Every December 10, the world remembers Human Rights Day. In Ecuador and Guayaquil, defenders talk about what needs to be improved
Reduce inequalities is the main theme promoted this year by the United Nations for the Human Rights Day, which is remembered every December 10 in the world.
On that day, December 10, 1948, representatives of all the regions gathered in a general assembly drew up the document (with 30 articles) that declares the fundamental rights that must be protected Y that states members of the United Nations pledged to ensure.
The one of being born free and equal in dignity and rights is the first of the articles. There are also the right to life, freedom, to the safety of the person, to start a family, Equality before the law, to the property, among others.
For human rights activists and defenders, all are vital and generally are linked with each other. But currently there are some that could go unnoticed what still, by ignorance, it is thought that they are not part of Rights humans universal.
The latter refer more to the rights to have and access services (like the basics), to a job and a adequate standard of living that ensures above all the food, locker room, housing, the medical assistance, the necessary social services and others, as stated in articles 22, 23 and 25.
César Cárdenas, from the Citizen Observatory of Public Services and a social activist from Guayaquil, says that in the country and in the city work missing in a special way in three rights fundamental.
The first – quote – is the right to work for all, “Especially for the self-employed.” The second is the right to have housing and legalization of land. And the third, the right to be protected from all forms of violence, especially the female population, which continues to be affected with extreme violence that ends in femicides.
Informal, protected by legal action, tried to sell on central sidewalks, while the Mayor’s Office rejected the measure and intensified operations in the Bay to ‘avoid crowds’
For him, the right of the population to demand that the authorities and politicians be honest, transparent and that they comply with what is offered in the political campaign is also important.
Fernando Bastias, director of the Legal Clinic of the Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDH), says that forced evictions without regard to standards international, What the notify in advance and identify Yes there are priority care population on site, as well as the lack of a policy that guarantee the right to housing with accessible costs and requirements, are part of these violations to universal rights.
“They ask for income requirements of more than $ 400, when people here live daily, they have no monthly income,” says Bastias, to cite examples such as those that occur in housing plans considered social and that are promoted by the authorities in some cities, like Guayaquil.
And just because of the so-called “violation of the rights to housing, legal security and decent living conditions”, this Thursday 9, Inhabitants of Housing Partner 1 and 2 (plans that were born in the Rafael Correa regime) they held a sit-in outside the Guayaquil Norte Judicial Complex, in Florida, north of Guayaquil, to expose their situation.
There demanded full reparation to this right, which would be with the delivery of property titles from their houses (which do not have them) without being charged a “copayment”, which – they assure – was not notified to them before the “forced eviction” and the relocation that took place in their cases, before taking them to this massive housing plan of the then Correa government.
“We are not invaders, we are owners”Said part of the protesters, who went to the judicial unit to file a protection action to speed up the process of securing their homes. There would be more than 3,000 who still are waiting for that procedure.
Residents of Socio Vivienda file a protection action in order to complete the securitization process
Gloria Guerrero and Pablo Vulgarín, two of them, say that since they do not have titles to their properties, they cannot make adjustments and improvements to the houses, which over the years have suffered deterioration.
For Francisco Zambrano, president of the Ecuadorian Committee for Human and Trade Union Rights (Cedhus), the main flaw to guarantee human rights is in the administration of justice in the country.
“A citizen, no matter how much he has rights, comes the other party (the accused or criminal) and gives money and those rights are simply not recognized (by administrators of justice) … And that is the great mistrust of the Ecuadorian people at all levels ”, Explains Zambrano.
And gives examples facts and complaints of cases of surcharges and negotiated, like the medicine purchases in the most critical time of the COVID-19 pandemic, what did they do in public hospitals and in those of the IESS.
“Until now, impunity continues, the money they have taken has not been recovered and, finally, the judges send the citizens involved in these crimes to serve house arrest,” says Zambrano, who adds that if there is no justice there are no human rights.
Marches, fairs and campaigns, this Friday the 10th, for the fight for rights
Activists and organizations will participate this Friday in a march that will start from Centennial Park at 09:00. Then, at 3:00 p.m., at the Ombudsman’s Office, in downtown Guayaquil, there will be a solemn session, where awards will be given to those who have fought for human rights with this institution in the last 16 years.
Also, from 09:00 to 14:00, there will be information fairs for the rights of migrants and refugees, in tents that will be installed in Centenario Park and in Plaza San Francisco.
At the traffic lights at these intersections, you will also see the Guayaquil, host city campaign.
In the Plaza San Francisco they will also wear red shoes and human silhouettes representing the victims of femicides and prison massacres, according to organizations that fight for human rights.
On Thursday 9 there was also a fair, supported by the Municipality of Guayaquil, in which he exposed the services that the population has to access and assert their rights. It was in the area known as Paseo de los Presidentes, on the Simón Bolívar Malecón, at the height of Aguirre and Malecón streets. Groups such as the Ombudsman’s Office participated. (I)
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