MADRID, Spain.- In its twelfth broadcast, the Empodérate Cubano space organized by Cubalex and hosted by journalist Iliana Hernández, exposed the harsh reality of independent civil society on the Island, victim of constant state repression. The debate focused on the high points of the thematic hearing “Cuba: right to freedom of association”, held before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on February 29, with the participation of 13 international organizations and the civil society.
The panelists, Laritza Diversent (director of Cubalex), Kirenia Yalit Núñez (director of the Cuban Youth Dialogue Table) and María Matienzo (coordinator of the Virtual Museum of Memory against Gender-based Violence), exposed the repressive patterns that They hit independent organizations. Among them, the neutralization of leadership, harassment and persecution of its members, and harassment of their families stood out, with special emphasis on gender violence.
Between 2022 and 2024, more than 350 episodes of violence were recorded against relatives of political prisoners, with a particular focus on mothers, fathers and wives. The situation of imprisoned female politicians and the institutional apathy in the face of feminicidal violence in Cuba are two other links in the same chain of impunity and helplessness.
Laritza Diversent focused on how violations of freedom of association impact other fundamental rights. The experiences of organizations such as the Ladies in White illustrate the impact of repression on free expression and movement.
Despite the refusal of the Cuban State to participate in these hearings, the activists agreed on the importance of making these problems visible to international organizations and the need for international solidarity with the fight for freedom, democracy and respect for human rights. on the island.
Likewise, it was insisted that it is not necessary to be a political activist to face this situation, since any citizen can be a victim of repression.
On the other hand, the case of Julio Ferrer Tamayo, a Cubalex lawyer, illustrated the lack of judicial independence in Cuba, where judges act under the shadow of the Communist Party, evidencing the lack of a true division of powers.
The panelists also warned about the importance of thematic hearings to make visible the general context of repression in Cuba and considered that the solution to Cuban problems does not lie in international organizations, but in the people themselves, with the support of international solidarity.
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2024-03-14 11:08:04
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