MIAMI — A bill introduced Friday by Florida Republican Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott seeks to strengthen the U.S. government’s capacity to respond to internet shutdowns and censorship by authoritarian governments worldwide.
The legislation proposal mandates several federal agencies to “obtain and maintain” the ability to provide internet access to foreign countries when the service “would promote freedom from repressive regimes” or in case of domestic disruptions. It also allows the Federal Communications Commission to quickly send funds to companies that provide tools to evade government-backed censorship and restrictions.
The bill, named the “Patria y Vida Act” after the Cuban protest song, was crafted as a response to recent internet cuts in Cuba during massive anti-government protests and fears that a planned opposition march in November could be met by a similar censoring strategy.
“From Havana and Hong Kong to Caracas and Tehran, oppressive regimes are restricting their citizens’ access to uncensored internet with the hope of silencing voices of dissent and hiding the realities on the ground,” Rubio said. “The world witnessed how the Cuban people stood up against over 60 years of communist rule in this summer’s organic protests, which were ignited in large part by the internet. We cannot forget the clamor of ‘Patria y Vida’ and people’s desire for internet freedom worldwide.”
Since the Cuban government cut internet service during unprecedented demonstrations in July, Florida Republicans have urged President Joe Biden to green-light efforts to counteract the restrictions. Biden ordered its administration to study ways to boost internet access to Cubans, but officials have said that both balloon and satellite technologies to provide internet service are difficult to implement and the Cuban government could jam the signal.
Rubio previously thought to fund these efforts through an amendment in the Senate’s reconciliation budget proposal. His office sent invitations to Democratic senators to join as co-sponsors of the Patria y Vida Act and a previous draft had New Jersey Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez’s name on it. His office did not immediately reply to a comment request. Scott and Sen. Bill Hagerty, a Republican for Tennessee, joined Rubio as co-sponsors of the final proposal.
“I applaud the leadership of Sens. Rubio, Scott, and Hagerty for their unwavering support and advocacy for the courageous people of Cuba. In particular, Sen. Rubio’s early leadership on restoring Internet services in Cuba rallied support to this cause,” FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said. “Passing the ‘Patria y Vida Act’ would show America’s support for freedom and advance our country’s strategic interest around the world.”
After the summer protests, the Cuban government published new decrees and regulations criminalizing dissent on social media. The restrictions have generated criticism from the U.S. and European governments and international groups like the Organization of American States and the United Nations.
Several independent organizations monitoring internet traffic confirmed the internet shutdown in July, but Cuban officials have denied it and have blamed the U.S. for the uprising. Yoan de la Cruz, 27, is facing an eight-year sentence for live-streaming the first protest in San Antonio de los Baños, near Havana.
“This summer, the message of ‘Patria y Vida’ spread from Cuba across the world, making it clear that the time of the illegitimate communist Cuban dictatorship is over,” Scott said. “Now it is time for America to act. As the world’s greatest beacon of democracy, the United States do everything in our power to support freedom and democracy activists across the globe fighting against oppression and tyranny.”
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