Nicaraguan refugees living in Mexico and Central America held a summit in Costa Rica

Nicaraguan refugees living in Mexico and Central America held a summit in Costa Rica

San José, Costa Rica. From July 29th to the 31st, a group of LGBTI Nicaraguan refugees living in Mexico and Central America held a summit in San José, Costa Rica to promote discussion about the human rights of LGBTI refugees. In particular, the summit addressed violations and vulnerabilities resulting from workplace and housing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

In the course of the summit, which was organized by the Mesa LGBTI de Nicaragua with the support of Race and Equality, participants reiterated that the circumstances which caused them to leave Nicaragua, the precarity of their situation in their host country, and experiences of discrimination have all combined to harm their emotional and mental health. This reality has not yet been identified and addressed in the international response to Nicaragua’s crisis, despite the fact that depression has emerged as a common factor among refugees, as in the case of a young gay refugee who died of suicide in Costa Rica in July.

The majority of LGBTI refugees have been forced to leave Nicaragua due to threats over social media, political persecution, arbitrary detention, and in many cases grave violations of their human rights to liberty and to personal, bodily, and mental integrity. The summit highlighted both the importance of ensuring accountability for these violations in Nicaragua and the urgent need to support the integration of refugees in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico.

Rights impacts

Attendees shared their experiences of fleeing Nicaragua, often with only days or hours to prepare and sometimes with as little as $40 on hand. Many suffer the emotional impacts of not being able to say goodbye to their friends and family. Refugees are also exposed to security risks on the journey itself: while traveling on irregular and informal routes, some refugees, particularly LGBTI women, reported threats to and violations of their sexual and bodily integrity.

Attendees also discussed their diverse experiences in the receiving countries. While the Costa Rican government has recognized its duty under international norms to integrate the sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) of refugees into its response, other countries such as Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala have treated SOGI as irrelevant, causing friction between public officials and refugees.

All attendees, however, made clear that SOGI factors have had important impacts on their experiences, particularly in their daily efforts to claim and exercise human rights such as the right to housing. Verbal threats and harassment, spying and surveillance from neighbors, and denial of housing opportunities are daily occurrences for LGBTI refugees, particularly trans women and persons with non-binary gender expressions. This situation is compounded when locals refuse to rent to Nicaraguans for reasons of xenophobia.

Refugees have suffered similar violations of the right to work. In addition to the natural difficulty of finding work outside one’s own country, many trans women report that employers have forced them to change their gender expression in order to obtain employment. Many younger refugees have not yet finished their schooling, adding an additional difficulty to their search for employment. Together, these factors of precarity have led to “survival sex work” among some Nicaraguan refugees, who report that this work exposes them to sexual health risks.

Despite this adverse context, all attendees shared experiences of mutual support that they identify as crucial for their survival, including offers to share living space, initiatives to create common funds for refugees’ expenses, and support for each other’s gender identities and sexual orientation.  These experiences demonstrate the need to maintain a network of LGBTI refugees and to articulate a strategy that demands rights for refugees in the receiving countries, recognizes the existence of a diaspora at the regional level, and seeks to allow refugees to return safely to Nicaragua with their human rights assured.

Future steps

To pursue this strategy, Race and Equality will combine our efforts with the Mesa LGBTIQ de Nicaragua and its chapter in Costa Rica to seek an audience with the Interamerican Commission of Human Rights regarding LGBTI refugees in the region. We also hope to continue working with our counterparts in Nicaragua and with Nicaraguans across the region to monitor their situation and pursue human rights documentation that will support our joint advocacy for their human rights.

UN renews crucial mandate for protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity

“This is another historic victory, not only for communities of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, but for humanity as a whole.”

(Geneva, July 12, 2019) – In a defining vote, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution to renew the mandate of the Independent Expert focusing on the protection against violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

The resolution was adopted by a vote of 27  in favor, with 12 voting against and 7 abstentions.

The campaign calling on the Council to renew the mandate of the UN Independent Expert on SOGI was supported by 1,312 non-governmental organizations from 174 States and territories.

“This is another historic victory, not only for communities of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, but for humanity as a whole”, said Paula Sebastiao of Arquivo de Identidade Angolano in Angola and Simran Shaikh, Asia coordinator of the Trans Respect v. Transphobia project, on behalf of 60 human rights groups worldwide. “Following the call from a record number of organizations from every region imaginable, the UN Human Rights Council has reaffirmed its commitment to combat discrimination and violence on grounds of SOGI, and has reminded all states of their obligations towards these communities.”

Created in 2016, the UN Independent Expert on SOGI has been supported by an ever-growing number of States from all regions of the world. The resolution to create and renew the mandate was presented by a Core Group of seven Latin American countries – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Uruguay.

“The renewal of this mandate demonstrates how United Nations States’ support for tackling violence and discrimination against people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities has grown tremendously,” said UN Trans Advocacy Week campaigners. “The Independent Expert is crucial in bringing international attention to specific violations and challenges faced by trans and gender-diverse persons in all regions.”

Although the renewal process had to overcome 10 hostile amendments, the core of the resolution in affirming the universal nature of international human rights law stands firm.

“The existence of a specific UN human rights mechanism looking at SOGI issues is crucial for our communities to be heard at the global level,” added Ryan Silverio of ASEAN SOGIE Caucus from the Philippines. “If the world is truly committed to leaving no one behind, it can’t shy away from addressing the violence and discrimination that we face. Laws criminalizing our identities and actions are unjust, and should no longer be tolerated”.

The UN Independent Expert on SOGI is tasked with assessing implementation of existing international human rights law, by talking to States, and working collaboratively with other UN and regional mechanisms to address violence and discrimination. Through the work of this mandate since 2016, the impact of criminalization of same-sex relations and lack of legal gender recognition, the importance of data-collection specific to SOGI communities, and examples of good practices to prevent discrimination have been highlighted globally, with visits to Argentina, Georgia, Mozambique and Ukraine.

The International Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights celebrates the renewal of this mandate as essential in the protection of human rights for Afro individuals with diverse SOGI. In consequence, it is rewarding to count with an Independent Expert who is bound to face the multiple and intersectional forms of violence and discrimination by SOGI, such as those motivated by racial prejudices.

