Washington, DC- Congressman David Rivera (FL-25) spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives today about Juan Wilfredo Soto Garcia, a 46-year-old Cuban dissident who was beaten to death by the Castro regime in Santa Clara this past weekend.

The text of Congressman Rivera’s speech follows:

“I rise today to inform my colleagues of yet another ruthless murder by the Castro dictatorship in Cuba. Last Sunday, Juan Wilfredo Soto Garcia, a dissident leader on the island, was viciously beaten to death by Castro’s state security thugs, simply for participating in a peaceful protest. Soto belonged to Foro Antitotalitario Unido or the United Anti-totalitarian Forum, a peaceful dissident organization. Witnesses have attested, that two of Castro’s henchmen, cuffed his hands behind his back and then beat him mercilessly and repeatedly with batons until he was dead.

“For 30 years, Soto peacefully worked for freedom and change on the island; and served 12 years in Castro’s political prisons for his pro-democracy advocacy. Last year, Soto stated, ‘I hold Cuban state security, the government and the repressive police here, responsible for whatever happens to me in the future.’ This past weekend he gave the ultimate sacrifice for Cuba’s freedom, and became yet another victim in the Castro brothers’ 50 year reign of terror.”