Puente Democrático

Puente Democrático is a project within the Area of Political Opening and Development of the Center for the Opening and Development of Latin America (CADAL). Its objective is to globally promote the defense of civic and political freedoms.

For such end, the Project Puente Democrático fulfills the following activities:

•  Gives international solidarity to support the efforts of political opening of democrats living in countries ruled by dictatorships;

•  Advocates for the implementation of a foreign policy committed with human rights in democratic countries;

•  Monitors the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review of those countries under dictatorships.

•  Analyzes the relationship between press and politics;

•  Alerts on threats to freedom of the press in Latin America ;

•  Promotes joint actions with similar civil society organizations.

Objective

The Observatory of International Relations and Human Rights is an initiative of Puente Democrático Project of CADAL with the following objectives:

a) Give information on, and analyze the treatment of the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review of dictatorships. On this regard, there will be a focus on the participation of Latin American countries, through questions and recommendations, and that of developed democracies.

b) Monitor the international relations of Latin American countries with countries ruled by dictatorships.

c) Follow Cuba 's international relations, paying special attention to the importance the dictatorship gives to its external legitimacy in order to perpetuate in power. Complacency and complicity from democratic governments, international organizations and social referents is key for the one party regime of Cuba to sustain internal repression.