Captive Nations Week: Masses in Memory of Two Cuban Human Rights Heroes Martyred on July 22, 2012

July 17 through July 23, 2016 is Captive Nations Week and it coincides with the fourth anniversary of the extrajudicial killings of Cuban pro-democracy leaders Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, and Harold Cepero Escalante on July 22, 2012. Both were leaders in the Christian Liberation Movement. Last month this movement issued a call for those who knew them to share their memories of Oswaldo and Harold:

In this month in memory of Oswaldo and Harold we invite those who knew them to send an article or chronicle with anecdotes related to them (between 260-400 words long). 

 The first Captive Nations Week was in 1959 and President Eisenhower issued a proclamation that announced in part:

Whereas it is appropriate and proper to manifest to the peoples of the captive nations the support of the Government and the people of the United States of America for their just aspirations for freedom and national independence; and
Whereas by a joint resolution approved July 17, 1959, the Congress has authorized and requested the President of the United States of America to issue a proclamation designating the third week in July 1959 as "Captive Nations Week," and to issue a similar proclamation each year until such time as freedom and independence shall have been achieved for all the captive nations of the world.

Cuba remains a captive nation in 2016 along with China, Laos, North Korea, Vietnam and too many others.On July 13 in front of the Cuba Embassy in Washington, DC and at Florida International University activists held a 13 minute moment of silence in memory of martyrs Oswaldo, Harold and 37 tugboat massacre victims all murdered by the Castro regime in the month of July.

On July 22nd in Miami, FL USA; Madrid, Spain and Santiago, Chile masses will be held in memory of two victims of communism Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, and Harold Cepero Escalante murdered on that day four years ago.

Whether or not you are in the area please say a prayer for Cuban martyrs Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, and Harold Cepero Escalante. If you are in the area then join in a Mass for the memory of these two Cuban martyrs for freedom.

In Madrid on July 22, 2016 at 20:40 in the Church of San Fermín de los Navarros there is a Mass in memory of Oswaldo and Harold.

Church of San Fermín de los Navarros

In Miami, Florida on July 22nd at 8:00pm at Our Lady of Charity located at 3609 South Miami Ave Miami, Fl. 33133 there is a Mass in memory of Oswaldo and Harold.

Our Lady of Charity (La Ermita) in Miami, FL

In Santiago, Chile on July 20 at 19:00 in the Latin American Parish on Avenida Bustamante 180 Providencia there is a Mass in memory of Oswaldo and Harold.

Captive Nations Week: Reagan 1988 versus Obama 2016

Some years ago, two friends of mine were talking to a refugee from Communist Cuba. He had escaped from Castro. And as he told the story of his horrible experiences, one of my friends turned to the other and said, ``We don't know how lucky we are.'' And the Cuban stopped and said, ``How lucky you are? I had some place to escape to.'' - President Ronald Reagan, July 13, 1988, Remarks on Signing the Captive Nations Week Proclamation 

 
President Ronald Reagan on July 13, 1988 issued his final Captive Nations Week proclamation in the last year of his presidency with an inspiring call for freedom and solidarity with the victims of communism  that contrasts dramatically with the final proclamation issued by President Obama today
in the last year of his presidency. The excerpt below from 1988 is clear in its denunciation of totalitarianism while at the same time offering specificity:

The citizens of the captive nations daily hear the mighty call of freedom and answer it boldly, sending an echo around the globe to remind totalitarians and all mankind that their voices cannot be quelled -- because they are the voices of the human spirit.

Across the continents and seas, the cry for freedom rings out and the struggle for its blessings continues, in the republics of the Soviet Union, in the Baltic States and throughout Eastern Europe, in Cuba and Nicaragua, in Ethiopia and Angola, and in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. It also continues in Afghanistan, despite initial Soviet withdrawal, because the Najibullah regime imposes its will upon the Afghan people. We in America, who have held high the torch of liberty for 2 centuries and more, pause during Captive Nations Week to express our solidarity with those who strive at great personal risk and sacrifice to win justice for their nations. We commemorate as well the many freedom fighters and individuals such as Polish Father Jerzy Popieluszko and Ukrainian poet Vasyl Stus who have given their lives in the imperishable cause of liberty. We cannot and will not shirk our duty and responsibility to insist on the speediest end to subjugation, persecution, and discrimination in the captive nations. We repeat our call for all governments to respect and honor the letter and the spirit of the United Nations Charter and the Helsinki Accords.