We hope that all governments cooperate fully with the UN Independent Expert on SOGI in this important work to bring about a world free from violence and discrimination for all people regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.

“We are very thankful to the seven States in the Core Group who tabled the resolution to renew the mandate” said Andrea Ayala from El Salvador. “Their support comes at a crucial moment in our region, where any sign of progress on inclusion and equality is being countered with violence, persecution and hate speech, a dangerous rhetoric about ‘gender ideology’ and sometimes blatant opposition to the rights of our communities”.

ONU RENOVA MANDATO CRUCIAL DE PROTEÇÃO CONTRA VIOLÊNCIA E DISCRIMINAÇÃO BASEADA NA ORIENTAÇÃO SEXUAL E IDENTIDADE DE GÊNERO

leia a versão em português

Organisations signing the statement:

42 Degrees
ABGLT – ASSOCIAÇÃO BRASILEIRA DE LESBICAS, GAYS, BISSEXUAIS, TRAVESTIS, TRANSEXUAIS E INTERSEXOS
Accountability International
Amnesty International
ARC International
ASEAN SOGIE Caucus
Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN)
Asistencia Legal por los Derechos Humanos A.C. (ASILEGAL)
Asociación OTD Chile
Caribe Afirmativo
çavaria
CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality
COC Nederland
Colectivo Alejandria
Comunidad Homosexual Argentina (CHA)
Conurbanes por la Diversidad- Argentina
Egale Canada
Equality Australia
ERA – LGBTI Equal Rights Association for Western Balkans and Turkey
Fundación Afrodescendiente por las Diversiades Sociales y Sexuales – SOMOS IDENTIDAD
Fundacion Arcoiris por el respeto a la diversidad sexual
Fundación Reflejos de Venezuela
GATE
Gender DynamiX
GIN-SSOGIE
Haus of Khameleon
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights of the Republic of Macedonia
Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum
Human Rights Law Centre
ILGA Asia
ILGA World
ILGALAC – Asociación Internacional de Lesbianas, Gays, Bisexuales, Trans e Intersex para América Latina y El Caribe
International Family Equality Day
International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)
International Service for Human Rights
Iranti
Korean Lawyers for Public Interest and Human Rights (KLPH)
Las Reinas Chulas Cabaret y Derechos Humanos AC
LGBTI Support Center
LSVD Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany
Namibia Diverse Women’s Association (NDWA)
ODRI Intersectional rights
OutRight Action International
Pacific Human Rights Initiative
People’s Matrix
People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy
Planet Ally
Red Latinoamericana GayLatino
REDTRANS Nicaragua
RFSL, the Swedish Federation for LGBTQ Rights
RFSU
RWS – India’s Diverse Chamber
Stichting NNID
Synergía – Initiatives for Human Rights
The International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights
the Transgender Liberation Front(abbr. TLF)
Trans Pasefika
TransAction (Aotearoa / New Zealand)
Valientes de Corazón Ecuador
Young Queer Alliance

Journalist Lucía Pineda Ubau: “They stole six months of our lives in prison”

After spending six months in prison as a political prisoner, journalist Lucía Pineda Ubau stood in front of a cellphone camera and began broadcasting live to the 100% News Channel audience from the OAS General Assembly in Medellin, Colombia. In a couple of minutes, more than three thousand people were watching on Facebook Live and celebrating the event. “Doing it now in freedom is a feeling of happiness,” says Lucia.

The last time she had reported live was on December 21, 2018, when she denounced that several weapons-wielding police patrols broke into the offices of the TV outlet 100% News Channel and illegally detained the channel’s director, Miguel Mora. She did not have time to report that they had also captured her. Almost six months later, on June 11 of this year, through a controversial Amnesty Law, the Nicaraguan authorities released Lucia and 50 media members and political prisoners who were unjustly imprisoned, often exposed to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

Since then, the 45-year-old Nicaraguan-Costa Rican journalist has dedicated herself to “continue knocking the doors” of the international community and to “raise the voice so that they do not leave us alone in Nicaragua”. A couple of days after her release, she traveled to Costa Rica to reconnect with her family and meet with President Carlos Alvarado Quesada, Vice President Epsy Campbell and several officials, as well as with the media. Last week, in Medellín, she also aroused the interest of various Colombian and international media outlets that interviewed her extensively.

In this interview, given to the Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights, Lucía Pineda comments on her experience in prison, the current situation of journalism in Nicaragua and her plans to put the TV outlet 100% News Channel to work again, from which she reported “for the whole little ball of the world.”

What motivated you to broadcast live after 6 months in jail and how did you feel at that moment?

I felt happy because it’s what I like, I love my career. I had already spent 6 months not doing live broadcasts. The last one was precisely reporting the occupation (of the 100% News Channel facilities) and imprisonment of our director, Miguel Mora. Doing it now in freedom is a feeling of happiness. I did not even have accreditation to enter (the OAS facilities), but I managed to write to the creditor and told him that I just got out of jail, and asked if they could credit me, and they did. Since I was there, in that scenario, where there were also representatives of different countries and the Blue and White delegation that came from Nicaragua, I decided to do the live broadcast on the Facebook fanpage of 100% News Channel. The main reactions I have seen are that people want me to start (reporting) again, but we are doing it slowly. The whole staff is not available yet, there are some who are in exile, we must wait for the government to return what they have confiscated.

As a journalist you are used to interviewing, but lately you have been the focus of the news. How have you assumed that role?

It’s a little bit complicated. It is true that (as a journalist) one is used to interviewing the actors of the news, but one never thinks to become an actor of the news, the protagonist of that news. Now I understand the interviewees. They ask some tricky questions sometimes and I have to know well what I am going to answer. Today they asked me what hatred was for me. I said that it is all that the dictatorship did to the people of Nicaragua, all the persecution of the press in Nicaragua, to judge innocent people. That is hatred, what the dictatorship did to the independent press for reporting the truth. It is kind of uncomfortable to be on the other side, but you have to know how to handle it.

A little over two weeks ago you were released. Why did you decide to travel to Medellín to advocate?

