Carr Applauds Senate Introduction of PATRIA Y VIDA Act to Restore Internet Services
Legislation Would Promote Internet Freedom in Cuba and Advance U.S. Strategic Interests

WASHINGTON, DC, November 5, 2021—Today, Commissioner Brendan Carr applauded the introduction of the “Protecting Against Tyrants by Restoring Internet Access and Yielding Vital Interconnectivity in Designated Areas Act” or “PATRIA Y VIDA Act” by Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Rick Scott, and Senator Bill Hagerty.  Their bill would require the U.S. to establish and maintain the capability to transmit Internet access service into foreign territories where the provision of uncensored Internet services would promote freedom from oppressive regimes.  The legislation also strengthens support for circumvention technologies that allow users to evade government-backed Internet censorship. 

In July, as Cubans took to the streets in historic protests, the Cuban regime restricted Internet services as part of its brutal effort to maintain power.  That’s when Carr joined Governor Ron DeSantis, Senator Rubio, Senator Scott, and other leaders in urging the Biden Administration to stand with the Cuban people by ending the regime’s Internet blockade.

Carr issued the following statement on the introduction of the PATRIA Y VIDA Act:  
“As Cubans marched in the streets in unprecedented numbers, they took a simple yet powerful action now common to freedom movements the world over: They took out their phones, and they started recording.   The pictures and videos that showed the regime’s brutal crackdown flashed across the Internet in an instant.  The images galvanized the world’s attention on the Cuban peoples’ fight for freedom and on the regime’s ruthless efforts to remain in power.
“The Cuban government responded consistent with today’s authoritarian playbook.  They shut down Internet services.  We have seen this same move in Iran, in Myanmar, and in Venezuela.  Dictators know that when people can communicate freely over the Internet, it weakens their grip on power—it accelerates their inevitable fall into the dustbin of history.
“American enterprises have the technical capability to restore uncensored Internet services.  They simply need the green light and support from the U.S. government to do so. 
“I applaud the leadership of Senators Rubio, Scott, and Hagerty for their unwavering support and advocacy for the courageous people of Cuba.  I am pleased that this legislation sets forth a smart, two-part plan for restoring Internet services in Cuba and in other territories where oppressive regimes depend on darkness to maintain control.  Passing the ‘PATRIA Y VIDA Act’ would show America’s support for freedom and advance our country’s strategic interest around the world.”

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Office of Commissioner Brendan Carr
www.fcc.gov/about/leadership/brendan-carr
Media Contact:  Greg Watson
(202) 418-0658 or greg.watson@fcc.gov