Whereas President Reagan highlighted specific countries under the grips of communism in 1988 the current occupant of the White House offers no such details with the exception of Cuba and there is no inspiring call for freedom or solidarity with or naming of the victims.

"It also means discussing our differences with nations more directly. And we have opened a new chapter in our relationship with Cuba, which includes direct engagement with their government on human rights and steps to empower and create opportunity for the Cuban people."

No mention of the victims of communism in Cuba during President Obama's watch.  Why not commemorate those Cubans such as Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, Harold Cepero, Laura Inés Pollán Toledo, Orlando Zapata Tamayo, and others who gave their lives in the cause of freedom in Cuba while the Obama Administration pursued detente with the Castro regime who played a role in their deaths?

Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas and Harold Cepero murdered four years ago on 7/22

No mention of the crisis underway in Venezuela where a communist regime is being imposed in slow motion and where the results are hunger riots, political repression, the imprisonment of democratic opposition leaders such as Leopoldo Lopez and the murder of student leaders by the Maduro regime's agents.

President Reagan addressed the legacy of communism in 1988 in clear terms that are needed today to avoid having others fall under the siren call of communist apologists who promise an earthly paradise but time and time again deliver Hell on Earth.

We cannot forget decades of tragedy, the tens of millions of lives lost, or the enormity of the suffering inflicted on the innocent. We applaud the courage and faith that have sustained countless people and kept alive the dream of freedom against unthinkable odds. Despite starvation, torture, and murder, the indomitable human spirit will outlast all oppression. We continue to stand ready to cooperate in meeting the just aspirations of the oppressed and needy of the world. We will remain forever steadfast in our commitment to speak out for those who cannot, to seek justice for those to whom it is denied, and to assist freedom-seeking peoples everywhere. 

28 years ago Ronald Reagan made his final remarks after signing the Captive Nations Week Proclamation and today he is honored and remembered in countries that are now free across the world. Unfortunately, all indications are that President Obama will not repeat this legacy.

The author in Poland next to a statue of Ronald Reagan

President Obama's Proclamation for Captive Nations Week (2016)

Today the White House issued the following proclamation for Captive Nations Week. What is amazing is that the proclamation makes no mention of the scourge of communism which continues to oppress over one in five human beings in the world. Thankfully the Victims of Communism Foundation is observing Captive Nations Week and identifying the continuing evils of communism.

Presidential Proclamation -- Captive Nations Week, 2016

CAPTIVE NATIONS WEEK, 2016

- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Since our earliest days, the United States has worked to uphold the rights enshrined in our founding documents. The ideals that sparked our revolution find their truest expression in democracy, and our enduring belief in the right to self-govern is not limited to our borders -- we believe the human impulse toward freedom is universal. During Captive Nations Week, we recognize the inherent dignity of all people, and we renew our support for those struggling under oppressive regimes and striving to secure the blessings of liberty for themselves and their posterity.

After World War II, America joined with other nations to remake the world -- to rebuild, to forge a new international order, and to advance a more just and lasting peace. And following a decades-long Cold War, with strength and resolve and the power of our ideals, we rejoiced as an Iron Curtain was brought down and a new beginning was set in motion. But although more people live in democracies today -- and despite the fact that we are witness to the most peaceful and prosperous era in human history -- such progress is not inevitable, and dangerous forces threaten to pull the world backward.

We must bolster our commitment to upholding freedom and democracy wherever they are jeopardized. That means ensuring the people of Ukraine have the right to choose their own destiny and ensure their independence; it means helping the millions of those displaced from Syria seek a better and safer future, while continuing our efforts to bring an end to this brutal conflict and destroy ISIL. It also means discussing our differences with nations more directly. And we have opened a new chapter in our relationship with Cuba, which includes direct engagement with their government on human rights and steps to empower and create opportunity for the Cuban people.

Around the world, a new generation of young people -- connected by technology and driven by idealism and a willingness to stand up for their beliefs -- is calling for more accountability in government. As heirs to a struggle for freedom that has long defined our character, Americans must lead by example and chart new paths to liberty and opportunity. We will continue to stand for equality and dignity beyond our borders and encourage economic and political reforms that foster democracy. And we remain dedicated to leading and working with others to build security, prosperity, and justice, and to fighting for any person still suffering under the grasp of tyranny.

