Latin America
We work alongside local organizations and human rights defenders to defend civic space and combat violence, repression, and discrimination in the region. Through strategic litigation and legal advocacy before the Inter-American Human Rights system and the United Nations, we work toward protecting human rights, seeking truth, justice, and redress for victims of human rights violations. From combating gender-based violence in Central America, historic racism against Dominicans of Haitian Descent, and systematic repression against critics in Venezuela and Guatemala to protecting freedom of the press in Colombia and Brazil, our mission is to create a region where justice, dignity, and equality prevail for all.
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Increasing Student Engagement and Empowerment Through Theater: Voces Contra El Poder in Sonora
Tags Share According to a recent poll, 50% of students say they are not engaged in what they are learning and 80% of educators are worried about students’ lack of engagement. Theater work, like the recent theater workshop in Sonora, Mexico, can increase student engagement and empower them to become human rights defenders. In March,…
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Three Years After Unjust Deportation, As Violence Explodes in Haiti, Human Rights Groups Urge Governor Kathy Hochul to Pardon Longtime New York Resident
Tags Share Yesterday, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and the Haitian Bridge Alliance filed a gubernatorial pardon application on behalf of Paul Pierrilus, a financial consultant from New York. The organizations are asking Governor Kathy Hochul to facilitate Pierrilus’ immediate return to New York following his sudden deportation to Haiti in 2021 – a country…
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Ending Violence Against Women and Gender Inequality: Our Work and Impact
Tags Share Claudina Isabel’s body was discovered on August 13, 2005 with signs of sexual violence. The Guatemalan government’s impunity and ineffective investigation into her murder is, unfortunately, representative of a broader failure of the government to stem the tide of femicide and violence against women in the country. Read more about our work on…
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Mexico to officially recognize responsibility in emblematic, decades-long femicide case
Tags Share Today, the Mexican government is signing a compliance agreement, issuing a public apology, and recognizing their responsibility for the inaction, impunity, and negligence in the case of Silvia Elena Rivera Morales et al. v. Mexico. Ahead of the ceremony, here are five things to know about the key case. Femicide—the murder of women…
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Nearly 20 years after murder of Claudina Isabel Velásquez Paiz, Guatemalan government to publicly acknowledge responsibility March 8
Tags Share On Friday, March 8, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo and members of his government will hold a public act to acknowledge responsibility for the murder of 19-year old Claudina Isabel Velásquez Paiz in 2005 and subsequent impunity. Here are five key things to know about the case: 1. On August 12, 2005, when Claudina…
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Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court Upholds Authorization to Resume Investigation into Crimes Against Humanity in Venezuela
Tags Share RFK Human Rights and Foro Penal celebrate the recent decision made by the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) concerning the investigation pertaining to the situation in Venezuela I. The Chamber’s findings indicate that the State of Venezuela has not initiated, and does not appear inclined to initiate, meaningful investigations into…
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La Sala de Apelaciones de la Corte Penal Internacional Confirma la Autorización para Reanudar Investigación sobre Crímenes de Lesa Humanidad en Venezuela
Tags Share RFK Human Rights y Foro Penal celebran la reciente decisión tomada por la Sala de Apelaciones de la Corte Penal Internacional (CPI) respecto a la investigación relacionada con la situación en Venezuela I. Los hallazgos de la Sala indican que el Estado de Venezuela no ha iniciado, y no parece inclinado a iniciar,…
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Controversial Canadian Silver Mine ‘Likely’ To Reopen in Guatemala Despite Opposition
Tags Share For years, the Xinka people – an Indigenous nation in Guatemala – have opposed a massive silver mine that threatens their culture and territory. Speaking with BIV and the Pulitzer Center, our VP of International Advocacy & Litigation Angelita Baeyens details the Xinka people’s ongoing battle against one of the biggest companies in…
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Trans murder in Honduras
Tags Share In 2009, 26-year-old trans woman and LGBTQ+ rights activist Vicky Hernández was murdered in Honduras during a coup d’etat perpetrated by a right-wing sector of society. For years, the legal team at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights fought for accountability in Vicky’s case. In 2021, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued a…
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Venezuela: The Government’s Escalating Repression and Attempts at Evading Scrutiny Face Resounding Condemnation from International Civil Society
Tags Share The undersigned international organizations strongly condemn the announced expulsion of the members of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Venezuela, as government repression had notably intensified ahead of scheduled presidential elections. These developments occur within a broader context of systematic attacks on political opponents and human…
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Venezuela: La Escalada De Represión Del Gobierno E Intentos De Evadir El Escrutinio Enfrentan El Contundente Rechazo De Sociedad Civil Internacional
Tags Share Las organizaciones internacionales abajo firmantes condenan fuertemente la anunciada expulsión del personal de la Oficina del Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos (OACNUDH) en Venezuela, en momentos en que la represión gubernamental se intensificó notablemente antes de las elecciones presidenciales previstas. Estos acontecimientos se producen en un contexto más…
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Exploring the intersection of human rights and climate change
Tags Share The climate emergency has left no corner of the globe untouched, from desertification in Africa to the destruction of Indigenous lands in Latin America. As new climate crises arise, how are activists and attorneys using legal strategies to safeguard human rights? On January 25, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, in partnership with the…
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