Parliamentary Forum of the Community of Democracies unanimously approves a resolution demonstrating solidarity with the Cuban people and Cuba's brave pro-democracy activists

Vilnius, Lithuania –Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL)issued the following statement in response to the Parliamentary Forum of the Community of Democracies passing a resolution recognizing the ‘Orlando Zapata Tamayo National Front for Civic Resistance and Civil Disobedience,’ and recommending Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet for the Nobel Peace Prize. Diaz-Balart comments:

“Today, the Parliamentary Forum of the Community of Democracies unanimously passed a resolution supporting Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet for the Nobel Peace Prize and recognizing a movement, started by pro-democracy leader Jorge Luis Garcia Perez Antunez and other resistance leaders. The movement is now known as the ‘Orlando Zapata Tamayo National Front for Civic Resistance and Civil Disobedience.’ This resolution brings attention to the many Cuban pro-democracy activists and condemns the murderous regime for 52 years of barbarism and tyranny. Parliamentarians from around the world came together in strong support and solidarity with the Cuban people and condemned their oppressors.

“The Parliamentary Forum of the Community of Democracies resolution is another example of the increasing international attention and support of the growing democratic opposition in Cuba. The resolution assures the Cuban people are not alone in their struggle, and is a warning to the regime that their atrocities are recorded on an international stage,” said Diaz-Balart.

During the forum, Congressman Diaz-Balart expressed his gratitude to Bono, the activist and front man of the U2 group, for his solidarity with the Cuban people and for highlighting Dr. Biscet’s story in front of an audience of thousands in Miami.

“International solidarity with the Cuban people and the courageous pro-democracy movement continues to grow. The opposition's perseverance in the face of the regime's unrelenting and brutal repression has brought greater attention to Cuba and their difficult struggle for freedom. I am grateful to our friends throughout the world who continue to support the heroes in Cuba and who demand liberties for the Cuban people. When Cuba is finally free, these friends will forever be remembered as opposing tyranny and defending freedom."

Read the text of the resolution below:

Whereas the Cuban dictatorship over the past 52 years has erected a totalitarian power structure that systematically violates the fundamental human rights of all Cubans both in law and by its actions.

Whereas over the past 52 years this dictatorship has engaged in thousands of summary and extra-judicial executions;

Whereas hundreds of thousands of Cubans have been imprisoned for their political beliefs;

Whereas, ever since 1959 there has been a constant resistance to the Communist regime throughout the island and in exile;

Whereas the human rights movement grew out of the prisons into a national movement capable of documenting human rights abuses, distributing copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, educating Cubans on human rights, and organizing petition drives to attempt to empower Cubans;

Whereas the Regime has steadfastly refused to carry out any kind of political opening or democratic transition, increasing repression in order to try and repress the freedom movement;

Whereas civic resistance is the means currently available to the Cuban people for them to regain their liberty;

Whereas Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet was one of the pioneering activists who took to the streets to distribute copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

Whereas this civic resistance movement has embraced the nonviolent teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.;

Whereas Cuban political prisoners Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia, Jorge Luís García Pérez Antunez and Ricardo Pupo Sierra, in the summer of 2006, issued a call for non-cooperation with the regime;

Whereas Cubans in the Diaspora answered this call, first by organizing a non-cooperation campaign to spread their compatriots’ message, and secondly, on March 18, 2009, forming the Assembly of the Resistance, on the sixth anniversary of the “Black Cuban Spring”, with over 50 civil society organizations;

Whereas Jorge Luís García Pérez Antunez, imprisoned for 17 years and 34 days on the charge of “enemy propaganda” for calling for Eastern European style reforms in 1990, emerged from prison having served his full sentence on April 23, 2007;

Whereas Jorge Luís García Pérez Antunez on November 3, 2009, along with other resistance leaders from throughout the island, established the National Civic Resistance and Civil Disobedience Front, a movement which has brought together opposition organizations in Cuba whose strategy is civic resistance and civil disobedience;

Whereas following the death of prisoner of conscience Orlando Zapata Tamayo on February 23, 2010 at the hands of the dictatorship, the movement was renamed the Orlando Zapata Tamayo National Front for Civic Resistance and Civil Disobedience;

Whereas the Orlando Zapata Tamayo National Front for Civic Resistance and Civil Disobedience continues to carry out coordinated protests and civic actions throughout Cuba;

Now, Therefore the Parliamentary Forum of the Community of Democracies recognizes the Orlando Zapata Tamayo National Front for Civic Resistance and Civil Disobedience as a legitimate representative of the struggle for the freedom of the Cuban people;

Furthermore, we support the nomination of Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet for the Nobel Peace Prize, because of his pioneering work on human rights education in Cuba and the example he personifies as a non-violent leader in the struggle for human rights inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.