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Cuban civil society celebrates 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
USINT Chief of Mission Jonathan Farrar hosted a reception at his residence on December 10 to mark the six decades that have passed since the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The high point of the evening was a program that depended upon audience participation for its success: Each of the UDHR’s 30 articles was addressed in turn by a speaker drawn from the ranks of Cuban civil society, USINT officials, or special guests.
Many speakers used the occasion to point out that while Cuba was one of 48 nations that voted in favor of the Declaration in 1948, for almost 50 years its government has systematically punished people who have dared to exercise those rights.
The fact that some of their colleagues had been detained, harassed, or otherwise prevented from attending the event highlighted for some presenters the huge gap between the Cuban government’s acceptance of the words of the Declaration and its own deeds.