A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee recently determined that phenylephrine, an ingredient commonly used to treat sinus and nasal congestion, is ineffective in treating these symptoms. This was apparent from research for years, yet large...
El senador estadounidense Marco Rubio (R-FL) habló con César Grajales de La Poderosa 670 AM en El Panorama Político, sobre la crisis fronteriza, sobre cómo los hispanoamericanos se ven afectados con la realidad del país, sobre los cargos contra el senador Bob Menéndez...
Pregnant students are sometimes discriminated against by their schools, either intentionally or unintentionally and there is a concerning lack of awareness about the resources and rights available to them. Due to a lack of services and discrimination, these women may...
Currently, intelligence community civilians are subject to certain tax penalties for job-related relocation requirements, but active-duty military servicemembers are not subjected to the same penalties. These tax benefits, including the ability to deduct moving...
Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Marco Rubio (R-FL) delivered opening remarks and questioned witnesses at a hearing on countering China’s influence in the United States. Watch Rubio’s opening remarks here as well as Part I and Part II of...
Approximately 302,000 Americans live with spinal cord injuries. To help these people achieve a better quality of life, there is a need to increase education and invest in research. U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) successfully led a bipartisan...
Miami, FL – This afternoon, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) will address the Cuba Internet Freedom Conference in Miami via video message.
The conference recently came under fire from the Castro regime, which said the forum was using “the internet as a weapon of subversion.”
Rubio’s video message can be watched here and a downloadable broadcast quality version is available here for TV stations.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio
Remarks at Cuba Internet Freedom Conference (via video message)
Miami, Florida
Monday, September 12, 2016
http://bit.ly/2cLQK2z
Senator Marco Rubio: “Hello, I’m Marco Rubio and it’s my honor to serve the people of Florida in the United States Senate. Thank you for the invitation to speak at this historic conference. I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you in person. You are gathered today for a cause much larger than yourselves. You are speaking freely for those in Cuba who lack that right – who cannot express themselves for fear of persecution or harassment.
“As you all know, internet freedom is not some obscure technological subject; it is now central to human freedom. And that is exactly why it has so many enemies. The internet has proven to be such an effective catalyst for pro-democratic revolution that it is now a battleground in fights for freedom around the world. Cuba is one of the most extreme and disheartening examples. The Castros understand that information is power.
“This is why they block the people of Cuba from any online resources that could empower them to affect change in their country. This is why, when the United Nations declared internet access a basic human right, the Castros opposed the move.
“It’s why Raul Castro’s right hand man, José Ramón Machado Ventura, recently warned that outsiders such as all of you could use internet access to, quote, “penetrate us and do ideological work for a new conquest.” It’s also why the cowards in the Cuban regime even block text messages that contain words like “democracy,” “human rights,” and “hunger strike” – like the one being waged now by Guillermo Fariñas. It’s why one top regime official has attacked this very conference and called the internet “a weapon of subversion”.
“And it’s why today, only about 5 percent of Cubans can get online. That’s one of the lowest internet penetration rates in the world. The regime can talk all it wants about plans to raise that number over the next few years. But it will make little difference as long as the information accessible is still censored and controlled.
“The recent move to set up Wi-Fi hotspots or internet cafes is not the sign of progress the regime claims. It’s a cosmetic change at best. It is only available to those can afford it. And to those who are of course still blocked from accessing any information deemed “sensitive” by the Castro government.
“It is my belief that President Obama’s diplomatic opening to the Castro regime has only impeded efforts to promote greater access to uncensored information. President Obama claimed the people of Cuba did not have modern technology because of the U.S. embargo. But that is blatantly false.
“The Cuban people haven’t had access to telecommunications and the internet because the government prohibits and censors it – the very government President Obama has now empowered, enriched, and legitimized with his concessions.
“This notion that ending the embargo would somehow prompt the government to allow the people of Cuba access to any web site they wanted was never grounded in truth – and I believe, sadly, we’re seeing that now.
“The United States must stand on the side of those Cubans demanding their God-given freedoms. The United States must stand on your side in this fight to secure a free internet.
“And so I thank you all for your work. Whether organizing, blogging, or speaking out with your voice, your struggle to promote greater access to uncensored information makes you warriors for Cuban freedom.
“I’d also like to thank the hosts of the Cuba Internet Freedom Conference today for drawing attention to this vital cause. It is my hope that this conference will be held again next year, and again each year after that – until change is achieved and full internet freedom is won.
“Thank you.”