Press Release

U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez Expresses Support For Cuba’s Transition to Democracy

CORAL GABLES, Fla.—The following are excerpts from prepared remarks of U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez to the Cuba Transition to Democracy Summit today:

Examples of Transitions to Democracy:
The Cuban people must be the ones to define the path to their democratic destiny. Fortunately for them, within the past three decades, across the globe there are specific transition examples from which Cuba can draw.

Poland: In Poland, that country’s transition came in the form of a labor movement, the Solidarity Trade Union. Wide-scale workers' strikes ultimately forced the government to the negotiating table, which led to the establishment of a democratic government.

Czechoslovakia: In Czechoslovakia, anti-communist dissent manifested itself through plays, music, and poetry. Vaclav Havel’s human rights manifesto "Charter 77" became the catalyst for change, bringing together a broad range of political activists who negotiated the peaceful transition of power during the velvet revolution in 1989. South Africa: In South Africa, we saw an example of how international pressure can trigger democratic change.

Chile: Last month…I used the example of the referendum in Chile, in which the Chilean people were given the opportunity to express their preference for democracy.

My point in reviewing the transitions in Poland, Czechoslovakia, South Africa, and Chile is straightforward and relatively simple: It is to highlight that the Cuban people deserve the very same opportunity to organize to express their preference as to how they are governed and who governs them.

Doing Business with a Dictatorship:
The international community should know what’s going on in Cuba:

According to Article 103 of the Cuban Criminal Code, writing or speaking against the Revolution will land you in jail for 1-8 years.

One of the harshest restrictions on freedom of expression is Law 88. It is known as the "Gag Law" and it states that Cubans who speak out against the "economic state" of the Regime face up to 20 years in prison.

So, in order to survive, the Regime has criminalized one of the most basic human rights -- freedom of expression.

Although the Cuban Regime offers subsidized food rations, the Cuban people cannot survive off these rations alone. Cuban ration stores sell out quickly and what little stock they do have is appalling. However, as just mentioned, anyone who complains can get up to 20 years in jail.

In order to resolver or "make do," many Cubans are forced to resort to selling or buying food in the informal markets. But this, too, is highly criminalized and the Cuban Regime is cracking down.

Recently, two elderly women in Placetas were arrested for selling fried fish sticks on the street.

Last year, 40 national police officers and 10 armed soldiers coordinated surprise raids of "illegal" pizzerias and small restaurants throughout Santa Clara.

Countless street vendors and small restaurant owners have been detained, fined or arrested across the Island.

But sellers haven’t been the only ones to suffer -- buyers too face large fines or prison terms for buying on the black market. Cuban pro-democracy youth leader Rolando Rodriguez Lobaina was sentenced to seven years in prison for buying red meat.

Now that the Fidel era is coming to an end, we ask all freedom-loving societies to stand with the people of Cuba. It would be an historical shame if Raul were supported in his quest to retain power.

Friends of a Democratic Cuba:
Today we are here to launch the "Friends of a Democratic Cuba" to support a transition to democracy. By highlighting the experiences of Central and Eastern Europe, we can help the Cuban people exchange ideas and accelerate democratic change.

The greatest threat against Castro is not the U.S. government. It is the entrepreneurial spirit of the Cuban people -- their ability to invent, to express, to dream, to create. As we've stated in our Compact with the People of Cuba, "Cubans who want democratic change should count on our friendship and support." We share the dream of a better tomorrow for them and their families.

Today is a call to action for all nations to take part in making that dream a reality. Do not let Cuban men, women and children suffer any longer. The world must step forward and take a stand on the side of freedom, democracy and human dignity.