Bolivia: HRF Announces Preliminary Findings as Election Observers

May 5, 2008

In advance of a full report about the referendum for autonomy in the Province of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, the Human Rights Foundation announces its preliminary findings.

HRF’s delegation, led by its Chairman Armando Valladares and by its President Thor Halvorssen, joined a group of international observers from Argentina, Paraguay, and two other non-governmental organizations from the United States. HRF’s delegation included technical assistance from HRF staff arriving from Spain and local HRF-Bolivia staff and directors. [more]

• Read HRF's press release here.
• Read media coverage of HRF's role in the referendum:
  El Deber: Observadores destacan el trabajo de la Corte
  El Mundo: Veedores calificaron el proceso autonómico como legal, calmado y transparente
  El Nuevo Día: Santa Cruz hace historia
  La Crónica de Hoy: Un muerto, 22 heridos y cinco detenidos deja jornada en Bolivia
  United Press International: Referéndum autonómico logra observadores nacionales e internacionales
  ERBOL: Referéndum: Representante de una ONG de EE.UU. dice que será uno de los veedores
  Opinión.com.bo: Observadores destacan la transparencia del proceso

Dissident from Caracas Nine Awarded Cato Liberty Prize

April 30, 2008

Embattled Venezuelan student leader Yon Goicoechea is the fourth recipient of the Cato Institute’s Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty. Last November, Mr. Goicoechea was chosen by the Human Rights Foundation as one of nine illustrative cases of human rights violations occurring in Venezuela. He became Number Two of the Caracas Nine (www.CaracasNine.com).

“This is a magnificent gift from the Cato Institute to the cause of human dignity and freedom in Latin America,” said Thor Halvorssen, HRF’s president. “Yon Goicoechea is a symbol of hope and courage and this honor is the freedom equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize,” he added. [more]

HRF on Cuba in today's Wall Street Journal

April 18, 2008

Pope Benedict XVI is in the midst of the first journey to America of his pontificate, and he met with President George W. Bush this week. Hopefully this visit will reinforce the need for a joint commitment to freedom in Cuba.

The Catholic Church has taken a hardline position against right-wing dictatorships. But in Cuba, the Church has been silent – or worse – ever since 1960, when Fidel Castro expelled hundreds of Catholic priests because they alerted their parishioners of the communist danger surfacing in government circles. [more]

Ecuador Denies Opposition Politician Her Freedom; Government Dealings with FARC Reveal Double Standard
March 17, 2008

Despite three court rulings ordering the release of Guadalupe Llori, opposition governor of the Ecuadorian province of Orellana, the government of President Rafael Correa continues to deny her freedom, accusing her of “terrorism.” Meanwhile, President Correa’s officials admit to having met with representatives of a terrorist organization.

“Ecuador has become a topsy-turvy land where a state governor is incarcerated on trumped-up charges of terrorism and held without evidence, while the government’s top national security official meets with the deadliest terrorist organization in the hemisphere, purportedly to establish formal relations,” said Thor Halvorssen, president of the New York-based Human Rights Foundation (HRF). [more]

• Read HRF's most recent letter to President Correa, sent on March 18, 2008, here (Spanish only).
• Read HRF's letter to President Correa sent on February 20, 2008, here (Spanish only).

Lynching, Communal Justice, and Bolivia’s New Constitution

March 5, 2008

On January 15, 2008, Human Rights Foundation (HRF) published a report about Bolivia’s proposed new constitution. HRF sent copies of the report to President Evo Morales and other Bolivian authorities, prompting a reply from Vice Minister of Coordination with Social Movements and Civil Society, Sacha Sergio Llorenti Solis.

In Vice Minister Llorenti’s opinion, HRF misinterpreted the spirit of articles introduced in the new constitution, further expressing HRF had confused, in a “reductionist and discriminatory fashion,” communal justice and lynching. On January 30, 2008, HRF sent a reply to Vice Minister Llorenti, which has gone unanswered. Critics of HRF’s report have sided with Bolivia’s official stance. Hence HRF believes that a clarification about issues raised by Vice Minister Llorenti, Bolivian citizens, and interested parties is in order. [more]

• Read the press release here.
• Read HRF’s report on communal justice in Bolivia here.
• Read HRF's response to Rutgers Professor Daniel M. Goldstein here.

