Race and Equality – Page 2 – Race and Equality

13Nov 2020 by admin No Comments

Following the arbitrary detention of Afro-Cuban leader Juan Antonio Madrazo Luna, Race and Equality demands that the Cuban government end its persecution of independent civil society activists

Washington, D.C.; November 13, 2020.- The International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) condemns the arbitrary detention carried about against Afro-Cuban activist Juan Antonio Madrazo Luna, the national coordinator of the Citizens’ Committee for Racial Integration (CIR). Juan Antonio was deprived of his liberty for over twelve hours, during which time his family and colleagues had no information about his whereabouts. Race and Equality demands that the Cuban government immediately end its persecution of citizens who take part in independent civil society activities. According to information from fellow CIR activist Marthadela Tamayo, security agents violently detained Juan Antonio around 4:00pm on Thursday, November 12 at his home in Havana. Security personnel also confiscated property from Juan Antonio and his sister Jacqueline Madrazo, including two computers, a…

09Nov 2020 by admin No Comments

Race and Equality denounces the arbitrary detention of Cuban activist Yandier García Labrada and expresses concern for his health in prison

Cuba, Race and Equality

Washington, D.C.; November 6, 2020.- The International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) denounces the arbitrary detention of Cuban activist Yandier García Labrada, a member of the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL). Mr. García has been deprived of his liberty since October 6th and is being held at “El Típico” prison in Las Tunas province. In prison, Mr. García’s health has worsened considerably, partly due to a serious physical assault for which he has not received medical attention. Yandier’s family was officially informed of his detention on October 27th, when his brother Irán Almaguer Labrada went to the Las Tunas provincial police station to request information. The official in charge of the case, who refused to give his name, revealed only that Yandier was being held in…

28Oct 2020 by admin No Comments

Representatives from independent civil society and the IACHR Rapporteur on the Rights of Women call on Cuba to cease repression of female activists

CIDH, Cuba, IACHR, Race and Equality

Washington, D.C.; October 27, 2020.- Margarette May Macaulay, Rapporteur on Women’s Rights at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), joined representatives from Cuba’s independent civil society to demand an end to the persecution and criminalization of female activists in Cuba while committing to continue documenting and denouncing human rights violations. Commissioner Macaulay and three members of the renowned Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White) served as panelists during the webinar ¡Cubanas Libres Ya! The Situation of Female Political Prisoners in Cuba on Tuesday, October 27th. The webinar was organized by the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) as part of the #CubanasLibresYa (Free Cuban Women Now) campaign, which began in March 2020 and has brought to light the realities of violence, persecution, and criminalization…

13Oct 2020 by admin No Comments

Lesbian Rebellions: encounter of lesbian voices from Brazil and Colombia

Brazil, Colombia, English, LGBTI, LGBTI, Race and Equality

“Lesbians against war! Lesbians against capitalism! Lesbians against racism! Lesbians against neoliberal terrorism!” It was with these words of liberation that on February 2007, during the 7th Forum of Feminist Lesbians from Latin America and the Caribbean, October 13 was anointed the day of Lesbian Rebellions (1). During this meeting of anti-patriarchal struggle, with close to 200 feminist lesbian women from various countries, the General Assembly of the Forum decided to collectively honor the 1st Regional Forum of Feminist Lesbians which took place in Mexico, on October 13, 1987. According to Angelina Marín, lesbian feminist activist of the collective Moiras, October 13 was consecrated as witch day and also represents the day of the arrival of the colonizers to indigenous lands. Marín pronounced this during her speech in Santiago, Chile’s…

09Oct 2020 by admin No Comments

Nicaragua: Attacks and reprisals escalate during September

English, Nicaragua, Race and Equality

Washington, D.C., October 6, 2020. Attacks and reprisals against Nicaragua’s former political prisoners, political opposition members, young people, human rights defenders, journalists, and indigenous and Afro-descendant people all increased in severity during September. Three government-backed efforts were also launched that threaten to cut off the ability of civil society to protect and promote human rights. The first such effort is the call to apply a sentence of life in prison to “hate crimes,” a term defined in the broadest and vaguest sense. Not only would this effort fail to respond to the reality of violence against women and girls, President Daniel Ortega has signaled that he would use this power against opposition figures, who he has called “murderers,” “traitors,” “cowards,” and “torturers.” The governing Sandinista party has also introduced the Law…