President George W. Bush
Documents & Texts from the White House
24 October 2007
President Bush Discusses Cuba Policy
En Espaņol  Watch video
see also Fact Sheet: Encouraging Freedom, Justice, and Prosperity in Cuba
see also State Department Briefing following the President's Remarks
U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C.
1:20 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Gracias. Buenos Dias. I am pleased
to be back at the State Department. I appreciate the work that's done
here. Every day the men and women of this department serve as America's
emissaries to the world. Every day you help our country respond to
aggressors and bring peace to troubled lands. Every day you advance our
country's mission in support of basic human rights to the millions who are
denied them. Secretary Rice constantly tells me about the good work being
done here at the State Department, and on behalf of a grateful nation, I
thank you for your hard work and I'm pleased to be with you.
Few issues have challenged this department -- and our nation -- longer than
the situation in Cuba. Nearly half a century has passed since Cuba's
regime ordered American diplomats to evacuate our embassy in Havana. This
was the decisive break of our diplomatic relations with the island, a
troubling signal for the future of the Cuban people, and the dawn of an
unhappy era between our two countries. In this building, President John F.
Kennedy spoke about the U.S. economic embargo against Cuba's dictatorship.
And it was here where he announced the end of the missile crisis that
almost plunged the world into nuclear war.
Today, another President comes with hope to discuss a new era for the
United States and Cuba. The day is coming when the Cuban people will chart
their own course for a better life. The day is coming when the Cuban
people have the freedom they have awaited for so long. (Applause.)
Madam Secretary, thank you for your introduction. I'm pleased to be with
you and Ambassador Negroponte and all who work here. Thanks for the
hospitality. I'm pleased to be here with our Secretary of Commerce,
Secretary Carlos Gutierrez -- born in Cuba. I appreciate other members of
my administration who are here.
I particularly want to thank the members of Congress who have joined us:
Senator Mel Martinez, born in Cuba; Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, born
in Cuba; Lincoln Diaz-Balart, born in Cuba; su hermanito --(laughter) --
Mario Diaz-Balart. I want to thank Chris Smith for joining us, Congressman
from Jersey; Thaddeus McCotter, Michigan; Debbie Wasserman Schultz, from
Florida; as well as Tim Mahone from Florida. Appreciate you being here.
I thank the members of the Diplomatic Corps who have joined us. I
appreciate the Ambassadors to the Organization of American States who are
with us. I particularly want to thank the Cuban families who have joined
me on the stage.
One of the great success stories of the past century is the advance of
economic and political freedom across Latin America. In this room are
officials representing nations that are embracing the blessings of
democratic government and free enterprise. And the United States is proud
and active to work with you in your transformations.
One country in our region still isolates its people from the hope that
freedom brings, and traps them in a system that has failed them.
Forty-eight years ago, in the early moments of Cuba's revolution, its
leaders offered a prediction. He said -- and I quote -- "The worst
enemies which the Cuban revolution can face are the revolutionaries
themselves." One of history's great tragedies is that he made that dark
prophecy come true.
Cuba's rulers promised individual liberty. Instead they denied their
citizens basic rights that the free world takes for granted. In Cuba it is
illegal to change jobs, to change houses, to travel abroad, and to read
books or magazines without the express approval of the state. It is
against the law for more than three Cubans to meet without permission.
Neighborhood Watch programs do not look out for criminals. Instead, they
monitor their fellow citizens -- keeping track of neighbors' comings and
goings, who visits them, and what radio stations they listen to. The sense
of community and the simple trust between human beings is gone.
Cuba's rulers promised an era of economic advancement. Instead they
brought generations of economic misery. Many of the cars on the street
pre-date the revolution -- and some Cubans rely on horse carts for
transportation. Housing for many ordinary Cubans is in very poor
condition, while the ruling class lives in mansions. Clinics for ordinary
Cubans suffer from chronic shortages in medicine and equipment. Many
Cubans are forced to turn to the black market to feed their families.
