oppresses, that kills and harasses the cuban people is a complete insult. and an utter offense to us. now, castro is out there visiting the united states. and i would like to ask, could we the opposers in cuba, the leaders of different organization and different initiatives go to the united states and come to the island freely? thank you very much. >> well, thank you all for your testimony. let me observe for the record the chair is cognizant of members of the castro regime who are here from the cuban interest section taking notes of everything that has been said. the chairman fully intends to monitor the rights of these three individuals who have spoken and who make sure that

they are not repressed or face any consequences upon their return to their homes. and it will be the committee's singular focus and we will certainly ask the united states government with section in cuba to ensure these individuals to the extent we have the ability possible, that they do not face a reprisal as a result of their testimony here today. now, with that, let me just take a few minutes to take advantage of the opportunity to ask some questions. mr. hernandez, yesterday before we had a chance to chat and i found something very interesting, two things very interesting in what you said. you said that there was a red line, a red line of dissident activity which is implicitly

tolerated by the regime. but if you cross that red line, that was not tolerated by the regime. could you tell us what activity is permitted up to the red line and then what happens when you cross the red line. [ speaking spanish ] >> translator: yes, mr. senator. we all know that the cuban government allows what they call up to a peaceful, nonviolent, passive fight.

[ speaking spanish ] >> translator: this peaceful, nonviolent, passive type of fight includes the people that send information from cuba to the world, but don't go beyond that. [ speaking spanish ] >> translator: and the influence they have within the island is very small. it's despicable. [ speaking spanish ] >> translator: this is like an

implicit agreement that has been for years between the dissidents and the castro brothers. [ speaking spanish ] >> translator: this does not mean these people are not harassed or have serious problems including instability and don't have problems within cuba. >> so what happens when you -- so those are the people who take the information of repression inside of cuba and tell the rest of the world what is crossing the line? what actions kros the line for which you ultimately find yourself arrests, incarcerated, and whatnot?

[ speaking spanish ] >> translator: i was getting there. [ speaking spanish ] >> translator: crossing the line is what marca or garcia or antunez do which is to engage in a head-on fight with the regime and gain public freedom spaces. [ speaking spanish ] >> translator: it's what they do every sunday. [ speaking spanish ]

>> translator: i find it very moving here to find a victim of the cuban repression who lives in a permanent state of unrest. [ speaking spanish ] >> translator: of those of you interested in the cuban affairs can see the acts that took place at her home that can be characterized as state terrorism. [ speaking spanish ]

>> translator: she led one of the protests that has been most widely mentioned in cuba in recent years which take place on the stairs in havana. >> so is crossing the red line then mean gaining public space, gaining recognition for your peaceful activities include of cuba. that is what the regime does not permit. that is what gets you arrested. [ speaking spanish ] >> translator: any attempt to gain any kind of public space, any kind of activity by the

dissidents or the opposition to try to get some kind of representation in society, any kind of attempt to do this the regime does not allow. that constitutes crossing the red line. >> you're sending information about what is happening inside cuba to the rest of the world, you're oppressed but not necessarily arrested. if you're a dissident who -- and political activist and independent journalist and those who seek peaceful movement inside of cuba, if you do that internally and promote that internally and create the space in which that is known internally, that is what likely gets you arrested. [ speaking spanish ] >> translator: yes. up to a certain point, it is.

and why do i say up to a certain point? in cuba not everything is black or white. >> did the founder of the blanco cross the red line and did that result in her death? [ speaking spanish ] >> translator: she with her leadership was able to gain a political space and occupy it in a way that had never been done before in cuba. [ speaking spanish ] >> translator: the marchs that take place and the ladies in white take place in every sunday in havana are being known about nationally and internationally. they got the message out.

[ speaking spanish ] >> translator: and this is a message we need to send out to the cuban people, all of the organizations. we need to gain these public spaces. this is the only way we can get the recognition we need to get to the change we all need. [ speaking spanish ] >> translator: but doing so constitutes being on the other side of the red line not allowed by the government. >> before i turn to our witnesses from havana, i want to ask them one, we have seen a tremendous increase in arrests and detentions in cuba over the last few months. what do you believe is the cause for that crackdown?

and secondly, how can we help you to communicate and spread your message for human rights and freedom inside of cuba? [ speaking spanish ] >> translator: there's been an increase on crackdown in repression over the past six months. [ speaking spanish ] >> translator: this violent -- this increase in repression has become harsher and more violent. [ speaking spanish ]

>> translator: but even more so important in addition to this increase in repression, there's an increase in activism that took place in parallel to this increase in repression. we see that out on the streets. [ speaking spanish ] >> translator: in terms of helping, there's many ways. one would be to promote what's going on in cuba and spread the information all over the world to take it to the international forum. [ speaking spanish ]

>> translator: and more specifically to strengthen -- would be extremely important and effective. [ speaking spanish ] >> translator: and in terms of republic, there's a concern among the resistance and acquisition. that is we don't understand how at this time when the opposition is gaining all of these spaces -- [ speaking spanish ]

>> translator: so we don't understand how is it possible for the government of the united states of america who's been our historical ally in this fight for freedom, how it has denied private organizations that have such closeness to us that is

such important work for the cuban people. more importantly the democratic board who has programs that have contributed to the increase in opposition. [ speaking spanish ] >> i think he was referring to -- could you ask him if he was referring to funds for the purposes of helping inside of cuba that i understand -- [ speaking spanish ] >> translator: i am referring to those funds, the funds for the cuban democratic board.

