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RESOLUTION URGING PRESIDENT JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR. AND THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO CONDEMN THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT�S HANDLING OF THE PROTESTS, AND SUPPORT THE CUBAN PEOPLE IN THEIR STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM AND BASIC NEEDS BY VARIOUS AVENUES, INCLUDING BY MAINTAINING AND STRENGTHENING ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, BY PUBLICLY DENOUNCING THE CUBAN DICTATORSHIP FOR ITS VIOLENCE AGAINST THE CUBAN PEOPLE, BY RECOGNIZING THE PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT�S EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF DEMOCRACY, BY USING ALL AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY TO ALLOW THE FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION IN AND OUT OF CUBA, BY DIPLOMATIC INTERVENTION, AND BY COORDINATING AN INTERNATIONAL EFFORT FOR HUMANITARIAN AID AND SUPPORT TOWARD A DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION

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WHEREAS, for over 60 years, the Cuban people have suffered under a Communist dictatorship that has systematically denied the Cuban people their most basic human rights and fundamental freedoms; and
WHEREAS, the Cuban Communist regime continues to try and repress communications and pleas for help from the Cuban people, with The Associated Press reporting that authorities have blocked social media sites in an apparent effort to stop the flow of information into, out of, and within Cuba; and
WHEREAS, the Cuban Communist regime is also stifling freedom of expression by violently attacking, arresting, and imprisoning peaceful protestors and critics of the government; and
WHEREAS, the Cuban Communist regime is brutally beating and arresting the Cuban people for demanding basic freedoms and human needs; and
WHEREAS, despite serious risks to personal health and safety, the Cuban people have mobilized on an unprecedented scale to protest the Cuban Communist regime in cities across Cuba; and
WHEREAS, the widespread protests are not only sounding the alarm regarding the dire situation affecting the Cuban people, but also calling�on a scale never seen before�for freedom and for an end to the oppressive Communist regime that has tyrannized the Cuban people for more than half a century; and
WHEREAS, these protests present a historic opportunity to create change in the governance of the Cuban people, as Cubans demand freedom and shout for �Patria y Vida��homeland and life�a chant that turns a well-known Cuban Communist slogan on its head; and
WHEREAS, the Cuban people are also experiencing severe food shortages and hunger; and
WHEREAS, the global health pandemic caused by Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has starkly laid bare the failures of the Cuban Communist regime; and
WHEREAS, a recent spike in COVID-19 infections in Cuba has led to the collapse of medical systems as already-scarce resources are stretched to the brink; and
WHEREAS, this Board has consistently condemned Cuba and its dictatorial regime for any denial of human rights protections and freedom of expression; and
WHEREAS, this Board wholeheartedly supports all efforts to bring about democratic reform in Cuba, and stands in solidarity with the Cuban people; and
WHEREAS, this Board urges President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and the Biden Administration to support the Cuban people as they struggle for and demand freedom and basic needs,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Urges President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and his administration to condemn the Cuban government�s handling of the protests, and support the Cuban people in their struggle for freedom and basic needs, including food, and access to life-saving healthcare inclusive of vaccines for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), by various avenues, including, but not limited to, by maintaining and strengthening economic sanctions, by publicly denouncing the Cuban dictatorship for its violence against the Cuban people, by recognizing the pro-democracy movement�s efforts on behalf of democracy, by using all available technology to allow the free flow of information in and out of Cuba, by diplomatic intervention, and by coordinating an international effort for humanitarian aid and support toward a democratic transition.
Section 2. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the President of the United States, to the Members of the Florida Congressional Delegation, and to the Secretary of the United States Department of State.
Section 3. Directs the County�s federal lobbyists to advocate for the action set forth in section 1 above, and authorizes and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to: (a) amend the 2021 Federal Legislative Package to include this item; and (b) include this item in the 2022 Federal Legislative Package when it is presented to the Board.