Diaz-Balart Condemns the Unjust Imprisonment of Alan Gross on the Fifth Anniversary of His Imprisonment
WASHINGTON D.C. – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) released the following statement on the 5th anniversary of American Alan Gross' imprisonment by the Cuban regime:
"Today marks five years that Alan Gross has been unjustifiably held in a Cuban prison for the so-called ‘crime' of helping Cuba's Jewish community connect to the internet. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that everyone has the right to seek and receive information from any available source, yet the Castro regime sentenced Alan Gross to fifteen years in prison for his efforts to help the Cuban people access information. During Mr. Gross' unjust imprisonment, his family has been forced to confront many significant moments without their husband, father, and son by their side, like his daughter's marriage or her battle with breast cancer. The regime also deprived him of attending his mother's funeral when she passed away earlier this year.
"Sadly, the Castro dictatorship has a long history of brutality, imprisoning the innocent, and tearing apart families during its unrelenting campaign to oppress the Cuban people. Alan Gross' unjustifiable imprisonment is a tragic reminder of the moral depravity of the Castro regime, which has no qualms about attempting to use an innocent American with ailing health as a pawn.
"My prayers are with Alan Gross and his family as they endure this grim anniversary and begin another day of separation. I urge President Obama to stop appeasing the Castros' terrorist regime with countless concessions and instead strengthen sanctions against the brutal dictatorship in Cuba."