President Raúl Castro’s announcement of his last 5-year term ending on 2018 has raised hopes of a post-Castro era and of a succeeding younger Cuban leadership. AS/COA’s Eric Farnsworth speaks to BBC World News about Castro’s statement as the island undergoes significant political and economic changes. “They’re signaling that there does need to be a transition at some point in the future and I think he’s laying the groundwork for that,” Farnsworth said.

A propósito de la convocatoria organizada por AS/COA en Washington D.C., el Director Principal de Política de AS/COA, Christopher Sabatini, habla con CNN en Español acerca del impacto en la libertad de expresión y los derechos humanos en las Américas ante posibles reformas en la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH). ¿Cuáles son los retos que se vienen para la libertad de expresión tras los cambios que se pueden dar a partir de Marzo? “En la última asamblea general de la OEA, los países de ALBA sobre todo el Presidente Correa de Ecuador presentaron un paquete de reformas para debilitar la CIDH en su capacidad de monitorear la libertad de expresión y emitir medidas cautelares contando con el apoyo de Venezuela, Bolivia y Brasil ya que los derechos humanos es un tema que transciende la soberanía,” apunta Sabatini.

Fifty-three years after its creation, the future of the main observer and protector of human rights in the region might be at stake. In March 2013, the General Assembly of the Organization of American States will hold a special session in which it will consider a series of proposals for reforming the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), which may include restricting the body’s discretion in granting precautionary measures, reducing the activities of and funding for the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, and imposing restrictions on the Commission’s decisions regarding individual complaints.

AS/COA convened a select group of journalists, human rights activists, and experts from throughout the Americas to discuss the reforms’ implications for the Inter-American system. The meeting began with presentations by a group of ambassadors to the OAS who will state their countries’ positions, followed by a discussion with human rights experts about the proposed reforms.

AS/COA’s Eric Farnsworth speaks to CCTV about President Hugo Chávez’s unexpected return to Venezuela after spending two month in Cuba for cancer treatment. Chávez’s homecoming has not quelled the uncertainty surrounding his delicate health and potential return to power. “He had to return to Venezuela, otherwise the claim that he was president of Venezuela became increasingly difficult to sustain," Farnsworth notes. "He needed to show that he is indeed alive." Farnsworth also explains what Chávez’s presence in Venezuela means for his administration, saying that the president's return "buys time and gives credibility to the idea that the government can continue in any form."

In a CCTV interview, AS/COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth says Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, who won reelection on Sunday, sees his victory as a mandate to keep giving Ecuador "more of the same" during his third term in office. Farnsworth notes that Correa has "provided some stability in Ecuador in a way that previous presidents really haven't for many, many years." But he also explains that Correa is "not averse to taking high-profile positions and being a lightening rod of controversy."

AS/COA presented a lunch discussion with Brazilian Senator Cristovam Buarque. Having served as minister of education during the administration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Buarque is considered among the leading voices on education in Brazil. He discussed education in the Americas, as well as challenges faced by leaders in the twenty-first century.

Download a copy of Senator Buarque's presentation (PDF)