Human Rights in Cuba

From July 23 to 25, the virtual seminar on »Human Rights in Cuba» took place, including the following topics: Cuba at the last Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the UN Human Rights Council; The crossroads of human rights in Cuba; and Why does Cuba not ratify the International Covenants on Human Rights? The activity included three 90-minute lectures given by Cuban legal expert Julio Antonio Fernández Estrada.

Justice 11J activist visited the Southern Cone

Camila Rodríguez was invited by CADAL to visit Argentina, Chile and Uruguay in order to visibilize the situation of political prisoners in Cuba and demand their release.

Julio Antonio Fernández: «Cuba was never willing to comply with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights»

Brian Schapira: «When dissident artists, journalists or human rights defenders have visibility, the Cuban regime tells them: jail or exile».

Jorge Elías talks with Brian Schapira about the repression, persecution and arbitrary imprisonment suffered by the artistic community in Cuba. Through an alternative report presented by civil society organizations before the Committee against Torture, the lack of responses from the Cuban delegation was made evident. Why is it so important to make visible the systematic methodologies of permanent persecution in Cuba? «Basically, because they fall under the definition of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and, in some cases, within what is torture». Brian concludes. Listen to your 15 minutes.

The other side of cuban missions abroad

Persecution, slavery, threats, violence, harassment and separation of families are some of the lesser known features of Cuban missions abroad, according to a recent virtual meeting held at the request of the Spanish NGO Prisoners Defenders, and within the framework of the complaints filed with the UN in Geneva and the International Criminal Court.

Germany and human rights in Cuba: strong in Geneva, weak in Havana

Notwithstanding Germany’s role as a world power with a leading position within the European Union, and despite its exemplary attitude towards Cuba in the UN Human Rights Council, Germany has become just another country of the European Union that is soft with Havana and that currently does not recognize democratic activists. Meanwhile, the Cuban government has maintained relations with the opposition in Germany, including the Left Party (DIE LINKE), the Cuba Solidarity Network in Germany (Netzwerk Cuba e.V.), the Bavarian University Centre for Latin America (BAYLAT), the German Communist Party (DKP), the Germany-Central America Parliamentary Group, the Socialist German Workers' Youth (SDAJ), the Germany-Cuba Friendship Society, among others.

Request on Cuba, to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

The letter requests Ms. Michelle Bachelet that she intercedes before the Cuban government, in order to assume concrete commitments by integrating the Human Rights Council in this new three-year period, between 2021 and 2023. The request was signed by representatives of the following organizations: Freedom House; Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights; Civil Rights Defenders; Programa Venezolano de Educación-Acción en Derechos Humanos; Instituto Prensa y Sociedad; People in Need; CIVICUS: Alianza Mundial para la Participación Ciudadana; Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law; Programa Feminista La Corriente; Forum 2000; Freemuse; International Service for Human Rights; CADAL; Instituto de Prensa y Libertad de Expresión; Article 19 Mexico; Fundación Ciudadanía y Desarrollo; International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights; Fundación Impulsos; Fundación Patricio Aylwin, Chile; and Prisoners Defenders.

Deep Concern From 85 Civil Society Organizations as Cuban Government Is Granted a New Seat on UN Human Rights Council

In response to Cuba’s election to a fifth term on the Human Rights Council, 85 Cuban and international human rights and freedom-of-expression organizations, in conjunction with independent media outlets, released the following statement to express their concern.

Fox in the henhouse: Examining Cuba's Candidacy to the United Nations Human Rights Council

Cuba’s voting pattern during its 12 years at the UN Human Rights Council

Over the twelve years during which Cuba had a seat at the UN Human Rights Council, the regime has been systematically complicit in the grave human rights violations perpetrated in other parts of the world. This can be inferred from the recorded votes, opposing to resolutions condemning dire human rights violations and calling the world into action. They have been constantly abetting and siding with autocratic governments across the world. In the bid to join the Human Rights Council during the 2021-2023 term, the one-party system stated that «should Cuba be elected to the Human Rights Council, it would continue to support its long-standing initiatives». Global democracies, especially those in Latin America who strive to consolidate the respect for human rights, shall oppose to the candidacy of Cuba and any other autocracies to the Human Rights Council, and they must do so publicly and actively in order to avoid the weakening of the International system for human rights protection.

Cuba and the Resolution 60

«Cuba's lack of commitment to the Universal System of Human Rights» (in Spanish: «La falta de compromiso de Cuba con el Sistema Universal de Derechos Humanos»), a report by analysts Brian Schapira and Roxana Perel, edited and presented by CADAL, is a superb investigation that crosses the sinuous itinerary of the Cuban government in human rights matters, parting from a moment of change and inflection in the main international body created by the United Nations to face global human rights challenges.

Cuba’s lack of commitment to the international human rights system

The current outline in English addresses the main ideas and statements included in the report «La falta de compromiso de Cuba con el sistema universal de derechos humanos» (Cuba’s lack of commitment to the international human rights system), originally published in Spanish. To fully understand it, a thorough reading would be required. However, we believe the current summary, to which we have decided to add both the report’s introduction and conclusion sections almost entirely, represents a valuable document that will offer a comprehensive overview of the topics discussed and the conclusions drawn from the original report.

Request to the Chancellor of Canada on his official visit to Cuba

We ask the Canadian Foreign Minister, Chrystia Freeland, to meet with representatives of the democratic opposition, human rights activists and independent journalists, and we remind her of her country’s intervention during the last Universal Periodic Review of Cuba in the Council. of Human Rights of the UN.

CADAL requests to the governments of Argentina and Chile to apply the principle of reciprocity with Cuba in their relations with the political opposition

The request from CADAL bears the signature of its Executive Director, Gabriel C. Salvia, who expressed: «I am hopeful that both the government of Macri and the government of Piñera will act with dignity, conviction and political openness in its bilateral relations with Cuba. In other words, I hope they do not forget how they thought and acted when they were in the opposition».

Outstanding recomendations from democratic countries during the UPR of Cuba in the UNHRC

Recomendations from Germany, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Swiss, United Kingdom, United States.

Human Rights in Cuba

Rosa María Payá (Cuba Decide), Hillel Neuer (UN Watch), Alessandra Pinna (Freedom House) and Gabriel Salvia (CADAL) analyzed Cuba’s grave human rights situation in Geneva.

Cuba before its third universal periodic review of human rights

In the previous review, carried out in 2013, the Cubangovernment categorically rejected the most relevantrecommendations on their human rights violations, which persist today.

Mogherini, the European Union, and Cuba

(The Global Americans) It would be relevant to know the expectations of the High Representative of the European Union in the dialogue on human rights with Cuba.

The European Union, Cuba and Human Rights

Without a Cuban gesture towards a more open political system, it does not make sense to discuss an agreement since the one party regime of Raúl Castro would not approve any improvement in the area of human rights. Thus, the negotiations between the EU and Cuba started rather poorly if we believe there was ever any genuine interest by the EU in achieving any progress regarding a more open political system in the island.

François Hollande, a man without heart?

When the last Universal Periodic Review of Cuba was held in Geneva, France recommended to the government of Raul Castro to ensure freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and the free activity of human rights defenders, independent journalists and political opponents. Now,what value does this recommendation have when France validates the repression of those rights that is has asked Cuba to guarantee?