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Senate to Consider Aid to Cuban DissidentsTwelve senators introduced a bill May 16 that would provide $100 million in direct assistance to opponents of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, including journalists, union leaders, economists, and independent librarians on the island who have complained of government harassment and arrests. Sponsored by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), the Cuban Solidarity Act (S. 894) is modeled after assistance to opposition groups in Poland prior to the fall of the Soviet Union and complements a House bill (H.R. 1271) introduced March 28. The legislation would authorize the president to increase all forms of support for pro-democracy and human-rights activists in Cuba, including equipment, books, and educational materials for dissidents who operate independent libraries. However, critics of the bill have pointed out some problems with its implementation. “How in the world are you going to send a cell phone to the dissidents?” said Elena Freyre, executive director of the Miami-based Cuban American Defense League, in the May 17 Chicago Tribune. “How are they going to get them activated? And those that do are going to have their phones listened to by the government 24 hours a day.” The Miami Herald reported that a White House spokesman said the administration had not yet taken a position on the proposed legislation. Posted May 21, 2001. |
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