Presentation in Santiago de Chile

Instituto Libertad y Desarrollo organised an event entitled “Cuba and the third Universal Periodic Review of the UN’s Human Rights Council”. It took place in its headquarters in Santiago de Chile and saw speeches of Cuban activist Dalila Rodríguez González and Roberto Santana, Chilean Congressman Jaime Bellolio and General Director of CADAL Gabriel C. Salvia.

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is an important process in which the human rights’ situation of every UN member state is examined by the Human Rights Council. Each member state is given the chance to declare which measures they are going to implement in order to improve the human rights’ situation in their country. Furthermore, each UPR hosts an interactive dialogue where members of the UN share observations and recommendations with the respective state.

With regards to Cuba’s third UPR, which takes place on the 16 May 2018, activist Dalila Rodríguez González shared her personal life story about how she got expelled from the Central University “Martha Abreu” and gave insights into the restrictions of religious freedom implemented by the Cuban government.

The next presenter was Roberto Santana Capdesuñer, a member of the Committee Civilians for Racial Integration. He explained the severity of restrictions concerning freedom of movement within the country and the challenges dissidents face when seeking to leave the country.

Gabriel C. Salvia, General Director of CADAL, summarised Cuba’s previous UPRs and discussed Chile’s contributions to them. He also spoke about the current human rights’ situation in Cuba and debated the recent report of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which forms part of the Organization of American States (OAS).

The closing remarks were made by Congressman Jaime Bellolio of the Independent Democratic Union who wasn’t allowed to enter Cuba to partake in the ceremonies of the Oswaldo Payá Award, which is organised by Cube Decide (Cuba Decides).