More than 140 Republican lawmakers led by Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) sent a letter to the Organization \u2026<\/b>
\nMore than 140 Republican lawmakers led by Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) sent a letter to the Organization of American States, the E.U., and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday demanding action against Cuba\u2019s communist regime \u2014 including an international criminal tribunal. The letter read: After more than six decades of brutally oppressive rule, the Cuban people are risking their lives to loudly denounce the disastrous communist regime that has time and time again failed to promote and protect the general welfare of its citizens. It is time to finally end the evil and murderous reign of the communist, illegitimate Cuban regime that has murdered, tortured and oppressed for far too long. The letter comes a week after Cuba\u2019s largest anti-government protests in decades broke out in more than 40 municipalities on the island. Protesters were met with gunfire and beaten in the streets. Independent media in Cuba estimated that as many as 5,000 people have been arrested or disappeared since protests began, Breitbart News reported, though the names of only about 600 individuals are confirmed. Current figurehead President Miguel D\u00edaz-Canel openly called on civilians to violently attack protesters on the streets in an \u201corder of combat\u201d issued last week. In the letter, lawmakers suggested an international criminal tribunal be established to investigate Cuba\u2019s alleged crimes against humanity. Lawmakers named organizations like Justice Cuba, Cuba Archives, and the Cuban American Bar Association, which \u201chave already been compiling the names and crimes of those who have committed human rights abuses.\u201d The Justice Cuba International Commission previously presented testimony from former political prisoners who witnessed torture and atrocities perpetrated by the Cuban government. As Breitbart News previously reported, Justice Cuba compiled legal evidence and completed its investigation into Cuba\u2019s human rights abuses in 2018. At the time, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) urged former President Donald Trump\u2019s administration to indict former Cuban dictator Ra\u00fal Castro, but action was never taken. Since then, the organization has been in search of a tribunal in order to \u201csuccessfully try Cuban government officials accused of torture and other atrocities against the population on the island.\u201d \u201cWe encourage you to work with us in forming an International Criminal Tribunal for Cuba for crimes against humanity and work to hold the Communist regime accountable,\u201d lawmakers said in the letter. In addition to a tribunal, Republicans want the international community to \u201cimmediately end diplomatic relations\u201d and \u201cend all financial support to the regime.\u201d The letter continued: A full withdrawal of financial support by the international community will end a critical lifeline that allows the Cuban regime to maintain its tight grip on power. Any nation that stands for freedom, democracy and human rights cannot also continue to support the communist Cuban regime\u2019s brutal oppression with appeasement policies in the form of increased trade, tourism, extensions of credit or investments in joint ventures with the regime. Republicans slammed the \u201cfailed appeasement policies of the Obama-Biden administration\u201d which \u201cdid nothing to promote freedom for the Cuban people or end the oppression forced on them by Cuba\u2019s malevolent dictatorship.\u201d Lawmakers said, \u201cit only emboldened the regime and funded its campaign of oppression.\u201d \u201cAll money that goes into Cuba through any trade, tourism or commercial relationship directly enriches the regime,\u201d lawmakers said in the letter. Lawmakers additionally asked the international community to work collaboratively to coordinate democratic assistance for the \u201cbrave Cuban freedom advocates,\u201d and emphasized the importance of giving Cubans Internet access to communicate with the outside world. Social media allowed information and photos of the Cuba protests to widely circulate, enabling thousands of Cubans to join in before the regime shut down Internet access on the island. The letter continues: A primary weapon of dictatorships like the Cuban regime is silencing their opposition: they stop them from talking to each other, from receiving information from those around the world who want to help them, and from getting the images of the regime\u2019s oppression to the outside world. Overall, lawmakers said the 62-year-old regime, the oldest dictatorship on the Western Hemisphere, has remained in tact long enough without being held accountable: It\u2019s time to end this terrible plague of communism on the Cuban people. It\u2019s time for freedom and democracy to prevail. We urge you to stand up for a free Cuba and show your commitment to freedom with immediate action to support their cause. The time for democracy in Cuba is now. The request for action comes as Democrats and Republicans spar over how to handle Cuba. Many Democrats have sought to blame the U.S. economic embargo of Cuba for the island\u2019s problems, while most Republicans and protesters blame Cuba\u2019s corrupt Communist government. After more than a week of inaction, President Joe Biden on Thursday announced that the U.S. will sanction \u201cone Cuban individual and one Cuban entity for serious human rights abuse.\u201d His administration is also reportedly working with the private sector to figure out how to restore Internet to the island and will restaff the U.S. Embassy in Havana (where several ambassadors were mysteriously sickened), among other measures.<\/p>\n