Senator Menendez Statement on Alan Gross

BY: THE HILL

Menendez on Castro Regime's Decision to Uphold 15-year Sentence of Alan Gross

NEW JERSEY - United States Senator Robert Menendez, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, released the following statement on the Castro regime's decision to affirm the 15-year sentence of USAID contractor Alan Gross. Gross was arrested for assisting the island's Jewish community to access the internet.

Senator Menendez said, "The Cuban regime's affirmation of USAID contractor Alan Gross's 15-year sentence for acts against the 'integrity and independence' of Cuba is a vivid reminder of the intolerance and brutality of the authoritarian regime that has ruled the island for more than fifty years. Gross' sentence eviscerates the notion held by some that the Castro brothers are embracing democratic reforms, but rather is a reminder that the regime seeks to control every aspect of life in Cuba and is willing to harshly punish anyone who challenges that control.

Alan Gross went to Cuba on a mission to help the Cuban people connect to the world, and he and his family have paid a terrible price for his humanitarian efforts. Alan Gross should be released immediately and without condition and the Obama administration should make it clear to the Castro regime that the unlawful imprisonment of U.S. Citizens will not be tolerated.

Today's decision is a reminder of importance of the U.S. commitment to promoting a democratic transition to democracy in Cuba. The Cuban people, like those struggling for democratic reforms in the Middle East, yearn for the opportunity to control their destinies and provide a vibrant future for their children. The United States will continue in its mission to support the Cuban people and to promote democracy until the Castro brothers relinquish power and restore the rights and liberties deserved by the Cuban people and by all people."