>> well -- [ speaking spanish ] >> translator: and other organizations for -- [ speaking spanish ] >> translator: this is an organization made up of ex-veterans and political prisoners as they call them who have done some serious work with their peers and their families for years. >> well, with my thanks for coming under very difficult circumstances and for once again

exhibiting your courage and risking, i understand, the potential consequences from being willing to speak your truth, your reality, your challenges in a simple public forum here in the united states via our satellite hookup with enormous respect for your commitment to peacefully creating civil society and space inside of cuba. you have the thanks of myself as the chairman, senator rubio, and the members of this committee. [ speaking spanish ]

. >> with that and with our thanks to the u.s. section for facilitating our witnesses' visit and for facilitating the ability to communicate here with our thanks to all, i think this has been a tremendous insight into the realities of life inside of cuba, to the challenges of cuban citizens, to enjoy the very basic fundamental

freedoms that we observe here in the united states and for that fact most of the western world. and that repression, torture, imprisonment simply for speaking your mind, simply for coming together in common cause to organize is a reality inside of cuba. our witnesses have given us those who have languished in castro's jails for seven decade more than a decade are living witnesses to that reality. all of the romanicism cannot erase that. our record will be open for one week. any who wish to ask questions may do so. this hearing is adjourned.

here on c-span3 we're live now at the white house waiting to hear from president obama who is reportedly going to talk about the nation's economy. the white house says the president will also address the european debt crisis and call on congress to pass proposals he says will put teachers and first responders back to work. no briefing from the white house spokesman jay carney. this has news from the associated press, the trade deficit shrinking in april after a big drop of imports that

offset the first decline of exports in five months. also on capitol hill, lawmakers are dealing with issues they'll face the end of the year. subcommittee of the ways and means committee in the house. the tax committee. that is underway. we're following that on c-span2. president may also talk about the bush era tax rates. he'll report that democratic leaders are paralyzed on how to proceed with the bush era tax rates. looks like it will be a minute or two before we hear from the president. while we wait, we'll bring you a part of this morning's washington journal. >> baltimore sun gave it front and center this morning on their lead story. u.s. nears a fiscal cliff is how they put this. looming tax increases, spending cuts, in peril economic recovery. we'll ask whether it's time for fed to act or whether you're

optimistic about the direction of the country and like to leave things where they are. we'll hear from bill, a democrat. you're on the line. go ahead. >> caller: i personally think we have to totally re-evaluate our economy and really maybe our society. i think that we can't have continual growth on the planet that has finite resources. i think we have to change our goals and our outlook. i think it's going to take a complete reconfiguration of our economy, make it more sustainable, more compatible with nature rather than confrontational. i really think this is ultimately the way to go. >> thanks, bill. up next is from philadelphia. anna is an independent there. you're on the air. go ahead please. >> caller: morning. i think the congress could act right now. ron paul put together the -- >> anna, are you there? all right. let me move on to caller --

you're on the air caller. where are you calling from? >> caller: hello? >> yes, you're on the air. we're talking about your concerns about the economy. >> caller: i know. and i blame congress. >> would you like to tell us more? >> caller: i blame congress why we don't have any jobs. they won't put through the transportation act. they blocked and blocked and blocked -- >> okay. looks like we're having a problem with our phones. we'll ask our folks on staff if they can help. we're losing calls partway through. let me go to the lead in the wall street journal this morning that talks about ben bernanke's testimony. bernanke's cliff-hanger is what they write about this morning. they say bernanke didn't endorse one more round of monetary easing but he did join the chorus to talk about a severe

fiscal tightening build into law. the so-called fiscal cliff would have allowed to pose a threat. let's listen to a bit more of mr. bernanke's testimony from capitol hill. some of what he had to say to congress yesterday. >> what is particularly striking here is this is all pre-programmed. if you all go on vacation, it's still going to happen. so it's important to be thinking about that and working with your colleagues to see how you might address that concern. at the appropriate time. >> all right. let's go back to telephone calls. don is a democrat in kansas city. go ahead, please. >> caller: yes. i believe the way we can get this economy back running is for corporate america to start hiring folks. i believe that it would be their patriotic duty to do so. they have, you know -- they're sitting on the funds. and a lot of ordinary folks have

been making a lot of sacrifice and it's time for corporate america to do their part. >> how would that work to take on employees that they might say would hurt bottom line? >> caller: well, the thing is that we always talk about shared sacrifice when we have a crisis in this country and it'd be time for corporate america to share in the sacrifice of this country. and forgot about the bottom line. when we get people working, then we will have -- the economy will rise. okay? people will start buying stuff. there will be tax money. and the economy will correct itself. >> okay. >> caller: we need to try it. >> thank you for your call. on twitter jim hines is telling us bernanke was telling congress to shore up its deficit and since tax increases can't be implemented immediately, that means cuts. let's hear from a call next.

mike is a republican in illinois. mike, you are on the air. go ahead please. >> caller: yeah. talking about how to fix the economy? >> yeah. and whether or not you have a message to congress or to the fed and whether or not you think something else. >> caller: well, they're all the problem. the fed, the congress, wall street, all that together. started with in the '80s and '90s and '00s. after one bubble they started another bubble. fed was part of it. they gave misleading and bad information. and the treasury printed money and printed money. they buy votes. all on food stamps. our stimulus here is about repaving the same roads over and

over and over again. and everybody has just been accustomed to it or conditioned to it. traffic jams everywhere. people talk about transportation bills and this and that. our bills, we spend billions and billions on the same things over and over again. for no production at all. they got rid of all the jobs, all -- used to be city of the century, chicago. they consume here. >> okay, mike. thanks very much. back to twitter. emma is on twitter and writes fiscal cliff for whom? only for we the people. the economy is rigged to enrich the rich and impoverish the people for crimes of the rich. next is a call from tony listening to us in norwalk, california. good morning. >> caller: good morning. i wanted to address the question you had to the caller regarding the bottom line. and, you ow