(Sen. Mel Martinez)
June 5th, 2009
Yoani Sanchez, whose Generation Y blog gives "voice" to the reality of
today's Cuba, recently wrote, "For alternative bloggers—within Cuba—the
only common thing that unites us is the use of the Internet to hang our
opinions, chronicles and questions."
Unfiltered information and privacy are fundamental components of
freedom. For a growing number of Cubans, the Internet is an avenue to
find expression that is constrained by the regime; for Cubans to express
"the diversity of dreams and desires [and] to stress the plurality that
in the real Cuba is hidden under the mask of unanimity."
As the Obama Administration promulgates the rules to implement his April
announcement on telecommunications it is essential to bolster the
blossoming of speech in Cuba. The Castro regime is seeking to control
this new avenue of expression.
Elsewhere in the world, we have already seen the complicity between U.S.
companies and authoritarian regimes to restrict Web access and identify
anyone using the Internet. China is the most vivid example of
commercialism overriding our basic ideals of freedom, especially freedom
of speech. We should not—cannot—let that happen in Cuba.
President Obama has declared a new beginning with Cuba and that includes
a continuing commitment to the freedom of the Cuban people. The new
rules for U.S. telecommunications companies interaction with Cuba should
honor that commitment by prohibiting any activities that would allow the
Cuban regime to suppress or violate the human rights of the Cuban people.
The Hill Blog» Blog Archive » U.S. telecommunications firms must not
help violate human rights in Cuba (Sen. Mel Martinez) (5 June 2009)
No comments:
Post a Comment