• Submitted by: admin
• Society
• Politics and Government
• 03 / 14 / 2019

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In the report on human rights 2018 issued on Wednesday, the United States blamed the Cuban government for "the majority of human rights abuses in Cuba," and said that "impunity" for these violations is widespread.

Among the abuses, according to the report, are the torture, arbitrary killings, censorship, imprisonment of dissidents, arbitrary detentions and restrictions on the freedom of association by the "authoritarian state" led by Miguel Díaz-Canel.

#CUBA: @StateDept just released 2019 #HumanRightsReport where it highlights record of about 200 countries. Here is what they say about #Cuba in 30-page report. In past, #Cuban govt says #US has no moral authority to talk about human rights. @WPLGLocal10 https://t.co/rdvMppG5tv pic.twitter.com/dY0Hx2RgOv

— Hatzel Vela (@HatzelVelaWPLG) 13 de marzo de 2019

"Government officials, under the direction of their superiors, committed the majority of human rights abuses and did not investigate or prosecute those who committed those abuses, and the impunity of the perpetrators continued to be widespread," the report states.

The document also maintains that Cuban authorities "continue to have political prisoners" and, citing "independent human rights groups." He also cites as an example of "political prisoners" Eduardo Cardet, coordinator of the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL), arrested in November 2016, five days after the death of Fidel Castro and sentenced to three years in prison in March 2017 .

On the other hand, the document, issued by the State Department, criticizes the elections where Díaz-Canel was "elected" as president: "None of the legislative elections or nations are considered free or fair."

The report also alludes to "members of the community and journalists of the Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and Press (Iclep) have reported an increase in repression since President Díaz-Canel took office."

Also, the Secretary of State of the United States, Mike Pompeo, said in a press conference that the documentation of these abuses serves as reference to the Congress when granting foreign aid and that it has as objective "to cause changes" in government of all the world and "put an end to their brutalities."