This week, let us rededicate ourselves to broadening democracy's reach and promoting its true pillars -- the rule of law, fair elections, a free press, and a vibrant civil society. As we work to lift up the lives of those whose governments still rule by fear and intimidation, let us stay vigilant in defense of democratic values and the ideals that keep us free.

The Congress, by joint resolution approved July 17, 1959 (73 Stat. 212), has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation designating the third week of July of each year as "Captive Nations Week."

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim July 17 through July 23, 2016, as Captive Nations Week. I call upon the people of the United States to reaffirm our deep ties to all governments and people committed to freedom, dignity, and opportunity for all.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-first.

BARACK OBAMA

Captive Nations Week and the 4 Ingredients for Real Freedom

Captive Nations Week is the third week of July

In 1959 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed Public Law 86-90 which compels every President of the United States to proclaim the third week of July of each year as Captive Nations Week in commemoration of the "captive nations" (those still with Communist governments). In 2016 there are five openly communist dictatorships in the world: China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam.

Due to the normalization of diplomatic relations last year with the Communist regime in Cuba and the official visit by President Obama and his family earlier this year that Captive Nations Week will focus this year on Cuba and the continuing need for freedom. The Victims of Communism Foundation outlines with a cool presentation titled "Cuba Libre?" what are the four ingredients of a real free Cuba.

 More often than not the words “Cuba Libre” bring to mind that combination of good quality rum, Coke, and lime that refreshes in an almost medicinal way, especially on a hot and humid summer day. When we at VOC hear “Cuba Libre,” however, our thoughts turn to the Cuban people and their dreams of freedom, peace, and prosperity. A real “Cuba Libre” requires four crucial ingredients.

First, the rule of law. The communist dictatorship of the Castros is capricious, with Cubans (such as the Ladies in White and street artist El Sexto) subject to repeated and arbitrary detention. Furthermore, Cuban courts are subordinated to the executive and legislative branches (i.e., to Castro and the Communist Party), thereby denying them independence. The only rule in Cuba is that there is no rule beyond the will of Raúl. It is truly the rule of man over men.

What is desperately needed in Cuba is the rule of men under law. In other words, Cuba requires a government that is administered according to a publicly declared set of rules applied in an equal manner to all people regardless of the will of those making the decisions. One of the surest safeguards of the rule of law is an independent judiciary where the decisions of the courts in the particular cases before them are binding upon the executive and legislative branches.

Second, democratic self-governance. The Cuban regime represents not the interests of the Cuban people, but rather those of the Cuban Communist Party, and of its leader Raúl Castro in particular. One need only look at the example of Sirley Ávila León, a rural Cuban farmer turned community activist, to see this truth. Between 2005 to 2013, she was elected three times by her community as an unpaid delegate to an official legislative body. When she tried to fulfil the representative role she supposedly held and protest the lack of adequate schools in her district, eventually sharing her story on Radio Martí, she was labeled a mercenary, setting off a string of harassment and severe vandalism that culminated in May 2015 when she was brutally attacked with a machete.

One of the causes of the American Revolution was the denial of the right to petition the government for the redress of grievances, the right to ask the government to act in the interests of those whose persons and property it exists to protect. As Ms. Ávila’s example shows, Cubans enjoy no such right. They are punished simply for asking that the state fulfill its most basic duties. Until the Cuban people have a say in how they are governed, their interests will continue to count for nothing.

Third, free speech. Not only are Cubans prevented from speaking up to ask the Castro regime to improve their lives, but they are prohibited from speaking openly about matters of public interest at all. Dissidents are detained, arrested, or placed under house arrest before and during major meetings, like the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit in January 2014. Private media ownership is prohibited. Plays are subject to regime approval before they can be performed, and some, like “The King is Dying,” by Juan Carlos Cremata, are banned.

Without free speech, the intellectual, cultural, and political life of the Cuban people will remain constrained. A robust civic spirit and an empowered citizenry require a public sphere where individuals can come together to clearly identify and openly discuss the most pressing issues of the day. Free speech is foundational to a genuinely representative government, as the limits enforced upon speech will always favor the interests of those who enforce the limits.

Fourth, free enterprise. The Cuban economy is centrally planned and dominated by state owned enterprises. Moreover, the most significant of these enterprises are under the control of the Cuban regime’s security apparatus and thus report directly to Raúl Castro. Any investment in Cuba requires government approval, and typically requires that the investor partner with the state. The government controls prices and allocates food rations to the people. Moreover, as Julio Shiling notes, “The regime has enormous businesses outside the territory of Cuba which have siphoned money away from the Cuban people.”

