The headquarters of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID) hosted last week the presentation of the Training and Support Program for Human Rights Defenders, an initiative jointly promoted by the Fundación Carolina and the AECID.
This program was created with the aim of offering a period of training, exchange, and coexistence in Spain to professionals and activists who dedicate their lives to the defense of human rights in Latin America and the Caribbean, and who are currently in a situation of risk or special vulnerability due to their social work.
The day began with a high symbolic charge thanks to the performance of Nathalia Martínez, actress, stage director, and former scholarship holder of the Fundación Carolina. The playwright performed a monologue written especially for the occasion, illustrating the real, human, and transformative impact that these development and protection opportunities have on people’s lives.
On the institutional level, the director of the Fundación Carolina, Érika Rodríguez Pinzón, welcomed everyone, highlighting the strategic importance of the program. Next, the Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Eva Granados, spoke, focusing on the commitment to the protection of fundamental rights in a region as priority for Spanish cooperation as Latin America and the Caribbean.
Following that, there was a panel of interventions led by the director of Cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean of the AECID, Jorge Mijangos, and the former president of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, Eduardo Ferrer Mac-Gregor, who provided their insights on the legal frameworks of protection and the urgency of articulating efficient support networks.
Then, a roundtable moderated by the Secretary General of the Fundación Carolina, Purificación Causapié, took place, where the testimonies of a scholarship holder and two scholarship holders of the program were voiced. The daily challenges they face in their regions were discussed at this table, demonstrating the multiplier effect and sustainable value of these training initiatives. The event closed with a performance by the soprano and also former scholarship holder of the Fundación Carolina, Vanessa Cera, accompanied by guitarist Alex Flores.
