Thank you for the kind introduction. I am honored to be here with you tonight to advance our common cause of a free Cuba.
Since September 11th, President Bush has demonstrated his resolve that the United States will defend our values and interests and champion the cause of liberty around the globe. I am proud to be part of his and Secretary of State Colin Powell’s team, which is advancing that policy close to home, here in the Americas. In the past several decades, our region has seen a steady march toward freedom. Only Cuba has stood still -- in effect, falling further behind its neighbors.
If it is possible, Castro’s cruelty is worse than ever today because he has shackled yet another generation of Cubans to an ideology that has always been bankrupt but has never been more discredited and futile.
Today, Castro is an aged dictator, shuffling off the world stage. He can ramble and rant all he wants, as he makes his closing argument before the judge of history. But he must know that his only lasting legacy will be one of human suffering and destruction on a grand scale and selfishness of the pettiest kind.
Other Presidents have told this community that Cuba will free sooner or later. We choose “sooner.” That shared resolve strengthens the bond of trust between this community and President Bush. We know that we must all do our part for this cause. And we must work together in unity.
The heart of President Bush’s policy is to take steps to hasten the end of the dictatorship and to be ready to respond swiftly and decisively to every opportunity to help Cubans prepare for their future and to rebuild their country.
The President’s commitment is not rhetorical or theoretical, it is in action. I am sure you all appreciate that in any important matter of national security, there is no substitute for presidential leadership. And this President’s personal commitment to a free Cuba is making a difference. He has called for action and it is my responsibility – and my honor – to implement that policy.
This Administration will lead the way to democracy in Cuba. We will work with our friends here and abroad to help the Cuban people put an end to the dictatorship and to carry out political and economic reforms that are wide enough and deep enough to sweep away the vestiges of Castro’s tragic experiment. We must work together, using the levers at our disposal, to ensure that the Cuban people, not Castro’s cronies, will write the next chapters in Cuba’s history.
Enforcing the Embargo
The embargo is one such lever, and it is one that we will not surrender. This President will not make unilateral concessions to a dictator drawing his last breath. The $1 billion windfall that would be generated by U.S. tourist travel will be saved for the day when we know that it will go to the Cuban people, not their jailers.
This President has made it clear, therefore, that he will veto any attempt to weaken the prohibitions on travel and trade that might allow the Castro regime to prolong its stranglehold on the Cuban people or give him more resources to undermine democracies in this Hemisphere.
In fact, by the President’s direction, we have taken the initial steps to choke off resources to the regime. U.S. law enforcement authorities have stepped-up enforcement of Cuba travel restrictions. The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and the Department of Homeland Security have increased inspections of travelers and shipments to and from Cuba and targeted those who travel to Cuba illegally through third countries and by private vessels.
U.S. law enforcement authorities recently conducted a surge operation to conduct 100 percent inspection of all flights to and from Cuba. Hundreds of unlawful travelers were identified and still others had to surrender illegal goods. Over 200 violations have been referred for criminal investigation and prosecution. A Major Case Squad has been set up to target Cuban commercial cases for enforcement actions. 50 major cases are being examined. In 10 of these major cases, settlements of more than $120,000 already have been reached.
OFAC has provided training on the travel and trade restrictions to over 400 Customs and Border Protection inspectors at airports in the United States and is beginning a second phase of training of inspectors working in third countries and at additional airports in the United States.
And as you may know, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Marcos Jimenez, who was appointed to his post by President Bush, has stated he will aggressively follow up on these cases.
Based on the information developed during this dragnet, inspectors are more efficiently targeting the lawbreakers. So, to those who ignore U.S. law to travel and carry illegal goods and money to and from Cuba, our message is the day when this government turned a blind eye to violators is over. Obey the law or face the consequences.
In addition to enforcing the letter of the law, we’re also enforcing the spirit of the law. The previous Administration opened a broad new category of educational exchange travel. As a result, thousands more Americans visited Cuba’s beaches under the guise of people-to-people exchanges. In at least one notorious case, a religious tour turned out to be a golf outing. People-to-people did not mean people-to-caddy. So we eliminated that entire category of travel to Cuba.
The Cuban government predicted just this week that the number of visitors from the United States would drop this year for the first time in recent memory. So our policy is working.
We also have cut off a source of hard currency exchange, whereby Castro sends hundreds of performers to the United States to earn dollars to send to the regime. In the last several months we have denied every such request for visas. Castro’s cash cows will not be grazing through the United States under this Administration.
Our work has just begun. We are studying new ways to hasten the end of the dictatorship in Cuba. That is one of the mandates of the President’s Commission for the Assistance to a Free Cuba. We also are planning for that day to ensure that our assistance is agile and decisive enough to ensure that Castro’s cronies have no hope of holding onto power.
That Commission, comprised of representatives of all U.S. Executive branch agencies, chaired by Secretary Powell, and coordinated by me, is currently drafting its first report to the President that will recommend new measures to hasten and prepare for the transition in Cuba. Already, the Commission’s deliberations have produced new ideas, some of which we are implementing even before the first report is issued.
We welcome the useful input of the uniquely qualified people in this room and invite you to submit your thoughts to the Commission. You can find the Commission’s website and email address by going to www.state.gov. (Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba)
It should be clear from my earlier comments on enforcement measures that this Administration is not standing in place waiting for a plan to be drafted. We’ve acted in many ways that I would rather not discuss in public. Others you already have heard about, but bear repeating here this evening.
I testified recently before Congress, and a friendly but frustrated Congressman asked me what’s the difference between this Administration and those that have gone before. Perhaps a few in this room are quietly wondering the same thing. So let’s review.
There was a time when Castro used the threat of waves of migrants to intimidate us. This President told him quite clearly that we would regard such a move to be a threat to our national security. The dictators of the world know how seriously President Bush treats such matters.
Castro has sent his spies here for decades. Since September 2002, we have sent 19 Cuban spies packing.
This Administration has done more than demand an apology for the murder of Americans on the Brothers to the Rescue attack, we have indicted the perpetrators and expect them to answer for their crimes.
In 1996, the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act was drafted by Congress to cut the joint ventures that were fattening Castro’s wallet. Last year, the number of such deals actually fell for the first time since Helms-Burton became law.
In the not too distant past, Radio and TV Marti was not getting the attention they deserved. Today, Pedro Roig is making extraordinary strides building a program that is worthy to bear the name of Jose Marti and has a clear mandate to expand the reach of freedom’s message to every corner of Cuba.
Not too long ago the Cuban government exploited regular so-called “migration talks” to pose as a partner of the United States. This Administration has said that we will schedule those talks only when the Cuban regime agrees to address six issues that are advancing our interests where migration is concerned.
Another advantage that this Administration has is all of you. Castro is terrified by a Cuban-American community that is confident and united. He dreads an American President that he cannot blackmail or bully. And he knows that we will work together to sweep away every trace of his wicked regime.
Conclusion
This is a crucial time for the cause of a free Cuba. The reasons are clear: Our allies, especially in Europe, see the regime for what it is, and they are insisting on democratic change like never before. Even more encouraging is that Cubans of conscience with a commitment to democracy and reform are working day by day for change.
Yesterday, Fidel Castro gave a five-and-a-half-hour speech in which he said, among other things, “I will die fighting.” My guess is that Castro will die talking, and he may take a few people with him. But his paranoia is in high gear, and here’s why:
We are pushing swiftly and inexorably toward the day when there isn’t a trace of his hatred left on the beautiful island of Cuba. At this crucial time, it is more important than ever before that we remain united and steadfast in our common cause and see it through together.
Thank you for your attention.
