HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS INCASTRO'S CUBA: THE REPRESSION CONTINUES JOINT HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEES ON INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS AND ON THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE OF THE COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FOURTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION JUNE 27, 1996 Printed for the use of the Committee on International Relations U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 35-702 CC WASHINGTON : 1996 For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402 ISBN 0-16-053852-1 4441- 7 COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS BENJAMIN A. GILMAN, New York, Chairman WILLIAM F. GOODLING, Pennsylvania LEE H. HAMILTON, Indiana JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa SAM GEJDENSON, Connecticut TOBY ROTH, Wisconsin TOM LANTOS, California IKENRY J. HYDE, Illinois ROBERT G. TORRICELLI, New Jersey DOUG BEREUTER, Nebraska HOWARD L. BERMAN, California CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York DAN BURTON, Indiana HARRY JOHNSTON, Florida JAN MEYERS, Kansas ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American ELTON GALLEGLY, California Samoa ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida MATTHEW G. MARTINEZ, California CASS BALLENGER, North Carolina DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey DANA ROHRABACHER, California ROBERT E. ANDREWS, New Jersey DONALD A. MANZULLO, Illinois ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey EDWARD R. ROYCE, California SHERROD BROWN, Ohio PETER T. KING, New York CYNTHIA A. McKINNEY, Georgia JAY KIM, California ALCEE L. HASTINGS, Florida SAM BROWNBACK, Kansas ALBERT RUSSELL WYNN, Maryland DAVID FUNDERBURK, North Carolina JAMES P. MORAN, Virginia STEVEN J. CHABOT, Ohio VICTOR 0. FRAZER, Virgin Islands (lid.) MARSHALL "MARK" SANFORD, South CHARLIE ROSE, North Carolina Carolina PAT DANNER, Missouri MATT SALMON, Arizona EARL HILLIARD, Alabama AMO HOUGHTON, New York TOM CAMPBELL, California JON FOX, California RICHARD J. GARON, Chief of Staff MICHAEL H. VAN DUSEN, Democratic Chief of Staff (I) SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey, Chairman BENJAMIN A. GILMAN, New York TOM LANTOS, California WILLIAM F. DOODLING, Pennsylvania CYNTHIA A. McKINNEY, Georgia HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois JAMES P. MORAN, Virginia PETER T. KING, New York HOWARD L. BERMAN, California DAVID FUNDERBURK, North Carolina ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American MATT SALMON, Arizona Samoa EDWARD R. ROYCE, California DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey GROVER JOSEPH REES, Subcommittee Staff Directorand Chief Counsel ROBEwr R. KING, Democratic Professional Staff Member DAVID WAGNER, Professional Staff Member STEPHANIE SCHMIDT, Staff Associate SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE DAN BURTON, Indiana, Chairman ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida ROBERT G. TORRICELLI, New Jersey CASS BALLENGER, North Carolina ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey ALBERT RUSSELL WYNN, Maryland ELTON GALLEGLY, California TOM LANTOS, California PETER T. KING, New York MATTHEW G. MARTINEZ, California JAY KIM, California CHARLIE ROSE, North Carolina DAVID FUNDERBURK, North Carolina GILEAD KAPEN, Subcommittee Staff Director ScOr WILSON, Democratic Professional Staff Member Scorr FEENEY, Professional Staff Member ANITA WINSOR, Staff Associate (III) CONTENTS WITNESSES Page Hon. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, a Representative in Congress from the State of Florida ................................................................................................. 12 Michael E. Ranneberger, Coordinator for Cuban Affairs, Department of State 15 Suzanne Bilello, Program Coordinator for the Americas, the Committee to Protect Journalists ............................................................................................... 35 Frank Calzon, Director, Free Cuba Center, Freedom House ............................... 39 John Sweeney, Policy Analyst, The Heritage Foundation ................................... 41 Maria R. Dominguez, Executive Director, Human Rights Institute, St. Thom- as U niversity ........................................................................................................ 44 Ninoska Perez Castellon, Radio Commentator, The Cuban American National Foundation ............................................................................................................ 46 Carlos M. Salinas, Government Program Officer, Amnesty International USA 48 APPENDIX Prepared statements: Michael E. Ranneberger ................................................................................... 63 Suzanne Bilello ................................................................................................. 77 Frank C alzon .................................................................................................... 