They invited me and I decided to go because I think that at the international level we have to keep on knocking on doors and raising our voices so they do not leave us alone in Nicaragua. So that they’re always looking out for us to conquer and recover something that we had already conquered, such as freedoms, democracy, and to continue to denounce that our media are still confiscated, including Confidencial and Esta Semana, by Carlos Fernando Chamorro. That there are still no guarantees of security for journalists to report in Nicaragua. To demand that there must be pressure on the Government to reconsider. Only the release (of political prisoners) has been achieved, and not of all of them, because there are still 86 in prison, and the different commitments that they signed in the dialogue with the Civic Alliance have not been fulfilled. People still cannot come out to protest or to demonstrate. Citizens don’t feel free and that has to be guaranteed, I think, under the surveillance of the international community.

You talked about the situation of journalists. In general, then, have freedoms of expression and the press in Nicaragua not yet been re-established?

No, there are still no freedoms. There is no guarantee that your constitutional right of expression, of information, of manifestation will be respected. There is always the threat that they will take you prisoner or that they can kill you. Nicaragua is not normal, it is not normal to be persecuted for reporting, it is not normal that two important media outlets are still held by the Sandinista police. It would be normal that we would be reporting, that we would not have been jailed, that we would not have our instruments of work be occupied, that they would not censor us.

There are many colleagues who have been making different efforts both within Nicaragua and in exile. The exile has been hard for them. I met with exiled journalists in Costa Rica and they are having a very bad time. There are some of them who have been working on construction, others that are working as security guards, others have been selling lottery or in stores, and in the midst of all of that they’re always active in their (informative) platforms making their own efforts. But it’s also needed to strengthen them in some type of financing so that those spaces are kept alive. If you help independent journalists at this time, they are defeating censorship. It is time to support the independent press.

You’ve been a journalist for twenty-five years. What has your experience been questioning the powerful?

The strongest experience I’ve had has been right now. I never thought that Daniel Ortega would take me or Miguel Mora, or any journalist, prisoner, only for reporting. Precisely because he was imprisoned in a dictatorship fighting for liberties. Rather, I thought that one day Arnoldo Alemán (President of Nicaragua in period 1997-2002) would take me prisoner, because there was a lot of questioning of Dr. Alemán, and he was very temperamental, he fought a lot with us journalists, he used to exploit anger and mistreat us. But he did not order to take us prisoners, he did not censure us, he did not go beyond the anger or to call me “la chilindrina” (as a nickname).

Daniel Ortega exceeded all levels, we went back in time. It is unfortunate that we have regressed to live those chapters that were lived in the time of Somocismo. Daniel Ortega does not like criticism, he does not like to be told the truth, that people express themselves with the truth in different independent media.

Was that what bothered Daniel Ortega so much?

That’s why they closed our media and imprisoned us. We always informed with the truth, with the same videos that the population filmed, because this has been the most documented repression. Precisely the people, the victims, filmed it. There is nowhere to get lost, the victims shared us their stories. The truth was told by the people, the truth was documented. The world already knows what happened in Nicaragua, that there was no attempted coup, that there was a social explosion and that the Government reacted brutally with a lot of repression that left more than 325 people dead and more than 2 thousand injured.

You spent six months in prison, how do you see that time in retrospect?

They stole six months of our lives there. I did not deny to God why I was there, but I asked him what my purpose was. God sets goals for you and in these events he gave us the mission of informing. And so we did, (God wanted us) to be brave, to be firm and committed to the people of Nicaragua. And so we acted, with obedience to that mission to inform. I began to reflect, to think there in prison and said: well yes it was worth it. It is worth saying the truth, it is worth doing journalism committed to the needs of the people of Nicaragua, a journalism that goes in favor of guaranteeing the Nicaraguan people needs, democracy, life, above all. When you report you save lives, and that’s what the independent press in Nicaragua did.

One feels satisfaction that you inform until the last moment. When I was taken to the preventive cell, I told Miguel: at least we closed with a flourish, I had time to launch the “last minute”. They wanted to silence us, but rather they raised our profile.

You said there was psychological rather than physical abuse …

The psychological thing is from the fact that they kept me isolated, without socializing. Human beings are social beings, and they locked me up for six months, they only opened the door three times a day to give me food and they took me out once a week to take one hour of sun, as if I were an animal. That’s psychological damage, it’s psychological torture. I tried to mitigate the impact of that torture, but I have known stories of other women who were alone for just 12 days and the idea of ​​wanting to kill themselves came to mind. That never crossed my mind. My routine was of prayer, of praise, of biblical reading. I also exercised, 1500 jogs per day inside the cell, for the blood circulation. That’s what kept me standing: my faith, I never lost it. In my prayers I prayed for them and even forgave them, because I wanted to take care of my heart, I did not want to leave resentful or with hatred. But you do not forget everything they have done to you.

Do you have specific plans for the future?

We are seeing how to restructure, how to re-establish the newsroom, whether to do it in Nicaragua or in Costa Rica or to make a combination. The Facebook Live was a test, to warm up engines, but to retake the Channel during 24 hours, we’ll be working on it after we give ourselves a little time for us.

Afro-LGBTI Network for Latin America and the Caribbean held a private meeting with the IACHR Rapporteurship on the rights of LGBTI persons during the 49th OAS General Assembly

Colombia, July 2 2019.  During the week in which the 49th OAS General Assembly was held in Medellin, Colombia, members of the Afro-LGBTI Network for Latin America and the Caribbean from Brazil, Colombia, Peru and the Dominican Republic met together on June 27th. This meeting included a series of workshops about political advocacy in countries and reinforcing knowledge about the Human Rights Protection System in the Americas. Manuel Canahui and Ernesto Zelayandia, who are currently fellows at the Rapporteurship on the Rights of LGBTI Persons at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), were present for a training on the Inter-American System of Human Rights, as well as its significance for Afro-LGBTI activism in each of the member countries of the Network. During the meeting, the fellows instructed the activists, who are also members of the Institute’s counterpart organizations, about the importance of the Inter-American System, including its organs, namely, the IACHR and the Interamerican Court of Human Rights.

The fellows talked about the work of the IACHR LGBTI Rapporteurship, including the year of its creation and its most important investigations: the 2015 Report on Violence Against LGBTI Persons and the latest Report on the Recognition of the Rights of LGBTI Persons in the Americas. The latter report was launched and discussed in Colombia during the same evening, with the participation of three Afro-LGBTI activists as panelists. After this initial presentation, the activists analyzed the different resources the IACHR has for the promotion and protection of human rights and how they can use them strategically. Public hearings, country visits, working meetings, and precautionary measures, among others, were mentioned.

