WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott released the following statement thanking Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General Luis Almagro for his communique on Cuban political prisoners.

In his communique, which comes after his call with Senator Scott yesterday, Secretary General Almagro:

• Demanded the immediate release of all arbitrarily imprisoned political prisoners;
• Expressed special concern for the integrity of José Daniel Ferrer, a Cuban human rights and freedom activist who has been unjustly imprisoned and tortured for more than 150 days, and whose health appears to have deteriorated rapidly in recent weeks; and
• Urged the Cuban regime to immediately allow a humanitarian mission of the universal and/or inter-American system for the protection of human rights that can verify the state and situation of political prisoners in the country.

Senator Rick Scott said, “I want to thank OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro for his immediate attention to the brutal human rights abuses occurring in Cuba and the urgent need to secure humanitarian medical visits for José Daniel Ferrer and the other brave freedom activists being unjustly jailed and tortured by the communist Cuban regime. As I stressed following my calls yesterday with the White House and United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres, the United States and our partners across the world must demand humanitarian intervention to save their lives and continue fighting for the immediate release of all jailed freedom activists. We cannot tolerate further delays and inaction. I am very grateful for Secretary General Almagro’s partnership in this important fight and hope to also see action from the UN and the Biden administration in the coming days. Working together, we can help bring positive change and freedom to the people of Cuba.”

See Senator Scott’s statement released yesterday on his calls this week with the family of José Daniel Ferrer, OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro, White House National Security Council Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere Juan Gonzalez, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres HERE.

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