Ecuadorian Broadcasting Association alerts HRF to possible freedom of expression violations in Ecuador
February 29, 2008

In a letter dated February 28, the Ecuadorian Broadcasting Association informed the Human Rights Foundation of a proposal by President Correa’s party that would allow the government to indiscriminately revoke radio and television licenses in an attempt to control the Ecuadorian media. The government would then have the power to reissue the media concessions according to undetermined criteria. Such a proposal, if adopted, would be a clear blow to freedom of expression in Ecuador and would violate due process. The letter concludes with an invitation to HRF and other human rights organizations to help prevent such flagrant violations of human rights from occurring in Ecuador.

• Read the letter from the Ecuadorian Broadcasting Association to HRF here (Spanish only).
• Read media coverage on the Ecuadorian Broadcasting Association’s letter and its proposal to the Constituent Assembly:
  CRE: AER pone en conocimiento de Human Rights Foundation intención de revertir frecuencias
  Ciudadanía Informada: AER protesta en Montecristi por la propuesta de transparentar el uso de frecuencias en el país
  Confirmado.net: AER realizó denuncia a Human Rights, en relación a la reversión de frecuencias de radio y televisión
  

HRF calls upon Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa to uphold human rights in the detention of Guadalupe Llori

February 22, 2008

Guadalupe Llori

In November 2007, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa declared a state of emergency and militarized the province of Orellana after local protests erupted over the government’s failure to complete promised infrastructure construction in the region. In response to the protests, the army raided homes in the Amazon town of Dayuma, arresting 23 protesters on charges of terrorism.

Guadalupe Llori, the prefect of Orellana, is among those still imprisoned. The government’s treatment of Llori’s case has thus far violated due process and other guarantees enshrined in Ecuador’s constitution.

In a letter sent February 20, the Human Rights Foundation reminded President Correa of the importance of upholding human rights regardless of political circumstances.

• Read the letter here (Spanish only).
• Read media coverage of HRF's letter:
  Radioequinoccio.com: Human rights denuncia violación del debido proceso. Caso Llori
  INREDH: Caso Dayuma Human Rights Foundation
  Ciudadana Informada: La Human Rights Foundation envió una carta a Correa por los sucesos de Dayuma
  Elcomercio.com: Una carta de DD.HH. a Correa
  

HRF in today's Washington Times: Colombia's FARC and Venezuela

February 7, 2008

The Washington Times published an editorial today by HRF President Thor Halvorssen in which Mr. Halvorssen writes about Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’s active support of the FARC, a rebel army in Colombia which the United States and every European government have designated as a foreign terrorist organization. [more]

• Read Thor Halvorssen’s editorial here.

Bolivian Government Responds to HRF
February 4, 2008

In a letter dated January 28, 2008, the Bolivian government formally replied to HRF’s letter to Bolivian President Evo Morales regarding the negative repercussions that his proposed constitutional amendments would have on human rights. HRF’s first letter was widely circulated in Bolivia and was a frequent topic on television and in print media. Bolivian Vice-Minister Sacha Llorenti signed the response from the Bolivian government. In a television appearance, Vice-Minister Llorenti mocked HRF and its concerns. HRF’s response is included below.

The most recent development in this ongoing correspondence between HRF and the Bolivian government is HRF’s response sent on January 31, 2008.