With all this information given to our counterparts, they also had the opportunity to learn about how they can coordinate the work of different Rapporteurships addressing intersectional issues. This has already happened between the Rapporteurships on Women and Children. Therefore, the possibility of joining the Rapporteurship on Afro-Descendants and the LGBTI Rapporteurship in order to work on issues relevant for the activists was mentioned. Finally, the importance of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights as a source of relevant jurisprudence about the protection of rights of LGBTI individuals was discussed. In this way, the Inter-American legal standards about equality and non-discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity were briefly explained to our counterparts, so that they include those standards if they are doing strategic litigation on those topics.

Race & Equality celebrates these types of gatherings in which our counterparts can establish close relations between members of international bodies such as the IACHR. In order to make state-level advances in the guarantee of equal access of Human Rights, it is essential to have these spaces of feedback and training. This makes activists better-informed about available resources that they can access internationally for legal advocacy on Afro-LGBTI issues. Also, it helps international bodies and their officials learn about what other needs are being raised thanks to the work of local human rights organizations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, making this joint work essential for an improvement on generating intersectional analysis and proposals.

Leaders of Latin America and the Caribbean at the 49th General Assembly of the OAS: “We are facing a grave situation of human rights violations””

Over the course of the 49th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), held in Medellín, Colombia from June 25-28, the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) held various events, particularly with participation by human rights, Afro-descendent, and LGBTI leaders from Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Paraguay, Brazil, Nicaragua, Mexico, Bolivia, and the Dominican Republic.

These meeting and discussion spaces sought to reflect upon and study the social and political conditions facing human rights in Latin America. These conditions currently have a particular effect upon historically marginalized and invisible populations such as Afro-descendants and LGBTI persons, as do violations of fundamental rights through persecution and harassment by different governments in the region against rights defenders.

We reiterate our condemnation of the absence of Cuban activists who were denied exit from the country by migration authorities, this being a strategy of coercion and repression by the Cuban state to prevent civil society leaders from publicizing the human rights situation on the island.

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The Inter-American Form Against Discrimination was held on June 25. Afro-descendant and LGBTI activists from Latin America took part alongside the re-elected Commissioner Margarette May Macaulay, Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons of African Descent and Against Racial Discrimination and Rapporteur on the Rights of Women at the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights.

During their dialogue, activists described the social and political situation with regards to human rights in the region. The president of the Network of Afro-Latina, Afro-Caribbean, and Diaspora Women emphasized the need for women across the region to raise their voices to be heard, speak out, and participate as subjects of human rights. Likewise, the Brazilian activist Rodei Jericó de Géledes expressed the great challenges faced by the Afro-Brazilian population with regards to guarantees and recognition of their rights, especially Afro-Brazilians with diverse expressions of gender and sex, who suffer the highest percentage of homicides worldwide, with Afro-LGBTI people being the most frequent victims.

In a similar vein, the Colombian LGBTI rights activist and director of Caribe Afirmativo Wilson Castañeda indicated that although the Colombian peace process is unique in the world today by virtue of its reaffirmation of the rights of LGBTI conflict victims, Colombian LGBTI persons continue to be crushed by violence and hate crimes, fueled by hateful public discourses and state indifference to the victims. Castañeda told the audience that “peace is costing us our lives.” This dark side of the Colombian peace process includes the announcement by INDEPAZ that 837 social leaders have been killed, with 17 new alleged cases coming recently.

Commissioner Macaulay shared with the audience the importance of the Inter-American Convention Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, and Related Intolerance, making clear that the Commission has found that Afro-descendants in the Americas suffer from structural discrimination affecting all social rights to which they are entitled.

The representative of the National Conference of Afro-Colombian organizations, Hader Viveros, stated that Afro-descendants continue to be seen as objects rather than subjects, and thus continue to be victims of discrimination and non-recognition of their true needs. María Martínez de Moschta presented evidence to this point, signaling that over 117,000 people remain stateless in the Dominican Republic thanks to state decisions motivated by senseless racism.

Finally, Christian King, director of the organization Trans Siempre Amigas (TRANSA) in the Domincan Republic, and Cecilia Ramírez, director of the Black Peruvian Women’s Development Center (CEDEMUNEP), shared with the participants the importance of being present in international legal bodies such as the OAS General Assembly, highlighting the possibility of using these spaces to bring civil society demands to the fore and to make Latin American social movements’ social and political agendas visible in the struggle for human rights.

Read here the statement of the Afro-Descendant coalition at the OAS General Assembly.

49ª OAS General Assembly

The statement of the Afro-Descendant coalition was represented by Erlendy Cuero Bravo afro colombian activist of the National Association of Afro-Colombians Displaced (Asociación Nacional de Afrocolombianos Desplazados – AFRODES).

Discussion: “The Implementation of the Peace Accords: Social Innovation and Development in Afro-Colombian Territories”

Afro-Colombian leaders held the discussion “The Implementation of the Peace Accords: Social Innovation and Development in Afro-Colombian Territories” on June 25 during the General Assembly. Costa Rican Vice-president Epsy Campbell, Angela Salazar of the Colombian Truth Commission, and Margarette May Macaulay of the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights also participated.

Leading the discussion, Vice-president Campbell called upon leaders to continue struggling, building, and working for peace despite being faced with Colombia’s “labor pains” as the social and political conflict drags on. Commissioner Salazar stated that the role of the Afro-descendant population in the implementation process is challenged mostly by the lack of recognition for Black history and experiences in Colombia.

The conversation, which centered upon the systematic killing of social leaders, brought up the deaths of over 400 activists according to the national Ombudsman’s office. Recalling the recent case of María del Pilar Hurtado, all those present condemned this trend.

Audes Jiménez, Afro-Colombian leader and representative of the Network of Afro-Latina, Afro-Caribbean, and Diaspora Women, said, “While President Iván Duque is occupied with the immigration of Venezuelans into Colombia and his migration policies, a genocide against social leaders is underway in Colombia, and this must be in he attention of the General Assembly.” She added that in the Caribbean coastal region, killings, attacks, and persecution continue, especially against ethnic groups defending their land and territorial rights.

