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US GOVERNMENTS REPORTS |
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10 October 2003
President Bush
Pledges to Assist Cause of Freedom in Cuba
President announces initiatives to hasten democratic transition
"Cuba must change," President Bush said in announcing new efforts to hasten
Cuba's transition to democracy.
In October 10 remarks from the White House Rose Garden, Bush noted his 2002
offer to work to improve U.S. relations with Cuba and to ease trade and
travel restrictions between the two countries if the Cuban government
enacted political and economic reforms. The response to the White House
offer, Bush said, was "a new round of oppression that outraged the world's
conscience."
The president said the April arrest and imprisonment of 75 pro-democracy
dissidents by the regime of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro demonstrates that it
is not interested in reform.
"Clearly, the Castro regime will not change by its own choice," Bush said.
Accordingly, the president announced several new initiatives "intended to
hasten the arrival of a new, free, democratic Cuba."
The first of theses initiatives will be to strengthen the enforcement of
travel restrictions pertaining to Cuba that are already in place. Bush said
the United States will continue to permit Americans to travel to Cuba to
visit family members, to bring humanitarian aid, and to conduct research,
but will step up enforcement of the law that forbids Americans to travel to
the island for pleasure.
"Illegal tourism perpetuates the misery of the Cuban people," Bush said,
explaining that tourism revenue props up the Castro regime.
Another initiative announced by the president is an effort to help more
Cubans safely reach the United States. To this end, he said his
administration will better identify refugees, redouble efforts to process
Cubans who seek to leave their homeland, and reach out to inform Cubans of
safe and legal routes to enter the United States.
"We will increase the number of new Cuban immigrants we welcome every year,"
Bush said. "We are free to do so, and we will, for the good of those who
seek freedom."
Bush also announced the establishment of a Commission for the Assistance to
a Free Cuba. This group, he said, will "plan for the happy day when Castro's
regime is no more and democracy comes to the island." Secretary of State
Colin Powell and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Mel Martinez
will co-chair the commission. "The transition to freedom will present many
challenges to the Cuban people and to America, and we will be ready," Bush
said.
In addition to launching these initiatives, the president said the United
States will continue "to build a strong international coalition to advance
the cause of freedom inside of Cuba." He added that the United States will
also continue and expand efforts to break the "information embargo" the
Cuban government has imposed on its people.
The distribution of more printed materials and radios for Cubans, as well as
the expansion of Internet information available in Cuba, "is only the
beginning of a more robust effort to break through to the Cuban people," he
said.
As Cuba continues its struggle for freedom, Bush said, "the Cuban people
have a constant friend in the United States of America."
The president said, in Spanish, that no matter what Castro plans, "Cuba will
soon be free."
Following is a transcript of Bush's remarks:
(begin transcript)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
October 10, 2003
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 Cespedas -- 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 the Cuban opposition were given harsh
prison sentences, some as long as 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 reinforcement 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
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
short-wave 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 their 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
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov) |
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