Thank you…
First, allow me to thank the organizers of this event, the jurors of this important award, and Cartoonists Rights Network International. Receiving the Award for courage in Editorial Cartooning is a great honor that recognizes my husband Ramon’s work, his unbreakable valor, and his unbending commitment to defending freedom of expression.
Ramon first visited Hofstra University from his country of Equatorial Guinea in 2009 to show and talk about his work. Today, eight years later, his daughter Cecilia and I are here in his name to accept this great honor and ask you to help up demand his freedom.
My husband would have given the world to be here with you. Instead, he finds himself in one of Africa’s worst prisons. Tomorrow marks 50 days that Ramon has been incarcerated in Equatorial Guinea, a country characterized by human rights violations and corruption.

Above all, Ramon is a cartoonist committed to his work and to freedom for his country. He has always seen himself as a voice—though his art—for thousands of people in Equatorial Guinea who still live in a country in which basic fundamental rights are systematically violated.
My husband is in prison because he dared to speak up through his art. He dared to depict President Obiang of Equatorial Guinea as a common man. He dared to show people in his country that they, too, could laugh at the absurdities of a callous regime that is supported by the West—yes, even by the United States of America.
Nothing would make Ramon happier today than knowing that you are all thinking about and honoring him with your presence here.
Actually, there are three things that perhaps would make him even happier:
1. First, calling on your government to demand Ramon’s immediate release could help secure his freedom.
2. Second, a delegation of you, visiting the Ambassador of Equatorial Guinea at the United Nations—where Equatorial Guinea will be assuming a seat at the Security Council—to ask for his immediate release, could also help tremendously.
3. Third, a delegation from this room, traveling to Equatorial Guinea and demanding to visit with Ramon in prison, would send a very strong message to the regime in Equatorial Guinea that the world is watching.
I implore you to consider taking action if you can. Not only would the international support of fellow cartoonists make Ramon very happy, but it could make a difference in his future, in our family’s future, and in the future of Equatorial Guinea.
Despite being in jail, my husband continues to draw beautiful images. Without his pencils and markers, without paper, and behind bars, Ramon continues to draw with his words the meaning of freedom, the meaning of democracy, the meaning of justice. Every message I have received from Ramon confirms that he is not giving up on any of these values. We too cannot give up on these principles, and we cannot give up on him.
Thank you for honoring and fighting for Ramon. Your solidarity means the world to us.

Eloísa Vaello Marco
Speaking at Hofstra University, New York, November 4 2017

EG Justice and Cartoonists Rights Network International along with a coalition of international organizations invite cartoonists and artists from around the world to support the #FreeNseRamon campaign.

Cartoonist Ramón Esono Ebalé was arrested on September 16 in Equatorial Guinea and was extensively interrogated in front of witnesses about his provocative drawings of members of the government. He is being held on trumped up charges of counterfeiting and money laundering, but has yet to be formally charged. He has unjustly spent over 50 days in prison without a clear prospect for release. His imprisonment appears to be a deliberate attempt to curtail his freedom to express himself through his art and writings. View Ramon’s work at www.jamonyqueso.co .

Please note there is a Spanish language initiative running in cooperation with our campaign at www.freenseramon.com .

Show your support for Ramon’s release by sharing your illustration with the following hashtag: #FreeNseRamon

Please keep in mind the campaign exclusively aims to get Ramon released from prison because he is innocent.

Our goal is to bring attention to his plight. We are not requesting artwork that is critical of government officials in Equatorial Guinea as we do not want to do anything to jeopardize his case.

Select art will be displayed on the EG Justice #FreeNseRamon website .

The campaign will run from now until Ramon’s release from prison.

More details about his arrest here .

More on Equatorial Guinea at EgJustice.org .

EG Justice y Cartoonists Rights Network International (Red Internacional de Derechos de Dibujantes) junto con una coalición de organizaciones internacionales invitan a dibujantes y artistas alrededor del mundo a apoyar la campaña #FreeNseRamon.

El caricaturista Ramón Esono Ebalé ha sido encarcelado en Guinea Ecuatorial desde el 16 de
septiembre bajo acusaciones maniobradas de falsificación y de blanqueo de dinero. Durante su
detención, Ramón fue extensamente interrogado frente a testigos sobre sus dibujos provocativos
de miembros del gobierno. Lleva más de 50 días encarcelado, sin cargos formales y sin una idea
clara de lo que depara el futuro o de cuándo le dejaran libre. Su encarcelamiento resulta ser un
intento deliberado para restringir su libertad de expresión a través de su arte y sus escritos.
Ve el trabajo de Ramón a www.jamonyqueso.co .

Por favor nota la iniciativa en español y en colaboración con nuestra campana aquí www.freenseramon.com.

Demuestra tu apoyo a la liberación de Ramón compartiendo tu ilustración con el hashtag: #FreeNseRamon

Por favor, ten en cuenta que la campaña tiene como objetivo exclusivamente liberar a Ramón de la prisión porque él es inocente.

Nuestra meta es la llamada de atención a su situación, y no estamos solicitando ilustraciones que critiquen a los oficiales del gobierno en Guinea Ecuatorial. No queremos hacer nada que ponga en peligro su caso.