Francia Márquez, another Afro-Colombian leader, stated that Afro-Colombian people feel abandoned and ignored by the state, allowing Black, indigenous, and campesino communities in the country to be wiped out by violence as they work tirelessly to care for the Earth. “Peace requires us to think of alternative development“. In the name of ‘development,’ we are being killed, threatened, and treated as a military threat,” she said. 

It was also clear that structural racism causes women to continue being killed and victimized: “we are furious because we are speaking about peace into an empty discourse, peace has still not arrived to our territories, and we have been the ones suffering deaths,” she added.

Nixón Ortíz, LGBTI activist and director of the Arco Irís Afro-Colombian Foundation of Tumaco, remarked that the lack of commitment from the Colombian state to implement the Peace Accords has led to foci of violence in Afro-descendent territories, which remain unprotected and unattended. “We want to say that we have been resisting with our bodies, songs, and dances. Our weapons are our traditions. But the lack of governance in the territories puts whole populations at risk,” he added.

Finally, Father Emigdio Custa Pino, Secretary General of the Nacional Conference of Afro-Colombian Organizations (CNOA), invited the audience to continue struggling, building, and resisting despite the deaths of leaders, to assume the responsibility of those no longer present, both for those present and those who are to come.

Discussion: “Where is Nicaragua Heading? Challenges to Human Rights in the Context of Crisis”

A Nicaraguan delegation traveled to Medellín to participate in the General Assembly and interact with the diplomatic missions in attendance. These civil society members, human rights defenders, and ex-political prisoners participated in the event “Where is Nicaragua Heading? Challenges to Human Rights in the Context of Crisis,” organized by Race and Equality alongside CEJIL.

The opening remarks went to the Vice-president of Costa Rica, Epsy Campbell, while the panel consisted of Marlin Sierra, executive director of the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH), Azahalea Solís, member of the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy, Lucía Pineda, head of 100% Noticias news and former political prisoner, Roberto Desogus, Nicaraguan lead for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Sofía Macher, member of the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts on Nicaragua.

During the event, which went on for over two hours, the first three panelists described their experiences defending human rights and working in journalism in the case of Lucía Puneda, while the panelists representing international bodies described the ongoing work of monitoring from outside the country, as well as their commitment to returning once the authorities choose to authorize their missions.

The following day, Lucía Pineda participated in a breakfast with Colombian and international journalists from digital, print, and television outlets. Throughout her stay in Medellín, after having spent almost six months in prison for reporting through 100% Noticias, she was interviewed by various outlets interested in telling her story and making visible the demands of the Nicaraguan people.

The photo exhibition “Put Yourself in My Shoes” launches at the OAS

During the 49th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), human rights activists from several Latin American countries participated in the premier of a photography exhibition titled “Put Yourself in My Shoes.” The exhibit is the result of a collaboration between Race & Equality and Edgar Armando Plata, M.A. of Universidad del Norte (Colombia).

The exhibit illustrates the work of activists and rights defenders, exploring their fundamental role in defending and advancing human rights. It is on display at the Colombo Americano Institute of Medellín and will be open until August 2019.

Launch of the CIDH Report “Recognition of the Rights of LGBTI Persons” : Afro-LGBTI Perspectives from an Intersectional Lens

At the 49th General Assembly of the OAS, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) presented its recent report “Recognition of the Rights of LGBTI Persons,” a look at the state of rights for people with diverse sexual and gender expressions. Activists from Brazil, Nicaragua, Peru, and Colombia spoke of the grave situation of vulnerability and violation of fundamental rights that LGBTI persons continue to face throughout the region. The Afro-Peruvian trans woman activist Belén Zapata stated that hate crimes and violence against LGBTI people in Peru are not criminalized, with no laws penalizing these acts despite several documented cases. “We must not continue dying and having our killers out in the streets committing other crimes,” she said regarding the killings of trans people.

The Afro-Brazilian trans leader Alessandra Ramos state that LGBTI people in Brazil are faced with a grave situation of vulnerability and rights violations, particularly because the government of Jair Bolsonaro does not recognize people with diverse sexual orientations or gender experessions. She said that Brazil is the leading country in killings of trans people, with 163 trans victims of hate-crime killings last year. Faced with this situation, she expressed “We exist in order to resist, and we resist in order to continue existing.”

Finally, the Afro-LGBTI Network of Latin American and the Caribbean made a public statement with regards to human rights impacts, violations, and structural discrimination affecting Afro-LGBTI people in the region based upon their sexuality, race, and ethnicity.

Read here statement of the Afro LGBTI Network of Latin America and the Caribbean

Joint Communiqué: 2019 CERD election set a milestone for gender parity

Geneva, Switzerland. 28 June 2019

On June 21st, States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) voted to renew half of the membership of the Committee (CERD). They elected 6 new experts and re-elected 3 members who were already seating in the Committee, among 14 candidates from all regions.

New members include Ms. Stamatia Stavrinaki (Greece), Mr. Eduardo Ernesto Vega Luna (Peru), Mr. Ibrahima Guisse (Senegal), Ms. Faith Dikeledi Pansy Tlakula (South Africa), Ms. Sheikha Abdulla Ali Al-Misnad (Qatar) and Mr. Mehrdad Payandeh (Germany).

They will join 3 experts whose terms as members of the CERD were coming to an end and who have been re-elected for another four-year period: Ms. Verene Shepherd (Jamaica), Ms. Yanduan Li (China), and Ms. Yemhelha mint Mohamed (Mauritania), as well as the 9 other members of the Committee, whose mandate will expire in 2022.

Minority Rights Group International (MRG), the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race & Equality) and the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), congratulate newly elected CERD members and those re-elected. This year’s election set an important milestone for gender parity within the Committee. With the election/re-election of 6 women, half of the Committee’s seats will be held by women from next year. It was the first time in the history of the CERD that the election led to equal representation of men and women in the Committee. We encourage States parties to continue taking into account of a good gender balance in the CERD’s membership.

On the other hand, there remains a margin of improvement regarding the equitable geographic distribution in the CERD membership. Notably, only one member of the Committee will be from Eastern Europe from 2020. We invite States parties to give a greater consideration to equitable geographic distribution in the CERD membership.

