Despite living under the oppressive rule of a totalitarian government that picks and chooses which laws apply and to whom, FHRC is dedicated to helping Cubans defend their legal rights. Through initiatives, such as the Havana-based nongovernmental organization Cubalex, FHRC is able to support Cuba’s fledgling legal aid clinics that are starting to service Cubans in communities throughout the Island.
Project: Cubalex
Founded by Larisa Diversent, a young lawyer and independent journalist, Cubalex is a Cuban nongovernmental organization that provides free legal assistance to any person, without concern for gender, race, ethnicity, political ideology or religious creed. The goal of Cubalex is to inform Cubans of their rights as citizens according to the Constitution, and furthermore to demand that those rights are upheld. The four members of Cubalex work on a range of legal issues including, but not limited to, arbitrary detention and arrest; harassment, assault and related issues; residence and immigration, visa documents; confiscation of personal items and property matters; and, other legal issues that arise. Cubalex also works with international human rights systems to defend basic human rights for all Cubans through the United Nations and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.