had been physically abused and mistreated; Whereas, on April 3, 2020, Mr. Ferrer was arbitrarily convicted and sentenced to 4 years and 6 months of house arrest for the purported crimes of ``injuries'' and ``privation of liberty''; Whereas, on April 3, 2020, Mr. Gonzalez Vailant, Mr. Pupo Chaveco, and Mr. Zarraga Ferrer were also arbitrarily convicted to multiyear sentences of house arrest; and Whereas, since he was placed under house arrest, Mr. Ferrer has informed international media outlets that during his time in prison he was subjected to ``torture'' and ``constant humiliation'', and denied access to food and medical treatment: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) condemns the arbitrary conviction, sentencing, and imprisonment of leading Cuban democracy and human rights activist Jose Daniel Ferrer and calls for his immediate and unconditional release; (2) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all members of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) that have been arbitrarily imprisoned; (3) commends Mr. Ferrer for his unwavering commitment to advance democratic principles, human rights, and fundamental freedoms in Cuba; and (4) recognizes the important contributions of UNPACU and all of its members for their efforts to promote greater respect for democratic principles, human rights, and fundamental freedoms in Cuba. ____________________
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