LAWG Blog - Latin America Working Group

Justice Prevails in Guatemala: Ríos Montt Found Guilty

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:15:57 +0000

Kelsey Alford-Jones is the Director of the Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA

“Justice is a right for victims and contributes to rule of law in our country. We believe that for a true peace to exist in Guatemala there must first be justice,” said Guatemalan Judge Yassmin Barrios. She declared General Efraín Ríos Montt guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity on Friday May 10, a day that will be etched forever in Guatemala’s collective memory.

Ríos Montt was convicted of masterminding and overseeing the massacre of 1,771 Ixil Mayans in the department of El Quiché, as well as the forced displacement of 29,000 people, and 1,485 acts of sexual violence and acts of torture during the early 1980s. He was sentenced to 80 years in prison and was ordered into police custody. His director of military intelligence, José Mauricio Rodriguez Sanchez, was absolved of both crimes...

LAWGEF Calls for Justice and Protection of Migrant Rights Defenders in Mexico

rrobles@lawg.org (Jennifer Johnson) — Thu, 09 May 2013 19:53:54 +0000

Migrants in transit through Mexico suffer from pervasive violence – threats, physical abuse, kidnapping, murder, extortion – at the hands of criminal groups or complicit and corrupt public officials. In suit, the brave defenders who provide humanitarian assistance and denounce abuses against migrants find themselves under attack, enduring harassment, death threats, violence, and smear campaigns.

In 2012, LAWGEF’s Executive Director Lisa Haugaard and I, Senior Associate for Mexico Policy Jenny Johnson, travelled to Saltillo, Coahuila in northern Mexico and Tenosique, Tabasco in southern Mexico as part of an international observation mission sponsored by Project Counselling Service to meet with migrant defenders from those regions. During a week of intense discussions, we heard testimony after testimony describing threats and extraordinarily difficult security conditions that jeopardized these defenders’ ability to carry out the important work necessary to protect this vulnerable population.

Over 100 Groups Call on Obama & Mesoamerican Leaders to Tackle Root Causes of Violence at SICA

rrobles@lawg.org (Ruth Isabel Robles) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000

As President Obama prepares to sit down for meetings with President Enrique Peña Nieto in Mexico and other fellow elected leaders from the Americas at the Summit of the Central American Integration System (SICA) in Costa Rica, over 145 civil society organizations from 10 countries throughout the Americas, including the Latin America Working Group, sent a letter to their respective presidents urging them to address their concerns regarding the dire human rights crisis in the region.

Citing an increase in violence and human rights violations, the letter calls for a shift away from the failed militarized security policies which have exacerbated violence and human rights concerns in the region towards policies that address the root causes of violence.

Terrorism in Miami

echow@lawg.org (Guest Blogger, Vivian Mannerud President, Airline Brokers) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 20:48:51 +0000

April 27, 2013, will mark the one-year anniversary of the domestic terrorist attack on my offices in Coral Gables, Florida. Three incidiary devices were put inside my office in the pre-dawn hours of the morning. The effects were total destruction; everything was reduced to ashes. As I watched the terrorst act in Boston, I could not help but find similarities but also differences in comparing it to my office fire bombing. Let me be clear, I am in no way equating the two acts, as the one in Boston was of much more significance and caused more destruction to the people, the city, and our country. But here is what I learned. Both bombings, Boston and my office, were carried out because of hate. I was lucky that no one died at my office, although the potential was there...

Congress Urges President Obama to Prioritize Human Rights in Upcoming Visit to Mexico

rrobles@lawg.org (Ruth Isabel Robles) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Just a week before President Obama’s first visit to Mexico since President Peña Nieto assumed office, 24 Members of Congress sent a letter on April 23^rdto newly appointed Secretary of State John Kerry with a clear request -- “make the defense of human rights a central part of the bilateral agenda with our neighbor.”

This letter, co-sponsored by Representative Moran (D-VA) and Representative Poe (R-TX), reflects bi-partisan concern about “the persistence of grave human rights violations in Mexico.” President Pena Nieto has expressed his commitment to human rights since assuming office on December 1, 2012, noting that one of Mexico’s greatest challenges is to make sure that “rights established on paper become reality.” These representatives underscore the scope and severity of challenges that lay ahead, noting “a five-fold increase in complaints—from 534 in 2007 to 2,723 in 2012—of human rights violations by Mexican soldiers and federal police, including torture, rape, extrajudicial executions, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, as well as other abuses.”

Until We Find Them, Part 3: The Disappeared in Guatemala

rrobles@lawg.org (Emma Buckhout, LAWG Intern) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:28:13 +0000

On Monday, March 18, 2013 the Latin America Working Group Education Fund together with the Washington Office on Latin America, the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, the US Office on Colombia, and the Guatemala Human Rights Commission hosted a panel event entitled “Until We Find Them: The Disappeared in Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru” to discuss the situation of forced disappearances in each country.

Wilson de los Reyes Aragón has been the Director of Impunity Watch in Guatemala since 2007. He is a Colombian lawyer, as well as a university lecturer and consultant on human rights advocacy and litigation. He spoke about the situation of forced disappearances in Guatemala, which are officially acknowledged to have occurred during the conflict era prior to the 1996 peace accords, but which continue today, now largely unacknowledged by the necessary authorities.The following is his statement, edited only for readability purposes.

The Memory Boom in Putumayo, Colombia

omartinez@lawg.org (Winifred Tate, Guest) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000

“Colombia is a model for the region,” then-Senator John Kerry told the public during his January 2013 confirmation hearing for Secretary of State. Thanks to an aggressive counterinsurgency program, aided by billions of dollars in U.S. funding, Kerry and others in Washington argue that Colombia has been transformed. Rather than a model, however, the Women’s Alliance of Putumayo and others prove that the region is a cautionary tale, documenting those changes the thousands of human rights abuses that occurred here.

Human Rights Challenges in Mexico, Part 3: Military Jurisdiction

rrobles@lawg.org (Emma Buckhout, LAWG Intern) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Since 2006, the deterioration of Mexico’s security situation due to the Mexican government’s “war on organized crime” has made international headlines. The violence has affected tens of thousands of citizens and exacerbated long-standing issues of corruption and institutional weakness. During the administration of former President Felipe Calderón, Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission (Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos, CNDH) saw a five-fold increase in complaints of human rights violations by Mexican soldiers and federal police, including torture, rape, extrajudicial execution, arbitrary detention, and enforced disappearance. At the same time, human rights defenders have found it increasingly difficult to carry out their work due to threats to their safety. Recently elected president Enrique Peña Nieto has firmly expressed his commitment to making sure that “rights established on paper become reality,” but his government has yet to make concrete changes that would reflect this commitment.

During the "Human Rights Challenges in Mexico" event, co-hosted by the Latin America Working Group Education Fund, the Washington Office on Latin America, the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, and Just Associates, Cristina Hardaga Fernández of the Tlachinollan Human Rights Center, Guerrero, Mexico discussed the militarization of public security and the need for reform of the military justice code in Mexico. The following is a translation.

Seeds of Hope

rrobles@lawg.org (Emma Buckhout, LAWG Intern) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000

What do Miguel Marin of Nicaragua and Marcel Garçon of Haiti have in common? They may be from different countries, cultures, and languages, but both are leaders in their respective communities working to promote local, sustainable, and more just agricultural practices.

Miguel and Marcel formed the panel “An Ecology of Liberation: Communities Practicing Sustainable Agriculture Right Now,” sponsored by the Quixote Center and part of the Latin America and Caribbean track coordinated by the Latin America Working Group at Ecumenical Advocacy Days 2013. The eleventh annual conference, held April 5-8, 2013, gathered over 700 members and supporters of the ecumenical Christian community from around the U.S. and world. This year’s theme of food justice sparked dialogue on ending hunger, improving nutrition, creating fair and sustainable food systems, and conserving the environment. The conference culminated in a day of lobbying on Capitol Hill for a full, multi-year reauthorization of a farm bill that would support hunger assistance, local food, and conservation programs in the U.S. and abroad. In their panel, Miguel and Marcel provided examples of invaluable local farming initiatives that benefit from such international support to get started in places where hunger is a daily battle.

Miguel Marin is the president of Fedicamp (Federación para el Desarrollo Integral para Campesinos y Campesinas), an organization of about 285 families in 18 campesino communities in northern Nicaragua. In an area suffering the effects of climate change and where families are accustomed to surviving primarily on beans and corn, Fedicamp´s goals are food sustainability, food security, and better nutrition. As Miguel said, for these communities, “There is no food in Nicaragua. There is a need to produce food.” Fedicamp trains community leaders, who will train others, in soil and water conservation, reforestation, water retention, family gardens, crop diversification, permaculture, and forming local seed banks. They teach the use of local non-genetically modified (non-GMO) seeds and natural fertilizers, not because organic food is trendy, but because it is less costly and more sustainable for campesinos who cannot afford to buy seeds and fertilizer every year. Colorful family gardens and forest plots in place of formerly damaged soil evidence Fedicamp’s results of the last five years.

Marcel Garçon works as a community organizer for sustainable agriculture in Gros Morne, Haiti. Rural Haiti has suffered deforestation, climate destruction, and complete political marginalization. As Marcel said, “In Haiti, food is a luxury.” Campesinos grow the food that is sold to the cities and are left with nothing to eat. Meanwhile, as he put it, the government does not consider the problems of the campesinos to be its own. In community groups, the 2000 members of Marcel´s organization present a local organic alternative approach to agriculture, protect and reforest the environment, and raise small livestock. By growing courtyard gardens women have been able to grow food for their family and sell the surplus. The organization has planted 60,000 trees per year, with the goal of reaching 100,000 per year. Since farming relies on an unpredictable climate, the group has created goat and chicken programs to provide families with backup economic insurance.

As EAD participants reflected on U.S. and world hunger and the harm committed by corporate agribusiness policies, Miguel and Marcel’s leadership and strides toward justice in their communities provided seeds of hope for better practices in the future.

Yoani Sanchez: One Piece of a Complex Cuba Puzzle

echow@lawg.org (Karina Marquez, LAWG Intern) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000

She has been named everything from the "princess of technological communication" and the "most famous living Cuban not named Castro" to simply "Cuba's dissident blogger" in an array of headlines in newspapers across the nation from the Miami Herald to the New York Times. Bluntly said, if you follow Cuba news and have not heard the name, "Yoani Sanchez," you must be living under a rock. Regardless of your opinion of Yoani Sanchez, whether you think she's the greatest thing since sliced bread and "the voice of Cubans on the island," or think she's trying to milk her fifteen minutes of fame, she has elevated the media's attention to the broken U.S. relationship with Cuba, which is a step in the right direction, period.

Marco Rubio, Yoani Sanchez and Bob Menendez in Washington, D.C. Photo: Office of Sen. Marco Rubio

Stephen Coats, Labor Rights Advocate, Friend, You Will Be Missed

rrobles@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000

At the Latin America Working Group, we were so saddened to hear about the untimely death of Stephen Coats, the director of the U.S. Labor Education in the Americas Project (USLEAP), a participating organization in the Latin America Working Group

Human Rights Challenges in Mexico, Part 1: The Use of Torture

rrobles@lawg.org (Emma Buckhout, LAWG Intern) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

During the "Human Rights Challenges in Mexico" event, co-hosted by the Latin America Working Group Education Fund, the Washington Office on Latin America, the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, and Just Associates, Stephanie Brewer (Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez Human Rights Center) discussed the use of torture as it relates to Mexico's criminal justice system. The following is a translation...

