Cuba Decide’s message in the 49th General Assembly of the Organization of American States and the Cuba Decide conference featuring VP Marta Lucia Ramirez and other dignitaries.
Renewed calls for the Cuba regime to be held accountable for its human rights violations against the Cuban People, and for its role in destabilizing the region. Also demands for the Cuban regime to respect the right of its citizens to decide their system of government and their leadership in a binding plebiscite. Cuba Decide promoters are participating in the 49th General Assembly of the Organization of American States, taking place in Medellin, Colombia from June 24-28, 2019.
On June 26, 2019, Rosa Maria Payá, a Cuba Decide platform promoter, participated as the representative of the Democracy, Liberty, Justice and Policy Renewal Coalition, during the Civil Society Dialogue session of the General Assembly. Having been acknowledged by Secretary Almagro in his introductory speech, her voice shed light on the vulnerability of human rights defenders and independent journalists across the region; and she denounced the essential role of the Regimen of Cuba in the deterioration of democracy in Venezuela and Nicaragua. The coalition called upon member nations to condemn the interference of the Cuban Regime in the internal affairs of Venezuela through the deployment of security or intelligence personnel who threaten peace and security in the region; to denounce the illegitimacy of the leadership of the Cuban Regime and its constitution; and to express their support for the right of all people in these oppressed nations to decide their system of government and their representatives through free elections or binding plebiscites with guarantees to initiate the processes of transition to democracy.
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The full intervention can be viewed here:https://youtu.be/n5dg_2tY-mo
Later in the day, the Fundacion para la Democracia Panamericana organized the Forum on Cuba Decide, Latin America and the interference of the Castro’s regime, together with the Red Latinoamericana de Jovenes por la Democracia (Network of Latin American Youth for Democracy). Guests of honor included Marta Lucia Ramirez, Vice President of the Republic of Colombia, Ambassador Carlos Trujillo, Chair of the Permanent Council and the General Committee Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the United States; Christian Hernandez, who represented the Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro.
Vice President Ramirez acknowledged the members the Youth Network who are working for freedom and a future with democracy in Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Cuba. She also highlighted that Cuba y Venezuela cannot be an unresolved problem, and she further stated “I have called for action so that there are consequences and sanctions against those who are arbitrarily exercising power through dictaroships in these countries, in a corrupt manner. I also emphasize that we must promote and demand coherence by the leaders at a global level in this regard.”
Ambassador Trujillo denounced the role the Cuban Regimen continues to play in the repression of the citizens of Cuba and Latin America and the need to continue to fight for freedom and thanked Colombia in their role in supporting the effort.
Cristian Hernandez, representing Secretary General Luis Almagro, spoke about the campaign that the Organization of American States has launched to increase the visibility of the situation in Cuba and the rights violations they commit by silencing dissent. He also noted the appointment of Miguel Diaz Canel as president of Cuba without the consultation of the citizens of Cuba. The Secretary’s office has also denounced the illegitimacy of the newly ratified Cuban constitution which enables the communist party to perpetuate and stated that it does not meet any of the requirements of the InterAmerican Democratic Charter. The office further denounced the role that the Cuban regime has played in crimes of humanity in Venezuela and Nicaragua. Cuban state security has been implicated with having a presence in centers of torture in Venezuela and this involvement has been documented and included in the case submitted to the International Criminal Court. All states in the Americas should be alarmed by the role Cuban regimen is playing in Nicaragua and Venezuela and until it is stopped the Americas will not be free nor democratic.
Other speakers included Pastor Alayn Toledano a Cuba Decide promoter from the Island, Carlos Ponce, a Director at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and Idania Chirinos, the Director of Content at Channel NTN24 who gave report and data about the penetration of the Cuban intelligence apparatus in Venezuela.