International
Amnesty International is “very concerned” about the human rights situation in Cuba
The NGO Amnesty International (AI) was “very concerned” this Thursday with the situation of human rights in Cuba in general – and in particular with those of expression and association – in a new publication dedicated to the island.
The report, entitled ‘Images of rebellion’, includes assessments of the situation in the country, profiles of the five people that AI currently considers prisoners of conscience in Cuba and different signs of solidarity with these people.
The objective, the regional AI researcher for the Caribbean, the Cuban Johanna Cilano, explained in an interview with EFE, was to “visualize the global action of solidarity” with Cuban prisoners of conscience and also to continue encouraging that “solidarity in defense of human rights.”
He highlighted that one of those Cuban prisoners, the artist and dissident Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, has received 21,000 letters of support as a result of an AI campaign to denounce his case.
Otero Alcántara, one of the best-known faces of the San Isidro movement, was sentenced to five years in prison for using a Cuban flag in an artistic performance and trying to join the protests of July 11, 2021.
The researcher clarified that AI does not make exhaustive lists of prisoners, but highlights cases that she considers relevant, “known and well-ter-treated voices,” which can “mobilize” international public opinion for their person and for the reason of their arrest.
Currently, AI considers four other Cubans prisoners of conscience in addition to Otero Alcántara: the musician Maykel Osorbo, the dissident José Daniel Ferrer García, the Yoruba religious Loreto Hernández García and the Yoruba priestess Donaida Pérez.
However, Cilano added to EFE, AI is studying recognizing several more prisoners of conscience in Cuba, possibly in the first half of this year. This implies fulfilling a series of “requirements”, but also the ability of the NGO to carry out the “follow-up” of the case.
For this researcher, the situation in Cuba is “worrying” due to the “lack of channels to express concerns of dissidents,” the citizen’ need to “claim social rights” in a context of “deterioration of economic conditions” and the persistence of “repressive patterns.”
He pointed out in this regard the “reluctance” of the Cuban Government to any recommendation on human rights, especially civil and political, by multilateral organizations and international NGOs, and its refusal to any external audit.
They also “concern” a lot” legal movements such as the approval of the new Criminal Code and the Social Communication Law, which AI emphasizes that they restrict the exercise of social and political human rights; and the delay in legislating on rights enshrined in the 2019 Constitution, such as those of association and demonstration.
Cilano also pointed out the “impossibility” of exercising freedom of the press, with the “harassment” and “retaliation” to unofficial journalism and the “clear repressive patterns” that limit religious freedom, whose intensity has fluctuated over time and the different confessions.
The researcher recalled that AI has criticized the US sanctions on Cuba, which she considers have an “impact” on human rights, but this “is no excuse for the Cuban Government not to guarantee and protect the human rights of Cuban citizenship.”
On the crossfire between Washington and Havana in which the former prioritize the freedoms of expression and manifestation and the latter the right of universal access to education and health, Cilano said: “There are no rights above others.”
International
German Authorities Investigate More Than 100 New Cases Against Convicted Nurse
German authorities announced Monday that they are investigating more than 100 additional cases involving a nurse who was sentenced to life in prison in November for the murder of 10 patients.
The man, who was 44 at the time of his conviction, worked in palliative care at a hospital in Würselen, near Aachen. He was also found guilty of 27 attempted murders.
Aachen prosecutors are now examining 121 new cases, a spokesperson for the office said.
Prosecutors leading the investigation are preparing a new indictment that could be filed next year. Nearly 40 bodies have so far been exhumed as part of the investigation, which covers alleged incidents dating back to September 2022.
Meanwhile, prosecutors in the city of Cologne are investigating 18 additional cases. According to a spokesperson, the oldest case dates back to 2010.
Before working at the Würselen hospital, the nurse is believed to have worked at a clinic in eastern Cologne, according to local media reports.
At the time of his November conviction, the court ruled that the severity of his crimes was particularly serious, a finding that would make it difficult for him to obtain early release after 15 years in prison.