Human Rights Challenges in Mexico, Part 2: Attacks on Human Rights Defenders

rrobles@lawg.org (Emma Buckhout, LAWG Intern) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Why the U.S. Should be Paying Attention to Cuba

echow@lawg.org (Karina Marquez, LAWG Intern) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

One of the biggest complaints about the Cuban government from the exile community is that it “lacks transparency.” During a presentation given at American University by Dr. Jose R. Cabañas, the current Cuban Chief of the Cuban Interests Section (aka Ambassador) to the United States, it is clear that this new blueprint for economic reform in Cuba is quite the contrary, and actually very transparent. The “Proyecto de lineamientos de la política económica y social del partido y la revolución,” (Communist Party’s Policy Guidelines for Social and Economic Reform) simply referenced as the “lineamientos” (policy guidelines), is essentially a rubric of reforms that have been proposed and approved by the Cuban National Assembly. There are over 300 reforms that have been approved and are now in the implementation phases. Some of these significant changes include the expansion of the private business sector, legalizing the sale of homes and automobiles and a implementing a less bureaucratic migration policy...

Cuban Ambassador Jose R. Cabañas Photo Credit: American University

Until We Find Them, Part 1: The Disappeared in Mexico

rrobles@lawg.org (Emma Buckhout, LAWG Intern) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The 1994 Inter-American Convention on Forced Disappearance of Persons defines forced disappearance as “the act of depriving a person or persons of his or their freedom, in whatever way, perpetrated by agents of the state or by persons or groups of persons acting with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of the state, followed by an absence of information or a refusal to acknowledge that deprivation of freedom or to give information on the whereabouts of that person, thereby impeding his or her recourse to the applicable legal remedies and procedural guarantees.” On Monday, March 18, 2013 the Latin America Working Group Education Fund together with the Washington Office on Latin America, the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, the US Office on Colombia, and the Guatemala Human Rights Commissionhosted a panel event entitled “Until We Find Them: The Disappeared in Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru” to discuss the situation of forced disappearances in each country.

Nadín Reyes Maldonado is the daughter of Edmundo Reyes Amaya, who was detained and disappeared on May 25, 2007 in Oaxaca, Mexico. She founded the Committee of Relatives of the Disappeared “Until We Find Them” (Comité de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos "Hasta Encontrarlos"). Nadín shared the following testimony about the current situation of the disappeared in Mexico during the March 18th panel.The following testimony is a translation..

Until We Find Them, Part 2: The Disappeared in Colombia

omartinez@lawg.org (Emma Buckhout, LAWG Intern) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Why Cultural Exchanges with Cuba Matter

echow@lawg.org (Guest Blogger, Elizabeth Cerejido) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

These remarks were originally presented at a congressional briefing on March 20th, 2013 titled “The New Miami-Cuba Reality: Is It a Game Changer?” This briefing by Cuban Americans from south Florida discussed the new Miami-Havana reality -- and why the U.S. and Cuban governments must seize the moment to start talking about solving their myriad bilateral disagreements.

In 2002, I participated in an exchange program organized by Silvia Wilhelm of Puentes Cubanos, which consisted of a small group of Cuban-Americans (all from Miami) and an equal number of Cuban counterparts in a weeklong intensive encounter at the University of Havana. There, we debated, discussed, expressed and exchanged ideas about what being Cuban meant to each one of us present. The focus on cultural identity and all the complex emotional issues it brought to the fore had far reaching consequences for everyone involved. In my case, this experience marked a before and after and one that has driven the thrust of much of my subsequent personal and professional endeavors.

Cuba Schools Us on Self-Sustainable Agriculture

echow@lawg.org (LAWG Guest Blogger, Amy Truax, Witness for Peace) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

In 2006, the World Wildlife Fund declared that Cuba is the only country in the world that qualifies as developing sustainably. I imagine that this may come as a shock to some people, who, when they think of Cuba, imagine old cars from the 1950s on the roads, crowded city blocks in Havana, or retrograde political leaders and systems that surely couldn't be so modern as to incorporate eco-friendly policies around climate change. However, once you know a little bit more about the history of Cuba, it makes perfect sense that this small country would be the only one around the globe whose ecological footprint isn't far outreaching its development index.

Cuban-American Leader, Francisco Aruca, Dies

echow@lawg.org (Mavis Anderson) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Francisco Gonzalez Aruca – Rest in Peace. The Latin America Working Group’s Cuba team extends sincere sympathy to family, friends, and colleagues of Francisco Aruca on his passing on March 6, 2013. Mr. Aruca died unexpectedly of a heart attack in his sleep in Denver, Colorado, where he lived. He was 72 years old. You may read the post sent out today by Progreso Weekly announcing Mr. Aruca’s passing, here...

Latin America Says Goodbye to Leader Hugo Chávez

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

In light of the passing of Venezuela's President, Hugo Chávez, we think the following statements are well worth reading

Representative Jose Serrano: '"His focus on the issues faced by the poor and disenfranchised in his country made him a truly revolutionary leader in the history of Latin America. He understood that after 400 years on the outside of the established power structure looking in, it was time that the poor had a chance at seeing their problems and issues addressed. His core belief was in the dignity and common humanity of all people in Venezuela and in the world."...

Purely Pineapples: Aerial Spraying Continues to Miss Its Target in Colombia

omartinez@lawg.org (Winifred Tate, Guest) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

We heard from our longtime LAWG partner Nancy Sánchez, who has worked many years in Putumayo, Colombia, about this sorry case of fumigation of pineapple crops of the Association of Women Pineapple growers, Oroyaco Hamlet, Municipality of Villagarzon, Putumayo.

“If You’re Invisible, You’re Harmless”: The LGBT Community in Honduras, Invisible No Longer

omartinez@lawg.org (Jordan Baber, LAWG Intern) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

José “Pepe” Palacios, a leading LGBT activist from Honduras, recently visited the United States at the invitation of the Honduras Solidarity Network and the Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN). Pepe is a founding member of the Diversity Movement in Resistance (MDR), created in the wake of the June 2009 coup d’état in Honduras that replaced the democratically elected government. He is also a program officer at the Swedish aid agency Diakonia. At events in Washington, DC that the Latin America Working Group helped arrange, Pepe spoke about the violence the LGBT community has faced after the coup and what they are doing to organize for change...

What DOES Border Security Look Like?

rrobles@lawg.org (Emma Buckhout, LAWG Intern) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 02:42:47 +0000

President Obama, Congress, and a growing majority of American voters agree that the U.S. immigration system is broken and must be fixed. However, more than a month into the president’s second term and an unending national debate, the question remains: will anything actually happen on immigration reform? Recent events, including a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on “Comprehensive Immigration Reform” held February 13th provided us with an inkling of what we might have in store. Committee Chair Senator Leahy (D-Vt.) echoed President Obama saying “Now is the time” for immigration reform. Meanwhile, Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) saw “overconfidence on this (immigration reform) bill” and asserted that he and others will continue to fight it over issues of earned legalization, enforcement, and border security. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), one of the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” senators working on their own comprehensive immigration framework, indicated support for making reform happen, he also noted that any discussions thus far include “triggers that need to be tripped in terms of border security...”

Killings of Human Rights Defenders Increase in Colombia: What Is Going Wrong?

omartinez@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:52:33 +0000

"What is going wrong in Colombia?" asks the coalition of human rights defenders in Colombia. The government of Juan Manuel Santos last year invested time and funding in mechanisms to protect communities and people at risk, among them human rights defenders.

And yet, in 2012, every five days a defender was assassinated in Colombia, and every 20 hours one defender was attacked. In 2012, 357 men and women in Colombia were attacked for their work as human rights defenders, according to Somos Defensores ("We Are Defenders"), which maintains a unified database of attacks against human rights defenders. Sixty-nine defenders were assassinated, a jump from 49 assassinations in 2011. Indeed, this is the highest number of aggressions against defenders registered by the database in the last ten years, and a 49 percent increase since 2011. The attacks include: 202 threats, 69 assassinations, 50 assaults, 26 arbitrary detentions, 5 forced disappearances, 1 arbitrary use of the penal system, 3 robberies of information, and 1 case of sexual violence...

The Labor Action Plan in Colombia: “When will it be enforced?”

omartinez@lawg.org (Jordan Baber, LAWG Intern) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 20:17:45 +0000

Nowhere in the world is the situation for unionists more dangerous than in Colombia. Approximately 3,000 trade unionists and labor activists have been murdered since 1986, with the great majority of these cases still unresolved. Leaders routinely receive death threats and members of unions are fired as punishment for their membership. In order to help remedy the dire situation, the Labor Action Plan (LAP) was signed between the United States and Colombia in April 2011 as a forerunner to the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. The goal was to clean up the rampant labor rights violations and provide protection for workers’ rights. Unfortunately, progress has been slow and the abuses continue...

Most of Us Used to Be Them: Family Tales of Immigration

omartinez@lawg.org (Lisa, Omar, and Mavis) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:28:56 +0000

President Obama's words as he discussed principles for immigration reform struck a deep chord. Some of us at the Latin America Working Group office decided to reflect on our families' paths to the United States.

Here's what he said:

When we talk about that in the abstract, it’s easy sometimes for the discussion to take on a feeling of “us” versus “them.” And when that happens, a lot of folks forget that most of “us” used to be “them.” We forget that.

It’s really important for us to remember our history. Unless you’re one of the first Americans, a Native American, you came from someplace else. Somebody brought you...

A Journey, a Window, and a New Understanding: A Young Cuban-American Finding Her Identity

echow@lawg.org (Karina Marquez, LAWG Intern) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 18:45:15 +0000

As a first generation Cuban American, I have grown up hearing a wide variety of stories and opinions about this mysterious island that my family originated from. Some from my grandmother, who would talk about the farm that she was raised on called “La Juanita.” She always told me how she loved to ride horses. My mother, who grew up in Havana, would recount stories about her childhood. One story that stuck with me was about how my grandfather made a makeshift window that looked out onto the street so that my grandmother, who was a nervous Nellie, could watch my mother and her sister play outside. None of these stories was particularly negative or positive, pushing my opinion to one side or another. Then there was a flurry of stories about a young boy named Elian Gonzalez, who was about my age. Kids in my elementary school would say, “Oh you’re Cuban like that Elian Gonzalez boy.” And, people were talking about a man named Fidel Castro, and how he was an evil dictator. All of this coming at me from peers, family, friends, and media outlets left me very confused. As a child, it made me feel like I was weird because my family came from this country that “everyone” said negative things regarding it. I knew I was Cuban, but I had no idea how that played into my identity. At that point, I did not really know what to think or believe about Cuba or being Cuban American...

"An Infinite Sadness Overwhelms My Heart...Your Absence"

rrobles@lawg.org (Ruth Isabel Robles) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:20:25 +0000

“Una tristeza infinita agobia mi corazón…tu ausencia. Triste realidad que el llanto nos arranca, mas tengo en mi tristeza una alegría ¡Que algún día te voy a encontrar!” “Hija, solo vivo para encontrarte.”

