,,iii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #cg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of
 ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #h1 
#bjba,mr4 ,menendez 7for himself1 ,mr4  
,rubio1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 and ,mr4 ,cardin7 
submitted the following resolution2     
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,foreign ,relations  ,,resolution       
,expressing solidarity with the ,san    
,isidro ,movement in ,cuba1 condemning  
escalated attacks against artistic      
freedoms in ,cuba1 and calling for the  
repeal of laws that violate freedom of  
expression and the immediate release of 
arbitrarily detained artists1           
journalists1 and activists4  ,whereas   
artists1 journalists1 and activists in  
,cuba have faced increased censorship1  
persecution1 and arbitrary detention by 
the ,government of ,cuba as a result of 
,decrees #cdi and #cgj1 which seek to   
restrict artistic freedoms and silence  
independent media in ,cuba2 ,whereas1 in
 ,december #bjah1 ,decree #cdi entered  
into force1 requiring that artists and  

those who hire them receive prior       
approval from the ,government of ,cuba  
to operate in public or private spaces  
or otherwise be subject to confiscation 
of materials1 fines1 or sanctions       
without the right to an appeal2         
,whereas1 in ,july #bjai1 ,decree #cgj  
entered into force1 regulating and      
imposing sanctions with respect to the  
free distribution of information through
 the internet and leading to increased  
repression1 arbitrary detentions1 and   
censorship by the ,government of ,cuba2 
,whereas international human rights     
groups1 including ,human ,rights ,watch1
 ,amnesty ,international1 the ,united   
,nations ,office of the ,high           
,commissioner for ,human ,rights1 and   
the ,inter-,american ,commission on     
,human ,rights1 have condemned ,decrees 
#cdi and #cgj as violating fundamental  
freedoms and contradicting ,article #ed 
of the #bjai ,constitution of ,cuba1    
which guarantees freedom of expression2 
,whereas1 in #bjah1 the ,san ,isidro    

,movement 7,,msi71 an organization of   
artists1 activists1 academics1 and      
journalists1 began to peacefully protest
 increased censorship and persecution in
 ,cuba2 ,whereas ,denis ,sols ,gonzlez1 
a musician and member of the ,san       
,isidro ,movement1 was detained on      
,november #i1 #bjbj1 and sentenced to #h
 months in prison on contempt of        
authority charges after sharing a live  
video online of a police officer        
entering his home without a warrant2    
,whereas1 on ,november #ai1 #bjbj1      
artists and activists from the ,san     
,isidro ,movement launched a day of     
poetry and gathered at a private        
residence to discuss actions to protest 
the arbitrary detention of ,denis ,sols 
,gonzlez1 and during that peaceful      
activity1 state police blocked access to
 the house1 confiscating all food and   
humanitarian supplies2 ,whereas1 in     
response to the events of ,november #ai1
 #bjbj1 #ag independent artists and     
activists went on a #g-;day hunger      

strike at the private residence1 during 
which state authorities allegedly       
contaminated water sources in order to  
sicken the artists and activists2       
,whereas1 on ,november #bf1 #bjbj1 state
 security agents forcibly entered the   
protest site to remove the #ag artists  
and activists1 blocking internet        
connectivity and communications         
throughout ,cuba during the raid2       
,whereas1 on ,november #bg1 #bjbj1      
approximately #cjj people gathered      
outside the ,ministry of ,culture of    
,cuba to peacefully protest the lack of 
artistic freedom in ,cuba and the       
arbitrary arrest of ,denis ,sols        
,gonzlez and other artists and activists
 in an unprecedented demonstration      
against the ,government of ,cuba1 and1  
despite the use of tear gas by state    
security forces1 the protesters were    
undeterred2 ,whereas1 as a result of the
 protest on ,november #bg1 #bjbj1 ,cuban
 officials met with #cj artists and     
activists1 including #e leaders of the  

,san ,isidro ,movement1 and agreed to   
stop harassment of ,cuban artists and   
initiate a dialogue between the ,san    
,isidro ,movement1 other activists1 and 
the government2 ,whereas1 despite that  
commitment by ,cuban officials1 the     
,government of ,cuba subsequently       
escalated its attacks against the       
artists and activists who participated  
in the meeting1 including by surrounding
 and blocking access to their homes2    
,whereas the ,cuban regime used         
state-controlled media to label the acts
 of peaceful protest by the ,san ,isidro
 ,movement as treason1 which1 according 
to ,article #d of the #bjai             
,constitution of ,cuba1 is a crime      
subject to imprisonment and penalty of  
death2 ,whereas1 on ,december #d1 #bjbj1
 the ,government of ,cuba unilaterally  
ended the dialogue process with ,cuban  
artists and independent civil society   
and political activists2 ,whereas1 on   
,january #bg1 #bjba1 officials of the   
,ministry of ,culture1 led by ,minister 

,alpidio ,alonso and ,vice ,ministers   
,fernando ,rojas and ,fernando ,len     
,jacomino1 physically assaulted a group 
of #bj to #cj artists who had gathered  
outside the ,ministry of ,culture to    
restart a dialogue process with         
authorities and demand an end to the    
repression of the artistic community2   
,whereas1 following the assault on the  
group by ,minister ,alonso and ,vice    
,ministers ,rojas and ,jacomino1 ,cuban 
state security forces violently detained
 protesters2 and ,whereas1 despite the  
suspension of the dialogue process by   
the ,government of ,cuba1 artists1      
activists1 and independent journalists  
continue to bravely advocate for        
fundamental freedoms and denounce human 
rights violations in ,cuba3 ,now1       
therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate--    
7#a7 stands in solidarity with the      
members of the ,san ,isidro ,movement   
and their efforts to advance freedom of 
expression in ,cuba2  7#b7 calls on     
,cuban authorities to engage in a       

meaningful dialogue process with the    
members of the ,san ,isidro ,movement   
and other artists and activists seeking 
to advance freedom of expression in     
,cuba2  7#c7 calls on the ,government of
 ,cuba to immediately release ,denis    
,sols ,gonzlez and other arbitrarily    
imprisoned artists and journalists2     
7#d7 urges the officials of the         
,ministry of ,culture of ,cuba to       
refrain from physical violence and any  
other acts of repression against ,cuban 
artists and journalists2  7#e7 calls for
 the immediate repeal of ,decrees #cdi  
and #cgj and other laws in ,cuba that   
violate freedom of expression2  7#f7    
urges democratic governments and        
legislatures in ,europe and ,latin      
,america to renew their support for     
democratic activists in ,cuba and speak 
out against the repression of artists   
and journalists in ,cuba2 and  7#g7     
encourages the ,secretary of ,state to  
condemn the persecution1 threats1 and   
intimidation of ,cuban artists and      

journalists4