Damaris Moya Portieles
This is the first time I have been able to leave my country because in Cuba citizens do not have the right to travel freely and return to their country without restrictions
Damaris Moya Portieles is an activist and member of the Movimiento Femenino por los Derechos Civiles Rosa Parks (Rosa Parks Feminist Movement for Civil Rights) and is vice-president of the Coalición Central Opositora (Central Opposition Coalition), which works to protect the well-being of children and the elderly and has protested against unjust evictions carried out by government forces.
2015 saw a number of rapid developments with respect to the diplomatic status of the island with the restoration of diplomatic relations with the United States. Human rights defenders remain vigilant, even if they are hopeful for change, and the government has yet to prove a commitment to human rights. The Cuban government controls all the media and those who advocate for freedom of expression are being constantly targeted for their legitimate human rights work.
