| | Commission for Assistance to a Free CubaThe Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba released its report on May 6, 2004. According to the report's Foreword: "President Bush formed the U.S. Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba to explore ways we can help hasten and ease Cuba's democratic transition. As this report shows, the United States seeks to cooperate with neighbors in the hemisphere and nations across the globe to help Cubans prepare for democratic change."
The Inter-American Charter clearly states that: "The peoples of the Americas have a right to democracy and their governments have an obligation to promote and defend it." The United States hopes that the release of the Commission's report will help us and "our neighbors in the Americas and free nations across the globe better support the efforts of the Cuban people to secure their right to democracy and realize their dreams for a better future."
The formation of this Commission and release of this report underscore the Administration's continuing commitment to the Cuban people as well as its unwavering support for human rights, democracy, and the open market system. This will define and accelerate U.S. efforts to hasten a transition to democracy and create a framework for providing assistance to a newly democratic Cuba. | |