Libera!

{{Short description|Spanish animal rights organization}}

{{For|the Belgian liberal think tank|Nova Civitas}}

{{use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = Libera!

| logo =

| type =

| founded_date = 2004

| founder =

| location = Barcelona

| origins =

| key_people =

| area_served = International

| product =

| mission =

| focus = Animal rights

| method = Education, demonstrations, protest actions, complaints and animal rescues

| revenue =

| endowment =

| num_volunteers =

| num_employees =

| num_members =

| subsid =

| owner =

| Non-profit_slogan =

| homepage = [http://www.liberaong.org/ www.liberaong.org]

| dissolved =

| footnotes =

}}

File:Manifestación Contra la Caza.jpg hunting, Barcelona]]

Libera! is an international non-profit animal rights organization. Among other actions, it carries out education and public-awareness campaigns.{{cite web |url=http://www.liberaong.org/nota_campanas.php?id=5 |title=La Mirada Ética |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110111053429/http://www.liberaong.org/nota_campanas.php?id=5 |archivedate=2011-01-11 |publisher=Libera! |language=es}}
- {{cite web |url=http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/218365/0/protestas/matanza/focas/ |title=Asociaciones de defensa de los animales protestan por la matanza de focas en Canadá |date=30 March 2007 |website=20 minutos |language=es}} Libera! was founded in 2004 in Barcelona. The group's initial actions focused on Barcelona. Catalonia (Spain), but the group gradually transformed into an international organisation. At the moment, it has delegations too in Argentina,[https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2023/01/20/polemica-en-tucuman-por-el-estado-de-los-animales-en-una-reserva-exigen-su-liberacion/ ¿Cómo avanza la situación de los animales en el zoológico de San Pedro?][http://web.archive.org/web/20240127055623/https://www.telam.com.ar/notas/202301/618385-marcha-reserva-zoologica-tucuman.html Convocaron a una marcha para exigir el cierre de una reserva zoológica en Tucumán][https://www.lanacion.com.ar/sociedad/maltrato-animal-el-oscuro-mundo-de-las-rinas-de-gallos-un-entretenimiento-clandestino-en-plena-nid31012023/ Maltrato animal: el oscuro mundo de las riñas de gallos, un “entretenimiento” clandestino en plena vigencia] Uruguay,[https://montevideo.gub.uy/noticias/institucional/dia-internacional-de-los-animales Día Internacional de los Animales ¿Cómo avanza la situación de los animales en el zoológico de San Pedro?][https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2023/09/14/uruguay-quiere-prohibir-las-cirugias-esteticas-a-perros-y-gatos-para-mejorar-su-apariencia/ Uruguay quiere prohibir las cirugías estéticas a perros y gatos para mejorar su apariencia][https://montevideo.gub.uy/noticias/institucional/10-medidas-de-la-intendencia-para-el-bienestar-animal-la-tenencia-responsable-y-la-convivencia 10 medidas de la Intendencia para el bienestar animal, la tenencia responsable y la convivencia] and Ecuador.[https://ciencialatina.org/index.php/cienciala/article/view/6212/9436 Bienestar animal de las mascotas en Ecuador y en la ciudad de Riobamba: revisión bibliográfica][https://veganfta.com/2022/07/13/un-grupo-vegano-convierte-un-parque-abandonado-en-quito-en-un-espacio-interseccional-inclusivo/ Un grupo vegano convierte un parque abandonado en Quito en un espacio interseccional inclusivo][https://www.elcomercio.com/actualidad/politica/eliminacion-practicas-crueles-industria-loa.html Eliminación de prácticas crueles en la industria es parte de la LOA]

