This week, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. sent a letter to U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez, D-NJ, and Jim Risch, R-Id., the chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, urging them to hold a full committee hearing on Cuba as protests against the communist regime led by Castro/Díaz-Canel’s dictatorship continue to occur throughout the island.
Rubio is the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues.
The full text of the letter is below.
Dear Chairman Menendez and Ranking Member Risch:
I write to respectfully request a full committee hearing, at the earliest convenience, on the current situation in Cuba.
As you know, the Cuban people have taken to the streets to voice their opposition to the brutal communist regime in Havana. Their courage has led to historic protests that has drawn the attention of the rest of the world. This is an important moment for the Cuban people and free peoples worldwide. As we watch the Cuban regime respond with violence, it is critical that the United States stand with the Cuban people in their struggle for freedom and liberty. I believe there is no more urgent time than now for the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations to hold a public hearing with government officials and private officials to highlight the gross human rights abuses of Cuba’s dictator, show our support for the Cuban people’s basic rights, and inquire as to what the administration’s plan of action will be.
I look forward to working with you.
