US Senators on the Cuban Blogger Beatings
gBipartisan Group of Senators Condemned Brutal Attack of Blogger by Cuban Regime
WASHINGTON – On Friday, Cuban dissident blogger Yoani Sanchez and several colleagues were viciously attacked, beaten and thrown into waiting cars by plain-clothes state security agents as they walked to join a peaceful march against violence.
Today, U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Senator George LeMieux (R-FL), Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), Senator Ted Kaufman (D-DE), Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), condemned the attacks.
"I'm sure the irony of viciously beating a pacifist dissident on the way to a march for non-violence was lost entirely on the Castro regime," said Senator Menendez. "Once again, the dictatorship rears its ugly head in the form of physical violence and the suppression of human rights against its own people. This is yet another indication that despite all of the hope for change on the island, the regime continues to rule with an iron fist that crushes any seed of free speech or human rights. The Castro regime wants to have it both ways – they want a new relationship with the United States, but they also want to keep attacking their own people, silencing free speech and imprisoning dissidents just as they always have. This should not and cannot be. The Castro regime can't continue to expect to get something without giving something in return, plain and simple."
"This is yet another unfortunate reminder that appeasing the Castro regime will not work. We must continue standing with Cuban heroes like Yoani Sanchez and Oscar Elias Biscet and not with their oppressors," said Senator George LeMieux.
"The United States and the international community must stand together in support of those who peacefully exercise their basic rights and freedom of expression. We must have zero tolerance for repressive regimes and the tactics of intimidation," said Senator Bill Nelson.
"Yoani Sanchez has been a symbol of courage in one of the most dangerous press environments in the world, and I strongly condemn attempts by the government of Cuba to silence her. If Cuba is ever to improve its standing with the community of nations, it must protect human rights for all people, including political dissidents, members of the press, and bloggers. I hope the Cuban government realizes that this act violates freedom of expression, and it is critical that the perpetrators of this crime are punished and justice is served," said Senator Kaufman.
"The best judge of political freedom is for dissenting points of view to be freely expressed. Senseless acts like this make it difficult to believe that the Castro regime is willing to allow political and economic freedom for its people. It's time the Castro brothers allow the people of this rich nation to enjoy the civil rights and liberties that billions across the world already have," said Senator Chuck Grassley.
"The anti-freedom message sent by the Cuban government with last month's denial of Ms. Sanchez' exit request has been multiplied with the vicious physical attack on this internationally respected blogger. Last month, I wrote to the Cuban Interests Section to ask the Cuban Government to allow Ms. Sanchez to come to the United States to accept Columbia University's Maria Moors Cabot Prize, which is awarded for outstanding reporting on Latin America and the Caribbean. Now, more than ever, I call on the Cuban Government to treat its journalists with respect," said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
"Freedom of speech is a basic human right that Cuba must respect if it wants a future relationship with the United States. Government-sponsored violence and intimidation cannot be tolerated and we have an obligation to speak out against these actions by the Cuban Government," said Senator Frank R. Lautenberg.
Other US Senators, Im sure, were busy trying to figure out the spin for damage control. Lest their precious trade agreements with the Caribbean slavemasters be in jeopardy.
Giving credit where credit is due...congratulations to the senators from both parties for speaking out against the brutality of the castro regime.
Today, U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Senator George LeMieux (R-FL), Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), Senator Ted Kaufman (D-DE), Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), condemned the attacks.
It's hard not to be cynical and see political motivation at work when 4 of the 7 Senators are from the states with the most Cuban-American voters.
So basically exiles just need to have clout in all 50 states before the full Senate will give a F#$K !
Mr. Mojito, unfortunately, yes. It's a fact of life that people care most about issues that affect themselves, their families, or those close to them. Where is the outrage over the (probably much worse) barbarities that go on every day in places like Zimbabwe, Sudan, Uganda, Somalia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uzbekistan, Burma? These places don't have as much representation in the states, well-organized lobbying groups, or elected members of Congress--therefore, most people don't care about or even think about them. At the governmental level, this manifests itself in the way we trade with, do business with, and allow travel to almost all of these countries, whereas Cuba gets special attention, because it is in our hemisphere (physical proximity) and because of the high level of representation and political penetration in the US. Whether the correct way of resolving the inconsistency is by removing sanctions from Cuba or sanctioning everyone else obviously depends on your philosophy, but the current state of affairs is undeniably hypocritical at best.
This lovely bit from Nordlinger today in NR online:
Blogging brave, &c.
By Jay Nordlinger
Who is more admirable than people under dictatorship who stick their necks out for freedom and decency? Not many, you will agree. I have taken special note, over the years, of people in Cuba who stick their necks out, and who often suffer horrible consequences for their efforts. Not a few of these people are young. For example, there is a group called Jóvenes sin Censura, or Youth without Censorship. I wrote about them once, in a piece for National Review, paying special attention to Liannis Meriño Aguilera and Luis Esteban Espinosa. (To see that piece, go here.)
Another person to know — there are so many — is Yoani Sánchez. She is a blogger, and was going to an anti-violence march with some of her fellows. This was on Friday. On their way to the march, they met with violence, at the hands of the state. Yoani and another blogger were seized and beaten, but they resisted mightily, and the goons apparently considered them more trouble than they were worth that day. They dumped them on the sidewalk. And Yoani has written about the episode here. You may well be amazed.
Some have observed that the Obama administration is trying a very soft approach to Cuba — they have softened up, even cozied up, in multiple ways. And what are we getting for it? Any relaxation of the chokehold that the dictatorship has over the people? If there is to be a payoff — when will it come? It would be pleasant to say that “The whole world is watching,” to borrow an old line, but, unfortunately, when it comes to Cuba, this is rarely true.
Still, many are optimistic — optimistic that the regime will breathe its last. Here is what Yoani Sánchez says at the end of her blog entry, linked to above: “I managed to see . . . the degree of fright of our assailants, the fear of the new, of what they cannot destroy because they don’t understand, the blustering terror of he who knows that his days are numbered.”