El arte seleccionado será expuesto en la página web EG Justice #FreeNseRamon website.

La campaña comienza ahora hasta la liberación de Ramón.

Más información sobre su arresto aquí.

Más información sobre Guinea Ecuatorial a EgJustice.org

O EG Justice e Cartoonists Rights Network International, junto a uma coalizão de organizações internacionais, convidam cartunistas e artistas de todo o mundo para apoiar a campanha #FreeNseRamon.

O caricaturista Ramón Esono Ebalé foi preso a 16 de setembro na Guiné Equatorial e interrogado extensivamente diante de testemunhas pelos seus desenhos provocativos de membros do governo. Ele é mantido recluso sob falsas acusações de contrafação e branqueamento de capitais, mas não foi ainda formalmente acusado. Ele ficou mais de 50 dias injustamente na prisão sem uma clara perspectiva de livramento. Sua detenção parece ser uma tentativa planeada de restringir sua liberdade de se expressar através de sua arte e escritos.
Veja o trabalho de Ramon a www.jamonyqueso.co .

Por favor, note que há uma iniciativa em língua espanhola de cooperação com a nossa campanha www.freenseramon.com .

Manifeste seu apoio para a liberação de Ramon compartilhando sua ilustração com hashtag: #FreeNseRamon

Tenha em mente que a campanha destina-se exclusivamente a que Ramon seja libertado da prisão porque ele é inocente.

Nosso objetivo é chamar a atenção para sua situação. Não estamos pedindo obras de arte que critiquem os funcionários do governo de Guiné Equatorial, pois não queremos fazer nada para por em risco sua condição.

A arte selecionada será exibida no site EG Justice FreeNseRamon .

A campanha será executada de agora até a libertação de Ramon da prisão.

Mais sobre sua prisão aqui.

Mais sobre a Guiné Equatorial a EgJustice.org .

EG Justice et Rights Network International de même qu’une coalition d’organisations internationales invitent les auteurs de Bande Dessinée et les artistes du monde entier à soutenir la campagne #FreeNseRamon.

L’auteur de BD Ramon Esono Ebalé a été arrêté le 16 septembre en Guinée Equatoriale et a été longuement interrogé sous les yeux de témoins au sujet de ses caricatures des membres du gouvernement. Il est détenu sur la base de fausses accusations de contrefaçons et blanchiment de fonds, mais n’a pas encore été officiellement inculpé. Il a injustement passé plus de 50 jours en prison sans perspective claire de libération. Son emprisonnement apparaît être une tentative délibérée d’entraver sa liberté d’expression au travers de son art et de ses écrits. Voir le travail de Ramon ici (lien vers le cauchemar d’Obi). Voir le travail de Ramon a www.jamonyqueso.co .
Veuillez noter qu’une action en langue espagnole est en cours en coopération avec notre campagne a www.freenseramon.com .

Montrez votre soutien pour obtenir la libération de Ramon en partageant votre dessin avec le hashtag: #FreeNseRamon
Notez bien que cette campagne a pour unique but d’obtenir la libération de Ramon car il est innocent.

Notre but est d’attirer l’attention sur sa situation. Nous ne demandons aucun travail artistique qui serait critique vis à vis des membres du gouvernement de Guinée Equatoriale car nous ne voulons rien faire qui puisse le desservir.
Les oeuvres sélectionnées seront publiées sur le site internet d’EG Justice #FreeNseRamon.
La campagne se déroulera jusqu’à la libération de Ramon.

Pour en savoir plus sur son arrestation ici.
Pour en savoir plus sur la Guinée Equatoriale à EgJustice.org .

PRESS RELEASE
As the President of the Board of Directors of Cartoonists Rights Network International, I would like to announce this year’s recipient of the CRNI Award for Courage in Editorial Cartooning. Mr. Ramón Esono Ebalé is a gifted and outspoken graphic novelist and editorial cartoonist born in Equatorial Guinea in West Africa and until very recently a resident in Paraguay.
Every year this award is given to the cartoonist or cartoonists who have exhibited great courage and self-sacrifice in the pursuit of their craft and in the exercise of free speech.
Currently Mr. Ebalé is imprisoned in Equatorial Guinea’s notorious Black Beach prison under as yet unspecified charges. The Equatorial Guinean government, one of the most notorious kleptocracy’s in Africa, is clearly angered by his outspoken comic and cartoon based criticism of the ruling family. Government seems to be reluctant to charge him with any human rights/free-speech violations and have rather chosen to cook up outrageous charges of money laundering and currency counterfeiting to imprison him. Even now, at this writing, they seem to be having difficulty coming up with any evidence that would withstand international scrutiny.
Mr. Ebalé’s continuous refusal to be intimidated by the threats made against him, and his courage in the face of a brutal and repressive regime led our Board of Directors to make this decision.
The award will be given in absentia during the proceedings of the annual convention of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists on November 4, 2017 at a venue on the Hofstra University campus in Long Island, New York.

Mr. Joel Pett

President of the Board of Directors

For more information please contact:

Robert Russell
director@cartoonistsrights.org

also visit these links:

www.egjustice.org     Click here: Comics Without Captions | VQR Online