“An infinite sadness overwhelms my heart..your absence. This sad reality moves us to weep, but within my sadness is a happiness that someday I will find you! Daughter, I only live to find you.”

This was one of many homemade signs hung by victims on the walls of the high school auditorium where victims of violence and human rights activists from Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. gathered in Mexico City last month to take stock and chart next steps for Mexico’s Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity (MPJD). Before discussions started, Father Solalinde, a Catholic priest well-known for his valiant efforts to protect migrants at a shelter in Oaxaca, reminded us all of the urgency of this effort, calling us to “ponernos las pilas,” to buckle down and focus on moving the effort for peace and justice forward...

Now is the Time for Peace with Justice: Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia

omartinez@lawg.org (Omar Martinez) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:55:43 +0000

Now is the time. With spring just around the corner, it’s time we all start thinking about Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia. Every year, communities across the United States come together and join in solidarity with our Colombian brothers and sisters in an effort to show policymakers that now is the time for real change in U.S.-Colombia policy.

Obama Wants Progress on Cuba? Remove Cuba from the Terrorist List!

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 22:06:06 +0000

Fifty-one years ago, the foundation for U.S. policy towards Cuba was made. On February 7th, 1962, the trade restrictions that we recognize today as the Cuban embargo were announced by President John F. Kennedy. President Bill Clinton later furthered the reach of the economic sanctions by signing the Cuban Democracy Act (Torricelli Act) of 1992 and the Cuban Liberty and Solidarity Act (Helms-Burton Act) of 1996 into law.

A Year of Ups and Downs for Labor in Colombia: ENS End of 2012 Review

omartinez@lawg.org (Omar Martinez) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:46:22 +0000

2012 has come and gone and Colombia still has far to go in following up on the Labor Action Plan (LAP). The Labor Action Plan was signed by both the U.S. and Colombian governments during the contentious debate for approval of the Colombia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. It was intended to serve as a road map to address severe labor rights problems in Colombia as well as the systemic problem of anti-union violence which has made Colombia in recent years the most dangerous country in the world to exercise worker rights...

"What Should America Do About Gun Violence?"

rrobles@lawg.org (Emma Buckhout, LAWG Intern) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:49:00 +0000

That was the title of the January 30th Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to consider how Congress should move forward to address gun violence. Emotions ran high as the hearing began with a statement from Gabrielle Giffords, the former congresswoman from Arizona who survived a gunshot wound to the head two years ago. She still struggles with speech, but as she faced the Senate members, she spoke with a determination and force belying the gravity and urgency of her message. “Too many children are dying. Too many children. We must do something. It will be hard, but the time is now. You must act. Be bold. Be courageous. Americans are counting on you.”...

Ríos Montt to be Tried for Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity in Guatemala

omartinez@lawg.org (Omar Martinez) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 14:20:20 +0000

Our partners at the Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA posted this blog about a historic ruling for justice in Guatemala on January 28, 2013. Here's their blog:

A Guatemalan judge affirmed there was sufficient evidence against Generals Ríos Montt and Rodríguez Sánchez to proceed with the case against them. The first hearing will be held on Thursday, January 31.

Colombian Peace Process Advances

omartinez@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 14:40:31 +0000

As Colombia's peace process advances, here are some words to live by.

“We can't condemn Colombians to another one hundred years of solitude and violence.”
--Enrique Santos Calderón, former editor of El Tiempo, brother of President Juan Manuel Santos

“It's one thing that the victims aren't present at the table in Havana, and it's another thing to ignore their voice, deny their rights. A peace without victims will have neither political nor moral legitimacy.”
--Senator Juan Fernando Cristo

"The dialogue for ending the armed conflict should be a moment in which sectors of Colombian society that have been marginalized, discriminated against and excluded have an opportunity to effectively present their demands, needs and rights that have long been neglected."
--Coordinación Colombia Europa Estados Unidos...

A Widow Fights for Justice While the Colombian Government Talks About Reparations

omartinez@lawg.org (Colombia Land Rights Monitor) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:00:06 +0000

The police tried to impede Trinidad Ruiz from looking for the bodies of her husband and son. They were disappeared by paramilitary forces on March 23, 2012. Manuel Ruiz, age 56, and Samir Ruiz, age 15, were executed. Their bodies were dumped in a river and discovered more than four days later by the surviving members of the Ruiz family who were accompanied by Colombian and international human rights organizations. More than eight months later, Mrs. Ruiz and her family are still searching for justice in the highest profile murder of 2012 in Colombia.....

Can Senator Kerry and President Obama Do More for Alan Gross and Cuba policy?

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 21:10:24 +0000

Cuba policy faces a new era with a second Obama Administration and a State Department soon to be led by Senator John Kerry (D-MA). We could well have have some friends in high places, and that’s not at all wrong. President Obama has made some serious changes to U.S.-Cuba policy in allowing for Cuban Americans to travel freely to Cuba without restriction and liberalizing purposeful (people-to-people), religious, academic and cultural travel. Senator Kerry has been a strong congressional ally in advocating for a rational policy towards Cuba. In 2011 he placed a freeze on $20 million in USAID funding that was designated for “democracy promotion” in Cuba, until a report on the ineffectiveness of these programs was produced by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). While there has been progress made in the last four years in pursuing a more sane Cuba policy, there is still a cloud hanging over a real change in our relations with Cuba. That cloud is Alan Gross, a USAID subcontractor who has been detained in Cuba since December 3, 2009. Why? Well, Arturo Lopez-Levy shares some important facts in his piece on The Havana Note, “Is Obama Acting Pragmatically in the Alan Gross Case?”...

Let’s Talk about What We Can Do to Halt the Flow of Assault Weapons into Mexico

omartinez@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard and Jennifer Johnson) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:45:49 +0000

As we continue our national conversation about gun violence in the aftermath of the Newtown elementary school shootings, let's also consider a plea from our neighbors in Mexico. One hundred thousand people -- yes, 100,000 people -- have been killed in the violence that has devastated Mexico in the last six years. Twenty-five thousand people have disappeared. Seven thousand bodies lie unidentified in morgues.

Three Years, and Still Waiting: Haiti after the Earthquake

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 21:34:43 +0000

Three years after the most devastating natural disaster in Haitian history, the earthquake that killed over 300,000 people on January 12th, 2010, Haitians are still struggling to rebuild a semblance of normalcy in their daily lives. Despite the $6.34 billion in humanitarian and recovery funding from the international community that supposedly has already been disbursed in Haiti, reconstruction efforts still appear painfully slow in the eyes of many Haitians. President of the Catholic NGO Caritas Haiti, Pierre André Dumas, called upon all sectors of the country to unite in this time of disillusionment with shortcomings of reconstruction efforts:

"The momentum that followed the earthquake has faded. Much of the promises have not been kept. There is a sense of disappointment among the people: a large part of the population still lives in tents ... We need greater political will, national dialogue and love for this country. We must put aside individual interests."

Clamoring for Land: Video on Bajo Aguan, Honduras

omartinez@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 14:56:16 +0000

Last year I visited Bajo Aguán, a land torn by a terrible land conflict. You can see in this video many of the vivid realities I saw on that trip: the immense, silent, hundreds of miles of African palm plantations, used for biofuel, which wealthy landowners are seeking to expand, setting the stage for the struggle over land; the brutal and overwhelming presence of police and soldiers, with anti-riot gear and guns, up against poor peasants; the testimony of a young man who was doused with gasoline by security forces and threatened with being burned alive; the heartless and violent evictions of communities; the determination and bravery of campesino women and men who take over farms they claim as agrarian reform land, and the cooperative ways in which they eke out a living—until the next eviction or assassination.

Almost Home: A Brazilian American's Reflections on Faith, Culture and Immigration

echow@lawg.org (H. B. Cavalcanti) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:04:00 +0000

With passions running high on immigration and pitched defenses mounting on both sides of the question, the actual stories of immigrants get lost in the broader debate or simply become a backdrop to fierce ideological battles and arguments. That’s why we thought that you might like to hear about a new book by H. B. Cavalcanti, Almost Home: A Brazilian American’s Reflections on Faith, Culture and Immigration. It is a reflection on migration by someone who lived it for 30 years, first as an immigrant, now as a citizen. Here’s what the author has to say:

Ten New Year's Resolutions for U.S. Policy Towards Latin America

echow@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 20:12:11 +0000

U.S. policy towards our Latin American neighbors is, as usual, in need of a few New Year's resolutions. Here goes:

Ban assault weapons. Three months before the murders of 20 children and six adults in Newtown, Connecticut, 110 victims of violence and advocates from Mexico traveled across the United States calling on us to take action to stop the violence that has claimed over 100,000 lives in Mexico during the last six years. They asked us to ban the assault weapons that arm Mexico's brutal cartels. Some70 percent of assault weapons and other firearms used by criminal gangs in Mexico come from the United States. The United States should reinstate and tighten the assault weapon ban and enforce the ban on the import of assault weapons into our country, which are then smuggled into Mexico. Do it for Newtown. Do it for Aurora. Do it for Mexico's mothers and fathers who have lost their children to senseless violence.

Mexico’s Human Rights Defenders Call for Implementation of Protection Mechanism in New Video

rrobles@lawg.org (Jenny Johnson) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 20:40:05 +0000

No question, Mexico’s new President Enrique Peña Nieto was faced with many profound and pressing human rights issues when he assumed office on December 1st. With human rights defenders and journalists enduring alarming levels of threats and attacks in Mexico, including targeted killings and disappearances by both state and non-state actors that have gone largely uninvestigated and unpunished, many are calling on Peña Nieto to commit to provide the political will and resources needed to protect defenders and journalists and prevent future attacks.

Unraveling Justice: Military Jurisdiction Expanded in Colombia

omartinez@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:45:34 +0000

On December 11, the day after International Human Rights Day, the Colombian Congress approved a justice “reform” bill that will likely result in many gross human rights violations by members of the military being tried in military courts—and remaining in impunity. The bill, along with a separate ruling by the Council of State, unravels the reforms put in place after the “false positives” scandal in which over 3,000 civilians were killed by soldiers.

Keep the Rule of Law and Human Rights on the Binational Agenda with Mexico

rrobles@lawg.org (Jenny Johnson) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 21:14:14 +0000

Just days before his inauguration on December 1st, Mexico’s president-elect Enrique Peña Nieto will make a short visit to Washington, DC to meet with President Obama and leaders in Congress to discuss the U.S.-Mexico relationship in the next sexenio. In a recent guest op-ed in the Washington Post, Peña Nieto made clear his desire to shift the focus of the bilateral relationship away from security concerns and the fight against organize crime towards trade and economic interests.

Throwing Stones at the Moon: Narratives from Colombians Displaced by Violence

omartinez@lawg.org (Chelsey Crim, LAWG Intern) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 22:31:01 +0000

Edited and compiled by Max Schoening and Sibylla Brodzinsky, Throwing Stones at the Moon: Narratives from Colombians Displaced by Violence, offers a glimpse into the tragedy faced by the women, men and children who have had to flee their homes because of the violence affecting Colombia. Part of the Voice of Witness book series, Throwing Stones at the Moon: Narratives from Colombians Displaced by Violence is a compilation of stories from Colombia’s victims of violence, offering personal accounts about the effects Colombia’s internal armed conflict has had on civilians.