There are long lines for basic necessities -- reminiscent of the Soviet
bread lines of the last century. Meanwhile, the regime offers fully
stocked food stores to foreign tourists, diplomats and businessmen in
communism's version of apartheid.
Cuba's rulers promised freedom of the press. Instead they closed down
private newspapers and radio and television stations. They've jailed and
beaten journalists, raided their homes, and seized their paper, ink and fax
machines. One Cuban journalist asked foreigners who visited him for one
thing: a pen. Another uses shoe polish as ink as a typewriter ribbon.
Cuba's rulers promised, "absolute respect for human rights." Instead they
offered Cubans rat-infested prisons and a police state. Hundreds are
serving long prison sentences for political offenses such as the crime of
"dangerousness" -- as defined by the regime. Others have been jailed for
the crime of "peaceful sedition" -- which means whatever Cuban authorities
decide it means.
Joining us here are family members of political prisoners in Cuba. I've
asked them to come because I want our fellow citizens to see the faces of
those who suffer as a result of the human rights abuses on the island some
90 miles from our shore. One of them is Olga Alonso. Her brother, Ricardo
Gonzalez Alonso [sic], has been harassed by Cuban authorities since he was
11 years old, because he wrote things that the Cuban authorities did not
like. In 2003, Ricardo was arrested for his writings and sentenced to 20
years in prison. The authorities seized illegal contraband they found in
his home. These included such things as a laptop computer, notebooks and a
printer. Olga, we're glad you're here. Thank you for coming. (Applause.)
Marlenis Gonzalez and her daughter, Melissa, are here. They recently
arrived from Cuba, but without Melissa's father. Jorge Luis Gonzalez
Tanquero dared to defend the human rights of his countrymen. For that, he
was arrested for crimes against the state. Now he languishes in poor
health inside a Cuban prison. Bienvenidos. (Applause.)
Damaris Garcia y su tia, Mirta Pernet, are with us today. Damaris calls
the Cuban government "a killing machine" -- those are her words. They've
seen relatives imprisoned for supporting liberty. One beloved family
member, Omar Pernet Hernandez, was a poor man who sold candy on the streets
of Havana. For advocating freedom, he is serving a sentence of 25 years.
He's 62 years old, he's emaciated. Yet he remains a determined advocate
for human rights for the Cuban people. Bienvenidos. (Applause.)
Also with us is Yamile Llanes Labrada. Yamile's husband, Jorge [sic] Luis
Garcia Paneque, was a surgeon and journalist. He was sentenced to 24 years
in prison for daring speak the truth about the regime. Yamile herself was
accused of espionage and she feared for the safety of her four children.
After Jos 's arrest, a mob organized by state authorities surrounded their
house. The mob carried sticks and threatened to set fire to the house with
the family inside. Earlier this year, Yamile and her children made it off
the island. They do not know when they'll see their father again.
Bienvenidos, Yamile. (Applause.)
I want to thank each of you [for] coming today. I thank you for allowing
me to share your stories, and I thank you for your courage. I ask that God
watch over you and your loved ones. Que Dios les bendiga a ustedes y a sus
familias. And I join your prayers for a day when the light of liberty will
shine on Cuba.
These are just a few of the examples of the terror and trauma that is Cuba
today. The socialist paradise is a tropical gulag. The quest for justice
that once inspired the Cuban people has now become a grab for power. And
as with all totalitarian systems, Cuba's regime no doubt has other horrors
still unknown to the rest of the world. Once revealed, they will shock the
conscience of humanity. And they will shame the regime's defenders and all
those democracies that have been silent. (Applause.) One former Cuban
political prisoner, Armando Valladares, puts it this way: It will be a
time when "mankind will feel the revulsion it felt when the crimes of
Stalin were brought to light." And that time is coming.
As we speak, calls for fundamental change are growing across the island.
Peaceful demonstrations are spreading. Earlier this year leading Cuban
dissidents came together for the first time to issue the Unity of Freedom
-- a declaration for democratic change. They hear the dying gasps of a
failed regime. They know that even history's cruelest nightmares cannot
last forever. A restive people who long to rejoin the world at last have
hope. And they will bring to Cuba a real revolution -- a revolution of
freedom, democracy and justice. (Applause.)
