Little progress in Cuba on human rights: HRW

CAIRO: Cuba remains the sole Latin American nation which 'represses virtually all forms of political dissent,' Human Rights Watch said in a report Sunday, while citing concerns over developments in Venezuela and Mexico.'Cubans who criticize the government are subject to criminal charges,' the watchdog group said in its annual survey released in Cairo.'They are exempt from due process guarantees,' and courts 'are subordinated to the executive and legislative branches, denying meaningful judicial protection.'The report said the government s media monopoly ensures that 'there is virtually no freedom of expression.''Limited Internet access means only a tiny fraction of Cubans can read independently published articles and blogs,' HRW said.Despite the release of the remaining 12 members of the 'group of 75' dissidents in 2011, the regime of President Raul Castro 'continued to enforce political conformity using short-term detentions, beatings, public acts of repudiation, forced exile, and travel restrictions,' the report said.The 676-page report reviews human rights practices around the globe, with summaries of conditions in more than 90 countries and territories based on probes carried out by HRW staff from 2011.While Cuba was singled out in Latin America, HRW expressed concern over others in the region, citing a deterioration of human rights in Venezuela and Mexico s crackdown on drug violence and organized crime.It cited a 'weakening of Venezuela s democratic system of checks and balances under President Hugo Chavez' and said the government 'has systematically undermined the right to free expression, workers freedom of association, and the ability of human rights groups to protect rights.'In Mexico, 'efforts by the administration of President Felipe Calderon to combat organized crime have resulted in a significant increase in killings, torture, and other abuses by security forces, which only make the climate of lawlessness and fear worse in many parts of the country.'Colombia s internal conflict 'continued to result in serious abuses by irregular armed groups in 2011, including guerrillas and successor groups to paramilitaries,' the report noted.It said laws passed in 2010 and 2011 in Bolivia 'posed risks to the media s ability to freely criticize the government,' but President Evo Morales 'took some steps to address objections from media groups by amending some disputed laws.'In Brazil, HRW said, some police units 'engage in abusive practices with impunity, instead of pursuing sound policing practices.' (AFP)