Between December 2023 and May 2024, the nurse administered overdoses of sedatives or painkillers to terminally ill patients, most of them elderly, according to the indictment in the original case.
His alleged motive was to sedate patients who required care so that he could minimize his workload during night shifts, prosecutors said.
According to the indictment, the nurse worked «without enthusiasm» and «without motivation». When faced with patients requiring extensive care, he allegedly became «irritated» and showed a lack of empathy.
The case has revived painful memories in Germany of Niels Högel, a former nurse and serial killer who was sentenced to life imprisonment in June 2019 for the murders of at least 85 patients.
International
Venezuela Raises Earthquake Death Toll to 6,301
The death toll from the earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 6,301, while relatives continue searching for missing people among the rubble of collapsed buildings, parliamentary leader Jorge Rodríguez said Monday.
So far, the Venezuelan government has not released an official figure for the number of people missing after the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes, which caused around 190 buildings to collapse, most of them in the coastal state of La Guaira, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Caracas.
The latest figure represents an increase from the 6,125 deaths reported by Venezuelan authorities on August 3.
According to statements made to local media by La Guaira Governor José Alejandro Terán, around 1,400 people were still missing just over a week ago.
Thousands of homes remain at risk
In addition to buildings that completely collapsed, authorities have classified another 9,567 structures as being at «high risk». Meanwhile, 12,411 homes remain under a «restricted» classification.
As a result, many families who lived in these properties have been relocated to temporary shelters or have sought accommodation with relatives and friends.
Nearly 24,000 people left homeless by the disaster are currently living in camps in Caracas and La Guaira, a popular tourist destination whose economy has been severely affected by the earthquakes.
The situation sparked renewed concern among Venezuelans on Monday after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake, with its epicenter in Colombia, was felt across several regions of Venezuela.
The earthquake in Colombia left at least 111 people dead and dozens injured, according to preliminary figures released by authorities in that country.
International
CEAPI Backs Colombia’s New Government and Calls for Greater Public-Private Cooperation
The Ibero-American Business Alliance Council (CEAPI), led by its president, Núria Vilanova, participated in the inauguration ceremony of Abelardo de la Espriella as Colombia’s new president. The events were held on August 7 in Cali and brought together heads of state and institutional representatives from numerous countries.
CEAPI maintains a strong relationship with Colombia as part of its mission to serve as a meeting point between Ibero-American business leaders and the region’s main institutions and governments. The organization has more than 25 members in Colombia, including Jaime Gilinski, Luis Carlos Sarmiento, Omar González and Diego Urrea. In addition, Colombia hosted the seventh CEAPI Ibero-American Congress, held in Cartagena de Indias in 2024.
During his inauguration speech, President De la Espriella identified confidence and economic stability as key pillars of his administration and emphasized the role of private enterprise in Colombia’s future.
He also reaffirmed his intention to govern for all Colombians and strengthen institutional dialogue, while referring to Spain’s democratic transition and the leadership of former Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez.
Vilanova said she has seen this commitment firsthand during meetings with members of the new government, who have expressed their willingness to work closely with business leaders and the private sector to promote economic growth.
According to CEAPI, the government is considering measures aimed at strengthening legal certainty and business confidence, encouraging investment and promoting formal employment.
For Vilanova, Colombia’s new political and economic stage represents an opportunity to demonstrate that «when the public and private sectors are aligned, they can achieve more».
«Colombia has everything it needs to make it happen. And Ibero-American business leaders are ready to support it», she said, adding that CEAPI is already working with the government to organize a future investment delegation to the country.
The organization said the planned visit would seek to strengthen business ties and identify new investment opportunities in Colombia, reinforcing the role of the private sector in the country’s economic development.
German Authorities Investigate More Than 100 New Cases Against Convicted Nurse
Venezuela Raises Earthquake Death Toll to 6,301
CEAPI Backs Colombia’s New Government and Calls for Greater Public-Private Cooperation
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