85 John Sw eeney ................................................................................................... 93 M aria R. D om inguez ......................................................................................... 114 Ninoska Perez Castellon .................................................................................. 125 Carlos M . Salinas ............................................................................................. 132 Material submitted for the record: Questions submitted by Hon. Dan Burton with responses by Michael R. R anneberger ........................................................................................... 140 "Boot People", an article by Al Kamen, The Washington Post, June 14, 1996 ................................................................................................................ 143 "Cubs: Government Crackdown on Dissent", a report by Amnesty Inter- national, A pril 1996 ...................................................................................... 144 A letter to the Nobel Committee from Members of Congress ....................... 172 A Summary of Recent Cases of Human Rights Violations in Cuba submit- ted by the Cuban Movement 30th of November "Frank Pais" .................. 178 , Iv) HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN CASTRO'S CUBA: THE REPRESSION CONTINUES THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 1996 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS, SUBCOMMITTEE ON WESTERN HEMISPHERE, COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, Washington, DC The subcommittees met, pursuant to notice, at 10:07 a.m., in Room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC, Hon. Dan Burton and Hon. Christopher Smith (chairmen of the sub- committees) presiding. Chairman BURTON. We are here today to learn more about a problem that, unfortunately-, has been a constant for the past 37 years in Cuba: systematic violation of human rights. I am very pleased that we are holding this meeting jointly with the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights, chaired by my good friend Chris Smith. He is a real champion of human rights and human aignity and has been for a long time. The Cuban people today continue to be victimized by one of the most brutal dictatorships and violators of human rights in the whole world. Those who counsel a lifting of the embargo and a soft- ening of our position on Fidel Castro have yet to explain how such action would contribute to an improvement in the situation in Cuba. In recent years, Cuba has only seen a worsening of human rights conditions. The Castro regime refuses to open up, because to do so would spell the end of its dictatorial power. Nothing better illus- trates this fact than the brutal crackdown on Concilio Cubano, a peaceful coalition of civic leaders and groups. Instead of giving them permission to hold a peaceful meeting, the Castro regime ar- rested over 100 of its members. On the very day the meeting was to be held, Cuban MIG's shot down the two Brothers to the Rescue planes over international waters. We ought to write a letter to the Justice Department regarding this issue because it was murder. Those planes were over inter- national waters. It seems to me that the Justice Department ought to issue an indictment against Fidel Castro and the people who or- dered the shootdown of those innocent individuals. If we do get them indicted in U.S. Courts, it will be further problems for te Castro regime in dealing with not only the United States, but with the rest of the world. We here in Congress are determined that the four brave Brothers to the Rescue pilots who were murdered that day will not have died in vain. We will continue to press the Castro regime until Cuba is free. For that reason, I must say that we are very disappointed in the members of the Organization of American States who voted to con- demn the Libertad Act, which is now the law of the United States of America. These members have given aid and comfort to Fidel Castro and you should be ashamed. We are very fortunate to have an extremely distinguished group of witnesses today. I will, however, implore you to obey the 5- minute rule. If you have more to say than what would be allowed in the 5-minute rule, I hope you will submit it for the record. We will certainly look at that. Let me turn to my co-chairman here, Mr. Chris Smith of New Jersey. Chairman SMITH. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I want to again publicly and strongly applaud you for your great work in bringing to fruition the enactment of the Burton-Helms law, which is a very strong human rights act. You were the one who took it and shepherded it through the committee, the subcommittee, and onto the Floor. I want to congratulate you for the excellent work you did on that very important piece of human rights legislation. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.