Today however, I understand why my dad and so many other good men have been incarcerated. I have cried so much that I felt my heart was breaking into one thousand pieces, I think that I will never again be able to cry, because right now I feel a great emptiness inside of me. Perhaps you are asking yourself why I am directing myself at you.
I will tell you that I do so for many reasons; one of them being the fact that you are a woman, and this allows me to speak to you as if I am speaking to a mother, mothers always understand better the suffering of their children. Another reason is that you are a journalist and a professional, dedicated to the cause of Liberty for our country in your radio program "Monday Communiqués With Cuba", with Mr. Agustin Tamargo, as well as in your other program; but the main reason why I write to you is than on more than one occasion, during your broadcasts, I have heard your voice break and I realize that you feel the anguish of our people, as if instead of living in a free country, you lived here, with us, and suffered with your own body and spirit our pain. That is a miraculous thing, and even difficult to comprehended.***
Reid introduced a Senate Resolution that calls upon the State Department and the Organization of American States to convene a special tribunal that will try Fidel Castro, and other political and military leaders of Cuba who have committed crimes against humanity.
"We cannot allow Castro, Hussein, other dying despots or their associates to hide behind a phony claim of immunity," Reid said in a speech on the Senate floor today. "We must ensure that all of these despicable figures are held accountable for their crimes against humanity. They have willingly chosen to torture and kill their people, and it is time to hold them accountable for that decision. The Iraqi people, the Cuban people and the people of the free world demand and deserve justice."
Since 1959, more than 100,000 Cubans have been persecuted by Castro's regime. Over 18,000 of whom were killed or have disappeared. Just this past March, Castro launched a massive crackdown on leaders of independent labor unions, opposition parties, and the pro-democracy movement that led to the arrest of 80 dissidents. Castro denied these detainees due process and subjected them to secretive trials, after which 50 of them received prison sentences of up to 28 years.
In April, three Cubans hijacked a ferry in an attempt to flee Castro's repressive regime. The Cuban government summarily tried these men behind closed doors and then executed them by firing squad. Journalists have endured especially severe punishment from Castro. In 2002, his government killed 25 journalists and threatened, harassed or detained 1,420 more.
"Fidel Castro has led a tyrannical regime in Cuba that systematically violates basic human rights, including freedoms of expression, association, assembly and movement, and he shows no sign of ending his campaign of terror," Reid said. "101 years ago today, a proud Cuban people declared their independence. Cuban Independence Day should be a celebration of freedom for the Cuban people. Instead, their island has been hijacked by a cruel dictator whose false promises of prosperity have given way to cowardly acts of intimidation. The sad truth is that the Cuban people still are not free."
Since the end of World War II, the United States and the other free nations of the world have agreed that individuals who commit crimes against humanity must be held responsible for their actions. From Nuremberg to Bosnia, to Rwanda and now in Iraq, the international community, under U.S. leadership, has brought tyrants to justice. Reid's legislation ensures preparations would be made to do the same to Fidel Castro. [End]