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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NowThis: The Massacre You Haven’t Heard About
In 2019, the Venezuelan military under Nicolás Maduro opened fire on a largely Indigenous community, blocking aid and punishing protesters. Wilmer Valderrama explains what you need to know about the country's ongoing human rights crisis.
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Protecting the Historic Archive of the National Police
Tags Share Guatemala City, Washington D.C., Geneva, and San Jose, May 30, 2019. As international organizations we express our profound concern regarding the risks facing the Historic Archive of the National Police (Archivo Histórico de la Policía Nacional, AHPN) in Guatemala, given the recent declarations of the Minister of the Interior, who announced that the…
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The Dominican Republic Must Respect and Protect the IAHRS
Tags Share Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, May 29, 2019 – The undersigned organizations express our concern regarding the State’s rejection of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ recent resolution with respect to the Dominican Republic, in which the Court reiterated its jurisdiction to hear cases against that State. The Inter-American Court determined that the Dominican…
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Five Years Later: Nothing But Broken Promises
Five years after Law 169-14 promised to restore nationality to Dominicans of Haitian descent, the international community must ensure that the Dominican government is held accountable for its ongoing violations of human rights.
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Vicky Hernández Case Will Be Heard by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
Vicky’s case will allow the Court to develop jurisprudence on the freedom to develop and represent one’s gender identity as a dimension of the fundamental right of freedom of expression.
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Attacks on the Inter-American Human Rights System
Tags Share More than 200 organizations and people have signed on to a call urging Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Paraguay to cease their actions aimed at restricting the effectiveness of the bodies of the Interamerican Human Rights System (IAHRS). The Americas, May 2, 2019 – The undersigned organizations, members of the International Coalition of…
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Ongoing Criminalization of Human Rights Defenders in Guatemala
Tags Share We the undersigned organizations are gravelly alarmed by the ongoing, targeted criminalization of human rights defenders in Guatemala including the recent judicial harassment of defenders Mrs. Claudia Virginia Samayoa Pineda and Mr. José Manuel Martínez Cabrera. The targeted judicial harassment of Ms. Samayoa Pineda and Mr. Martinez Cabrera is illustrative of the authorities’…
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Joint Statement on Detention of Univision Journalists
As organizations in defense of Freedom of Expression worldwide, we condemn the intimidation and censorship of Nicolás Maduro to Univision journalists.
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National Guard Model in Mexico Violates International Law
Tags Share We express our deep concern about the possible reform of the Mexican constitution to create a National Guard as a new public security body, a measure that would aggravate the militarization of security in Mexico. Read our full press release below: ENGLISH SPANISH
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Amendments to Guatemala’s NGO Law Threaten Civic Space
Tags Share READ PRESS RELEASE HERE READ OUR RECOMMENDATIONS HERE LEA NUESTRO COMUNICADO DE PRENSA AQUI LEA NUESTRAS RECOMENDACIONES AQUÍ
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Anti-Mining Activist Receives Safeguards
As mining interests encroach on Guatemalan Indigenous lands, lawyer Quelvin Otoniel Jiménez Villalta’s life is at risk.
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Dominican Republic Set to Appear Before UN Human Rights Council
This will be the third time that the country will have to respond to the Council. However, to date, the State’s compliance with the recommendations of the member States has been minimal.
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