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itself IF File ID: #5998
< a R 9 Resolution
Sponsored by: Mayor Francis Suarez, Commissioner Joe Carollo, Commissioner
Manolo Reyes
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION URGING PRESIDENT DONALD
J. TRUMP TO PROHIBIT FURTHER CULTURAL EXCHANGES BETWEEN CUBA
AND THE UNITED STATES; URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO ENACT
LEGISLATION THAT WOULD PERMIT STATES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO
PROHIBIT THE CONTRACTING WITH PERFORMERS AND ARTISTS WHO DO
BUSINESS WITH OR ARE FUNDED BY CUBA; FURTHER URGING ALL FEDERAL,
STATE, AND LOCAL OFFICIALS TO JOIN THEIR SUPPORT UNTIL FREEDOM OF
EXPRESSION IS RESTORED FOR ALL CUBANS AND NOT JUST A FEW FAVORED
ARTISTS; DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS
RESOLUTION TO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AS STATED HEREIN.
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Resolution www.miamigov.com
Enactment Number: R-19-0236
File Number: 5998 Final Action Date:6/13/2019
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION URGING PRESIDENT DONALD
J. TRUMP TO PROHIBIT FURTHER CULTURAL EXCHANGES BETWEEN CUBA
AND THE UNITED STATES; URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO ENACT
LEGISLATION THAT WOULD PERMIT STATES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO
PROHIBIT THE CONTRACTING WITH PERFORMERS AND ARTISTS WHO DO
BUSINESS WITH OR ARE FUNDED BY CUBA; FURTHER URGING ALL FEDERAL,
STATE, AND LOCAL OFFICIALS TO JOIN THEIR SUPPORT UNTIL FREEDOM OF
EXPRESSION IS RESTORED FOR ALL CUBANS AND NOT JUST A FEW FAVORED
ARTISTS; DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS
RESOLUTION TO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AS STATED HEREIN.
WHEREAS, the people of Cuba have suffered under a totalitarian dictatorship for over a
half a century; and
WHEREAS, countless innocent Cubans have been detained, imprisoned, tortured,
maimed, and executed for the simple act of exercising their basic human rights; and
WHEREAS, in the 1990s, President Bill Clinton opened a cultural exchange program
with Cuba that allowed Americans and Cuban Americans to visit Cuba, and some Cuban
government-sponsored artists and writers were allowed to tour and work in the United States;
and
WHEREAS, in 2004, after the Cuban government ordered the execution by a firing
squad of three (3) black teenagers who tried to hijack a boat to flee Cuba and sentenced 75
dissidents to up to 28 years in prison, President George W. Bush suspended the cultural
exchange with Cuba and imposed restrictions to trips and Cuban American remittances to the
island; and
WHEREAS, in 2017, President Barack Obama, under the Cuban Assets Control
Regulations, Title 31, Part 515 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations, relaxed
President Bush's restrictions to the levels they were before 2004 and also began a new cultural
exchange between the United States and Cuba with the hope that his actions would encourage
the Castros' regime to release political prisoners and restore some fundamental freedoms; and
WHEREAS, notwithstanding the many changes in Cuba, the Cuban government has
shown no improvement towards respecting basic human rights; and
WHEREAS, under the guise of cultural exchange, Cuba permits artists that
predominately support the Cuban regime and who ostensibly defend a regime that has for
decades violated human rights and supported terrorists to engage in expressive activity; and
WHEREAS, the Miami City Commission vigorously supports freedom of expression and
finds that it should be available to all and not just a favored few;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI, FLORIDA:
Section 1. The recitals and findings contained in the Preamble to the Resolution are
adopted by reference and incorporated as fully set forth in this Section.
Section 2. The City Commission urges President Donald J. Trump to prohibit any
further cultural exchanges between Cuba and the United States until freedom of expression is
restored for all Cubans.
Section 3. The City Commission urges the United States Congress to enact legislation
that would permit states and local governments to prohibit the contracting with performers and
artists who do business with or are funded by Cuba.
Section 4. The City Commission further urges all federal, state, and local officials to
join in their support of this Resolution until freedom of expression is restored for all Cubans and
not just a few favored artists.
Section 5. The City Clerk is directed to transmit a copy of this Resolution to President
Donald J. Trump, the Speaker of the House, the Senate Majority Leader, Senators Marco
Rubio and Rick Scott, the Miami -Dade County Congressional Legislative Delegation, and the
Miami -Dade League of Cities.
Section 6. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption and
signature of the Mayor.'
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS:
1
i ria i . ndez, City Attor iey 6/4/2019
' If the Mayor does not sign this Resolution, it shall become effective at the end of ten (10) calendar days
from the date it was passed and adopted. If the Mayor vetoes this Resolution, it shall become effective
immediately upon override of the veto by the City Commission.