Talking Peace in Colombia

omartinez@lawg.org (Chelsey Crim, LAWG Intern) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 14:53:33 +0000

You’ve likely heard about the exciting buzz that has been permeating in Colombia. Yes, you guessed it; we’re talking about the announcement of the peace talks! We’ve decided to compile our own list of interesting sources –including the important voices of different civil society actors that are sometimes not heard –for our faithful readers to easily access.

Hurricane Sandy Devastates Eastern Cuba: How You Can Help

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:53:16 +0000

While many of us are facing the difficult task of rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy’s devastation along the north Atlantic coast, there are many others who face this undertaking with few or no resources, even without food reserves to face the days that have followed. Those living in Cuba’s second largest city, Santiago de Cuba, and in other towns in eastern Cuba were directly hit by Sandy’s wrath a few days before she reached the shores of the United States. On October 25, winds of 110 miles per hour devastated homes, businesses, and agriculture in the eastern provinces of Cuba for up to five hours. Now the Cuban people, just like many here in the United States, are in the recovery stages.

There Is No Turning Back Now: Honduran LGBTQ Activists Confront Oppression, Make Gains

omartinez@lawg.org (Danielle Marie Mackey) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 17:23:19 +0000

The Honduran LGBTQ community is a relatively young movement that faces overwhelming discrimination and violence in a post-coup nation. In the early years, the community was nominally tolerated; gay male hairdressers of the Air Force wives, for instance, competed as comedy acts in annual Air Force beauty pageants. It was not until the year 2000 that the first legally-constituted LGBTQ organizations appeared. Activists say that advances in human rights protections have historically been followed by waves of repression, but that the most recent wave—that which has followed the 2009 coup—is the most severe. The Diversity Resistance Movement (MDR for its name in Spanish) is an LGBTQ group that formed in the tumultuous wake of the coup. In June 2012, I sat down with three of its members—Roberto Canizales, a history professor at the National University; and Ever Guillen Castro and Jose Palacios, both advocacy officers with European cooperation agencies based in Honduras. The three long-time activists discussed everything from who’s behind the repression, to the recent murder of their friend Erick Martinez, to the hope they have for the future of their community. Visit MDR on Facebook or at their blog-news site.

Through Soup and Mangos: Observations from Cuba

echow@lawg.org (Guest Blogger, Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 15:31:26 +0000

I have been curious about Cuba since 1999 when a friend told me to get there before the United States invaded because there would be a Gap store on every corner. Her photos showed a uniqueness, an old authenticity that I didn’t think I had experienced before. As a long- time wanderlust sufferer, if a highly-regarded worldly friend tells me a place is a “must see,” it goes on the list. I never did my homework about Cuba but rather, like many of us, allowed myself to be fed the random dogma and propaganda from the news. My curiosity lingered, and in 2007 while working for the U.S. government in the Caribbean, I learned the HIV rates in Cuba were thought to be among the lowest in the world. This was largely accomplished through quarantine. If you had HIV, you were segregated. How awful, I thought. What a terrible and demoralizing way to treat people. This rounded out my perceptions about Cuba. A place full of culture and antiquity but drowning in oppression and prejudice. I still wanted to go. In May of this year, while trolling the net for Cuba trips, I discovered Global Exchange; and as crazy luck would have it, Busboys and Poetswas taking a group to Cuba the same week I was free! [editor’s note: Busboys and Poets is a restaurant, bookstore, lounge, and theater in Washington, D.C., founded in 2005 by Andy Shallal. It has been described as a haven for writers, thinkers and performers from America's progressive social and political movements.]

Dramatic Changes in Travel Policy for Cuban Citizens

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:00:53 +0000

The Cuban government has lifted travel restrictions for its citizens. Yes, you’re reading that correctly…the Cuban government.

Reuters reports that the announcement was made official today in the Cuban state newspaper, Granma. “The government now is set to lift requirements to obtain an exit visa permitting departure from Cuba and a letter of invitation from someone in the destination country. Instead, starting on January 14, Cubans will simply have to show a passport and, if needed, a visa from the country to which they are traveling, Communist Party newspaper Granma said.”

Driving Home Labor Rights in Colombia

omartinez@lawg.org (Chelsey Crim, LAWG Intern) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0000

“Here we have two governments and a very standard labor issue with a small group of workers, yet no resolution, which is very disconcerting. If this can’t be resolved, what can we expect to happen in terms of broader protection for labor?”
Lisa Haugaard, Executive Director of the Latin America Working Group

On September 13, 2012 the Washington Office on Latin America, the Latin America Working Group Education Fund, Witness for Peace and the United Steelworkers welcomed Jorge Parra, leader of ASOTRECOL, Association of Injured Workers and Ex-workers of General Motors Colombia, to speak about the group’s struggle protesting their illegal firing from the U.S. - based company. Claiming they were fired for their work-related injuries, members of ASOTRECOL have been protesting in front of the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia, demanding to be reintegrated into the company -and to be fairly compensated for their work-related injuries.

Celebrating Colombia's Defenders: First National Human Rights Prize

omartinez@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 14:54:34 +0000

We are often telling you about the dangers faced by Colombian human rights defenders—the email death threats and terrifying phone calls, the funeral wreaths labeled with their names sent to their homes, the trade unionist or land rights activist shot dead.

But there is also much to celebrate in the creativity, bravery and dedication of Colombia's human rights community. And celebrate they did in September 2012, as Colombian civil society leaders and the international agencies coalition DIAL (Inter-Agency Dialogue on Colombia) launched Colombia's first national human rights prize.

Still a Dream: Land Restitution on Colombia’s Caribbean Coast

omartinez@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 13:54:19 +0000

As Colombia moves forward with a peace process, the government’s ability to deliver on restitution and reparations to victims is crucial for construction of a just and lasting peace. Lutheran World Relief and the Latin America Working Group Education Fund, along with our partner Agenda Caribe, toured the Caribbean coast of Colombia, the provinces of Sucre, Bolívar and Córdoba, in June 2012 to investigate whether displaced communities are starting to be able to return to their land and whether the Colombian government’s landmark initiative, the Victims’ and Land Restitution Law, has gotten off the ground. This law aims to provide reparations to victims of the conflict and land restitution or compensation for some of the more than 5 million people who were displaced by violence. It has generated enthusiasm in the international community and raised hopes among survivors of violence in Colombia’s brutal, decades-old conflict. See our full report, Still a Dream: Land Restitution on Colombia’s Caribbean Coast, here.

A Lawyer for Rural Justice in Honduras Slain

rrobles@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 20:11:19 +0000

On Saturday night, September 22th, 2012, after he attended a wedding, Antonio Trejo Cabrera was shot six times. He later died at a Tegucigalpa hospital. He was the legal representative of the MARCA campesino movement, and in June he had won the historic though still contested judgment in favor of returning three plantations to campesinos in Bajo Aguán.

“Since they couldn't beat him on the courts, they killed him,” said Vitalino Alvarez, a spokesman for Bajo Aguan's peasant movements, cited in an Associated Press story. Trejo "had denounced those responsible for his future death on many occasions." Trejo also prepared legal challenges to a proposal by U.S. and Honduran companies to run privately-run charter cities that critics call unconstitutional, as they would skirt national labor and other laws.

Let’s Listen to the Message: Mexico’s Caravan for Peace Calls for a New Approach to Drug Violence

rrobles@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 20:36:46 +0000

One hundred and ten victims of violence from Mexico and human rights activists traveled thousands of miles, caravanning in 2 buses to visit 25 cities across the United States to urge communities from Los Angeles to New York, Tucson to Montgomery to help them stop the horrific violence that is afflicting their families and their country. The Latin America Working Group was proud to join with Global Exchange, Washington Office on Latin America, Drug Policy Alliance, Witness for Peace, Center for International Policy, RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, Mennonite Central Committee, and many other partner organizations and faith communities to host this historic caravan as they ended their journey on September 12, 2012 in Washington, DC. and other partners to host this historic caravan as they ended their journey on September 12, 2012 in Washington, DC.

Colombians Speak of Peace, Once Again

omartinez@lawg.org (Omar Martinez) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 15:12:25 +0000

As peace negotiations seem, we are so glad to hear, once again possible in Colombia, we would like to share this statement from Colombians for Peace (Colombianos y Colombianos por la Paz):

Historic Step Forward by Mexico's Supreme Court

rrobles@lawg.org (Ashley Garcia ) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 22:05:59 +0000

On Tuesday, August 21, 2012, Mexico’s Supreme Court handed down a historic ruling that declared unconstitutional a section of the military code that has been used to grant military courts jurisdiction over all crimes committed by the Mexican armed forces, thereby permitting the military to investigate their own soldiers accused of even torture, rape and extrajudicial execution of civilians and thwarting victims in their efforts to find justice.

American University Student Reflects on Education and Social Justice Alternative Spring Break to Cuba

echow@lawg.org (Josh Halpren, American University Class of 2014 ) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 17:48:20 +0000

As I pushed an old flamboyantly-painted yellow school bus down the streets of Havana in front of the U.S. Interests Section and a billboard exclaiming “Venceremos!” (We will overcome), I realized how privileged I was to spend a week in a country so mysterious to U.S. citizens, and so troubled, yet filled with beautiful, smart, and passionate people. I don’t pretend to believe that I could possibly understand Cuba in one week, but I can say that after visiting the island only 90 miles from the Florida Keys, I am a better person, I think more critically about what I am told, and I see the connection between the U.S. and Cuban people as a connection worth fighting for. Photo by Josh Halpren: Participants from AU's Alternative Break program to Cuba

Black and Blue, Injured GM Workers in Colombia Protest Labor Injustice

omartinez@lawg.org (Omar Martinez) — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 15:29:41 +0000

It was a beautiful day in Bogotá, Colombia. It had not rained at all and the sun was shining with no clouds. Taking in the beautiful sunshine and enjoying the chilly yet comfortable temperature, my colleagues and I sat in a beautiful park in downtown Bogotá and discussed our upcoming meeting with ASOTRECOL, the Association of Injured and Ex-Workers of GM Colmotores de Colombia. After a brief intro into their labor plight and subsequent firings, we hailed taxis and made our way to the U.S. Embassy.

Sin País Airing on PBS

omartinez@lawg.org (Omar Martinez) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 14:11:57 +0000

As part of their Documentaries with a Point of View (POV) program, PBS will be broadcasting Sin País nationally on August 9, 2012.

Sin País (Without Country) attempts to get beyond the partisan politics and mainstream media’s ‘talking point’ approach to immigration issues by exploring one family’s complex and emotional journey involving deportation.

From Survivors to Defenders: Violence Against Women on the Rise in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala

rrobles@lawg.org (Ella Kirchner) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 20:18:57 +0000

"The war on drugs in Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala has become a war on women," say Nobel Peace Laureates Jody Williams and Rigoberta Menchú. Women in these countries are at an increased risk of gender-based violence, including murder, rape, forced disappearances, and arbitrary detention. Violence is on the rise in all three countries, due to many factors, including the war on drugs. The vast majority of violent crimes are not investigated or prosecuted in these countries, which has created an atmosphere of impunity for the perpetrators. More than 95 percent of crimes against women in Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala go unpunished. This lack of justice discourages victims from reporting crimes when doing so is unlikely to result in convictions. In addition, victims may be targeted if they attempt to bring charges or to call attention to the problem. In particular, women human rights defenders, journalists, indigenous activists or women who are otherwise advocating for change in their communities are targeted.

