Deadly Attacks Against Colombian Human Rights Defenders
by Lisa Haugaard
on February 06, 2012
Colombian human rights activists, defensores or “defenders” as they call themselves, take huge risks for speaking out. Fifty-four defenders were murdered in Colombia from July 2010 to May 2011. Whenever a community objects to the way their territory is being used, especially by mining companies and other extractive industries, then death threats, and worse, follow. Whenever a family member seeks justice for the death or disappearance of their loved one, they face threats and attacks as well. This past December, I participated in an international mission to Colombia to investigate the threats to human rights defenders, and what we learned was shocking.
To read my blog post about what we heard from hundreds of human rights activists across Colombia, click here.
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We Won! Cuba family travel is saved
by Emily Chow
on December 16, 2011
So there is no suspense, you did it! Through your calls and emails, forwarding of the action alert, and commitment to retaining unrestricted travel to Cuba for families, the Diaz-Balart policy rider has been removed. President Obama’s regulations allowing the reunification of Cuban families stands firm—and without government interference.
DC wouldn’t be what it is without power struggles, complicated and indiscernible Hill jargon and impending government shutdowns. But what we have never witnessed before in the nation’s capitol is a hold placed on the funding of the entire U.S. government over the right for Cuban-American families to travel and see their relatives in Cuba. Here’s what happened:
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Legal Victory against Gun Trafficking
by Ben Leiter and Jenny Johnson
on February 01, 2012
We’re moving full speed ahead with the “Stop Gun Smuggling to Mexico” campaign and want to make sure to keep you in the loop. We’ve seen some small but significant progress lately, and there are a number of exciting developments on the horizon that we want you to know about, so check out the updates below!
If you haven’t already, click here to tell President Obama to stop gun smuggling into Mexico.
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We called Obama about Cuba family travel, did you?
by Emily Chow
on December 16, 2011
In the spirit of the holidays, Cuban-American members of Congress are at it again with their Grinch-like tactics. Rolled into a spending “Megabus” bill that is being pushed through Congress is language that would restrict family travel to Cuba for Cuban Americans to once every three years, no exceptions. However, not only does this amendment, led by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, separate families, it also redefines what constitutes a family circle. Cuban Americans, TAKE NOTE: What this means is that your cousins, nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, etc., will no longer qualify as "family." As one of our Cuban-American friends said, “The very idea that some U.S. entity is going to tell a Cuban who is your family and who is not is something so beyond the pale that it might suffice to turn water into wine . . ."
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Support Displaced Indigenous Families in Guatemala
by Vanessa Kritzer
on January 20, 2012
We need your help to support hundreds of indigenous families in Guatemala who are facing violence, homelessness, and starvation as a result of a brutal displacement.
Please sign our petition today to get them the food aid and protection they need!
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Emergency Action: Cuba family travel at risk!
by LAWG Cuba Team and our Partners from WOLA
on December 13, 2011
This summer, conservative House of Representatives Republicans, led by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, proposed rolling back President Obama’s executive order that allows Cuban Americans to travel to Cuba to visit their relatives without any restrictions. In response, President Obama threatened to veto any legislation that imposed limits on Cuban-Americans’ right to travel freely to visit their families. He is aware that this is an important issue about family values and that it is very important to Cuban-American families in Florida, New Jersey, and across the country.
Today, we have learned that House of Representative Republicans are about to succeed with their punitive campaign against Cuban-American families. They are including rollback language in the “Megabus” appropriations bill now being finalized in the Congress that would prevent Cuban Americans from visiting their relatives more often than once every three years and would limit the remittances they can send. President Obama needs to live up to his promise and say “no” to these efforts to once again divide Cuban families. He must insist that he will not sign this bill if the family travel provision is not removed.
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