Now is the time to support the democratic movements growing on the island.
Now is the time to stand with the Cuban people as they stand up for their
liberty. And now is the time for the world to put aside its differences
and prepare for Cuban's transition to a future of freedom and progress and
promise. The dissidents of today will be the nation's leaders tomorrow --
and when freedom finally comes, they will surely remember who stood with
them. (Applause.)
The Czech Republic and Hungary and Poland have been vital sources of
support and encouragement to Cuba's brave democratic opposition. I ask
other countries to follow suit. All nations can make tangible efforts to
show public support for those who love freedom on the island. They can
open up their embassies in Havana to pro-democracy leaders and invite them
to different events. They can use their lobbies of the embassies to give
Cubans access to the Internet and to books and to magazines. They can
encourage their country's non-governmental organizations to reach out
directly to Cuba's independent civil society.
Here at home we can do more, as well. The United States Congress has
recently voted for additional funding to support Cuban democracy efforts.
I thank you all for your good work on this measure -- and I urge you to get
the bill to my desk as soon as we possibly can. (Applause.) I also urge
our Congress to show our support and solidarity for fundamental change in
Cuba by maintaining our embargo on the dictatorship until it changes.
(Applause.)
Cuba's regime uses the U.S. embargo as a scapegoat for Cuba's miseries.
Yet Presidents of both our political parties have long understood that the
source of Cuba's suffering is not the embargo, but the communist system.
They know that trade with the Cuban government would not help the Cuban
people until there are major changes to Cuba's political and economic
system. Instead, trade with Cuba would merely enrich the elites in power
and strengthen their grip. As long as the regime maintains its monopoly
over the political and economic life of the Cuban people, the United States
will keep the embargo in place. (Applause.)
The United States knows how much the Cuban people are suffering -- and we
have not stood idle. Over the years, we've granted asylum to hundreds of
thousands who have fled the repression and misery imposed by the regime.
We've rallied nations to take up the banner of Cuban liberty. And we will
continue to do so. We've authorized private citizens and organizations to
provide food, and medicine, and other aid -- amounting to more than $270
million last year alone. The American people, the people of this generous
land, are the largest providers of humanitarian aid to the Cuban people in
the entire world. (Applause.)
The aid we provide goes directly into the hands of the Cuban people, rather
than into the coffers of the Cuban leaders. And that's really the heart of
our policy: to break the absolute control that the regime holds over the
material resources that the Cuban people need to live and to prosper and to
have hope.
To further that effort, the United States is prepared to take new measures
right now to help the Cuban people directly -- but only if the Cuban
regime, the ruling class, gets out of the way.
For example -- here's an interesting idea to help the Cuban people -- the
United States government is prepared to license non-governmental
organizations and faith-based groups to provide computers and Internet
access to Cuban people -- if Cuba's rulers will end their restrictions on
Internet access for all the people.
Or the United States is prepared to invite Cuban young people whose
families suffer oppression into the Partnership for Latin American Youth
scholarship programs, to help them have equal access to greater educational
opportunities -- if the Cuban rulers will allow them to freely participate.
We make these offers to the people of Cuba -- and we hope their rulers will
allow them to accept. You know, we've made similar offers before -- but
they've been rejected out of hand by the regime. It's a sad lesson, and it
should be a vivid lesson for all: For Cuba's ruling class, its grip on
power is more important than the welfare of its people.
Life will not improve for Cubans under their current system of government.
It will not improve by exchanging one dictator for another. It will not
improve if we seek accommodation with a new tyranny in the interests of
"stability." (Applause.) America will have no part in giving oxygen to a
criminal regime victimizing its own people. We will not support the old
way with new faces, the old system held together by new chains. The
operative word in our future dealings with Cuba is not "stability." The
operative word is "freedom." (Applause.)