• Read HRF's original letter of January 24, 2008 here.
• Read the government's January 28 response here (Spanish only).
• Read HRF's response (January 31) here (Spanish only).
• Read media coverage of HRF's campaign for human rights in Bolivia:
  Hoy Bolivia: DDHH: nueva CPE no cumple obligaciones internacionales
  La Estrella del Oriente: Human Rights teme violación de Derechos Humanos en Bolivia por CPE del MAS
  Terra: HRF dice que reforma pone en peligro derechos fundamentales de los bolivianos
  ABI: Gobierno acusa a ONG estadounidense de manejar mal la información de nueva CPE
  Los Tiempos: Gobierno descalifica carta de Human Rights sobre nuevo texto
  Bol Press: Carta de HRF al Viceministro Sacha Llorenti
  Los Tiempos: Human Rights niega partidismo derechista
  Hoy Bolivia: Derechos Humanos refuta carta del gobierno

HRF President Thor Halvorssen writes editorial on the shooting of human rights advocate Monica Fernandez

January 21, 2008

On January 21, 2008, an editorial by HRF President Thor Halvorssen on the shooting of Monica Fernandez, a Venezuelan human rights advocate, was published by Pajamas Media, a news website that provides exclusive news and opinion 24/7 in text, video and podcast from correspondents in over forty countries.

• Read the editorial here.
• Read the HRF press release on Monica Fernandez here.

Venezuelan government continues attack on independent media; Alberto Federico Ravell is “Caracas Nine” dissident #3

January 17, 2008

Employees and directors of Globovisión, Venezuela’s only remaining independent 24-hour news and information channel, have survived more than five years of attacks and death threats for exercising their free speech. The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) released a report this week detailing human rights violations against the people who work for the TV station.

Globovisión general manager Alberto Federico Ravell and his 430 colleagues are the third case in HRF’s Caracas Nine project (www.CaracasNine.com). [more]

• Read the report about Alberto Federico Ravell's case here.
• Read about the Caracas Nine here.

Enshrining Mob Rule in Bolivia: Communal Justice and the New Constitution

January 15, 2008

Communal justice Open Assembly held in the town of Ayo Ayo (July 3, 2004).

Lashing, crucifixion and other forms of corporal punishment would be legal in a new constitution proposed by the government of Bolivian President Evo Morales. Since 2005, Bolivia has seen a dramatic increase in such disturbing practices, including lynchings and torture, meted out under an informal system known as “communal justice.” Cases include death sentences for women accused of adultery and the beating, stoning, hanging, and burning of an elected official accused of corruption.

“Communal justice entirely disregards due process. In theory, it enables indigenous communities to address their needs in a fair and disinterested manner. In practice, it is judicial terror. It is breathtaking that the Morales government wishes to enshrine such arbitrary and barbaric practices and make them legally unappealable,” said Thor Halvorssen, president of the Human Rights Foundation (HRF). Today, HRF published a report on Bolivia’s communal justice system. [more]

• Read the press release
• Read HRF's report on communal justice in Bolivia here
• Video of communal justice practices in Bolivia (violent images—not suitable for children)

HRF Researcher Shot in Venezuela

January 7, 2008

Monica Fernandez, former judge and one of the leaders of the Foro Penal Venezolano, was shot Saturday afternoon in circumstances that, prior to a full investigation, the government of Venezuela has declared a “car robbery.” Ms. Fernandez directs the Venezuelan research division of the Human Rights Foundation (HRF).

Ms. Fernandez was kidnapped and shot at point-blank range while loading her car with plants she had bought with her fiancé, Javier Herrera. Mr. Herrera, a police officer, was shot five times while trying to prevent the attack. Mr. Herrera killed one of the aggressors; the other drove off with Ms. Fernandez. He later released her and left the car parked nearby. Both Ms. Fernandez and Mr. Herrera are hospitalized in Caracas. [more]

Francisco Usón is Free; HRF's First Prisoner of Conscience Conditionally Released

December 25, 2007

At 7:30 p.m. on December 24, 2007 in Caracas, Venezuela, the Human Rights Foundation's first political prisoner and prisoner of conscience, Franciso Usón, was freed by the judge presiding over appeals in his case.

Usón, a retired army general and former cabinet minister in the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, was sentenced to five-and-a-half years of prison in a maximum security jail for having uttered a statement expressing concern for human rights. [more]

• Read the report about Usón's case here.
• Read about the Caracas Nine here.

