NEWS

House Foreign Affairs Committee

U.S. House of Representatives

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chairman

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov

For IMMEDIATE Release

Ros-Lehtinen Disappointed at Spain’s Treatment of Former Cuban Political Prisoners

Calls on Spanish Government to Fulfill its Commitments

(WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today sent a letter to Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Ms. Trinidad Jimenez Garcia-Herrera, urging the Spanish government to fulfill the commitments it made to Cuban political prisoners now living in Spain.  Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

“It is deeply concerning that former Cuban political prisoners, banished from their homeland after being unjustly imprisoned by the Havana tyranny, are now facing disappointing conditions in Spain that do not meet the promises made by the Spanish government.

“These former political prisoners, who have endured years of cruel abuse in Cuban prisons, find themselves in a country that reportedly will not grant them legal status nor provide livable housing conditions, adequate nutrition, and much-needed medical treatment. They have already suffered long enough under the Cuban tyranny.

“I urge the Spanish government to honor its commitment and ensure that these former political prisoners are afforded their basic needs and rights.”

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