Some context for the upcoming visit to Cuba of Eamon Gilmore, the special representative of the European Union for Human Rights

Luis Barrios Díaz died last Sunday at the age of 37. | SOCIAL NETWORKS

On the eve of the arrival of Eamon Gilmore, the special representative of the European Union for Human Rights, to Cuba it is worth placing his visit in context.

On November 21, 2023 at 4:56pm EST over X (formerly Twitter) the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights called on the State of Cuba "to quickly and impartially investigate the death, on November 19, of Luis Barrios Díaz, who was deprived of liberty after his participation in the protests of July 11, 2021 and whose death would be related to the absence of adequate medical care in prison."

"Luis Barrios Díaz, a political prisoner in Cuba for participating in the demonstration on July 11, 2021, died at the age of 37 due to a respiratory illness and lack of adequate medical care," wrote the former Mexican President Felipe Calderón on his social network account on November 20th at 10:20pm.

Cuban independent journalist Yoani Sanchez provided broad brush strokes on the current situation on the island in her column "Eamon Gilmore and the Many Trapos on His Trip to Cuba" that paints a somber portrait.

"The national context in which the official arrives could not be more adverse. In the midst of the most significant mass exodus in recent decades, with more than a thousand political prisoners and a deep economic crisis, the Island will give Josep Borrell’s envoy multiple headaches. The biggest challenge of his trip will be to avoid the daunting agenda that the Havana regime is preparing for him to prevent him from looking towards the most problematic and painful areas of Cuban reality."

Evangelical Focus Europe reported on November 20h that the Alliance of Christians of Cuba (ACC), which brought together 50 religious leaders from different Christian denominations in Cuba, recently held its third national gathering in Santiago, Cuba where they issued a joint statement asking the Cuban government to 1) Free those “imprisoned for exercising their inherent rights”; 2) that “each religious movement on the island might exercise its right to associate, obtaining legal status and protection under the law”; and 3), that the government “respect the right of each Cuban citizen to exercise all their inherent rights and that they not persecutethem for this”.

On November 17, 2023 the adoption of the reports on the review of Cubawas adopted with 361 recommendations, but the Cuban dictatorship’s representative rejected those that he claimed “questioned the country’s constitutional and legal order” or that “interfered in internal affairs.” The regime must respond in writing by March 2024 with regards to which they will accept, and which will be rejected.

Cuba underwent its fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on November 15, 2023, at the UN Human Rights Council, a process Havana repeatedly subverted since 2009 by using front groups to drown out critical human rights reports by established human rights organizations.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez began the UPR sessionattacking Israel, and went on to blame the Cuban dictatorship’s shortcomings on U.S. sanctions, and turned the review into a politicized circus.

During the review many of the world’s democracies called for the freedom of the over 1,000 political prisoners in Cuba.

New Zealand reflected this trend in its recommendations for Cuba.

Take measures to ensure that all people can exercise their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association;
Immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience who have been imprisoned for the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression, association or peaceful assembly;
Ratify the ICCPR and its Second Optional Protocol; and
Continue efforts to remove internet access restrictions to guarantee the right to access information.

The United States took a stronger and more holistic position in their recommendations, and called out the Cuban government for raising bilateral issues that were not meant for the UPR.

Cease the practice of arbitrarily detaining journalists, opposition members, human rights defenders, religious actors, and other persons seeking to exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Release the approximately 1000 persons unjustly or arbitrarily detained, including those reportedly imprisoned for exercising their right to peaceful assembly, investigating and reporting on government activities, or expressing dissent. Once released, they must be allowed to travel freely both domestically and internationally.
Adopt a legal framework that ensures judicial independence.
End its one-party system to allow genuinely free and fair elections, involving multiple political parties, that provide citizens with real choices regarding their government.
Comply with international labor standards and cease using coercive practices to manipulate and pressure workers into participating in the labor export program, including medical missions.

On the eve of Cuba’s UPR session, the Center for a Free Cuba, Cuba Decide, and UN Watch co-hosted a side event at the United Nations Office at Geneva in which a shadow report was presented by Cuban dissidents, and human rights defenders.