Candela Maceda | Contributing Writer
“Sin democracia no hay desarrollo,” – without democracy, there is no development. The United Human Rights Foundation, alongside Foro Juventudes, came together at Florida International University’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus to discuss these principles among a cohort of likeminded-guests.
Held at GC150, this gathering brought together students interested in democracy, international relations, and defense of human rights advocacy in authoritarian regimes.
During the forum, students had the opportunity to practice a diverse range of skills, such as creating projects from scratch, implementing proposals, identifying fake news, strategic planning, conflict resolution, and managing political and social projects.
The event provided a safe space for guests to share their personal stories of living under authoritarian rule, revealing its profound impact on their daily lives.
Yonnathan Carrillo, a student at Central University of Venezuela and president of the Federation, joined Foros Juventudes this year. As the leader of the student movement against Maduro’s government, Carrillo’s life was transformed by Venezuela’s presidential elections. He recounted his experiences at the event, sharing how he had to flee to avoid persecution due to his opposition to Maduro’s regime.
“After the presidential elections of July 28, the results were not recognized by the managing director, by the executive, or by all the state power that is installed in Venezuela. And they offered other results that were very adverse to what the people expressed,” said Yonnathan Carrillo.
“We are making this known because we believe it is important that what is happening in Venezuela does not become a lost cause, but rather something that is latent in the daily life of governments around the world, especially for democratic governments such as the United States.”
“Opposing the current regime is a challenge that we have to face because we cause discomfort to those in power,” he said.
“And this has led me to change my lifestyle, the places I frequented, the ones I visited, the communications I had. I have had to assume a number of requirements on a daily basis that led me to change what I do, even where I live, how I dress, who I hang out with. For example, before the elections, I had temporarily moved out of my home and I was not staying there, because I had heard that some political leaders and people in public were being persecuted. Given this, I had to take precautionary measures to avoid being arrested.”
Zuleika Meneses, activism coordinator for the Táchira state in Venezuela, shared her courageous story. After the elections, she fled with her family to escape FAES , an elite command of the Venezuelan National Police created in April 2016, persecution.
“We’ll be back before Jan. 10 because we know the possibility of Nicolás Maduro tightening his grip on power is over and Edmundo González, who won the elections in Venezuela that we witnessed and have proof of Gonzales’ victory,” said Meneses, “We’ll go back to Venezuela and we’ll work hard for the reconstruction of the country to achieve the change that we have all been waiting for and longing for.”
Yunova Acosta, regional coordinator of the organization Foro Juventudes, taught students about organizational conflict, politics and social conflicts and she also shared about her activism in Nicaragua.
In 2018, Acosta, a student at Redemptoris Mater Catholic University (UNICA), railed medical students to provide aid during Nicaragua’s mass protest against Daniel Ortega’s regime and social security reforms. Despite risking her own safety, Acosta provided medical attention to protesters. However, after her identity was exposed through media outlets, she faced expulsion from university and erasure of her academic record.
“In 2021, the students were on the front line and we launched an electoral alliance, we were the spokesmen because people really trust in the youth, and then they started to seizes us,” said Acosta. “Many of my classmates were arrested until last year on February 9 that the regimen decided to send on a plane 222 people straight to Washington without their nationalities.”
In Sept of 2022, she ended up exiling herself to Costa Rica, but her advocacy didn’t end there.
Acosta established Foro Juventudes three years ago and has since collaborated with her team to empower young activists. They provide tools and strategies to develop innovative, democracy-promoting projects, countering authoritarian regimes’ actions.
“And,” Acosta mentioned, “to serve as a model for youth activism, so they’ll be able to avoid commuting the same mistakes we did in our home countries.”
Members of Foro Juventudes, including Yonnathan Carrillo and Yunova Acosta, have personally experienced persecution, exile, and erasure of their identities and educational records. Their goal is to empower students to participate in democratic processes without facing similar struggles.
Through Foro Juventudes, they provide a supportive network and valuable resources, aiming to prevent youth from repeating their own experiences. Acosta emphasized learning from their mistakes to create a better model for youth activism..
“Our idea is to connect the Latin American and American community to work together on issues of human rights, diplomacy and international relations,” said Gutierrez, “to listen to the experiences of Latin American political leaders to give them a political formation.”
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