THE SITUATION
Repression of basic freedoms is the basic feature of Cuba’s regime. Political police and paramilitary groups, under the government’s direction, use repressive tactics and threats of violence to discourage Cubans from organizing and advocating for positive change in their communities.
Across the country, citizens are commanded to keep their heads down and eyes forward, focused only on surviving another day, never looking for a better future on the horizon. To speak out or protest could trigger an immediate violent response from the Cuban government.
THE SOLUTION
People need to believe in their own capacity to change a bankrupt system and stop political violence in its tracks.
FHRC’s Cuba’s Repressors program is designed to make Cuban authorities think twice before abusing their power and using violence as a response to civil disobedience.
This platform is a constant reminder that their actions have consequences; they cannot run and hide from them! We won’t let them.
We provide accountability for repressors by:
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Creating a Reporting System
We supply Cuban citizens with a reporting system for raising their accusations against violent or administrative repressors. FHRC oversees a detailed database with that reported information for U.S. immigration authorities to potentially block Cuban repressors from seeking entry into America by lying to immigration officers.
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Providing Tools for Activists
We constantly work to help shine lights on violent and administrative repressive behavior by Cuban officials, by providing:
- Equipment donations to volunteer activists, such as cameras and smartphones, to record repressive activity.
- General information materials outlining the consequences of repressive actions aimed at Cuban citizens on behalf of the Cuban government. By informing these repressors of the non-transferable and non-expiring legal accountability of their actions, we aim at discouraging them from carrying out repressive orders from their superiors.
- Publicity kits to distribute pamphlets & photos revealing the activities of repressive perpetrators right in their own communities.
- Public postings of perpetrators and their crimes against Cuban citizens on the free and open worldwide web.
THE IMPACT
FHRC’s Repressors program has already made a significant contribution to changing
the behavior of government officials in Cuba.
39
Violent National Repressors Identified
13
Repressors Identified for Exportation
41
White Collar Repressors Identified
In 2016 reports showed a total of 9,940 arrests, harassments, acts of repudiations, and physical beatings against
Cuban citizens.
Since the launch of the Repressors program in that same year, reports of suppressive activities have steadily dropped each month.
Our efforts are making a difference!
Coinciding with the start of the Repressors initiative in 2016, reports of government-led repressive activities have continued to drop.
In response to pressure from the Repressors initiative, the Cuban government has taken some measures of their own, including:
- Using sunglasses and low-brimmed caps to protect perpetrators against the recording of violent repressive activities (photos/videos).
- Reducing the number of prolonged jail sentences for arrested citizens to no longer than a few hours or days, thus avoiding the increase of the statistics of political prisoners in custody.
We need your help to expand the positive impact of this program on Cubans daily lives!
HOW YOU CAN
HELP
Thanks to the Repressors program the Cuban Government was obliged to modify
its tactics and is acting with greater restraint. With your support, we can
continue to provide recording gadgets, publicity kits, and education to keep
empowering the Cuban people!