John Suarez

“Cuba is a communist regime. These types of regimes have other priorities that are not necessarily at the best interest of their respective populations.” — John Suarez

John Suarez is a human rights activist and the Executive Director at the Center for a Free Cuba. Suarez was a program officer for Latin America Programs at Freedom House. He has been interviewed by TV, radio, and print media on Cuba. He holds degrees from Florida International University and Spain’s Universidad Francisco de Vitoria. He has testified before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in Washington, D.C., the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, and served as an interpreter for Cuban dissidents in Congressional hearings. Since 2009 he has maintained the blog, Notes from the Cuban Exile Quarter.

Travels From

Washington, D.C.

Standard Fee

$1,000 honorarium

Expertise In

• Communism in Latin America
• Cuban history and current events
• Impact of Castro regime on Latin America
• U.S. Foreign Policy

Audience

• Associations
• Colleges and Universities
• Global Audiences
• Lecture Series
• Non-Profits

“There is no space for free expression in Cuba much less debating political alternatives for the future of the country. The Cuban government attempted to create a fake space for debate, but when independent actors attempted to speak freely in those spaces, the response was swift and brutal. […] Nevertheless, Cubans will continue to defy the dictatorship and demand their rights and freedoms often paying a terrible cost and then continuing in the struggle.” — John Suarez