In an effort to promote a merit-based and transparent CERD election process, our three organisations circulated a questionnaire to all candidates on their background, relevant experience and vision of their work as a member of the Committee. Responses received were then posted on a dedicated website: www.untbelections.org, and shared with States parties one month ahead of the election in order to help them learn the qualifications of respective candidates and inform their decision.

Background:
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is composed of 18 independent experts. Members are elected for a term of 4 years by States parties from among their nationals, consideration being given to equitable geographical distribution and to representation of the different forms of civilization as well as of the principal legal systems, in accordance with article 8 of the ICERD. Elections are held every 2 years at a meeting of States parties held at the UN headquarters in New York. The newly elected members will begin their term in January 2020 and their mandates will expire in January 2024.

For further information, please contact:
Taisuke Komatsu (IMADR) at tkomatsu@imadr.org,
Glenn Payot (MRG) at Glenn.Payot@mrgmail.org,
Tania Agosti (Race & Equality) at agosti@oldrace.wp

Civil Society Organizations from Latin America and the Caribbean will participate at the 49th OAS General Assembly

Throughout the 49th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Medellín, Colombia from June 25-28, the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality), alongside a variety of organizations from Latin American and Caribbean countries including Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Nicaragua, will coordinate several events discussing the panorama of human rights in the region, especially among vulnerable populations and in countries currently facing violence.

All events will be broadcast live on Race and Equality’s Facebook page. There will also be extensive coverage of the events on social media, under the hashtags #AsambleaOEA and #RazaeigualdadOEA

Below please find details for each of the events that Race and Equality will host during the regional summit:

INTER-AMERICAN FORUM AGAINST DISCRIMINATION

Objective: To reflect upon and analyze the situation of Afro-descendent people in Latin America and the Caribbean in the framework of the International Decade for People of African Descent.

  • Date: Tuesday, June 25
  • Time: 8:30am – 1:00pm
  • Location: Hotel Estelar Milla de Oro (Medellín)

You can find the full program here (in Spanish only).

Opening:

Carlos Quesada – Executive Director of Race and Equality.

Panelists:
Erlendy Cuero Bravo – Vice-president AFRODES, Colombia
Paola Yánez – Regional Coordinador, Red de Mujeres Afrolatinas y Afrocaribeñas de la Diáspora
Margarette May Macaulay – IACHR Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons of African Descent and against Racial Discrimination
Christian King – Executive Director, Trans Siempre Amigas, Dominican Republic
Rodnei Jerico da Silva – Coordinador SOS Racismo, Brazil
Catherine Pognant, Director of the Office of Civil Society, Organization of American States
Juan Antonio Madrazo, National Coordinator, Comité Ciudadano por la Integración Racial, Cuba
Harvey Maradiaga, Coordinator ADISNIC, Nicaragua
Elvia Duque, representant of Race and Equality

Moderators:
Adriana Rodríguez –  Race and Equality
Cecilia Ramírez – Centro de Desarrollo de la Mujer Negra Peruana (CEDEMUNEP)

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COLOMBIAN PEACE ACCORDS: SOCIAL INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN AFRO-COLOMBIAN TERRITORIES

Objective: To discuss the opportunities for meaningful and effective implementation of the peace accords in Colombia, while also identifying the causes of increased killings of Afro-descendent social leaders.

  • Date: Tuesday, June 25
  • Time: 5:00pm-7:30pm
  • Location: Hotel Estelar Milla de Oro (Medellín)

Panelists:
Ángela Salazar, Commissioner, Colombian Truth Commission
Nixon Ortiz, Fundación Arcoíris libre de Tumaco
Audes Jiménez, Red de Mujeres Afrolatinoamericanas y Afrocaribeñas y de la Diáspora (RMAAD)
Emigdio Cuesta Pino, Conferencia Nacional de Organizaciones Afrocolombianas CNOA
Melquiceded Blandon, Consejo Nacional de Paz Afrocolombiano (Conpa)

Moderators:
Elvia Duque, Race and Equality
Wilson Castañeda, Caribe Afirmativo

WHERE IS NICARAGUA HEADING? CHALLENGES TO HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE CONTEXT OF CRISIS


Objective:  To discuss the challenges facing Nicaragua after 14 months of crisis, particularly the obstacles to guaranteeing human rights in the country, and to discuss the path to renewed dialogue between the Nicaraguan Government and the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy.

  • Date: Wednesday, June 26
  • Time: 6:30-8:30pm
  • Location: Hotel Estelar Milla de Oro (Medellín)

Panelists:

Roberto Desogus, Coordinator for Nicaragua on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Antonia Urrejola, Commissioner and Rapporteur for Nicaragua, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Sofía Macher, member of the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI), Nicaragua
Marlin Sierra, Executive director CENIDH
Azahalea Solís, member of Alianza Cívica and representative of the MAM
Lucía Pineda, Head of Press 100% Noticias

Moderator:
Ana Bolaños,  Race and Equality

LAUNCH OF THE IACHR REPORT “RECOGNITION OF THE RIGHTS OF LGBTI PEOPLE”

Objective: For the first time in Colombia, Race and Equality will debut the results of an IACHR study published in May on the advances that American states have made the protect the rights of LGBTI people, so that other countries can advance the agenda of equality, inclusion, and non-discrimination for the LGBTI community.

  • Date: Thursday, June 27
  • Time: 6:00-8:00 pm
  • Location: Hotel Estelar Milla de Oro (Medellín)

Panelists:

Antonia Urrejola, IACHR Commisioner and Country Rapporteur for Brazil, Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, and Uruguay.
Ernesto Zelayandia, Fellow IACHR Special Rapporteurship on the Rights of LGTBI Persons
Sandra Milena Arizabaleta,  Somos Identidad, Colombia
Alessandra Ramos, Transformar, Brasil
Belén Zapata,  Red de Jóvenes Afroperuanos Ashantí, Perú

Moderator: 

Mauricio Noguera, LGBTI Program Officer, Race and Equality

HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS URGE THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TO RESPECT & PROTECT THE IASHR

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, May 29, 2019 – The undersigned organizations express our concern regarding the State’s rejection of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ recent resolution with respect to the Dominican Republic, in which the Court reiterated its jurisdiction to hear cases against that State. The Inter-American Court determined that the Dominican Constitutional Tribunal decision TC-256-14, which, according to the State, would prevent the Court from making any ruling concerning the country, is invalid under international law.