Video Highlights Human Rights Violations in Venezuela; Caracas Nine Preview Now Available on YouTube

November 30, 2007

Artists Reunite for Human Rights in Latin America; Concert Tour in New York to Stress the Plight of the Caracas Nine

October 25, 2007

The Human Rights Foundation launched its Caracas Nine campaign today to raise awareness about human rights violations occurring in Venezuela. The program focuses on nine individuals who have survived discrimination, intimidation, censorship, false arrest, imprisonment, and torture. Every few days, HRF will introduce a new member of the Caracas Nine whose case is illustrative of the human rights situation in Venezuela. The first member of the Caracas Nine is Francisco Usón, a political prisoner and prisoner of conscience since May 2004.

The Fenwicks—the legendary Afro-Celtic Yiddish Ska band —begin a concert tour this weekend in support for and solidarity with the Caracas Nine. The tour includes five stops, commencing on October 28 at the Knitting Factory concert venue in New York City and concluding on November 2 at Studio A in Miami, Florida.

• Visit the Caracas Nine campaign website here.
• Read the report on Francisco Usón here.
• Get more information about The Fenwicks’ Caracas Nine tour here.
• Read an article about the Fenwicks from their Warped Tour appearance here.

Dominican Government Calls for Censorship of HRF Film on Human Trafficking

June 29, 2007

Amidst protest and volatile confrontation, HRF screened its documentary film The Sugar Babies: The Plight of the Children of Agricultural Workers in the Sugar Industry, at Florida International University on Wednesday. The documentary about human trafficking in Haiti and the Dominican Republic drew protest from both Dominican government officials and from the Fanjul family, one of the largest beneficiaries of the human trafficking depicted in the film, with a sugar empire that dwarfs the U.S. Sugar Corporation. [more]

• Read the press release

HRF calls for an immediate end to the human rights abuses against peaceful student protesters in Venezuela

June 6, 2007

In light of the recent student protests surrounding the shutdown of RCTV, HRF communicated today with the president of Venezuela in condemnation of the excessive measures taken by Venezuelan security forces against protesters as they demonstrate for freedom of speech in Venezuela. HRF alerted the OAS, the UN, and numerous other organizations of the several human rights violations in this case, including detentions, the use of firearms, and physical violence against peaceful protesters.

• Read HRF’s letter to Chávez (in Spanish)

NEW YORK POST: Hugo & the Media Kings
June 6, 2007

Today’s New York Post publishes an opinion column by HRF President Thor Halvorssen on the struggle for independent media in Venezuela.

• Click here for the full article
• Click here to view a short film on the attacks on Venezuelan media in Venezuela since 2001
• Click here to visit HRF’s freedom of expression site, FreeRCTV.com

Protests in Venezuela; One Hundred High School Students Arrested; Attacks on Media Continue; Bolivian and Ecuadorian Governments Announce Media Crackdown
May 30, 2007

Mass protests shook Venezuela over the last three days as people—many of them high school and university students—took to the streets to protest the this weekend’s shutdown of the Venezuelan television station Radio Caracas Television (RCTV). Severe government crackdowns included the use of live ammunition, tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, and riot gear. More than one hundred minors and eighty adults were in custody of the Venezuelan police as of this afternoon. Their identities and condition are being withheld by the government. [more]

RCTV Blackout in Venezuela
May 28, 2007

Despite worldwide criticism, mass protests on the streets of Caracas, condemnation by world bodies including the European Parliament, the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Chilean Senate, as well as condemnation from all major human rights and press groups, the Venezuelan government today pulled the plug on RCTV, Venezuela’s last independent TV network.

Human Rights Foundation marks the sad day with its website www.FreeRCTV.com converted to a solid black screen.