Obama and Florida Legislators Come to an Empty Agreement on Cuba, For Now

echow@lawg.org (Alivia Tison, LAWG intern) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 20:51:08 +0000

One of the most misunderstood issues in U.S. foreign policy is our policy towards Cuba. During the last election season, President Obama made clear his intentions to open a discussion about improving U.S.-Cuba relations.

Despite Obama's Visit, Afro-Colombian Communities Surrounding Cartagena Lack Titles

omartinez@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 14:26:25 +0000

In old city Cartagena, Colombia, elegant colonial buildings with verandas and wooden shutters contain trendy restaurants, a Benetton store and expensive shoe shops. But the Afro-Colombians selling strands of pearls on the sidewalks, who add life to this tropical tourist haven, may have come from Urabá, Carmen de Bolivar, Marίa la Baja or other areas where threats and clashes between all the armed actors, paramilitaries, guerrillas and the armed forces forced them to flee the violence.

Florida Lawmakers overstep Obama on Cuba policy: Where’s SCOTUS?

echow@lawg.org (Alivia Tison, LAWG Intern) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 19:50:47 +0000

These days, current United States policy towards Cuba seems to be maneuvered by a strong backbone called Florida, who appears to be standing a little taller. With recent news of stiffer laws that Florida state legislators have backed to their 90.5-mile away neighbor, could the state of Florida be overstretching its rights and treading upon the federal government by creating its own foreign policy?

Granito: How to Nail a Dictator Airing on PBS

omartinez@lawg.org (Omar Martinez) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 17:32:47 +0000

Granito: How to Nail a Dictator will be nationally broadcasted on June 28, 2012 by PBS as part of the Documentaries with a Point of View (POV) program.

In a stunning milestone for justice in Central America, a Guatemalan court recently charged former dictator Efrain Rios Montt with genocide for his brutal war against the country's Mayan people in the 1980s -- and Pamela Yates' 1983 documentary, When the Mountains Tremble, provided key evidence for bringing the indictment. Granito: How to Nail a Dictator tells the extraordinary story of how a film, aiding a new generation of human rights activists, became a granito -- a tiny grain of sand -- that helped tip the scales of justice.

We Just Want the Government to Enforce Its Laws: Violence in Bajo Aguán, Honduras

bleiter@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:19:12 +0000

"We just want the government to enforce its own laws," we heard over and over again, as we listened to women and men from campesino communities who were testifying about murder, torture and violent land evictions in Bajo Aguán, Honduras.

Terror on the Patuca River, Honduras

echow@lawg.org (Eric Oliver) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 17:54:25 +0000

On May 11 in rural Honduras, a late-night anti-narcotic mission involving American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents and U.S.-owned equipment resulted in the death of four people—two of them pregnant women, a fourteen-year-old boy and a 21-year-old man. One of the leading Honduran human rights organizations, COFADEH, released this detailed report, calling the event “unacceptable and reprehensible.”

Notes from the Evidence Project: Guatemalan Government to Dismantle its “Archives of Peace”

bleiter@lawg.org (Kate Doyle) — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 15:38:58 +0000

In a surprise move, the Guatemalan government has announced the effective closing of the “Peace Archives,” one of the most active and important institutions created in the wake of the 1996 peace accords to promote peace, truth and reconciliation. According to Guatemalan press accounts, the Secretary of Peace Antonio Arenales Forno stated that by June 29 the government would “cancel [labor] contracts for which I see no justification and end the functions of an office that I find makes no sense.”

LAWG supports Cuban American Commission for Family Rights against Rep. Rivera Amendment

echow@lawg.org (Alivia Tison, LAWG Intern) — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 19:44:07 +0000

With nearly 2 million Cubans in the United States, approximately 400,000 travelled last year to Cuba. Fifty percent of family members who travel to Cuba are U.S. residents, not citizens. U.S. Rep. David Rivera has proposed an amendment to make it illegal for Cuban residents living in the U.S. to travel to Cuba for any reason (i.e. a death in the family, daughter is sick…etc.) and then return to the United States. What will happen if this goes into effect? Well, before that happens, the Cuban American Commission for Family Rights (CACFR) is speaking out; and its executive director, Silvia Wilhelm, said, “We will fight this cruelty proposed by Rivera.” The Latin America Working Group is 100% behind CACFR. See below for CACFR's full press release.

Rivera's bill would turn "the act of travel to Cuba into a deportable offense" says Rep. Lofgren

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 14:21:15 +0000

Yesterday in the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Policy Enforcement a bill proposed by Representative David Rivera (R-FL-25) was heard. His bill H.R. 2831 aims to amend the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1996 to " prohibit Cubans who claim political asylum in the United States from returning to the island nation. The proposal would revoke the residency status of any Cuban national who returns to Cuba after receiving political asylum and residency in the United States under the Cuban Adjustment Act," says the Miami Herald's "Naked Politics" blog.

We Resist with Art, Hip-Hop and Dance

bleiter@lawg.org (Shaina Aber (Guest Contributor)) — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:46:37 +0000

Many of the displaced residents of Buenaventura live in the La Playita neighborhood. The homes sit on stilts over the water, and the roads usually flood in the daily rains. (Christian Fuchs — Jesuit Refugee Service/USA)

(Buenaventura, Colombia) May 21, 2012 — Between the Western-most range of the Colombian Andes and the Pacific Ocean in the Department of Valle de Cauca lays the city Buenaventura — Colombia's principal port city and also one of its deadliest.

While there are few international headlines that highlight the ongoing nearly 50-year-long armed conflict, Buenaventura has received massive numbers of displaced Colombians in recent years fleeing violent displacement by armed groups. Buenaventura also has one of the highest rates of intra-urban displacement, and struggles with a 60% unemployment rate.

Colombia: On Assignment in Soacha

bleiter@lawg.org (Shaina Aber (Guest Contributor) ) — Mon, 21 May 2012 20:11:09 +0000

(Bogota) May 14, 2012 — It is easier to be optimistic about the humanitarian situation in Colombia from within the confines of the vibrant city centers of Bogota, Cartagena and Barranquilla. There the thriving economy, spurred by a surge in foreign investment, reports of a growing middle class and the general warmth of the Colombian people can lull you into feeling that all is well in Colombia, that the nearly 50 years of civil war have been left behind and that the shadowy illegal armed groups who leave terror in their wake have all but been defeated.

Don’t Be Distracted By The Flowers

bleiter@lawg.org (Annalise Udall Romoser) — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:41:11 +0000

Last night, 4, 200 boxes of beautiful flowers took flight on a plane from Bogotá, Colombia to Miami, Florida. They arrived early this morning to US shores and represent the first product to enter the US under the Colombia-United States Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The agreement went into effect today.

Who Killed Daniel Aguirre and Why?

bleiter@lawg.org (Aldo Cívico) — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:36:47 +0000

El homicidio el pasado 27 de abril en Florida, Valle , de Daniel Aguirre Piedrahíta fue un asesinato de alto perfil. Él fue uno de los principales voceros de los corteros de caña y el secretario general de una de las más importantes organizaciones sindicales, Sinalcorteros. De origen campesino y un antiguo trabajador de Incauca, desde 2004 participó en todas las negociaciones con los directivos de los ingenios. Fue uno de los líderes de las huelgas de 2005 y 2008. Su lucha fue a favor de la contratación directa, la estabilidad laboral, los servicios sociales, las inversiones para la comunidad y el derecho a la unión sindical, entre otros.

Murder of Trade Unionist Underscores Fragility of U.S.-Colombia Labor Action Plan

bleiter@lawg.org (Washington Office on Latin America) — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:40:47 +0000

On April 27, 2012, labor union leader Daniel Aguirre was murdered by an assailant who shot him in the head twice while he was walking home in the town of Florida in Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Mr. Aguirre was Secretary General of the SINALCORTEROS union and had been a leading figure in the sugarcane cutters’ movement since 2005.

Cuban Americans for Engagement (C.A.F.E.) visit Washington, DC

echow@lawg.org (Cuban Americans for Engagement (C.A.F.E)) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:27:23 +0000

On April 16th and 17th a group of Cuban Americans of different political persuasions from states including Florida, Illinois, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, and Kentucky visited Washington DC in order to promote engagement in relations between Cuba and the United States with members of Congress, the U.S. State Department, and the Cuban Interests Section in Washington. We counted on the support of the Latin America Working Group (LAWG) and the Washington Office of Latin America (WOLA) for such an undertaking. Para leer en español haz un click aquí.

Witness for Peace: The Cuba Rambler

echow@lawg.org (Diego Benitez, Witness for Peace) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:43:39 +0000

From the unique perspective of Diego Benitez from Witness for Peace (WFP) who has been on the ground in Havana, Cuba since the beginning of the year. WFP is a politically independent, nationwide grassroots organization of people committed to nonviolence and led by faith and conscience. WFP’s mission is to support peace, justice and sustainable economies in the Americas by changing U.S. policies and corporate practices which contribute to poverty and oppression in Latin America and the Caribbean. WFP established an active delegations program in Cuba in 1999. Delegates worked to expose the human costs of the U.S. embargo. Over the next four years, thousands of activists traveled to Cuba with WFP before President Bush revoked WFP's license to travel to Cuba in 2005.

Colombia: “Disappearances happen when people think differently”

echow@lawg.org (Eric Oliver) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:37:37 +0000

“Very few people have been found, so the question’s always there: how do we talk about them? Is or was? Presence or absence?”

It’s hard to understand what exactly it means to be disappeared. One day a daughter, father, or aunt is there, and the next they aren’t. Families are left to search endlessly for their loved ones, meeting immense resistance from the government, and all the while never knowing if their loved one is across town or across the country, dead or alive.

What Guillen Means for the Summit of the Americas

echow@lawg.org (Carly Quaglio, LAWG Intern) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:59:01 +0000

In case you hadn’t noticed, it seems that Cuba has been popping up in mainstream news headlines a lot in the past week. From Ozzie Guillen’s comments about Fidel Castro to this weekend’s Summit of the Americas, Cuba is a hot topic these days. The strange thing is—Cuba isn’t in the news for what its people or government have done—it’s in the news because U.S. citizens and politicians are putting in their two cents about the country (as is so often the case).

What Should Be on the Agenda at the Summit: Protect Human Rights Defenders

echow@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:37:30 +0000

I can tell you what should be on the table for discussion at the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia: The safety of the region’s human rights defenders.

Alexander Quintero campaigned for justice for the victims of Colombia's 2001 Naya River massacre, committed by paramilitary forces. “He brought us all together, indigenous, Afro-Colombian and mestizo communities,” said a colleague. “It could have been any of us,” a sobbing defender said, as she told me about his May 2010 murder.