On April 26, the Dominican State affirmed in a press conference that it will continue not to recognize the jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court on the basis of the TC-256-14 decision, despite the Court’s recent resolution. The current president of the Dominican Constitutional Tribunal and the former president of the Republic, Leonel Fernández, have made similar statements. It bears noting that in 1999, President Fernández himself formally accepted the jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on behalf of the Dominican State. In addition, while different political actors have spoken out against the Court’s resolution, prominent legal experts have supported its conclusion, asserting that the Inter-American Court maintains its jurisdiction and that, constitutionally, its decisions are as binding as those of the Constitutional Tribunal.

As human rights organizations, we are concerned about the position expressed by representatives of the Dominican State, as it forms part of an effort by the State to limit access to justice for all people living in the Dominican Republic. It is important to point out that there are currently more than 86 cases of human rights violations with respect to the Dominican Republic before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), which deal with issues such as women’s rights, political participation, the rights of persons deprived of their liberty, due process, and the right to an effective remedy before the law, among others, which could eventually be decided by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Given the Dominican State’s position, these victims may see their possibilities of justice and reparation seriously affected.

Over the years, both the IACHR and the Inter-American Court have been essential pillars for the defense and protection of human rights throughout the continent, and have contributed significantly to the advancement of human rights in our countries. Thus, for example, the organs of the Inter-American human rights system (IAHRS) have developed international human rights standards in the fight against corruption in countries such as Guatemala and Honduras, which have contributed to initiatives such as the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) or the Mission to Support the Fight Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH). Likewise, they have been fundamental in the defense and guarantee of the rights of diverse groups such as LGBTI persons, persons deprived of their liberty, Afro-descendants and indigenous people, children, adolescents, people with disabilities, human rights defenders, and migrants, among many others.

It should be noted that, beyond the great uncertainty for the victims who already have received judgments in their favor, the position of the Dominican State with respect to the competence of the Inter-American Court limits the possibilities of all persons residing in Dominican territory to obtain redress for violations of their human rights in the absence of a solution at the national level. For them, the IAHRS may be the last hope of finding justice, truth and redress.

For all the above reasons, the signatory organizations, all of which work in the defense of human rights, urge the Dominican Republic to recognize its international obligations, legal certainty, and avoid limiting the guarantees of protection.

Download pronouncement

International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.

While commemorating the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, we remember the unmet obligation of all countries, especially those in Latin America and the Caribbean, to support persons with diverse sexual identities and gender expressions, as well as to acknowledge and protect their rights. Respect for these rights must be the base for creating public policies and programs that create diverse, peaceful, and just societies.

Although there has been considerable progress in the recognition of LGBTI rights for people around the globe, violence that endangers the physical and moral integrity of those who express diverse sexual orientations or gender identities is still prevalent. A general lack of concern and complicity on the part of the general population perpetuates and makes it impossible to overcome structural violence against LGBTI people. In addition, the lack of access to health, education and work services of these individuals reproduces dynamics of poverty, discrimination and violence.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, acts of hate and discrimination are often based in religious beliefs or principles. These dogmas frequently restrict identity to binary gender norms that do not recognize diverse expressions, and prevent this population from asserting their rights in social and political spheres.

The Experience of LGBTI People in Latin America 

The outlook for LGBTI people in Latin America and the Caribbean for 2019 continues to be discouraging. They are facing the threat of losing advancements that were already fought for and won because of efforts of fundamentalist groups that are continuously spreading misinformation and stigma against LGBTI individuals.

Similarly, it is concerning that intolerance continues to be one of the main motives behind murders committed against LGBTI people, which are often carried out with excessive cruelty. Statistics on these crimes are mostly collected and analyzed by civil society, while States show a lack of interest in collecting this information or in adequately documenting and investigating these crimes.

Brazil, for example, is a country with one of the highest rates of murders of trans persons, according to a report presented by Brazil’s National Association of Travesties and Transsexuals (ANTRA) and the Brazilian Trans Education Institute (IBTE). The report documents that in 2018 alone, a total of 163 trans individuals were violently murdered because of their sexuality and gender expression. According to ANTRA’s president Keila Simpson, these cases occurred during an election period and were motivated by anti-LGBTI speeches given by some of the Brazilian presidential candidates. This situation continues to deeply concern civil society organizations that are working on the defense of LGBTI rights, especially in the context of the current Bolsonaro regime in Brazil. This regime has emphatically refused to denounce or even acknowledge the existence of the concerning violations of LGBTI people’s rights.

Likewise, in the Dominican Republic, the situation for LGBTI people is alarming because of the lack of public policies that promote social acceptance. Civil society organizations have reported many cases of violence against these individuals, but they are not taken into account by state institutions or mass media. According to the last annual report made by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, this situation results in greater discrimination against LGBTI people, who also face discrimination based on nationality, race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender, etc.

The Dominican State’s refusal to acknowledge the rights of LGBTI rights allows for social acceptance of violence and aggression towards these individuals. Even state authorities often do not see this violence as a problem, as described in a report published by Amnesty International and TRANSSA Trans Siempre Amigas on abuse, violence, and police harassment against trans women sex workers. These women are victims of constant acts of violence perpetuated by police agents who are motivated because of prejudices around their gender identity.

During this significant day, it is important to consider the difficulties that people with diverse sexual identities and gender expressions have in accessing justice. Particularly, laws and government programs in most of the countries of the region have partially or completely ignored the specific ways the LGBTI population’s rights are violated. State responses to these violations must be designed for the specific needs of this population. For example, according the Victims Registry (Registro Único de Víctimas – RUV), created as a part of the Colombian peace process, 3.368 victims of the armed conflict are reported and recognized as LGBTI. Most of them are reported as victims of forced displacement, threats, homicides, and crimes against sexual freedom and integrity. However, one person may have been victim of multiple crimes. Colombia must use these statistics to create programs to address the specific needs of the LGBTI population, who have been victimized in multiple ways.   

