Whereas Las Damas de Blanco (also known as the Ladies in White) is a group composed of female relatives of imprisoned political prisoners, prisoners of conscience, and peaceful dissidents in Cuba; Whereas, in April 2003, during the wave of repression known as the Black Spring , a group of strong and courageous women formed Las Damas de Blanco in response to the wrongful imprisonment of their family members by the regime in Cuba; Whereas since the inception of the group, the members of Las Damas de Blanco have attended Sunday mass in the Church of Santa Rita in Havana, Cuba, and then marched peacefully through the streets of Havana holding photos of their jailed relatives and white gladioluses; Whereas members of Las Damas de Blanco regularly march to advocate for the release of all political prisoners and the freedom of the Cuban people; Whereas members of Las Damas de Blanco are regularly attacked by Cuban regime security forces and prevented from exercising their fundamental rights of the freedoms of expression and assembly; Whereas according to Amnesty International— (1) Las Damas de Blanco remain[s] one of the primary targets of repression by Cuban [G]overnment authorities ; and (2) members of Las Damas de Blanco are frequently detained and often beaten by law enforcement officials and state security agents dressed as civilians while in detention; Whereas according to the Human Rights Watch 2018 World Report, detention is often used preemptively to prevent people from participating in peaceful marches or meetings to discuss politics, and detainees are often beaten, threatened, and held incommunicado for hours or days ; Whereas the Human Rights Watch 2018 World Report noted that Cuban Police or state security agents continue to routinely harass, rough up, and detain members of Las Damas de Blanco before or after they attend Sunday mass