| 1 | House Resolution |
| 2 | A resolution designating March 23, 2005, as "Free Cuba |
| 3 | Day" in Florida. |
| 4 |
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| 5 | WHEREAS, for more than four decades, Cuba's communist |
| 6 | dictatorship has denied the Cuban people such basic civil |
| 7 | liberties as freedom of speech and religion and has been |
| 8 | condemned repeatedly by the United Nations for human rights |
| 9 | abuses and denounced again and again by international human |
| 10 | rights organizations for the persecution of peaceful dissidents |
| 11 | and political prisoners, and |
| 12 | WHEREAS, having declared unequivocal hostility and enmity |
| 13 | toward the United States and its free, democratic way of life, |
| 14 | the Cuban government is harboring fugitives from United States |
| 15 | justice, is attempting to develop biochemical weaponry, and has |
| 16 | been designated by the United States Department of State as an |
| 17 | official state sponsor of terrorism, and |
| 18 | WHEREAS, the people of Cuba, oppressed for 46 years by the |
| 19 | nation's terrorist, communistic regime, have struggled to |
| 20 | achieve freedom and democracy under the courageous leadership of |
| 21 | opposition members and human rights activists on the island, |
| 22 | bolstered by the vigorous support of the Cuban-American exile |
| 23 | community, but the present dictatorship steadfastly refuses to |
| 24 | allow free, fair, open elections in the Cuban citizens' effort |
| 25 | toward self-determination, and |
| 26 | WHEREAS, Florida, home to over one million Cuban-American |
| 27 | exiles who have contributed positively to the social, political, |
| 28 | and economic well-being of the state, maintains stronger |
| 29 | historical and cultural links to Cuba than any other state in |
| 30 | our nation and harbors only good will toward the people of Cuba |
| 31 | in their aspirations to achieve liberty and a freely elected |
| 32 | government in which they, their families, and their future |
| 33 | generations may live in peace and prosperity in a free and open |
| 34 | society, NOW, THEREFORE, |
| 35 |
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| 36 | Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of |
| 37 | Florida: |
| 38 |
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| 39 | That the House of Representatives recognizes the courageous |
| 40 | quest for freedom by the dauntless opposition leaders inside |
| 41 | Cuba, expresses its solidarity with Cuba's freedom-seeking |
| 42 | people, and, as an expression of its desire that they may have |
| 43 | unlimited success in their upcoming national conference on May |
| 44 | 20, designates March 23, 2005, as "Free Cuba Day" in Florida. |