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NEWS
President Bush Discusses Cuban Policy in Rose Garden Speech
Remarks by the President on Cuba
The Rose Garden
11:03 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Hola. Sientese. Thank you for coming. Welcome to the Rose
Garden. It's my honor to host you for an important policy announcement.
I'm proud to be joined by our great Secretary of State Colin Powell and
a son of Cuba, a graduate of the Pedro Pan program -- (applause) -- Mel
Martinez. (Applause.) I'm also pleased to be joined with other members
who will be -- of my administration who will be charged with
implementing policy. From the Department of Homeland Security, Under
Secretary Asa Hutchinson is with us today. (Applause.) From the Treasury
Department, Rick Newcomb, Director of the Office of Foreign Asset
Control, is with us today. Rick, thank you for coming. (Applause.)
Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere, Roger Noriega is with us
today. (Applause.) Y, por fin, from my staff, Envoy Otto Reich.
(Applause.)
As well, we're honored to have distinguished members of the Congress
with us, starting with the very capable and able Senator from the state
of Virginia, George Allen. (Applause.) Bienvenidos, Jorge. (Laughter.)
From the state of Florida, Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart. (Applause.)
Y su hermano, Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart. (Applause.) Ileana
Ros-Lehtinen. (Applause.) And Porter Goss. Thank you for coming. I'm
honored you all are here. (Applause.)
The Secretary mentioned to me that Bob Dole is with us. Bob Dole is not
with us.
One hundred and thirty-five years ago today, the struggle for Cuban
freedom began at a sugar mill near Manzanillo. Carlos Manuel de Cespedes
-- known as the Father of the Homeland -- led an uprising against
colonial rule. Today, the struggle for freedom continues -- it hasn't
ended -- in cities and towns of that beautiful island, in Castro's
prisons, and in the heart of every Cuban patriot. It is carried on by
brave dissidents like Oscar Elias Biscet, Marta Beatriz Roque, Leonardo
Bruzon Avila.
Last year in Miami, I offered Cuba's government a way forward -- a way
forward toward democracy and hope and better relations with the United
States. I pledged to work with our Congress to ease bans on trade and
travel between our two countries if -- and only if -- the Cuban
government held free and fair elections, allowed the Cuban people to
organize, assemble and to speak freely, and ease the stranglehold on
private enterprise.
Since I made that offer, we have seen how the Castro regime answers
diplomatic initiatives. The dictator has responded with defiance and
contempt and a new round of brutal oppression that outraged the world's
conscience.
In April, 75 peaceful members of Cuban opposition were given harsh
prison sentences, some as long a 20 years. Their crimes were to publish
newspapers, to organize petition drives, to meet to discuss the future
of their country. Cuba's political prisoners subjected to beatings and
solitary confinement and the denial of medical treatment. Elections in
Cuba are still a sham. Opposition groups still organize and meet at
their own peril. Private economic activity is still strangled.
Non-government trade unions are still oppressed and suppressed. Property
rights are still ignored. And most goods and services produced in Cuba
are still reserved for the political elites.
Clearly, the Castro regime will not change by its own choice. But Cuba
must change. So today I'm announcing several new initiatives intended to
hasten the arrival of a new, free, democratic Cuba. (Applause.)
First, we are strengthening re-enforcement of those travel restrictions
to Cuba that are already in place. (Applause.) U.S. law forbids
Americans to travel to Cuba for pleasure. That law is on the books and
it must be enforced. We allow travel for limited reasons, including
visit to a family, to bring humanitarian aid, or to conduct research.
Those exceptions are too often used as cover for illegal business travel
and tourism, or to skirt the restrictions on carrying cash into Cuba.
We're cracking down on this deception.
I've instructed the Department of Homeland Security to increase
inspections of travelers and shipments to and from Cuba. We will enforce
the law. (Applause.) We will also target those who travel to Cuba
illegally through third countries, and those who sail to Cuba on private
vessels in violation of the embargo.
You see, our country must understand the consequences of illegal travel.
All Americans need to know that foreign-owned resorts in Cuba must pay
wages -- must pay the wages of their Cuban workers to the government. A
good soul in America who wants to be a tourist goes to a foreign-owned
resort, pays the hotel bill -- that money goes to the government. The
government, in turn, pays the workers a pittance in worthless pesos and
keeps the hard currency to prop up the dictator and his cronies. Illegal
tourism perpetuates the misery of the Cuban people. And that is why I've
charged the Department of Homeland Security to stop that kind of illegal
trafficking of money. (Applause.)
By cracking down on the illegal travel, we will also serve another
important goal. A rapidly growing part of Cuba's tourism industry is the
illicit sex trade, a modern form of slavery which is encouraged by the
Cuban government. This cruel exploitation of innocent women and children
must be exposed and must be ended. (Applause.)
Second, we are working to ensure that Cubans fleeing the dictatorship do
not risk their lives at sea. My administration is improving the method
through which we identify refugees, and redoubling our efforts to
process Cubans who seek to leave. We will better inform Cubans of the
many routes to safe and legal entry into the United States through a
public outreach campaign in southern Florida and inside Cuba itself. We
will increase the number of new Cuban immigrants we welcome every year.
(Applause.) We are free to do so, and we will, for the good of those who
seek freedom. Our goal is to help more Cubans safely complete their
journey to a free land.
Third, our government will establish a Commission for the Assistance to
a Free Cuba, to plan for the happy day when Castro's regime is no more
and democracy comes to the island. This commission will be co-chaired by
the Secretary of State, Colin Powell; and the Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development, Mel Martinez. They will draw upon experts within our
government to plan for Cuba's transition from Stalinist rule to a free
and open society, to identify ways to hasten the arrival of that day.
(Applause.)
The transition to freedom will present many challenges to the Cuban
people and to America, and we will be prepared. America is not alone in
calling for freedom inside of Cuba. Countries around the globe and the
United Nations Human Rights Commission increasingly recognize the
oppressive nature of the Castro regime, and have denounced its recent
crackdowns. We will continue to build a strong international coalition
to advance the cause of freedom inside of Cuba.
In addition to the measures I've announced today, we continue to break
the information embargo that the Cuban government has imposed on its
people for a half a century. Repressive governments fear the truth, and
so we're increasing the amount and expanding the distribution of printed
material to Cuba, of Internet-based information inside of Cuba, and of
AM-FM and shortwave radios for Cubans.
Radio and TV Marti are bringing the message of freedom to the Cuban
people. This administration fully recognizes the need to enhance the
effectiveness of Radio and TV Marti. Earlier this year, we launched a
new satellite service to expand our reach to Cuba. On May 20th, we
staged the historic flight of Commando Solo, an airborne transmission
system that broke through Castro's jamming efforts. Tyrants hate the
truth; they jam messages. And on that day, I had the honor of speaking
to the Cuban people in the native language.
It's only the beginning of a more robust effort to break through to the
Cuban people. This country loves freedom and we know that the enemy of
every tyrant is the truth. We're determined to bring the truth to the
people who suffer under Fidel Castro. (Applause.)
Cuba has a proud history of fighting for freedom, and that fight goes
on. In all that lies ahead, the Cuban people have a constant friend in
the United States of America. No tyrant can stand forever against the
power of liberty, because the hope of freedom is found in every heart.
So today we are confident that no matter what the dictator intends or
plans, Cuba sera pronto libre. (Applause.)
De nuevo, Cuba libre. Thank you all. (Applause.)
END 11:17 A.M. EDT
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