William Helms: “I commend our distinguished colleagues from Florida, Senators Bob Graham and Connie Mack, for their leadership in the…”

“I commend our distinguished colleagues from Florida, Senators Bob Graham and Connie Mack, for their leadership in the bipartisan effort to defend the rights of the Cuban people. Their Senate Resolution No. 57--of which I am a proud cosponsor--is a timely reminder to the administration that the United States must speak out clearly in behalf of those whose own voices are choked by communist repression--be they in China or Cuba. Our principled, consistent defense of human rights must be heard at the upcoming meeting of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. In recent weeks, Fidel Castro has executed a brutal crackdown on courageous Cubans and independent journalists who seek freedom from the heavy-handed treatment imposed on them by the Castro government. Just this week, he sentenced four prominent, peaceful dissidents to up to 5 years in prison for daring to criticize Castro's failed communist experiment. There's nothing new about Castro's brutality. But the latest Castro crackdown is significant because it violates Castro's commitments to the Pope. The Pope asked Castro to ``open up to the world'' and to respect human rights. Castro's reply has now been heard: He gave a bloody thumbs-down to the Pope's plea. The latest crackdown also comes despite years of Canadian coddling and European investment in Cuba.”