Castro’s Thugs Violently Assault American Citizens and Cuban Pro-Democracy Activists

WASHINGTON D.C. – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) released the following statement after several American citizens and Cuban pro-democracy activists were violently attacked this afternoon by Castro regime thugs in Panama. The Summit of the Americas is currently taking place in Panama City, Panama.

"Today, the Castro regime once again demonstrated that it is the same violent, terrorist dictatorship that it has always been, as it continues to export its brand of thuggery and aggression anywhere that it finds dissent.

"In a despicable act of violence, Castro thugs viciously assaulted American citizens Orlando Gutierrez, Silvia Iriondo, and Gus Monge, who were accompanying pro-democracy activists Jorge Luis Garcia Perez (Antunez), Yris Perez Aguilera, Juan Carlos González Leyva, Leticia Ramos Herrería, Rolando Rodríguez Lobaina, and others in Panama for a civil society summit.

"I firmly condemn this act of violence against the American citizens and the pro-democracy activists in Panama. I demand that Panama hold the thugs accountable for crimes committed on its soil against innocent Americans and pro-democracy activists, and I expect President Obama to do the same. Such an egregious act of violence cannot go unpunished. Rather than taking the hand of Cuba's chief thug at the summit, President Obama must stand with the freedom advocates and publicly demand an immediate end to the violent repression of the Cuban people."