TIMES.KY

Cayman Islands, Caribbeanand International News
Tuesday, Mar 19, 2024

Cuba approves animal welfare law after civil society pressure

Cuba approves animal welfare law after civil society pressure

Cuba has approved a long called-for decree on animal welfare in what some rights activists are hailing as an unusual triumph of civil society in the Communist-run country where animal sacrifice and cock and dog fighting remain commonplace.

The move aims to prevent cruelty and raise awareness about the need to protect animals, marking a cultural advance in a nation where strays abound and the coast is strewn with chicken carcasses sacrificed in religious rituals.

Although details remain scarce, the new legislation will become clear within 90 days when it is published in the Official Gazette.

“Cuba was one of the few countries in Latin America that didn’t have an animal welfare law so to have one now is an immense joy,” Fernando Gispert, President of the Havana branch of the Cuban Association of Veterinary Medicine.

The Agriculture Ministry said the decree, which regulates scientific experiments, the handling of strays and veterinarian practices amongst other matters, responded to concerns aired in a nationwide debate over the new constitution three years ago.

For decades though, animal rights activists have called for legislation on animal welfare, largely through official channels in the one-party state where public dissent is frowned upon.

In recent years, frustrated with the slow pace of change, a younger generation has opted to exert pressure on authorities with marches, protests in public spaces and social media campaigns.

“This has set an example for all communities that want their voice to be heard,” said Beatriz Batista, 23, who has become one of the leaders of the movement. “You have to pressure, pressure.”

The approval of the decree underscores the extent to which Cuban civil society has strengthened of late, particularly thanks to the rollout of internet which has increased the flow of information and allowed citizens to better mobilize, analysts say.

In a country where demanding anything of the government outside official channels is frowned upon as weakening the common front against old Cold War foe the United States, it is unsurprising that a topic not deemed to be particularly sensitive should be the one to galvanize many Cubans, they say.

“While important, this decree law is a relatively low hanging fruit that both the government and civil society activists can celebrate as having picked in a tense collaboration/standoff,” said Cuba expert Ted Henken at Baruch College in New York.

ANIMAL SACRIFICE


The growing voice of activists has led to a proliferation of citizen initiatives to rescue and sterilize strays and to clean the coasts and river beds of the remains of animal sacrifices.

“We are fighting for dead animals not to be left out in public spaces,” said José Manuel Pérez, president of the officially recognized Yoruba Cultural Association of Cuba.

Perez said the blood of sacrificed animals had spiritual significance and sacrifices had increased of late due to a growth in believers but also due to malpractice.

The ministry said in a statement on its website that sacrifices would not be outlawed but the decree would stipulate they be conducted in a “compassionate and rapid manner, avoiding pain and stress,” establishing some broad criteria.

Supporters of cock fighting, often hosted in official arenas, say it is part of Cuban, and more broadly Caribbean, culture. Activists say it should at the very least be strictly regulated to avoid unnecessary cruelty.

To those worrying the decree may not be far-reaching enough, Cuban independent journalist Monica Baro said in a widely shared Facebook post: “It is better to have a minimal framework of legal protection than nothing.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

TIMES.KY
0:00
0:00
Close
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Israel: Unprecedented Civil Disobedience Looms as IDF Reservists Protest Judiciary Reform
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Italian Court's Controversial Ruling on Sexual Harassment Ignites Uproar
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
BBC Personalities Rebuke Accusations Amidst Scandal Involving Teen Exploitation
A Swift Disappointment: Why Is Taylor Swift Bypassing Canada on Her Global Tour?
Historic Moment: Edgars Rinkevics, EU's First Openly Gay Head of State, Takes Office as Latvia's President
Bye bye democracy, human rights, freedom: French Cops Can Now Secretly Activate Phone Cameras, Microphones And GPS To Spy On Citizens
The Poor Man With Money, Mark Zuckerberg, Unveils Twitter Replica with Heavy-Handed Censorship: A New Low in Innovation?
Unilever Plummets in a $2.5 Billion Free Fall, to begin with: A Reckoning for Misuse of Corporate Power Against National Interest
Beyond the Blame Game: The Need for Nuanced Perspectives on America's Complex Reality
Twitter Targets Meta: A Tangle of Trade Secrets and Copycat Culture
The Double-Edged Sword of AI: AI is linked to layoffs in industry that created it
US Sanctions on China's Chip Industry Backfire, Prompting Self-Inflicted Blowback
Meta Copy Twitter with New App, Threads
The New French Revolution
BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Application Refiled, Naming Coinbase as ‘Surveillance-Sharing’ Partner
×