Our Impact
Democratic Spaces is a Canadian based NGO that seeks to sensitize the people of Canada about the conditions of oppression in Cuba, the human rights violations and the courageous struggle of the people of Cuba to live in a free, democratic and inclusive country. We work collaboratively with over 30 human rights organizations in Cuba, Canada, the United States, and around the world.
For several years, Democratic Spaces has been conducting an ongoing campaign to raise awareness about the plight of the prisoner of conscience and pro-democracy leader José Daniel Ferrer García, as well as Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Félix Navarro, Saylí Navarro, and many other brave individuals who, without belonging to opposition groups, stepped forward in the democratic protests of July 11, 2021.
We have consistently urged the Government of Canada, civil society, and all concerned parties to utilize all available legal and political mechanisms to advocate for the release of all political prisoners as a priority in humanitarian and human rights efforts. In pursuit of this objective, we have actively conducted a campaign to raise awareness and visibility in Canada regarding the serious human rights situation in Cuba.
As director of Democratic Spaces, Michael Lima has worked tirelessly to give visibility to the worsening human rights situation in Cuba through the presentation of petitions in Parliament, key participation in the a motion on Cuba presented in the Senate of Canada & publication of articles and reports in some of Canada’s leading outlets and national leading. They include Macdonald Laurier Institute, the Globe and Mail, The Bureau, The Hub, Diario las Américas, Toronto Star, Diario de Cuba. Furthermore, we have provided political analysis and insights on Cuba & Latin America in CBC, The News Forum, EFE, Martí Noticias, America Teve, Cubanet, 14yMedio, ADN Cuba, El American, Ciber Cuba, Radio Educación - as well as references citing Democratic Spaces’s advocacy in the Ottawa Citizen & the Montreal Gazette.
Democratic Spaces as worked with other key civil society organizations to organize meetings and events hosted by Canada’s leading think tanks, as well as meetings with Global Affairs high ranking officials, parliamentarians from Canada's main political parties, & prominent pro democracy civil society members in Canada, Cuba, the United States, Spain, and other countries.
Through publications, events, petitions to Parliament, meetings, presentations, articles in the press, interviews, and other initiatives we have gained the support of senators, parliamentarians and freedom-loving communities across Canada with those inside Cuba leading the peaceful struggle for democracy.
Our advocacy work.
In June of 2021 Democratic Spaces joined the Council for Democratic Transition led by José Daniel Ferrer García (prisoner of conscience) in Cuba, a group comprised of numerous activists and NGOS working in Cuba, Spain and other parts of the world.
Democratic Spaces has led petitions E-3274 and E-3573 with support from close to 2,000 freedom loving Canadians. The petitions were supported by Tom Kmiec, MP for Calgary Shepard, Tony Baldinelli, MP for Niagara Falls and Senator Leo Housakos.
On November 20, 2021 Democracy Spaces became a promoter and advocate of the Transatlantic Parliamentary Coalition for a Free Cuba with our attendance to the event inaugurated in the City Hall of Miami. The event brought together Senators and Members of Parliament from Canada, the United States, Latin America and the European Union.
Our organization takes great pride in having contributed to the preparation of Senator Housakos’ speech on the situation in Cuba in collaboration with the Cubadecide Civil Initiative in the participation of Senator Leo Housakos. For the first time in recent history a Canadian senator becomes a member of a global parliamentary initiative in support of the cause of freedom and democracy in Cuba.
On March 24, 2022, Democratic Spaces worked with Senator Leo Housakos’ team in the research, writing and preparation of a speech about the current human rights crisis in Cuba, delivered in the Senator of Canada by Senator Housakos following the presentation of Motion # 4 denouncing the illegitimacy of the Cuban regime.
In May 12, 2022 Democratic Spaces participated in a historic meeting held at the United States Congress on the occasion of the second edition of the Transatlantic Parliamentary Coalition for a Free Cuba with members of the United States congress, senate along with policy makers from Chile, Spain, the European Union and from all over the world. Our NGO prepared the remarks on the human rights situation in Cuba given by Leo Housakos, Senator from Quebec and former Speaker of the Senate.