Ricardo Alarcón says "Cuba of course aspires to the normalization of relations with the United States"

echow@lawg.org (Carly Quaglio) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:51:51 +0000

President of the Cuban Parliament, Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada, was interviewed last week by Dr. Salim Lamrani, lecturer at Paris Sorbonne Paris IV University and expert on U.S.-Cuba relations, for publication in The Huffington Post. The interviewer and the interviewee produced an absorbing conversation on the state of U.S.-Cuba relations, particularly how the countries can cooperate to move forward—a step that Alarcón claims would benefit both sides of the Florida Straits. He should know. Prior to his position as President of the Parliament, Alarcón spent twelve years in the United States as Cuban ambassador to the United Nations. Throughout the conversation, the two men did not hesitate to discuss some of the touchier topics plaguing U.S.-Cuba relations: including migration, the current administration, normalized relations, and even Alan Gross. Read below for excerpts of the more compelling questions and responses:

They Don’t Believe Us: Human Rights Abuses in Colombia

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 21:05:25 +0000

As the National Days of Action for Peace in Colombia begin this week, I wanted to share the original poem "They Don't Believe Us" that Colombian human rights defender, Orlando Bolaños, read aloud to me when I visited him on a human rights verification mission in December.

Dr. Reinerio Arce: “If you go this year you will find another Cuba”

echow@lawg.org (Carly Quaglio) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:53:47 +0000

Dr. Reinerio Arce, President of the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Matanzas, Cuba, participated in a briefing at Washington, DC’s National Council of Churches last week regarding the current reality of religious life and the role of churches in Cuba. Dr. Arce’s presentation focused on the current economic and social changes occurring on the island and how they have affected various faiths and churches. He also expressed deep support for small, but important measures taken by the Obama Administration in regards to religious travel--which he claims has greatly facilitated his seminary’s ability to carry out social projects. Dr. Arce began by stressing the importance of the relationships between U.S. and Cuban churches:

Honduran Human Rights Defenders at Risk, Says UN

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:46:23 +0000

Honduras was singled out for a visit by the United Nation's Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, in February 2012. The Honduran government, and the international community, should listen to what she had to say. You can find a complete version in English here, in Spanish here. The Special Rapporteur's recommendations and conclusions provide a road map for basic protections for Honduras' at-risk defenders. Let's hope that the Honduran government takes them to heart.

The Two Cubas: Travel and See

bleiter@lawg.org (Carly Quaglio, LAWG Intern) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 20:34:57 +0000

Information on Cuba can often be biased, misinformed and confusing. Two recently published articles, one from the Wall Street Journal and the other from the Council on Foreign Relations, highlight this constant conflict in the U.S. media. These articles provide two starkly different opinions of Cuba. When presented with two contradictory portrayals of the same topic, how do you know what to believe?

The Putumayo Women’s Alliance: “Transforming Pain Into Strength” (Part Two)“

vkritzer@lawg.org (Winifred Tate, LAWGEF Board Member) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 22:58:59 +0000

Happy International Women's Day from all of us at LAWG! In honor of this holiday, we are publishing the second half of an interview about the Putumayo Women’s Alliance, a network of women’s organizations and activists working together for peace and justice in the middle of a conflict zone. Human rights defender Nancy Sanchez recalls

"The women marched, they yelled slogans, they painted footsteps on the sidewalks and roads, they organized theater performances that demonstrated the pain of searching for disappeared family members. This protest was for all the mothers and women victims who became, because of the violence, political leaders, moved by love for their children, this love that forced them to search, to insist on knowing the truth of what happened to them, to demand justice, to demand rights, as a form of transforming pain into strength, and resistance to adversity.”

Saluting Donald Payne: A Friend for Refugees, Displaced People, and Human Rights in Latin America and Africa

vkritzer@lawg.org (Latin America Working Group) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 23:16:39 +0000

We were greatly saddened to learn of the death of Congressman Donald M. Payne. When we needed members of Congress to stand up for peace, justice and human rights in Latin America, Mr. Payne was always there.

Cuba on the Terrorist List for 30th Year

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:36:42 +0000

Today, March 1st, marks the 30th anniversary of Cuba’s placement on the State Department’s list of State Sponsors of Terrorism. In 1982 Cuba was added to this list because, according to the Congressional Research Services 2005 report, “At the time, numerous U.S. government reports and statements under the Reagan Administration alleged Cuba’s ties to international terrorism and its support for terrorist groups in Latin America.” The report goes on to recall Cuba’s involvement in supporting revolutionary movements in Africa and other Latin American countries. In “1992 Fidel Castro stressed that his country’s support for insurgents abroad was a thing of the past,” mainly due to the fall of the Soviet Union and subsequent loss of resources following the fall.

Post-Oscars Buzz: A Better Life? You Decide.

bleiter@lawg.org (Carly Quaglio, LAWG Intern) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:15:48 +0000

*Spoiler alert! Details of Demián Bichir’s Oscar-nominated performance in A Better Life exposed here!

Bummed all the hype surrounding the Oscars is over? Hopefully the annual awards show opened your eyes to some fantastic films. One that I would personally urge you to see is A Better Life.

Mexican actor Demián Bichir was nominated for Best Actor for his performance in this timely film about immigration. Bichir plays Carlos Galindo, an honest, hardworking gardener and undocumented Mexican immigrant living in East Los Angeles with his teenage son. The struggles Carlos faces as a single father are exacerbated by his undocumented status and the gangs that are constantly trying to recruit his son, Luis.

Mexico Sends Message to the United States: No More Weapons!

bleiter@lawg.org (Ben Leiter) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:46:26 +0000

Just a a few steps south of the U.S.-Mexico border, President Calderón unveiled a towering billboard last week wielding a message written in plain English: “No More Weapons!” Weighing over 3 tons, the billboard itself is made of seized firearms that have been chopped, melted and welded together. Visible from the United States, the call is clear: halt the southbound flow of guns that fuel violence in Mexico.

Sonia Pierre and Dominicans of Haitian Descent: “We are being erased as human beings”

bleiter@lawg.org (Cecily Scott Martin) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:49:49 +0000

Back in October I was lucky enough to see Sonia Pierre, a longtime activist for Dominicans of Haitian descent, speak at what would be one of her last public events before her death the following month. Like the people she spent her life defending, Sonia was born on a batey to Haitian parents who migrated to the Dominican Republic in search of better jobs. Bateys are Dominican sugar plantations where Haitian migrant workers and their offspring face appalling working conditions and live in poverty, marginalized from the rest of Dominican society.

“Underground America: Narratives of Undocumented Lives,” a Reflection

bleiter@lawg.org (Amy Smetana, LAWG Intern) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:56:49 +0000

I was not prepared when I opened Underground America: Narratives of Undocumented Lives. One moment I was sitting at my desk, and the next I was with Roberto, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. I followed him as he moved from one underpaying, exhausting job to the next; working even harder once he had his own family. I was by his side when he received amnesty, but his family didn’t. They voluntarily left the country while he stayed behind to continue working to support them. Here Roberto recounts his own experiences, providing me a glimpse into his struggles and feelings of profound loneliness and loss.

Back from Havana

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Taking advantage of President Obama’s liberalized regulations that have re-established people-to-people licensed travel to Cuba, members of LAWG staff partnered with Witness for Peace and led a delegation of 25 people to study and learn about the art and culture of Cuba. Our delegation met with artists such as Sandra Ramos, Kadir and Kelvin Lopez, saw performances by students in one of Havana’s many schools for the arts, visited Ernest Hemingway’s home, witnessed the magic of the Cuba National Ballet, participated in folkloric dance led by a community group “Okantomi,” dialogued with members of the Cuban National Assembly, Ministry of Foreign Relations, Ministry of Tourism, Union of Artists and Writers, and the United States Interests Section in Havana.

“It Could Happen to Any of Us”: Deadly Attacks Against Colombian Human Rights Defenders

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:40:00 +0000

“It’s hard for us to do human rights work where we are. We have to hide what we are doing so they don’t watch us. Our comings and goings are monitored. Our emails are monitored. Our leaders are in a permanent state of stress, not just for themselves but for their children. It was hard for us to even get out to talk to you.”

This is what I heard from one activist when I visited Colombia on an international mission to investigate the status of human rights defenders this past December. Unfortunately, he was not alone in describing this systematic persecution and attacks against those working for justice in Colombia.

Open the Suitcase: Declassify Guatemalan Military Files

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:52:49 +0000

Fifteen years after the Guatemala's brutal internal armed conflict, justice is still out of grasp and much remains secret. In 2008, Guatemalan President Álvaro Colom promised to set up a commission to declassify top-secret military documents on the war. The new military archive could be a crucial part of advancing justice for cases from the war. However, when the archive opened last year, human rights groups found that it revealed far less than it should. Located on a military base, it is not welcoming to the human rights groups and victims who will make greatest use of its documents. And what’s more, many documents that should be there, such as operational military plans, are not included.

The Putumayo Women’s Alliance: “Here We Are Still Fighting” (Part One)

vkritzer@lawg.org (Winifred Tate, LAWGEF Board Member) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:24:08 +0000

“On horseback, on motorcycles, in canoes, in jeeps, on unpaved roads, over mountains and through jungles, we arrived to listen to the voices of women.”

This account of a powerful Colombian women’s movement is brought to us by Winifred Tate, a LAWGEF Board Member and Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Colby College. Ms. Tate translated and edited the following interview with Nancy Sanchez of the Colombian human rights group Asociación MINGA about the Putumayo Women’s Alliance, a network of women’s organizations and activists working together for peace and justice in the middle of a conflict zone. This is the first of two posts about the Putumayo Women’s Alliance.

Rep. Serrano "shocked and apalled" at attempt to suffocate Cuba family travel

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:19:03 +0000

Congressman José Serrano (NY-16) issued a statement today saying he was "shocked and apalled" at the "heartless approach" by House Republicans to shut down all family travel to Cuba during the holiday season (read full press release below). Rolled into a spending “Megabus” bill that is being pushed through Congress is language that would restrict family travel to Cuba for Cuban Americans to once every three years, no exceptions. However, not only does this amendment, led by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, separate families, it also redefines what constitutes a family circle, limiting the definition to immediate family only.

What This Company Did to Us: Rape and Displacement in Guatemala

vkritzer@lawg.org (Vanessa Kritzer) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

“It was like out of a movie. Planes, helicopters, flying in over our houses. No one knew they were coming.” Irma Yolanda told us. “The women were in our houses with our children. I was cooking the little bit of beans I had to give to my children and making tortillas… Then the [armed] men came in. They ate all the food they found in every home. After they ate, they threw gasoline over all the houses and set them on fire. We tried to find refuge in the mountains. But it was raining. My children shivering with cold. So there was nothing we could do but return.” Two weeks later, these private security, police, and national armed forces came back to evict Irma Yolanda’s poor, Maya Q’eqchi community once and for all to make way for the nickel mining company that wanted their lands. Finding that the men were out in the fields, they gang raped Irma Yolanda and ten other women, a brutal tactic used to convince the community to abandon their homes.