RCTV Shutdown Condemned By Europeans; Chileans; and Senators Clinton, Obama, and Kennedy
May 25, 2007

Two days away from the shutdown of Venezuela’s leading independent television stations, a growing coalition of condemnation has emerged. It includes the European Parliament; U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (including Senators Lugar, Dodd, Clinton, Obama, Kennedy, and McCain) and organizations as diverse as Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International. [more]

HRF to OAS’s Insulza: “Do Your Job”
May 23, 2007

HRF issued a plea today in the form of a letter addressed to José Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the Organization of American States, to do his job. Insulza dismissed concern about RCTV and said the matter was in the hands of the Venezuelan courts. Venezuela’s highest court ruled today that no appeals from RCTV will be accepted. RCTV will cease transmission on May 27 at midnight. [more]

• Read the press release
• Read the letter to Insulza (in Spanish)

Cuban-Venezuelan Actress and Singer María Conchita Alonso Defends RCTV's Right to Dissent; Joins HRF Campaign for Prisoners of Conscience
May 16, 2007

María Conchita Alonso has joined the Human Rights Foundation's campaign in support of political prisoners in Venezuela. She declared today: “I am devoted to the liberation of those wrongfully imprisoned for doing nothing more than expressing themselves and those who are guilty of nothing more than fighting corruption or doing their jobs. These include Francisco Uson, a former cabinet minister and democracy activist; Humberto Quintero, a former national guardsman who captured an important leader of a Colombian terrorist organization; whistleblower Eligio Cedeño, a former banker held for his detailed knowledge of government corruption; and former captain Otto Gebauer, who was sentenced for twelve years for peaceful civil disobedience.” [more]

HRF Condemns Venezuelan Government Shut Down of TV Station, Launches FreeRCTV Website, and Brings Case to the Attention of U.N Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
May 7, 2007

In a meeting today held in honor of Ban Ki-moon at the UN Association, Human Rights Foundation President Thor Halvorssen brought the escalating crisis over the impending shutdown of Venezuelan TV channel RCTV to the Secretary General’s attention, giving him a copy of a letter to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, co-authored by former U.N. Ambassador Armando Valladares. [more]

• Read HRF’s letter to the Venezuelan President
• Visit HRF’s new website: FreeRCTV.com
• Sign the petition in favor of freedom of expression and of the press

HRF Chairman Writes About Castro's Gulag in the Wall Street Journal
March 5, 2007

The Wall Street Journal published an editorial today written by HRF Chairman Armando Valladares in which Ambassador Valladares reflects on his experience as a prisoner of conscience in Castro's gulag, Castro's legacy, and the relevance of that legacy for the American hemisphere today. [more]

• Read Ambassador Armando Valladares's editorial
  
  

Norway Grants Asylum to Former HRF Prisoner of Conscience
February 28, 2007

Amauris Samartino, a political dissident illegally expelled from Bolivia for criticizing President Evo Morales and Fidel Castro, has been granted asylum in Norway. Samartino, a medical doctor, was detained at gunpoint in eastern Bolivia last December for remarks he had made in the local media. Prior to his expulsion, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) adopted him as a prisoner of conscience of the Bolivian government. "Although my home is Bolivia, I am overjoyed that Norway is willing to be a safe harbor for those with the temerity to express themselves freely. Bolivia is no longer a safe place for those who disagree, no matter how peacefully, with the government of Evo Morales," said Samartino. [more]

• Read HRF's press release
  
  

HRF Victory: Expelling Dissident from Bolivia Ruled Unconstitutional

Bolivian Court Admits Human Rights Foundation Brief and Decides for Freedom

February 2, 2007

On Friday February 2, 2007, the Constitutional Tribunal of Bolivia announced that it ruled against the government of Evo Morales and in favor of a man falsely detained and expelled from Bolivia for publicly criticizing Fidel Castro and Evo Morales. The government’s actions were outside of the law, arbitrary, and violated equality before the law, freedom of speech, and due process. HRF adopted Samartino as a Prisoner of Conscience three days after his arrest and filed a friend-of-the-court brief delineating the illegal nature of the government’s activities as well as the four international treaties violated in this case. HRF celebrates that the court decided in favor of freedom. [more]

