There’s still a long road ahead before Cuba’s freedom is realized, but at long last, Oscar has finally been released from prison and allowed to leave the island. So, we welcome you, Oscar. We’ve been waiting for you and we are thrilled you’re here.
Laura and I welcome you, we thank you. This is an extraordinary event, one that should lift the soul of every American. Ken Hersh and Holly Kuzmich, who run this organization, welcome you as well. Gerald Turner, the president of Southern Methodist University is here with us to welcome Oscar.
In 2007, I awarded the Medal of Freedom to Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet. I did so because of his courage and devotion to freedom. He couldn’t be with us then because he was in a prison cell, locked away for daring to criticize Cuba’s communist regime and for demanding respect for the fundamental rights of the Cuban people. For the past several years, Oscar has entrusted his Medal of Freedom to the Bush Institute’s Freedom Collection. He did so until Cuba was free, or at least or at least until he was free to travel here.
There’s still a long road ahead before Cuba’s freedom is realized, but at long last, Oscar has finally been released from prison and allowed to leave the island. So, we welcome you, Oscar. We’ve been waiting for you and we are thrilled you’re here. [Applause.] As well, we are thrilled that Elsa, su esposa, is here as well. [Applause.]
We wish that we could have hosted the White House ceremony you never had, but we no longer live there. [Laughter.] I do hope the Bush Center will do. After all, a key component of Bush Center is what we call [Freedom Hall] in the belief that all people should be free and that free societies yield peace. And you certainly represent that spirit, Oscar.
I want to read a few words from my speech in the East Room when we announced your Medal of Freedom. Here is part of what I said:
Oscar Biscet is a healer — known to 11 million Cubans as a physician, a community organizer, and an advocate for human rights. For decades, he has told the world what he has seen in Cuba: the arrogance of a one-party state; the suppression of political dissent; the coercion of expectant mothers. For speaking the truth Dr. Biscet has endured repeated harassment, beatings, and detentions. The international community agrees that Dr. Biscet’s imprisonment is unjust, yet the regime has refused every call for his release.
To the Cuban dictatorship, Dr. Biscet is a ‘dangerous man.’ He is dangerous in the same way that Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi were dangerous. He is a man of peace, a man of truth, and a man of faith. In captivity, he has continued to embody courage and dignity. His example is a rebuke to the tyrants and secret police of a regime whose day is passing.
Dr. Biscet is also a young man. God willing, he’ll soon regain his freedom, as justice demands. He deserves to be reunited with his wife, Elsa, and all their family. And the land they call home deserves to be free
This trip is Dr. Biscet’s first time out of Cuba. He and Elsa have finally been able to reunite with their children. They’ve celebrated with old friends, and it’s been a joyous occasion, he told us. But the land they call home still deserves to be free. Even outside of prison, Dr. Biscet is still harassed by state security. He remains under surveillance, except at the Bush Center. [Laughter.] He continues undaunted in his struggle for a free Cuba.
I’m inspired by his unyielding commitment to his people and his nonviolent defiance of an unjust regime. He symbolizes all the brave men and women of Cuba who continue to have a vision for a free and democratic Cuba.
Laura and I will continue to stand with the Cuban people for their freedom. The Bush Center will continue to stand for the Cuban people’s liberty. We will continue to stand with a great man with a mighty heart, Oscar Biscet.
I’m now honored to finally present Dr. Biscet with the Medal of Freedom. Will you please come forward while Amanda Schnetzer, who runs our Freedom Initiative, reads the citation? [Applause.]
END
Text of Citation
Oscar Elias Biscet has dedicated his life to advancing human rights and democracy in Cuba. A medical doctor, he has been persecuted for his peaceful calls for a free Cuba. A former prisoner of conscience, he remains a powerful advocate for a Cuba in which the rights of all people are respected. Freedom-loving people everywhere are his brothers and sisters, and his sacrifices benefit all mankind. The United States stands with Oscar Elias Biscet in his heroic struggle against tyranny, salutes him for his courage, and honors him for his devotion to freedom and human rights.
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Photos from this event can be found here.
