Frank Pallone: “Mr. Speaker, I wanted to draw attention once again to the continued denial of peaceable efforts to bring Democratic…”

“Mr. Speaker, I wanted to draw attention once again to the continued denial of peaceable efforts to bring Democratic reforms on the Island of Cuba. Early this year, over 11,000 citizens of Cuba took a courageous stand and petitioned the Cuban National Assembly to hold a nationwide referendum vote on guarantees of human rights and civil liberties. Named for the 19th century priest and Cuban independence hero, Padre Felix Varela, the Varela Project was the first ever peaceful challenge to Castro's four-decade-long control of the island. During his visit to the island, former President and now Nobel Peace prize winner Jimmy Carter spoke about the Project on Cuban television. Because Varela received no attention from the Castro government press, this marked the first time many on the island heard of the Project. Shortly after Carter's speech, Castro organized mass island-wide demonstrations as a sign of ``so-called'' support for the Cuban socialist system of government.”