One of its campaigns reached international media was the campaign Libera a Susi (Spanish: "Free Susi").{{cite news |url=http://www.lavanguardia.es/lv24h/20080606/53475265559.html |title=El zoo de Barcelona se degrada |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090507063426/http://www.lavanguardia.es/lv24h/20080606/53475265559.html |archivedate=2009-05-07 |date=6 June 2008 |work=La Vanguardia |language=es}}
- {{cite news |url=http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/448463/0/elefanta/zoo/animal/ |title=Susi, la elefanta del Zoo de Barcelona sufre depresión debido a que no tiene compañía |date=4 March 2009 |work=20 minutos |language=es}}
- {{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/4538984/Lonely-elephant-could-die-of-sadness.html |title=Lonely elephant 'could die of sadness' |date=6 February 2009 |work= The Daily Telegraph }}
- {{cite news |url=http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/insolite/200902/06/01-824932-aidez-susi-lelephant-depressif.php |title=Aidez Susi, l'éléphant dépressif |date=6 February 2009 |work=La Presse |language=fr}}
- {{cite news |url=http://www.corriere.it/animali/09_maggio_15/regina_spagna_elefantessa_susi_8e9ed194-4182-11de-8b5d-00144f02aabc.shtml |title=La regina in campo per l'elefantessa triste |date=15 May 2009 |work=Corriere della Sera |language=it}} This campaign aimed to free the only elephant at the Barcelona Zoo, an African elephant named Susi, who according to Libera! and the British organisation Born Free Foundation, suffered from severe psychological problems{{cite news |url=http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2009/02/18/barcelona/1234992115.html |title='Quitamos el Parlament o no caben más elefantes' |date=18 February 2009 |work=El Mundo |language=es}} resulting from loneliness. Libera! aims to move Susi to an elephant sanctuary, where she could live in better and freer conditions in the company of other elephants.

This campaign has received support from the world of culture. José Saramago (a winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature),{{cite news |url=http://www.adn.es/tecnologia/20090219/NWS-1482-Saramago-Susi-elefanta-enferma-liberar.html |title=Saramago se une a la campaña para liberar a Susi, la elefanta enferma del zoo |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527061741/http://www.adn.es/tecnologia/20090219/NWS-1482-Saramago-Susi-elefanta-enferma-liberar.html |archivedate=2009-05-27 |date=19 February 2009 |work=ADN |language=es}}
- {{cite web |url=http://cuaderno.josesaramago.org/2009/02/19/susi/ |title=Susi |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227051833/http://cuaderno.josesaramago.org/2009/02/19/susi/ |archivedate=2009-02-27 |website=Blog de José Saramago |language=es}} Queen Sofía,{{cite news |url=http://www.elpais.com/articulo/agenda/Reina/intercede/elefanta/Susi/elpepugen/20090513elpepiage_1/Tes |title=La Reina intercede por la elefanta 'Susi' |date=13 May 2009 |work=El País |language=es}} and personalities in Barcelona municipal politics, such as Imma Mayol,{{cite news |url=http://www.elpais.com/articulo/cataluna/Mayol/aboga/elefanta/Susi/deje/zoo/elpepuespcat/20090318elpcat_5/Tes |title=Mayol aboga por que la elefanta 'Susi' deje el zoo |date=18 March 2009 |work=El País |language=es}} have endorsed the campaign.{{cite news |url=http://www.lavanguardia.es/ciudadanos/noticias/20090215/53640680129/salvemos-a-susi-barcelona-asturias-principe-alicia-ong.html |title=Salvemos a 'Susi' |author=Pilar Rahola |date=15 February 2009 |work=La Vanguardia |language=es |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221032039/http://www.lavanguardia.es/ciudadanos/noticias/20090215/53640680129/salvemos-a-susi-barcelona-asturias-principe-alicia-ong.html|archivedate=21 February 2009}}
- {{cite news |url=http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2009/02/27/barcelona/1235764310.html |title=Un eurodiputado de ICV lleva a Bruselas la situación de la elefanta 'Susi' |date=28 February 2009 |work=El Mundo |language=es}}
- {{cite news |url=http://www.elperiodico.com/default.asp?idpublicacio_PK=46&idioma=CAS&idnoticia_PK=590911&idseccio_PK=1022 |title=Un eurodiputado lleva hasta Bruselas el caso de la elefanta Susi del Zoo de BCN |date=27 February 2009 |work=El Periódico de Catalunya |language=es}} Libera! conducted this campaign with the support of the Fundación Faada and the Born Free Foundation.{{cite news |url=http://www.bornfree.org.uk/news/news-article/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=302 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106214255/http://www.bornfree.org.uk/news/news-article/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=302 |archivedate=2014-01-06 |title=Free Susi |date=12 February 2009 |publisher=Born Free Foundation}}

