OAS – Page 2 – Race and Equality

25Sep 2019 by admin No Comments

Nicaraguan journalists denounce continuous violations of freedom of expression and press during the IACHR’s 173rd period of sessions

Washington D.C., September 25. Three Nicaraguan media directors, speaking today to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), denounced the Nicaraguan state, saying it has not complied with the precautionary measures given by the commision to protect them, their families, and their staff, but has instead escalated persecution, threats, and reprisals against their journalistic work. Sergio León, director of La Costeñísima in Bluefields; Aníbal Toruño, director of Radio Darío in León and Carlos Fernando Chamorro, director of the digital outlet Confidencial and the television news program Esta Semana, exposed their situation during the hearing “Implementation of Protective Precautionary Measures in Favor of Independent Journalists in Nicaragua,” held within the framework of the 173rd period of sessions of the IACHR. Ana Bolaños, on behalf of the Institute on Race, Equality and…

24Sep 2019 by admin No Comments

“Despite the constitutional reform, human rights continue to be violated systematically in Cuba”: Cuban activists testify before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

Cuba, English, IACHR, OAS

During the 173rd Period of Sessions of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), held in Washington, DC from September 23 through October 2, human rights defenders, activists and independent journalists from Cuba brought the concerning situation for human rights in their country to the Commissioners’ attention. Alongside journalists from the outlets Diario de Cuba, Cubanet and Tremenda Nota and activists from Cubalex and the Cofradía de Negritud, Race and Equality’s Legal Program Officer Caitlin Kelly reported that despite a constitutional reform supposedly meant to ensure Cubans’ rights and the ascension of a new President from outside the Castro family, concerning levels of persecution, harassment and repression persist. A lack of political will to guarantee rights for those who dissent from the Cuban government’s dictatorial policies prevents these abuses from…

11Sep 2019 by admin No Comments

Race and Equality: “The cuban State uses its penal code to criminalize voices that speak out against the regime”

CIDH, Cuba, English, IACHR, OAS, OEA, ONU, UN

In its most recent report, the human rights organization asserts that Cuban laws lack the necessary protections to ensure respect for due process and other human rights of persons accused of crimes. The guarantees that do exist are not respected by the authorities in cases of independent activists. As a part of the event “Weaponizing Justice: Rule of Law and Cuba’s New Constitution” that took place Wednesday, September 11 at the Inter-American Dialogue, the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) officially launched its most recent report, entitled “Premeditated Convictions: Analysis of the Situation of the Administration of Justice in Cuba.” In the report, Race and Equality documents and analyzes the patterns of criminalization, repression, and harassment used by the Cuban state against independent activists, a…

26Aug 2019 by admin No Comments

SANKOFA: “Back to the past to resignify the present”: The reality of Black transgender and travesti women in Brazil

Brazil, CIDH, English, IACHR, LGBTI, LGBTI, OAS

The SANKOFA Forum, which brought Afro-Brazilian, trans and travesti (a term used to describe a variety of feminine gender expressions) women together with the female public defenders of Brazil, was held from August 15-16 in Rio de Janeiro. The Forum was a space for exchange and dialogue about struggles and successes in the fight for racial and gender justice. “Sankofa”, an African word for a symbolic two-headed bird, was chosen as the name of the forum to capture its mission of looking “back to the past to resignify the present.” The Forum was organized by the Transformar Institute, ANTRA, CEJIL, Criola, Núcleo de Direitos Humanos da Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Forum Justiça, Fórum Estadual de Mulheres Negras, Defensoria Pública and the Institute on Race, Equality and Human…

22Jul 2019 by admin No Comments

Venezuela, Nicaragua and LGBTI issues: key points of the 41st session of the UN Human Rights Council

English, IACHR, LGBTI, Nicaragua, OAS, ONU, UN

Geneva, July 16th 2019. A report on the human rights situation in Venezuela presented by the High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and an update on the state of human rights in Nicaragua presented by Deputy High Commissioner Kate Gilmore, as well as the mandate renewal of the UN independent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity, were all key agenda items during the 41st session of the UN Human Rights Council. The 41st session of the Human Rights Council, which took place between June 24 and July 12 at the UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, was marked by the Latin American agenda. In her opening speech, Bachelet expressed concern about the setbacks experienced in Latin America that affect important achievements made by victims, human rights defenders and political…