During the week of November 14-17, 2022 Democratic Spaces organized and participated in numerous initiatives and events in Ottawa, Canada.
On November 14, 2022 Democratic Spaces along with Sarah Teich (Senior Fellow at the Macdonald Laurier Institute and international human rights lawyer) prepared a document presented to Global Affairs Canada (submitted along with Cubadecide) to request Magnitsky sanctions on 10 regime officials in the Armed Forces and the Interior Ministry in Cuba along with two entities responsible for gross human rights violations.
On November 15, we joined forces with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and the Foundation for Panamerican Democracy in an event held in Kildare House in Ottawa, Canada titled, Canada-Cuba in a World of Expanding authoritarianism to shed light on human rights abuses in Cuba and to explore the links between autocrats in Cuba, China, Russia and Iran.
Subsequently during the week of November 14-16 we met with key Members of Parliament and the Senate to brief them on the human rights situation in Cuba and work on numerous initiatives.
With a strong presence on social media we write articles, offer political analysis, attend media interviews, organize events and widely share educational materials to communicate to people around the world about the repression in Cuba. for the past years we have taken important steps to gain the solidarity of civil society, parliamentarians and senators with the cause of democracy in Cuba.
In 2023 and thus far in 2024, we continued our advocacy work on Cuba by holding meetings with parliamentarians, conducting intensive media visibility efforts, and collaborating with various civil society organizations in Cuba, Canada, the United States, and beyond, all dedicated to earnestly working for democracy in Cuba. Notably, we organized the event "Cubans: The Real Story - What About Canada?" held at the Parliament in Ottawa, hosted by MP Garnett Genuis and organized by the Assembly of Cuban Resistance. The event attracted broad participation from members of Canada's two main political parties.
Events, Publications, Meetings, Interviews & Engagement
On May 10. 2024, ICN Diario published Michael Lima’s Op-Ed titled: “Deciphering the transnational repression of the Cuban regime: Desperate response to the growth of Cuban activism in the diaspora"
On April 26, 2024, Michael Lima, Dir of Democratic Spaces shares his insights in this interview with Martí Noticias on the significance of the IAHRC Report for 2023 and the inclusion of a chapter dedicated to Cuba.
On April 25, 2024 Michael Lima, Dir of Democratic Spaces wrote an article titled “Dehumanizing Discourse and Repression in Cuba,” published in English, Spanish and Portuguese in Latinoamerica21, “a media and content platform that brings together a broad community of experts and academics who produce analysis and opinion texts on political, economic, and social issues in Latin America.”
On April 26, 2024 Diario las Américas published Michael Lima’s article on “Discurso Deshumanizador y represión en Cuba.”
On March 20, 2024. Rolando Napoles, America Teve reporter features our solidarity message with the people of Cuba as they take to the streets to demand their right to freedom,.
Michael Lima, Dir of Democratic Spaces speaking up for the release of José Daniel Ferrer García, Cuban prisoner of conscience who has been subjected to systematic tortures including beatings, sonic attacks, sleep deprivation, denial of proper medican and dental care & more than 15 denials of marriage visits. Interview on March 7, 2024
Rising awareness on the need to re think Canada’s foreign policy on Cuba in this article titled, “Trudeau must change policy on Cuba, which is leveraged by China, Russia, Iran,” published by Michael Lima in the Bureau. Feb 28, 2024.
Democratic Spaces joins Human Rights Coalition to take part in the Foreign Interference Hearings that began in Ottawa, Canada on Jan 29. 2024.
America Teve coverage of the event Cubans: the Real Story. What about Canada? Nov 21, 2023.
Presentation by Michael Lima of a research paper on how Canada can advance human rights in Cuba to a group of Members of Parliament from Canada’s leading political parties in Ottawa, Canada on November 21, 2023. A transnational event hosted by MP. Garnett Genus and organized by the Assembly for Cuban Resistance.
