Political Quotes

“today I am submitting a concurrent resolution recognizing the life of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, who died on February 23, 2010, in Cuban custody, and calling for a continued focus on the promotion of internationally recognized human rights, listed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in Cuba. Mr. Zapata was a political prisoner facing 36 years in prison for defying the Cuban regime. Originally arrested during the ``Black Spring'' of 2003, along with other peaceful supporters of the Varela Project, Zapata was originally sentenced to three years in prison but was later convicted of additional ``acts of defiance'' and resentenced to a total of 36 years. In 2003, Amnesty International declared Zapata a ``prisoner of conscience'' in recognition of his extraordinary courage. Mr. Zapata went on a hunger strike in December 2009 to demand respect for his personal safety and to protest his inhumane treatment by the prison authorities in Cuba. According to Zapata's mother, Reina Luisa Tamayo, her son was beaten repeatedly, tortured, and denied water during his incarceration. While in prison, Mr. Zapata courageously demanded basic dignities and resisted the regime's repression. In the end, he was prohibited from receiving medical attention and lost his life in what Freedom House has called Cuba's ``deplorable prison conditions.'' To Orlando Zapata Tamayo's mother, family and friends, the United States Senate sends our sincere condolences for your loss.”