Lincoln Diaz-Balart: “I want to thank from the bottom of my heart Congresswoman Meek and, of course, Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen. I heard also…”

“I want to thank from the bottom of my heart Congresswoman Meek and, of course, Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen. I heard also earlier today Congressman Menendez and Congressman Goss and perhaps I missed others, but I want to thank them all for their concern on this, about this horrible tragedy that occurred on Saturday. There is so much to say. I really think it is important to put it in perspective. This is connected, this horrible crime by Castro, is connected to a crackdown that he began on the 15th of February against the internal opposition in Cuba. Over 130 of the dissident groups in Cuba had announced that they were going to meet on February 24th, this last Saturday, peacefully, and seek ways to achieve a democratic transition. They even asked Castro for permission. The answer came in by way of a massive crackdown. The elected leaders of the opposition and most of the delegates who were already on their way for the February 24 meeting were arrested. The chairman, the national chairman of this group called the Cuban Council, was arrested and summarily sentenced to a prison term, as was the vice chairman. Another vice chairman, a lady, was arrested and taken to a hospital for surgery that the regime called necessary surgery. No one has heard yet from her since. And as I mentioned, the chairman, Leonel Molejon Almagro was sentenced to a prison term. His mother was able to see him once. He was arrested on the 15th of February.”