In that spirit, today I also am announcing a new initiative to develop an
international multi-billion dollar Freedom Fund for Cuba. This fund would
help the Cuban people rebuild their economy and make the transition to
democracy. I have asked two members of my Cabinet to lead the effort --
Secretary Rice and Secretary Gutierrez. They will enlist foreign
governments and international organizations to contribute to this
initiative.
And here's how the fund will work: The Cuban government must demonstrate
that it has adopted, in word and deed, fundamental freedoms. These include
the freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of press, freedom to
form political parties, and the freedom to change the government through
periodic, multi-party elections. And once these freedoms are in place, the
fund will be able to give Cubans -- especially Cuban entrepreneurs --
access to grants, and loans and debt relief to help rebuild their country.
(Applause.)
The restoration of these basic freedoms is the foundation of fair, free and
competitive elections. Without these fundamental protections in place,
elections are only cynical exercises that give dictatorships a legitimacy
they do not deserve.
We will know there is a new Cuba when opposition parties have the freedom
to organize, assemble and speak with equal access to the airwaves. We will
know there is a new Cuba when a free and independent press has the power to
operate without censors. We will know there is a new Cuba when the Cuban
government removes its stranglehold on private economic activity.
And above all, we will know there is a new Cuba when authorities go to the
prisons, walk to the cells where people are being held for their beliefs
and set them free. (Applause.) It will be a time when the families here
are reunited with their loved ones, and when the names of free people --
including dissidents such as Oscar Elias Biscet, Normando Hernandez
Gonzales, and Omar Rodriguez Saludes are free. (Applause.) It will be a
moment when Cubans of conscience are released from their shackles -- not as
a gesture or a tactic, but because the government no longer puts people in
prison because of what they think, or what they say or what they believe.
Cuba's transition from a shattered society to a free country may be long
and difficult. Things will not always go as hoped. There will be
difficult adjustments to make. One of the curses of totalitarianism is
that it affects everyone. Good people make moral compromises to feed their
families, avoid the whispers of neighbors, and escape a visit from the
secret police. If Cuba is to enter a new era, it must find a way to
reconcile and forgive those who have been part of the system but who do not
have blood on their hands. They're victims as well.
At this moment, my words are being transmitted into -- live into Cuba by
media outlets in the free world -- including Radio and TV Marti. To those
Cubans who are listening -- perhaps at great risk -- I would like to speak
to you directly.
Some of you are members of the Cuban military, or the police, or officials
in the government. You may have once believed in the revolution. Now you
can see its failure. When Cubans rise up to demand their liberty, they --
they -- the liberty they deserve, you've got to make a choice. Will you
defend a disgraced and dying order by using force against your own people?
Or will you embrace your people's desire for change? There is a place for
you in the free Cuba. You can share the hope found in the song that has
become a rallying cry for freedom-loving Cubans on and off the island:
"Nuestro Dia Ya Viene Llegando." Our day is coming soon. (Applause.)
To the ordinary Cubans who are listening: You have the power to shape your
own destiny. You can bring about a future where your leaders answer to
you, where you can freely express your beliefs and where your children can
grow up in peace. Many experts once said that that day could never come to
Eastern Europe, or Spain or Chile. Those experts were wrong. When the
Holy Father came to Cuba and offered God's blessings, he reminded you that
you hold your country's future in your hands. And you can carry this
refrain in your heart: Su dia ya viene llegando. Your day is coming soon.
(Applause.)
To the schoolchildren of Cuba: You have a lot in common with young people
in the United States. You both dream of hopeful futures, and you both have
the optimism to make those dreams come true. Do not believe the tired lies
you are told about America. We want nothing from you except to welcome you
to the hope and joy of freedom. Do not fear the future. Su dia ya viene
llegando. Your day is coming soon. (Applause.)
Until that day, you and your suffering are never far from our hearts and
prayers. The American people care about you. And until we stand together
as free men and women, I leave you with a hope, a dream, and a mission:
Viva Cuba Libre. (Applause.)
END 1:48 P.M. EDT
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