Challenges for inclusion

To decrease the poverty and marginalization experienced by LGBTI individuals, shared prosperity for all social groups must be promoted. States have a duty to work toward this, given that one of the principles of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is to “not leave anyone behind.” Additionally, the five areas for the protection of LGBTI people prioritized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) are: 1) economic wellness; 2) personal safety and elimination of violence; 3) education; 4) healthcare; and 5) political and civic participation.

There are still many challenges in the region for protecting the rights of LGBTI people. One of these challenges is the lack of data about the LGBTI population and their needs. If States have no information on LGBTI people, they cannot design programs that will have the needed impact. This lack of data also impedes the development of progressive policies that can achieve the SDGs and the goals of the UNDP.

LGBTI people are victims of intersectional forms of violence that interact with prejudices about their sexual orientation or their gender identity. For example, the violence against an Afro-descendent trans woman who lives in a rural area must be thought from an intersectional perspective that considers these different aspects of identity. This intersectionality is lived by many LGBTI individuals and is not contemplated by States when planning strategies to guarantee their rights. In consequence, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, and intersexual individuals are revictimized because their reality is not adequately analyzed.

Regional governments should start implementing intersectional policies that recognize the multiple oppressive experiences lived by each person. These policies must recognize that individuals do not fall under one category, but experience the world in ways influenced by their many different identities, including race, age, sexual orientation, and gender identity. In most cases, these identities interact and are experienced intersectionally. Having separate policies for different population categories continues to isolate people and produces more barriers to access to rights.

Secondly, there must be recognition of the particularly vulnerable populations that require immediate and clear protection from the State. Homicidal violence and violence perpetuated by State armed agents against trans people in general, and Afro LGBTI people in particular, shows the need for a prompt solution. The structural discrimination against this population requires a significant intervention from the States and should be prioritized in the region in order to substantially decrease those cases of violence and abuse.

Finally, the current context shows an increase in the popularity of religious fanaticism, which endangers not only the safety and integrity of LGBTI individuals, but also the development of democratic and secular States. Religious fanaticist ideas are boomerangs that tend to hit their own promoters. Tactics of moral blame, sexual repression, or criminalization of people based on religious beliefs promote social instability and lead to a radicalization of opinions and actions. The defense of a secular State is more important than ever when specific religious groups are trying to violently impose their beliefs on others.

Statement 

The Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race & Equality) joins its voice to thousands of organizations working for the protection of LGBTI people’s rights so that “Justice and Protection for Everyone” can be a commitment assumed by the States and a reality for all individuals. In making this commitment, policies and actions have to be made to protect those that have historically been more vulnerable and oppressed by those who have abused their power.

Race & Equality is aware of the importance of listening to the voices of LGBTI people and calls on States to promote education and dialogue so that inequality, discrimination, and marginalization can be eradicated. Likewise, we urge the international community to continue making statements to promote the protection of LGBTI individuals, especially in this moment of crisis for human rights throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Human rights defender Vilma Núñez asks the IACHR to demand respect for the right of association in Nicaragua

Jamaica, May 9, 2019. Yesterday, the President of the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH, for its initials in Spanish), Vilma Núñez, asked the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to address the State of Nicaragua in conjunction with the relevant bodies of the United Nations regarding the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association in the country. That right that has been widely violated by the authorities during the crisis that has enveloped Nicaragua since April 2018.

Núñez’s request was made during the regional hearing entitled “Human rights, development and freedom of association” during the 172nd session of the IACHR. The hearing occurred five months after the CENIDH’s legal status was invalidated.

“Thirty years of work by CENIDH were practically eliminated on December 12, 2018, when the National Assembly, controlled by the Ortega-Murillo presidential couple, annulled our legal status,” Núñez said. “On the night of December 13, the Ministry of the Interior gave the order to break into our offices in Managua, and 60 policemen forcefully entered through the roof. They tied our guard’s hands and feet together, beat him, and forced him to remain under a desk for four hours. They destroyed and stole everything,” she added.

Nuñez explained that the Chontales office of CENIDH was also ransacked by the police. On December 14, the organization’s bank accounts were frozen.

Eight other NGOs in the same situation

In addition to having canceled the legal status of CENIDH, the National Assembly invalidated the legal status of eight other Nicaraguan organizations: the Let’s Do Democracy Association, the Center for Health Information and Advisory Services (CISAS, for its initials in Spanish), the Institute for Strategic Studies and Public Policies (IEEPP, for its initials in Spanish), the Segovias Leadership Institute, the River Foundation, the Institute for Development and Democracy (IPADE, for its initials in Spanish), the Popol Na Foundation for Municipal Promotion and Development, and the Communication Investigation Center (CINCO, for its initials in Spanish).

“Repression has an impact on the development of our country in all aspects, since development requires a basic dialogue between the government and civil society, a smooth cooperation between governors and the governed. CENIDH, as well as the other organizations legally invalidated, represented a legitimate expression of citizen participation for the defense and promotion of human rights,” Núñez emphasized.

The human rights defender also denounced that the National Assembly that outlawed nine NGOs has granted legal status to parastatal associations, including the one named “Defenders of the nation.” “This is the legalization of paramilitarism in our country,” stated Núñez.

Petition

Núñez asked the IACHR to accurately assess the status of violations of the right of association in Nicaragua and to include this information in its report on the country.

In addition, she requested that the IACHR demand that the State of Nicaragua, in conjunction with the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, respect the right to freedom of association, the right to collectively defend rights, and consequently, immediately restore  the legal status of CENIDH and the other eight NGOs and return all of their assets.

Reactions

Other human rights defenders from Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia also participated in the hearing to denounce violations of the right to freedom of association in their respective countries.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, Clément Nyaletsossi, urged defenders to send his office information that can be used as an input on his next report and called on States to eliminate any restrictions on this human right.

“Today we see how, in Venezuela and Nicaragua, the living conditions of citizens are deteriorating because civil society cannot offer their services. Civil society must stimulate and mobilize communities to fight against inequities,” he said.

During the hearing, the Special Rapporteur for freedom of expression of the IACHR, Edison Lanza, revealed that his office is working on a thematic report on social protest in the Americas. “The idea is to develop clear standards regarding the interaction and connection between freedom of peaceful assembly and association with the development of democracy, and economic, social, and cultural rights in the countries,” he explained.

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