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RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE CUBAN AMERICAN NATIONAL FOUNDATION'S "ROADMAP FOR A FREE CUBA" AND ITS 13-PILLAR FRAMEWORK FOR DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION, FREEDOM, AND PROSPERITY FOR THE CUBAN PEOPLE

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WHEREAS, the United States of America was founded upon the principle that all persons possess the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed; and
WHEREAS, the communist regime in Cuba has denied its people these fundamental rights for nearly seven decades, subjecting them to political repression, economic deprivation, the imprisonment of dissidents, and the suppression of free expression and religious liberty; and
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County is home to one of the largest Cuban-American communities in the world, a community that bears personal witness to the suffering of the Cuban people and has enriched this County through its entrepreneurial spirit, civic leadership, and enduring commitment to Cuban freedom; and
WHEREAS, the Cuban people have demonstrated extraordinary courage in their struggle for liberty, including during the historic July 11, 2021 uprising, in which thousands of Cubans throughout the island publicly demanded freedom and an end to tyranny, and were met with violent repression and mass imprisonment; and
WHEREAS, a durable transition to democracy in Cuba will require a comprehensive framework grounded in constitutional governance, the rule of law, free enterprise, and the full participation of the Cuban people and diaspora in rebuilding their nation; and
WHEREAS, the Cuban American National Foundation ("CANF") is a Miami-based nonprofit organization that has worked tirelessly for over four decades to restore freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights in Cuba; and
WHEREAS, CANF has consistently championed the values of democratic governance, free enterprise, and human rights on behalf of the Cuban people, and remains a cornerstone institution of Miami-Dade County's civic and political life; and
WHEREAS, CANF has published the Roadmap for a Free Cuba, a 13-pillar framework addressing rule of law, economic freedom, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and democratic institution-building, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated herein; and
WHEREAS, the Cuban American Bar Association, a non-profit and voluntary bar association of judges, lawyers, and law students interested in issues affecting the Cuban community, collaborated in the drafting of the Roadmap for a Free Cuba, contributing its legal expertise to ensure that the framework's foundational pillars reflect the rule of law, constitutional governance, property rights, and the protection of individual liberties essential to a free society,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Adopts and incorporates the foregoing recitals as if restated herein.
Section 2. Hereby expresses its strong and unequivocal support for the Cuban people's aspirations for freedom, democracy, and self-determination, and endorses the principles set forth in CANF's Roadmap for a Free Cuba as a meaningful framework for achieving a prosperous, free, and democratic Cuba.