• Read HRF's press release
• Read the press release from the highest court in Bolivia

Dissident Expelled from Bolivia for Criticizing Fidel Castro and Evo Morales

Amauris Samartino was new Government’s First Prisoner of Conscience

January 10, 2007

Amauris Samartino, a Cuban refugee who has lived in Bolivia since 2000, was expelled yesterday after having been detained for seventeen days for criticizing the Bolivian and Cuban governments. The Bolivian government’s justification for the expulsion of Samartino rested on an immigration law that was voided and deemed unconstitutional in 2001. Violations of human rights in this case include wrongful imprisonment, arbitrary detainment, forced exile, due process abuse, and undue restriction of free speech.  

Beyond publishing an exhaustive report, HRF will present Samartino’s case at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States. HRF will also file amicus curiae briefs with the Bolivian Constitutional Tribunal regarding the human rights violations against Mr. Samartino and his petition to re-enter Bolivia as a permanent resident. [more]

Bolivia to Deport Cuban National for Criticism of Cuban Dictatorship and Bolivian President
December 29, 2006

Since December 27, 2006 HRF has begun investigating the planned deportation of Amauris Samartino, a Cuban refugee living in Bolivia since 2000, who has criticized what he sees as Bolivia’s slide into authoritarianism.  Mr. Samartino was arrested on December 23 and is currently in the custody of the Bolivian government and a legal process seems to be underway.  HRF has documented numerous human rights violations by the Bolivian government in this case including kidnapping, false arrest, violations of freedom of expression and freedom of speech.  A full report and campaign will begin next week. Stay tuned.

Former U.N. Human Rights Ambassador Armando Valladares, who spent 22 years in Cuban prisons, and Human Rights Foundation president Thor Halvorssen released a letter to Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez declaring Francisco Usón a political prisoner and prisoner of conscience. The letter documented the violations of due process and freedom of speech rights in the case of Mr. Usón, a retired Venezuelan General sentenced to five and a half years in prison for voicing an opinion on a television talk-show.

The letter to Mr. Chavez urges the immediate liberation and exoneration of Mr. Uson and puts the government on notice about a widespread campaign of awareness including the publicizing of two attempts on Mr. Uson’s life since his conviction. [more]

• Read HRF’s letter to President Chavez here (.pdf). and here (text)
• Read HRF’s executive summary and full report (.pdf)
• Read HRF's press release
• Click here to get involved in the campaign for Usón’s freedom

HRF Begins Advocacy Campaign for Francisco Usón

Former Cabinet Minister Imprisoned for Stating an Opinion
December 12, 2006

On Friday, December 1, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) began an advocacy campaign for the liberation of a man held in prison in Venezuela for voicing an opinion on a television talk-show. Francisco Usón is the first political prisoner and prisoner of conscience adopted by HRF. An executive summary and full report (.pdf, 164kb) about the case are available to the public.

Click here to get involved in the campaign for Usón’s freedom.

Our Programs

HRF’s programs are designed to further global understanding of recurring threats to freedom in the Americas.  Our programs provide education about what constitutes a free society, why freedom matters, and how freedom is nurtured, developed, and sustained. [more]

Our Reports

HRF will research and report on human rights abuses with a particular focus on prisoners of conscience and political prisoners. [more]

Our Vision
The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) centers its work on the twin concepts of freedom of self-determination and freedom from tyranny. These ideals find their purest expression in the belief that all human beings have the rights to speak freely, to worship in the manner of their choice, to associate with those of like mind, to acquire and dispose of property, and to leave and enter their countries.

Individuals in a free society must be accorded equal treatment and due process under law, and must have the opportunity to participate in the government of their countries; HRF’s ideals likewise find expression in the conviction that all human beings have the right to be free from arbitrary detainment or exile, from slavery and torture, and from interference and coercion in matters of conscience. [more]

Human Rights Foundation | 350 Fifth Avenue, #809 | New York, NY 10118
Phone: (212) 246-8486 | Fax: (212) 643-4278 | info@thehrf.org