Remove Cuba from the List of State Sponsors of Terrorism

echow@lawg.org (Katherine Trujillo) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:14:48 +0000

Last week, the Latin America Working Group partnered with the Center for International Policy to host a conference examining Cuba’s placement on the State Department’s list of State Sponsors of Terrorism. Along with Mavis Anderson from LAWG, speakers included renowned Cuba experts Wayne Smith (Center for International Policy), Robert Muse (Muse and Associates), Carlos Alzugaray (University of Havana), Sarah Stephens (Center for Democracy in the Americas), and Arturo Lopez-Levy (University of Denver). Each panelist spoke critically of this designation, which has served to hurt Cubans rather than affect political changes in Cuba, or combat real terrorist threats.

"When people take over the policy, it's going to change"

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:21:51 +0000

Last night on "Strategy Session with Antonio Gonzalez" on 90.7 KPFK, LAWG's Senior Associate, Mavis Anderson, discussed the current political reality of U.S. policy towards Cuba. While there are some who will criticize President Obama's slow movement in changing our outdated Cuba policy, "kudos should be given where kudos are due," says Anderson. Obama has made some of the changes available to him under executive authority in permitting Cuban Americans to travel freely back and forth to the island, liberalizing the travel licensing process, and also issuing a veto threat if any legislation is proposed in Congress that aims at repealing his positive changes.

Border Patrol Abuse Cruel and Widespread

echow@lawg.org (Ben Leiter and Katrina Weeks) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:59:31 +0000

After ten years of making a life for himself in the beach-front city of Santa Monica, California, Jorge Romero* was deported to Mexico, joining the ranks of nearly 400,000 other undocumented migrants removed from the United States this past fiscal year. Behind the record high number of deportations by the Obama Administration are stark, human stories of broken families and untold abuse suffered by those who attempt to return to their homes in the United States. Jorge, who left behind his cousin and father in Santa Monica, was one of those to brave the dangerous journey back. On the way, he was apprehended and grossly abused by the U.S. Border Patrol. This is his story, as recorded by humanitarian organization No More Deaths:

Changes in Cuba warrant U.S. policy responses

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:23:42 +0000

Significant changes being implemented by the Cuban government to permanently alter the island's economy have so far fallen on deaf ears in Washington.

A new report by the Center for Democracy in the Americas, Cuba’s New Resolve: Economic Reform and its Implications for U.S. Policy, identifies a number of measures the Obama administration should take to support and facilitate the economic reform process in Cuba. According to the report, Cuba is undergoing the most significant changes to its socialist system since the 1959 Revolution. Despite moves to increase the private sector, decentralize decision-making, increase autonomy for farmers and "a fundamental shift in economic thinking," the Obama administration has downplayed the reforms as insufficient.

Diego Luna Joins International Campaign to Stop Arms Trafficking to Mexico

bleiter@lawg.org (Ben Leiter) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:31:30 +0000

On the heels of an especially violent summer south of the border, well-known Mexican movie star Diego Luna came to Washington, D.C. in September, not as an actor, but as an advocate for the growing international campaign Stop Gun Smuggling: 3 Things President Obama CAN Do. Luna met with policymakers to promote measures that could curb the flow of assault weapons from the United States into Mexico, saving thousands of Mexican lives, while making U.S. communities safer. Some estimates suggest that as many as 2,000 guns are smuggled across the U.S. border into Mexico every day, and in Diego’s own words:

A Cautionary Tale: Lessons of Plan Colombia for Mexico and Beyond

echow@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:11:48 +0000

New report warns U.S. policy must learn from, but not emulate, the Plan Colombia experience.

Today the Latin America Working Group Education Fund (LAWGEF), the Center for International Policy (CIP), and the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) released A Cautionary Tale: Plan Colombia's Lessons for Mexico and Beyond, a new report that dissects the Colombian experience of the past ten years, drawing out human rights and strategic lessons that are relevant for U.S. policy toward Mexico and beyond.

Fighting for Dignity: Honduras’ Forgotten Miskito Buzos

bleiter@lawg.org (Katherine Trujillo ) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:31:48 +0000

“Es una situación de completo abandono.” Few people know of the struggles experienced by the miskito buzos of Honduras, a group of indigenous scuba-divers forced to work under terrible conditions to harvest lobster and shrimp. These divers—ranging from young boys to elderly men—dive into depths beyond what is safe for the human body, with little to no protective equipment and at great risk to themselves.

End the Case of the Cuban Five

echow@lawg.org (Wayne Smith) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:44:21 +0000

As a follow-up to our blog on "La Colmenita" (the Cuban children’s youth theater) last week, today we are happy to host a guest blog post from Wayne Smith of the Center for International Policy and former chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana from 1979-1982.

La Colmenita vs. The Old World

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:01:21 +0000

On Monday, October 17th, Chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, expressing grave concerns over the U.S. performances by the National Cuban Youth Theater, “La Colmenita.” In her letter, she questions the decision of the State Department to issue visas to the children’s group and demands an explanation for granting the visas, in addition to a “detailed accounting of all funding for educational programs with Cuba.” Her reasoning? To ensure that the State Department is not misusing taxpayer funds to promote exchange with Cuba. Rep. Ros-Lehtinen also claims that the group, which is comprised of 5-16 year olds, poses a national security threat, as one of the plays they perform is inspired by the story of the Cuban Five, un-registered agents of the Cuban government who were convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage and are currently serving long sentences in U.S. prisons. The Economist, a United Kingdom-based newspaper (with offices in the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and Asia), conducted an interesting poll last week about the fairness of the trial (which was held in Miami) of the Cuban Five; see the results here.

Obama and Romney Out of Touch on Cuba

echow@lawg.org (Geoff Thale, Director of Programs, WOLA) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:50:47 +0000

The Latin America Working Group is pleased to re-post this piece on U.S.-Cuba policy from our colleague at the Washington Office on Latin America, Geoff Thale. At LAWG, we are trying to maximize the opening recently made available by President Obama for increased travel to Cuba -- people-to-people travel, educational travel, religious travel, cultural travel. We are encouraging and educating the public on "how-to" travel to Cuba. See our on-line brochure, "How-to Travel to Cuba" here . We are very aware of how tenuous this small opening is, and how far it is from "Travel for All" with no restrictions. And we are aware that with just a stroke of the pen from a new President, these advances could be erased. We ask for your help in preventing that roll-back. Sign up for our Cuba policy updates and action alerts here. And "like" our "End the Travel Ban on Cuba" Facebook page here.

The 2012 presidential race is effectively underway, and the two leading candidates have both recently made statements about Cuba. While they may differ in emphasis, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney clearly share one thing: they are both out of touch when it comes to Cuba and what U.S. policy should be towards the island.

Unprecedented Opposition to Flawed U.S.-Colombia Trade Deal Despite Passage

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard and Vanessa Kritzer) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:23:37 +0000

The U.S.-Colombia trade agreement was held up for an unprecedented five years over human rights and labor rights concerns. It was passed today, October 12th, but over strong and passionate opposition from many members of Congress, and from a broad range of civil society organizations in the United States and Colombia, including labor unions, human rights groups, faith-based organizations, environmental groups, and Afro-Colombian, indigenous and small-scale farmer associations.

"Why do we care so much about this?" said Lisa Haugaard, Executive Director of the Latin America Working Group (LAWG). "Because we believe that passage of this agreement will make it harder to encourage the Colombian government to protect its trade unionists, who are still murdered with impunity today—23 so far this year. Because we believe the flood of agricultural imports from the United States will undermine Colombia’s small-scale farmers, including Afro-Colombians and indigenous people, who have suffered so much in Colombia’s civil war. And because it will boost the kinds of large-scale investment, such as mining and biofuel, that has helped to fuel the violence in a conflict that still grinds brutally on."

Colombia Certification: Devil in the Details

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:48:58 +0000

The State Department on September 15, 2011, certified that Colombia had met the human rights conditions attached to U.S. assistance. No surprise there—the State Department always certifies Colombia meets the conditions, no matter what is happening on the ground. To be fair, this time, with the year-old Santos Administration, there’s somewhat more reason to certify than during countless rounds of certification during the Uribe Administration. The certification document cites the Santos Administration's successful passage of a victims' reparations and land restitution bill; a “disarming of words” initiative in which it abandoned the inflammatory anti-NGO language used by Uribe and his top officials, which had endangered human rights defenders and journalists; progress on some historic human rights cases; and a variety of directives and policy initiatives, at least on paper, to support human rights and labor rights.

But the 118- page document contains a wealth of information that shows why we should still be deeply concerned.

Our Only Right Is to Be Silent: The Story of María, Displaced in Colombia

vkritzer@lawg.org (Max Schoening and Sibylla Brodzinsky, Voice of Witness) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:42:20 +0000

“And the worst of all is when the things happen to you and you can’t do anything,” said María, a displaced woman in Colombia who has endured abuses by guerrillas, paramilitaries and the army. “And you have to just watch and simply be silent. If you say something, it will happen all the same. That’s when I saw that the only real right we have as people is to be silent. Maybe that’s the real right I’ve exercised here, in Colombia. It’s watch and be silent, if you want to survive.”

LAWGEF is pleased to publish this selection from a book coming out in 2012 from McSweeney’s Voice of Witness, by editors Max Schoening and Sibylla Brodzinsky. This will be a powerful collection of oral histories, compiling the life stories of a selection of Colombia’s over 5 million internally displaced people. In their own words, narrators recount their lives before displacement, the reasons for their flight, their personal tragedies and struggles to rebuild their lives. By amplifying these unheard voices through the intimacy of first person narrative, this Voice of Witness book aims to increase awareness of Colombia’s human rights catastrophe and illuminate the human impact of the country’s ongoing war.

Colombia’s DAS Intelligence Agency: A Case of U.S. Aid Gone Bad

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 21:17:07 +0000

The Washington Post ran a front-page story August 21, 2011 regarding the illegal wiretapping scandal involving Colombia’s intelligence agency, the Department of Administrative Security (DAS). The article, “A Case of Aid Gone Bad in Colombia,” summarizes how during the Uribe Administration, Colombia’s main intelligence agency, charged with investigating organized crime, insurgents and drug traffickers, conducted illegal surveillance on the Supreme Court, opposition politicians and civil society leaders. The new element to this story is the Post’s contention that “American cash, equipment and training, supplied to elite units of the Colombian intelligence service over the past decade to help smash cocaine-trafficking rings, were used to carry out spying operations and smear campaigns against Supreme Court justices, Uribe’s political opponents, and civil society groups, according to law enforcement documents obtained by the Washington Post and interviews with prosecutors and former Colombian intelligence officials.”

The “Paso a Paso Hacia La Paz” Migrant Rights Caravan: A March Towards Justice

bleiter@lawg.org (Juliana Morris) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:26:24 +0000

When Ana Pineda* left her small village in Nacaome, Honduras in 2009, she was full of hope: “I had dreams of going to the United States to get a good job and to help support my mother and father.” But her hopes were soon crushed when she was kidnapped by criminal gangs in Coatzalcoalcos, a coastal city in Veracruz, Mexico that is a frequent transit point for Central American migrants. “They brought me to a house in Tamaulipas, Mexico and had me there for four months, imprisoned along with other Central Americans, South Americans, and Mexicans. I was abused, terribly abused. Many of the others were raped, even the men. Thank God I was able to escape.”

