at 9:14 PM Friday, August 5, 2011
Menendez on Castro Regime's Decision to Uphold 15-year Sentence of Alan
Gross
NEW JERSEY - United States Senator Robert Menendez, Chair of the Senate
Foreign Relations Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, released the
following statement on the Castro regime's decision to affirm the
15-year sentence of USAID contractor Alan Gross. Gross was arrested for
assisting the island's Jewish community to access the internet.
Senator Menendez said, "The Cuban regime's affirmation of USAID
contractor Alan Gross's 15-year sentence for acts against the 'integrity
and independence' of Cuba is a vivid reminder of the intolerance and
brutality of the authoritarian regime that has ruled the island for more
than fifty years. Gross' sentence eviscerates the notion held by some
that the Castro brothers are embracing democratic reforms, but rather is
a reminder that the regime seeks to control every aspect of life in Cuba
and is willing to harshly punish anyone who challenges that control.
Alan Gross went to Cuba on a mission to help the Cuban people connect to
the world, and he and his family have paid a terrible price for his
humanitarian efforts. Alan Gross should be released immediately and
without condition and the Obama administration should make it clear to
the Castro regime that the unlawful imprisonment of U.S. Citizens will
not be tolerated.
Today's decision is a reminder of importance of the U.S. commitment to
promoting a democratic transition to democracy in Cuba. The Cuban
people, like those struggling for democratic reforms in the Middle East,
yearn for the opportunity to control their destinies and provide a
vibrant future for their children. The United States will continue in
its mission to support the Cuban people and to promote democracy until
the Castro brothers relinquish power and restore the rights and
liberties deserved by the Cuban people and by all people."
http://www.capitolhillcubans.com/2011/08/senator-menendez-statement-on-alan.html
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