Manuel de Jesús Guillén Esplugas was arbitrarily arrested by State Security in Havana, Cuba on July 17, 2021 for recording the July 11, 2021 pro-democratic protests and posting videos on social Media. He has been jailed ever since without charges been filed or court date. During arrest he was tortured, beaten and held in isolation.
Read MoreIn our op-ed in the Toronto Star titled “Talk is cheap, jail is real — Canada’s hollow rebuke of Cuba’s crackdown, we set forth our arguments as to why Canada should impose Magnitsky sanctions on human rights abusers at the top of the regime’s hierarchy responsible for the repression of July 11, 2021 pro democracy protesters. Members of the Cuban regime’s Interior Ministry and Armed forces enjoy rampant impunity in Cuba and are exculpated from their crimes and human rights violations. Nations like Canada must move from statements condemning the repression in Cuba to concrete actions. A viable concrete action for Canada is the imposition of Magnitsky sanctions on members of the Cuban regime at the top of the power hierarchy.
Read MoreSince the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement in 2002 to date, the relationship between Cuba and Venezuela has been one of interdependence for the survival and maintenance in power of both dictatorships.
Terror as a form of government and hunger as a weapon of social control have been two of the most significant contributions of the Cuban regime to the Venezuelan regime.
Read MoreA video message calling on the release of all political prisoners in Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Iran and wherever oppression exists.
Read MoreEvents and meetings in Ottawa, Canada in support of the cause of Cuba’s democracy and human rights
Read MoreIn the Senate of #Canada, Senator Leo Housakos acknowledges the people of #Cuba & their courageous struggle for freedom, urges #Canadian govt. to support Cubans' aspiration to live in democracy & recognizes the work of #HumanRights defenders.
Read MoreOn November 15, Michael Lima, Dir of Democratic Spaces at this event hosted by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, Cubadecide and the Panamerican Foundation for Democracy titled, “Canada and Cuba in a World of Expanding Authoritarianism.”
Read MorePRESS RELEASE: Democratic Spaces and the Cuba Decide Promoters Request the Imposition of Targeted Sanctions on Cuban Officials and Entities
Read MoreOffering insight into the broader re emergence of populism across Latin America with participar attention on Cuba and relationship with the left in Latin America in a CBC article titled “Brazil's election suggests a socialist wave in the Americas — but the numbers tell a different story.”
Read MoreMichael Lima, interviewed by Exilda Arjona and Alfredo Jacomino from Tempranito y de Mañana in Radio Martí on the recent protests in Cuba in late September and early October, 2022.
Read MorePolice in Cuba kicking a woman on the street while people shout at them "abusers." "Police say they have no scruples/no creen en nadie," says a woman. Oct 5, 2022. Corner of Fe del Valle Park, San Rafael Boulevard, Havana, Cuba
Read MoreOver the weekend (Oct 1 & 2, 2022) demonstrations continued in various parts of Havana, Cuba after more than 5 days without electricity in a nation wide power outage following the passage of Hurricane Ian which left five dead and 30,000 homes damaged, some completely destroyed. Summary of protests and arbitrary detentions in Cuba
Read MoreProtests in various neighbourhoods and municipalities in Havana broke out on September 29. 2022. The areas reported are Cerro Arroyo Naranjo, Centro Habana, and San Miguel del Padrón. The regime responded by deploying the repressive troops
Read MoreWe Canada we support the Cubadecide citizen initiative in its just and historic demand for a binding plebiscite monitored by legitimate democratic institutions. We reiterate our call to all freedom lovers, civil society, parliament to support us in this noble cause for a Cuba where respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law prevail.
Read MoreRoya Hakakian, Iranian writer and human rights defender joined Rosa Maria Paya, founder of the Cubadecide citizen initiative in reminding the world that pro democracy protesters in Cuba are not asking for the end of the embargo. They are asking for FREEDOM.
Read MoreThe regime in Cuba in alliance with 6 other pariah states and dictatorships (Belarus, Nicaragua, Eritrea, Nicaragua, Siria, Russia) voted to silence Volodymyr Zelensky and prevent the presentation of his video address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 21, 2022.
Read MoreTalking about the popular protests in Cuba with Exilda Arjona and Alejandro Marcano on Tempranito y de Mañana on Radio Marti. August 3, 2022. Today on the 28th anniversary of the freedom protests known as El Maleconazo it is worth remembering that since the early days of 1959 no Cuban has ever ceased to demand his/her right to live in a free, plural, inclusive and democratic nation.
Read MoreAlliances between authoritarian regimes are one of the greatest global threats facing democracy today. Collaboration between autocrats makes them stronger, and more effective at surveilling, isolating, and persecuting human rights defenders. Two such alliances are between Cuba and China, and Cuba and Russia. And the effects of these alliances on the pro-democratic Cuban movement are stark.
Read MoreCanada’s House of Commons has not passed a single resolution on the human rights situation in Cuba. Originally published in The Hub Canada on July 18 2022 by Sarah Teich and Michael Lima
Read MoreOn the evening of July 14. 2022 hundreds of Cubans protested peacefully in Los Palacios, Pinar del Río and at least two locations in Havana, shouting "Homeland and Life", "Down with the dictatorship!"... The protest in Los Palacios originated on the occasion of a blackout that lasted several hours, after months of systematic power outages.
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