The Cuban American Bar Association (CABA) held a one-day human rights’ conference, “International Human Rights & Legal Advocacy: The Cuba Case,” on Friday, October 6 at the Florida International University College of Law. Attendees had the opportunity to workshop and hear from attorneys who have represented petitioners in international forums. The conference used Cuba as a case study to focus on basic individual human rights, the international legal framework that exists to protect them and effective advocacy efforts by individual and community actors.
“It was an honor to take part in a conference with such celebrated freedom advocates,” said Giselle Gutierrez, CABA president and attorney at Stearns Weaver Miller. “Support for the Cuban people and their pursuit of justice remains as critical as ever and we were pleased to continue shining a light on this.”
The keynote speaker was Armando Valladares, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and a former Cuban political prisoner. In his book, Against All Hope, Valladares wrote: “Freedom must be a universal concept to which all men and women are equally entitled. For as long as a single nation is deprived of freedom, the rest of the world cannot feel itself free.”
“I want to thank all of our distinguished panelists for their participation,” said Candice Balmori, Esq., Attorney, Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman, P.L. “This conference demonstrates our continued commitment in advocating for change and support to those in Cuba fighting against oppression. Knowledge with the desire to make change makes a difference.”
Candice Balmori Esq., Florida Supreme Court Justice John D. Couriel, Florida Supreme Court Justice Jorge Labarga
Danilo Maldonado Machado “El Sexto”- Cuban Graffiti Artist
599 white flags representing Cuban political prisoners who remain incarcerated following the events of July 11th, 2021
Giselle Gutierrez
Marta Valladares, Ambassador Armando Valladares, Giselle Gutierrez, Candice Balmori
José A. Villalobos, Esq., Antony Page, dean of the FIU College of Law, Diana Arteaga, Esq., Dr. Luis Martínez-Fernández
Guest speakers included:
- Ambassador Armando Valladares, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, former Cuban political prisoner and author
- Diana Arteaga, Esq., Senior Manager, Public Affairs Coca-Cola Beverages, Florida, LLC
- Jose A. Villalobos, Esq., Of counsel, Akerman
- Dr. Luis Martinez-Fernandez, Pegasus Professor of History, University of Central Florida
- Alexa Tirse, Esq., Attorney, Morrison Foerster
- Dr. Tawia Baidoe Ansah, Professor of Law, FIU College of Law
- Samuel J. Dubbin, Esq., Partner, Dubbin & Kravetz, LLP
- Candice Balmori, Esq., Attorney, Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman, P.L.
- Justice John D. Couriel, Florida Supreme Court Justice
- Justice Jorge Labarga, Florida Supreme Court Justice
- Rosa Maria Paya, Cuban democracy activist and human rights defender
- Ambassador Martin Palous, former Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United Nations, Director of the Vaclav Havel Program for Human Rights & Democracy
- Omar Lopez-Montenegro, President, Latin American Center for Nonviolence
- Giselle Gutierrez, Esq., Shareholder, Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A.
- Laritza Diversent, former Cuban lawyer, independent journalist and human rights defender (Cubalex)
- Danilo Maldonado Machado (“El Sexto”), Cuban graffiti artist
- Eliexer Marquez Duany (“El Funky”), Cuban urban musician and rap artist
- Javier Ley-Soto, Esq., General Counsel, Miami-Dade College
- Dr. Michael Bustmante, Emilio Bacardi Moreu Chair in Cuban & Cuban-American Studies, University of Miami
- Jose Jasan Nieves, Editor-in-chief, elTOQUE
- Daniel Buigas, Esq., Partner, Lamelas Buigas
- Aldo Leiva, Esq., Shareholder, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C.
- Eduardo Palmer, Esq., Attorney, Eduardo Palmer, P.A.
- Gladys Perez Villanueva, Attorney
About the Cuban American Bar Association (CABA)
Founded in 1974, CABA is one of the largest bar associations in the state of Florida. Its membership is comprised of lawyers and law students from various backgrounds whose interests include not only those affecting the Cuban community, but human and legal rights issues impacting minority communities. CABA also founded CABA Pro Bono Legal Services and the CABA Foundation, both created on the association’s fundamental values to aid those in need through legal advocacy as well as offering scholarships to law students.