On Sept 14, 2023 Michael Lima, Director of Democratic Spaces attended Canada’s Parliament for the Swearing-In-Ceremony of Shuvaloy Majumdar, the newest Member of Parliament representing the riding of Calgary-Heritage. We greatly appreciate Shuv's lifelong commitment to defending Canadian interests worldwide and his dedication to confronting autocrats from Beijing and Moscow to Havana.
Our insights into the need to elaborate more on the climate of repression and gross human rights abuses threatening Cuban nationals, journalists and Canadians in the latest Canada Travel Advisory on Cuba. Published by Martí Noticias on Sept 7, 2023. See Yolanda Huerga, "Canada updates travel warning to Cuba; activists warn it falls short.”
In a meeting with the Member of Parliament Tony Baldinelli conveying the critical situation of prisoners of conscience Cuba and standing up for their release. August 2023.
Our op-ed in the Globe and Mail on July 11. 2023 gives much needed visibility to Canadians about the magnitude of repression in Cuba. It calls attention to the need for Canada’s help advancing the cause of human rights in Cuba
Our op-ed in the Toronto Star on January 2, 2023on the importance of applying targeted sanctions to high ranking officials in the Interior Ministry and Armed Forces in Cuba responsible for the July 11, 2021 repression & gross human rights violations.
Michael Lima, Dir of Democratic Spaces in a presentation and panel discussion at the Macdonald-Laurier-Institute-Foundation for Panamerican Democracy event, “Cuba, Canada in a World of Expanding Authoritarianism,.” held in Ottawa, Canada on November 15, 2022.
At the Global Affairs headquarters in Ottawa meeting with government of Canada’s officials handling Cuba, the Caribbean and Central America. We presented them with our submission for the application of targeted sanctions on a group of perpetrators in Cuba responsible for the July 11, 2021 massive crackdown on pro democracy protesters.
Michael Lima in meeting with Senator Leo Housakos thanking him for his valuable support and solidarity with the cause of democracy in Cuba after he presented a historic motion condemning the illegitimacy of the Cuban regime in the Senate of Canada on March 24. 2022.
Michael Lima, Director of Democratic Spaces is honoured to have been asked to write the speech delivered by Senator Leo Housakos on the current human rights crisis in Cuba, after presenting the Motion on the Illegitimacy of the Cuban Regime in the Senate of Canada on March 24, 2022.
Michael Lima, Director of Democratic Spaces interviewed in The News. Forum on November 16, 2021 on the human rights situation in Cuba throughout a historic year of popular uprisings demanding democracy in the island.
In the streets of Toronto in solidarity with the pro democratic march in Cuba scheduled for Nov 15. 2021. Raising awareness & reaching out for support among Canadians about the peaceful struggle for democracy in Cuba.
Michael Lima Cuadra, Director of Democratic Spaces attended the Transatlantic Parliamentary Forum in Miami on Nov 20. 2021 to present this video from Senator Leo Housakos in solidarity with the cause of freedom and democracy in Cuba. Senator Housakos supported and signed the Miami Declaration for coordinated actions and motions in parliaments across the Atlantic in solidarity with democracy in Cuba.
Marching in the streets of Ottawa in support of the historic pro democratic protests in Cuba on July 11. Raising awareness among Canadians about the oppression of the people of Cuba by one of the world's longest lasting and most brutal dictatorships. Reaching out for support with those inside Cuba leading the peaceful struggle for democracy.
Petition E-3573 to the Parliament of Canada calls upon the Canadian government to publicly support all those who are leading the peaceful struggle for human rights in Cuba. The petition calls for sanctions on high regime officials responsible for gross human rights violations, urges the Canadian government to lead an international coalition for the release of all detainees and prisoners of conscience and to pressure the Cuban regime to holding free, fair and democratic elections.
SOCIAL MEDIA TRANSLATIONS & ADVOCACY. GIVING VISIBILITY TO THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY IN CUBA, NICARAGUA & VENEZUELA
Video from Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, presented in an event with Global Affairs Canada The video describes that Cuba is ruled by a dictatorship and expos...