Catalonia has welcomed four defenders of the Human Rights in Palestine, Afghanistan, Nicaragua y Colombiaactivists at risk to which it seeks to protect.
His foster care is possible thanks to the Catalan Protecto Program Defensores I Defensors dels Drets Humans, a humanitarian initiative whose mission is to accompany these people for six months in their personal recovery process, as well as empower and reinforce their support network in Europe to amplify its cause.
These are activists Zuhal Sherzad (Afghanistan), Edipcia Dubón (Nicaragua) and Yesssica Méndez (Colombia), women working under situations of danger to defend human rights in authoritarian countries or afflicted by conflict. The identity of the Palestinian activist has not been revealed to protect their safety.
About thirty welcome
The Generalitat de Catalunya This program promotes since 2016, when the Government was in the hands of Junts pel yes, the transverse alliance between democratic convergence of Catalonia and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, and this course is also repeated under the presidency of Salvador Illa (PSC).
During the last nine years, Catalunya has hosted a total of 27 human rights defenders at risk (22 of them women) from countries such as Mexico, El Salvador, Filipinas, Irak o Congo Democratic Republicin addition to those already mentioned.
International cooperation
The four activists have met on Wednesday with Jaume Duch‘counselor’ of European Union and Foreign Action, and with Andrea CostafredaGeneral Director of Cooperació to the Development. “They are different cases, but deep down they share the same base that is the struggle of these women and their social groups to achieve respect for people’s basic rights in their countries,” Duch has remarked.
The ‘Minister’ has celebrated that the Catalan reception program is “very important”, especially before an international scenario for development aid that “is getting worse” by the American president’s hand Donald Trump. In the humanitarian tasks “each drop counts”, so Duch has announced that the reception of the Afghan activist will be expanded “surely two or three more years” so that he can complete his education in Catalonia before returning to his country.
In that sense, the person responsible for the foreign relations of the Generalitat has explained to El Periódico that it will not be the only one and that it contemplates the possibility that other activists can expand their stay under this humanitarian program. “We must not interrupt the help to the people who are here and we must always look for a continuity of the way that is necessary,” he said.