A system of free enterprise unleashes the creative potential of individuals. These individuals come together voluntarily to cooperate to meet the needs and wants of their fellows. Unlike a planned economy—where associations are compulsory and coercive and the kind, quality, and quantity of products and services produced are decided upon by those with political power—a system of free enterprise responds to human beings. Rather than shaping them, it is shaped by them.
Taken together, these four elements are the necessary ingredients to for a real Cuba Libre. It is our hope that, Cuba Libre raised in hand, we will one day soon toast Cuba’s freedom.

In Washington D.C.at the Heritage Foundation on July 13th the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation held the 2016 National Captive Nations Week Luncheon with Lee Edwards, Marion Smith and Michael Ryan presiding over the event. In addition country reports were made of the five remaining communist regimes in the world: China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, Vietnam.  

On Tuesday, July 19, 2016 from 6:30 PM at The Landmark Theater E Street - 555 11th St NW , Washington, DC will premiere the documentary HAVANA MOTOR CLUB  whose subject matter is Cuba's vibrant community of underground drag racers and their quest to hold Cuba's first official car race since they being outlawed by the Castro Regime in the early days of the revolution in Cuba.

After the premiere of the documentary the Victims of Communism Foundation is also delighted to be premiering their third addition to the Witness Project series. This 5 minute short features Sirley Ávila León, a courageous champion of human rights who was brutally attacked in her native Cuba and lived to not only tell her story but continue her fight for freedom on behalf of Cubans.

Get your tickets here while they are still available. Seats are limited.

Two events in Washington DC recall the "13 de marzo" tugboat massacre

 Victims remembered at Heritage Foundation and in Congressional hearing

July 13, 2016 marked 22 years since the Castro regime sent its agents to attack and sink a tugboat full of Cuban refugees seeking a better life in freedom killing 37 men, women and children. In Cuba, Miami and Washington DC vigils and demonstrations were carried out on that day in a continuing demand for justice.

In Washington D.C. there were two additional gatherings in which this anniversary of a crime was recalled. At the Heritage Foundation the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation held the 2016 National Captive Nations Week Luncheon with Lee Edwards, Marion Smith and Michael Ryan presiding over the event. In addition country reports were made of the five remaining communist regimes in the world: China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, Vietnam.  

National Captive Nations Week 2016 will focus on Cuba

 The country report on Cuba is now available online here and hope to link up the other reports as soon as they are made available.  The Cuba report made mention of the July 13, 1994 attack and sinking of the "13 de marzo" tugboat by Castro regime agents placing it in the context of normalization efforts:

Today, July 13th marks the 22nd anniversary of a massacre of 37 Cuban men, women and children by Castro agents when they tried to flee the communist regime in Cuba. Earlier this year on February 24th friends and families observed the 20 year anniversary of the Brothers to the Rescue shoot down where 3 U.S. citizens and one resident were murdered when their two planes were pulverized on Castro's orders by Cuban warplanes.  Both these crimes took place when a previous administration sought to normalize relations with the Castro regime.

 Later on the same day on Capitol Hill at the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations held a hearing on The Castro Regime’s Ongoing Violations of Civil and Political Rights where Cuban opposition leader and former prisoner of conscience Dr. Oscar Elías Biscet and Cuban democracy advocate Sirley Ávila León spoke out on the reality of Cuba in 2016 along with two other experts.

Congressman Christopher Smith

Chairman Christopher Smith on the purpose of the Hearing and the significance of it being held on July 13, 2016 also remembered this great crime:  

“This hearing will examine the human rights situation in Cuba, where it seems disregard for civil and political rights has gotten worse, not better, since the President visited the Island.  The regime continues to jail and beat political dissidents, with even extrajudicial killings apparently sanctioned.  That we are holding it on July 13 is significant, as it is the anniversary of the tugboat massacre of 1994, when 37 victims, including 11 children, were killed by the regime.  The Obama Administration cannot allow concerns over its ‘legacy’ to muffle its voice when it should be insisting that the rights of the Cuban people be respected.”

The bad news twenty two years later is that the victims remains have not been returned to their loved ones nor the individuals responsible for this atrocity yet been brought to justice. Elie Wiesel observed that "To forget the victims means to kill them a second time. So I couldn't prevent the first death. I surely must be capable of saving them from a second death." The good news is that the "13 de marzo" tugboat victims are not forgotten nor the need for truth and justice on their behalf.