Libera!, together with Fundación FAADA, formed the Plataforma Rambles Ètiques,{{cite web |url=http://www.ramblesetiques.com/index.php?c=contacto.php |title=Rambles Etiques - Contacte |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502192134/http://www.ramblesetiques.com/index.php?c=contacto.php |archivedate=2009-05-02 |language=ca}} which campaigns to ensure that, in compliance with the Animal Protection Act 22/2003 and the Ordinance on the Protection of Animals, the Barcelona City Council stops the sale of animals in the traditional bird shops of La Rambla. In media campaigns, the Plataforma Rambles Ètiques denounced both the conditions in which the birds live and the practice of throwing away the bodies of the animals that die (though the practice is not legally allowed to threaten public health). As the campaign has pointed out, the shopkeepers have also thrown living animals in the trash.{{cite news |url=http://www.elperiodico.cat/default.asp?idpublicacio_PK=46&idioma=CAT&idnoticia_PK=607157&idseccio_PK=1022&h=|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220314233257/http://www.elperiodico.cat/default.asp?idpublicacio_PK=46&idioma=CAT&idnoticia_PK=607157&idseccio_PK=1022&h= |archivedate=14 March 2022 |title=Una plataforma denuncia que els ocellaires de la Rambla tiren animals a les escombraries |date=26 April 2009 |work=El Periódico de Catalunya |language=ca}}
- {{cite news |url=http://www.diaridetarragona.com/panorama/029676/els/ocellaires/rambla/llancen/animals/escombraries |title=Els ocellaires de la Rambla llancen animals a les escombraries |date=26 April 2009 |work=Diari de Tarragona |language=ca}}

Along with the Platform SOS Stop Our Shame and CAS International, Libera! is a co-ordinator of the Plataforma Galicia Mellor Sen Touradas,{{cite web |url=http://www.galiciamellorsentouradas.org/ |title=Galicia Mellor Sen Touradas |language=es}}
- {{cite news |url=http://www.farodevigo.es/sociedad-cultura/2009/08/06/corridas-estivales-avivan-protestas-movimiento-antitaurino-pontevedra/355837.html |title=Las corridas estivales avivan las protestas del movimiento antitaurino en Pontevedra |date=2009-08-06 |work=Farodevigo.es |language=es }} which aims to abolish bull fighting in Galicia.{{cite news |url=http://elprogreso.galiciae.com/nova/14130.html |title=Parte de nuestros impuestos se dedican a financiar estas prácticas. Cada gallego aporta 42 euros al año a la tauromaquia |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719172112/http://elprogreso.galiciae.com/nova/14130.html |archivedate=2011-07-19 |date=21 July 2008 |work=El Progreso |language=es}} This campaign has the support of environmental Galician organizations including ADEGA and Matar por matar non.

In March 2009, Libera! brought a lawsuit against the former minister Mariano Fernández Bermejo for the crime of poaching without a license in February that year with the judge of the Audiencia Nacional, Baltasar Garzón,{{cite news |url=http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/455946/2/ |title=Presentan ante el Tribunal Supremo una querella penal contra Bermejo por furtivo |date=13 May 2009 |website=20 minutos |language=es}} when Bermejo was still minister of justice. Spain’s Justice Minister Mariano Fernandez Bermejo resigned on Monday after a hunting trip he shared with a prominent judge investigating opposition party members became an issue in regional elections.{{Cite news |date=2009-02-23 |title=Spanish justice minister quits after hunting trip |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-spain-minister-idUKTRE51M41I20090223 |access-date=2023-04-06}}