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Message by President George
W. Bush to commemorate Cuban Independence
Day
May 20, 2005.
I am pleased to send greetings to all Cubans
celebrating the 103rd anniversary of Cuban
independence. We honor the warm family ties,
the faith, the history, and the heritage
that unite us all.
Cuba has a proud history of fighting for
freedom, and that fight goes on today. Here
in America, we are inspired by the stories
of Cubans who have escaped tyranny and risked
their lives to come to our country. There
are more than a million people of Cuban
descent in America, and they continue to
make our Nation better and stronger. Today,
we honor Cubans for their magnificent contributions
to our nation. They enrich every field,
from science to industry to the arts. But
mostly today we reflect on the greatness
of Cuba's distant past and the brightness
of its future.
We look forward to the day when Cubans
will no longer have to endure years of separation
from their families in order to enjoy the
blessings of liberty. We will not rest.
We will keep the pressure on until the Cuban
people enjoy the same freedom in Havana
that they have in America. Freedom is not
America's gift to the world; freedom is
the Almighty God's gift to each man and
woman in the world.
The Cuban independence we celebrate today
was the product of the enormous courage
of the Cuban people and the statesmanship
of leaders such as Jose Marti. Today many
future leaders of a free Cuba are showing
their courage in the struggle for freedom.
This week, more than 360 opposition and
civil society organizations are planning
to gather in Cuba for a historic meeting
of the Assembly to Promote Civil Society
in Cuba. Those taking part in this event
are placing themselves and their families
at great risk. I have a message to those
assembling today to protest oppression in
Cuba: As you struggle for the freedom of
your country, the American people stand
with you.
Across Cuba, many of you are making the
choice to come out from under the shadow
of repression. We applaud those of you,
like the Damas de Blanco, who are working
to raise awareness about your loved ones
who have been jailed unjustly. We applaud
the selfless Cubans, like Oscar Elias Biscet
y Marta Beatriz Roque, who are seeking freedom
for your homeland.
We are helping organizations protect dissidents
and promote human rights. We are working
to ensure that the Cuban people hear the
clear voice of truth through Radio y TV
Marti. We are working to prevent the repressive
regime from exploiting the hard currency
of tourists and remittances to Cubans. We
are not waiting for the day of Cuban freedom,
we are working for the day of Cuban freedom.
The tide of freedom is spreading across
the globe - and one day soon, it will reach
Cuban shores. No tyrant can stand forever
against the power of liberty because the
hope of freedom is found in every heart.
So today we are confident that Cuba sera
libre pronto.
Gracias y que Dios los bendiga.
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