A worldwide issue that has been occurring in many countries for several years is the violation of The Declaration of Human Rights. This has been happening especially in Cuba for roughly about 28 years. Some of the most recent and popular rights that have been violated in Cuba are, the limiting of citizens thoughts and ideas, the right to live a decent life in proper conditions, and being arrested without evidence. Some other rights that have been violated in Cuba include, being tortured especially by police or guards, and the right to have a private life without the government taking or intruding on it.
With all of these issues of citizens rights being violated, which has been happening all over, other countries have started to notice it and begin to take a concern on the acts in Cuba and trying to find a way they can help out. The freedom of citizens being able to speak freely and be able to display their ideas has been violated and taken by the government so citizens have very little say or thought. If a citizen tries to stand up for their rights, consequences are used. Many have agreed Cuba is known as a tightly controlled country where citizens get very little say and are restrained from peaking and saying what they would like to say.
Humans are also restrained from holding meeting about their thoughts and feelings (Joseph B. Treaster). In Cuba there have been many cases of citizens not being able to speak freely. Consequences could be an arrest, or even being tortured. There have been more than half a dozen human rights groups formed in Cuba and human rights workers regularly meet with journalists and other foreign visitors. A report had stated that even though the government in Cuba has started to take action on their violation there still have been dozens of arrest on human rights groups nd speakers (Joseph B.
Treaster). The human rights workers express their thoughts, hold meetings, and making speeches on their opinions on the human rights in Cuba. For example a man Bricklayer Orlando Zapata Tamayo didn’t commit murder. He didn’t plot an assassination or cause any violence. He was arrested on March 20, 2003, in Cuba, while taking part in a hunger strike to demand the release of political prisoners, and was sentenced to three years in prison (“Cuba’s Deadly Justice”). It’s extremely unfair for a citizen to take part in an opinion they agree on and be punished for it.
In Cuba many former prisoners, and, or witnesses have said Cuba violates the human right to a decent life stated in The Declaration of Human Rights. Many citizens have not experiences the correct living conditions especially in a prison. Stated by a memoir who had spent more than 20 years experiencing the feel and conditions of a prison, people are tortured, and forced to live in there own filth. Prisoners are also starved, or given very little food, deprived of light, and are beaten for unnecessary reasons (Barr 32).
There have been many cases reported of the violation for a decent life in prisons nd the government not supporting the right living conditions. Other bystanders have stated prisons in Cuba are cramped, and without bedding. Some cells are in total darkness, and others have permanent bright lights. The guards had also provided rotting food for the prisoners (“Cuba’s Deadly Justice”). Just because a prisoner had caused a crime of some sort, or broke a law does not mean they are objects with no rights anymore.
The Cuban government seems to see it like this. As stated before citizens are tortured unnecessarily, but this seems to be one of he biggest human violations in Cuba that is well known. There have been many reported incidents on this topic of torture. One of the most common place this issues takes place at are Cuban prisons. A prisoner had said he was shot for stepping out of line to pick up his hat, and that a guard had urinated into the mouth of a hunger-striking prisoner who was begging for water (Barr 32).
These unnecessary treatments seem to continue no matter what anyone may say to the government, and as stated before what seems to be the issue at these Cuban prisons is just ecause a citizen is arrested and placed in prison does not mean all their human rights are taken away as a citizen, and most definitely are not able to be tortured for stupid, unnecessary reasons. Another citizen at a Cuban prison refused to pull weeds with his hands, so a guard twisted a bayonet in his thigh to open a fatal wound (Barr 32).
To think about these harsh punishments is just nauseating, and disgusting to think that a country could even find this remotely acceptable and continue to let happen for decades. Many people in Cuba who are found with AIDS are also treated unfair. Cuban soldiers are tested for the AIDS virus when they return from Africa and are imprisoned in an isolated facility south of Havana if they test positive. High-ranking officers regard this policy as unfair and inhumane (Hilzenrath A16). One would think after an incident happened once that a country would put an end to it right then and there, but definitely not in Cuba.
Another violation that takes place in Cuba that violates The Declaration of Human rights is arbitrary arrest, and the amount of arrest happening in general. Many citizens are being arrested and placed in prison or inappropriate reasons. Some dissidents were arrested because they sent a congratulatory letter last week to the United States delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Committee (DAVID E. PITT). For sending a nice letter to another country citizens are arrested, that just seems so unnecessary and definitely violates the article in The Declaration of Human Rights.
In Cuba, Mr. Malinowski said Cuba’s decision to release 53 political prisoners in December was “fairly dramatic,” but the U. S. hasn’t seen day-to-day harassment of Cubans decrease. Though short-term arrests reached a low in the eginning of the year, they have increased in the past few months and the U. S. remains concerned about Cuba’s treatment of its citizens (Schwartz). The Cuban government many feel that the release of 53 prisoners made citizens much more satisfied but in reality not at all.
Many are more concerned with the day to day effects on the citizens and the violations that take place all the time. Lastly another violation Cuba has violated in the right to privacy. The Cuban government has been known to barge into homes and search homes without a right to. The Cuban security police have rousted at least 11 human- ights advocates from their beds in a series of early-morning raids, searching homes and confiscating papers and books (DAVID E. PITT). The Cuban government seems to not understand the violations that they are making on the citizens and their human rights.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, stated from The Declaration of Human Rights. Barging into a human’s home definitely violates article 12 from the rights. Not only are homes barged into, but citizens also feel their is no private life when it comes to neighborhood committees. There re powerful neighborhood committees that collect reports, opinions and gossip and determine who gets into day-care centers and universities and whether a job change seems appropriate (JOSEPH B. TREASTER).
Every human should be able to be treated the same and not have their life be intruided on and looked upon. Those powerful neighborhood committees seem to just look in on everyone’s life just as if their are no boundaries or any privacy anywhere for anyone. With all of these concerns that go on in Cuba, with the multiple violations on humans rights, other countries are starting to take a concern nd notice what is taking place in Cuba and realizing not many people are taking a stand. Other countries are trying to put an end to all of this unnecessary way of life.
Argentina, Colombia, Peru, and Mexico are starting to take a concern. The U. S. sponsored a resolution that would put the commission on record as expressing concern over reported human rights violations in Cuba (Podesta A13). Since Cuba isn’t listening to its own people, other countries are starting to try and make a change and see if their help can help. Other countries are putting the violations and events on record, and many are even rying to make time to go visit Cuba and see if they can collect more evidence.
Cuba has violated the Declaration of Human Rights in many different ways, and no matter how many people bring up these issues no dramatic change seems to take place. From the guards torturing citizens, the invasion of private life, the little say and thoughts citizens can express, the poor living conditions for prisoners, and the arrests of innocent subjects no change has still been made. When other countries start getting involved and trying to make a change there must be something wrong.
