by Jennifer Johnson and Vanessa Kritzer
on July 19, 2010
In their work to promote and defend indigenous peoples’ rights in the Costa Chica region of Mexico, a highly militarized zone in the state of Guerrero, members of the Me’phaa Indigenous People’s Organization (OPIM) and their partner organizations have had to overcome repeated harassment, threats, and even murders of leading members. Now add imprisonments and baseless prosecutions by the government to that list.
In April 2008, Raúl Hernández and four fellow OPIM members were arbitrarily arrested and charged with the murder of a suspected army informant—a murder which Mr. Hernández did not commit. The other four human rights defenders were released due to lack of evidence. But even though the only witness that directly identified Mr. Hernández as having taken part in the murder was found to have lied, he has remained in prison for over two years.
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by Travis Wheeler
on July 02, 2010
It's not every day that we get to write you about a historic
legislative victory for a more humane, sensible, and just U.S. policy
towards Cuba; but today isn't just any old day. In a thrilling
"mark-up" session Wednesday in the House Committee on Agriculture, H.R.
4645, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act was
passed by 25 votes to 20, putting us one step closer to ending the
travel ban this year, in this Congress.
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by Vanessa Kritzer
on July 16, 2010
This week marked the 10th year since the infamous U.S. aid package known as “Plan Colombia” was signed into law. And while some U.S. and Colombian officials have been celebrating it as a “success” and pushing to use it as a model for other countries like Afghanistan or Mexico, the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) chose to commemorate this anniversary by releasing a report that describes exactly why that analysis is not only misguided but also dangerous.
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by Travis Wheeler
on July 02, 2010
After a momentous week in the nation’s capital, advocates of lifting
restrictions on U.S. citizens’ travel to Cuba have reason to celebrate.
On Wednesday, June 30, the House Committee on Agriculture held a
mark-up session of H.R. 4645, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export
Enhancement Act. While out-of-touch hardliners on the committee tried
to amend and motion Ag Committee Chairman Peterson and Congressman
Jerry Moran’s bill to death, it ultimately received a favorable 25 to
20 vote, putting Congress on the verge of voting on ending the travel
ban, rather than simply shutting down its checking account, for the
first time in history.
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by Kelly Miller
on July 06, 2010
In early June, we released Waiting for Change, a report on President Obama’s first-year policies toward Latin America. We aren’t the only ones aware of limited progress: Latin Americans are also less enthusiastic than at last January’s inauguration.
On June 17, the Pew Research Center released its most recent 22-nation Global Attitudes Survey, with Mexico, Argentina and Brazil representing Latin American opinion. Though U.S. favorability ratings in these nations jumped after Obama’s election, this year’s poll shows that fewer people in Argentina and Mexico have confidence that Obama “will do the right thing in world affairs,” than did one short year ago. Brazil, which has received special attention from the Obama Administration, consistently responded more favorably to this poll than did the other two Latin American countries represented.
by Lisa Haugaard
on July 01, 2010
Over two thousand civilians intentionally killed by army soldiers
seeking to beef up their body counts and score days off. A massive
illegal wiretapping operation by the president’s intelligence agency
targeting Supreme Court judges, journalists, opposition politicians and
human rights defenders. Seven human rights defenders and leaders of
displaced communities killed in May alone, in a nation where threats and
attacks against defenders are rarely effectively investigated and
government officials’ denunciations of them place them in danger. In
which authoritarian country opposed to the United States did these
abuses take place? In none other than Colombia, often called “the
United States’ best ally in the Western Hemisphere.” And we, the U.S.
taxpayers, bankrolled this friendship to the tune of more than $6
billion.
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