Mexican Asylum Seekers Disproportionately Rejected

bleiter@lawg.org (Andrew Carpenter) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 18:52:37 +0000

Ciudad Juárez police officer Jose Alarcon fled Mexico to the United States in 2008 after a series of horrific events – he himself was injured and his partner killed in a shootout with organized crime, and then he was threatened by criminal gangs when he refused to accept bribes to overlook their activities. Seeking refuge for his family, he sought asylum in the United States, but a Dallas immigration judge denied Alarcon’s request, ruling that this was a “risk that police officers are supposed to take.”

New U.S. cities to open direct flights to Cuba

echow@lawg.org (Mavis Anderson) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:07:44 +0000

Big news! Havanatur Celimar, which is the branch of Cuban tour operator Havanatur that handles the U.S. travel market, has reported that Cuba has approved a bundle of U.S. airports, plus charter service providers and relevant airlines, for landing rights in a variety of Cuban airports (Havana, Camaguey, Cienfuegos, Holguin, Santiago de Cuba, Santa Clara, and Manzanillo). These U.S. airports have already received U.S. permission to begin charter flights to Cuba, as directed by President Obama in January of this year.

Faith Leaders Arrested in Capitol Hill Protest to Protect the Poor

bleiter@lawg.org (Ben Leiter) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:11:26 +0000

The Latin America Working Group salutes our faith community colleagues who are taking a stance to protect the poor, around the world as well as in the United States. As we said in the attached letter, the budget should protect assistance to the most vulnerable in Latin America—and around the world, and here at home.

WASHINGTON -- Frustrated that their pleas to the Administration and Congress to protect funding for the nation's most vulnerable are being ignored, nearly a dozen leaders from the faith community were arrested in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol Building on Thursday, July 28th. Despite repeated warnings from the U.S. Capitol Police, the leaders refused to end their public prayers asking the Administration and Congress not to balance the budget on the backs of the poor. Over twenty-five other religious observers were present to witness the demonstration as an act of solidarity.

Step Forward to Halt Arms Trafficking over U.S.-Mexico Border

bleiter@lawg.org (Andrew Carpenter and Jennifer Johnson) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:22:03 +0000

Last month, a congressional report noted that a staggering 70% of the weapons recovered in Mexico in 2009 and 2010— and submitted for tracing— originated in the United States, overwhelmingly from Southwest border states. The controversial and highly flawed ATF Operation Fast and Furious has drawn attention to not just the staggering number of firearms that flow over our southern border, but to loopholes and shortcomings in our policies surrounding firearms purchases that have enabled straw purchasers (people who claim to buy weapons for themselves, but then pass them on to criminal groups) and other gun traffickers in the U.S. to channel thousands of weapons to organized crime in Mexico.

Rallying for Justice Against the Colombia FTA

echow@lawg.org (Andrew Carpenter) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:16:37 +0000

On Monday, July 11, activists from the United States and Colombia organized an emergency demonstration against the pending Colombia Free Trade Agreement across from the White House.

Argentine resistance singer Facundo Cabral murdered in Guatemala

bleiter@lawg.org (Whitley Raney, Guatemala Human Rights Commission USA) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:03:03 +0000

Facundo Cabral, a singer/ songwriter from Argentina, was one of the leaders in nonviolent protest music throughout Latin America for over 50 years. Born in La Plata, Argentina in 1937, Cabral grew up in extreme poverty. As he learned to play the guitar, sing, and write, he quickly became known as the voice of the people who could not speak. His dedication to social justice movements and his response to violent military dictatorships in Latin America forced him into exile in Mexico following the Argentine coup in 1976, where he continued writing and performing, and gained wide-spread popularity. In 1996, the United Nations designated Cabral a "worldwide messenger of peace" for his continued commitment to the people and to justice and freedom for the powerless in Central and South America.

Cuban Americans Don’t Want This

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:57:06 +0000

Regarding a recent attempt by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL 21st) to restrict Cuban-American family travel to Cuba, it is reported that Rep. Diaz-Balart maintains that an overwhelming 90% of the Cuban-American community supports his amendment.

Colombia: Faces of the Missing, of the Relatives of the Disappeared

echow@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 18:27:05 +0000

The steps up to the conference room were plastered with faces. Faces of the missing fathers, brothers, sisters, husbands, mothers and wives. They looked out at us, some faded, torn photographs, others as real as if they could be ready to pick up their child, eat dinner with their family, head off to work, today. Gathered in this hotel conference room in Bogotá were the women and men who had lost a part of themselves when their loved one was taken away in “the perfect crime”: forced disappearance.

The U.S. Should Not Move Forward on Colombia FTA without Addressing Root Causes of Violence

vkritzer@lawg.org (Latin America Working Group) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:33:53 +0000

Coalition of Groups ask U.S. Congress to Oppose Colombia Free Trade Agreement

Yesterday, June 23, 2011, the Latin America Working Group (LAWG), the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), and more than 400 other organizations, academics, and individuals from both the United States and Colombia, sent a letter to the U.S. Congress asking representatives to vote no on the pending U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Human rights violations in Colombia–abuses against labor activists, Afro-Colombians, human rights activists and others–continue to take place at alarmingly high levels. In this climate, it would be a mistake to approve the FTA.

“No More Bloodshed” Mexico calls for Peace and Justice

vkritzer@lawg.org (Jennifer Johnson) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Calling for justice for their murdered or disappeared loved ones and peace for the nation, family members representing just a fraction of the 40,000 individuals who have lost their lives since President Calderon initiated his militarized crackdown against organized crime, crisscrossed Mexico in a week-long, 1,550 mile Caravan for Peace with Justice and Dignity. The caravan arrived at its final destination on Friday, June 9th, in Ciudad Juarez–a city dubbed the epicentro del dolor (epicenter of pain) by caravan leader Javier Sicilia, a Mexican writer and poet whose own son 24-year old son was brutally murdered earlier this year.

How Art Bridges the Florida Straits

echow@lawg.org (Andrew Carpenter) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:17:10 +0000

On Tuesday, June 21st, Cuban contemporary artist Sandra Ramos spoke about her work at the Smithsonian’s National Gallery of Art. Her art represents deeply personal accounts of the connection between herself, society and Cuba. Sandra breaks through censorship issues to present an honest view of Cuba by discussing issues such as migration, political education and cultural contradictions. The paintings and exhibits that she creates make audiences take an introspective look at the effects of various influences in their lives and how those aspects affect them.

A Traveler's Tale: Shattering Stereotypes on Both Sides of the Florida Straits

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 18:09:54 +0000

Studying abroad in Cuba was an experience that is impossible to forget. People’s eyes bulge whenever I mention that I lived in Cuba for five months. A torpedo of questions always follow; “Did you feel safe? How did you survive? Isn’t Cuba communist?” While I love to discuss my time spent in Cuba, it’s questions like these that make my mind race and my blood boil.

“People are nervous, people are scared, and people are denying the reality in Mexico”

bleiter@lawg.org (Mariel Pérez ) — Tue, 24 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Migrants’ rights defender Alberto Xicotencatl Carrasco painted this picture of Mexican society’s mixture of terror and denial in the face of grisly crimes and widespread human rights abuses committed against Central American migrants in transit through Mexico. In late March, the Latin America Working Group Education Fund hosted a delegation of five courageous Mexican migrant rights defenders here in Washington to shed light on how policies and conditions on both sides of the border have contributed to a surge in violence against migrants, as well as an uptick in targeted threats and violence against those who promote and protect the rights of migrants. The group’s busy week in D.C. included meetings with the State Department, Congress, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security. The delegates also spoke at public events held at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) and the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) to educate D.C. advocates about the human rights situation of these transiting migrants— and steps that we all must take to bring about an end to this pervasive violence.

Attacks against Human Rights Defenders Sweep Northern Mexico

bleiter@lawg.org (Ben Leiter) — Fri, 20 May 2011 14:34:18 +0000

In 2008, as military operations in Ciudad Juárez surged, Josefina Reyes Salazar, an outspoken critic of pervasive violence against women, summoned her courage and determinedly denounced the militarization in her home state of Chihuahua. Not long after, her son Miguel Ángel was kidnapped by the military and her other son, Julio César, was brutally murdered. Josefina openly blamed the army for the slaying of her son and, despite persistent death threats, tirelessly voiced her demands for justice. In early 2010, Josefina herself was coldly executed by armed gunman on the outskirts of Ciudad Juárez.

LAWGEF Supports Protests against Violence in Mexico

bleiter@lawg.org (Ben Leiter) — Thu, 05 May 2011 15:26:50 +0000

The LAWGEF stands with groups throughout Mexico and around the world in denouncing the bloodshed and impunity associated with President Calderón’s U.S.-supported “drug war” that has claimed over 36,000 lives. In early April, mass mobilizations and pointed criticism by groups and communities across Mexico marked some of the most heated and historic condemnation yet of the Mexican government’s increasingly unpopular military campaign to defeat organized crime. Since these April demonstrations, support for the movement calling for an end to violence and impunity in Mexico has grown exponentially and will culminate in a massive wave of marches and protests throughout the country this weekend.

Sobering Facts: Colombia’s Displacement Crisis in 2010

echow@lawg.org (Mariel Perez) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Last year, 280,041 Colombian civilians were forced to leave their homes, fleeing from the extreme violence of Colombia’s decades-long conflict. This statistic is the centerpiece of a February Spanish-language report published by the Colombian human rights NGO CODHES, a group that has worked tirelessly for nearly two decades to shed light on the human rights crisis in Colombia. As CODHES’ report highlights, almost 33 percent of displaced civilians are forced to flee from zones that are a focus of “territorial consolidation,” the signature program of the Uribe administration that aimed to set up military control of areas of the countryside while also, at least in theory, expanding civilian government institutions.

Silencing Democracy: Threats Against Honduran Community Radio

vkritzer@lawg.org (Alex Gordon) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:05:20 +0000

In Honduras, community radio is more than just a news service. It promotes human rights, gives a voice to the voiceless, encourages citizen organization and participation, and provides education to some of the country’s most vulnerable populations. This is why the continuous threats against community radio stations and journalists in Honduras are extremely concerning. According to Democracy Now, March marks the deadliest month on record for Honduran journalists, where countless attempts have been made to kill, injure, and silence those who stand for accurate reporting and the power of community radio.

"Here, Struggling": Accompanying Displaced Afro-Colombian Communities

vkritzer@lawg.org (Carly Bishop, Peace Brigades International Colombia) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:13:19 +0000

In recent days, risk has increased for members of humanitarian zones in the Curbaradó and Jiguamiandó river basins in Colombia’s northwest Urabá region. In this post, Carly Bishop, an accompanier with Peace Brigades International's project in Colombia, provides us with insight into what life is like for those struggling to live peacefully in this area and an update on the current threats to their safety.

Mexican People Take to the Streets against the Drug War

bleiter@lawg.org (Ben Leiter and Jenny Johnson) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:33:27 +0000

Over the past few weeks, mass mobilizations and pointed criticism by groups and communities across Mexico have marked some of the most heated condemnation yet of the Mexican government’s increasingly unpopular military campaign to defeat organized crime. On Wednesday, April 6 thousands of people took to the streets in at least 20 Mexican cities to demand an end to the violence and impunity associated with President Calderón’s U.S.-supported “drug war” that has claimed over 35,000 lives. The day of protest has been described as a historic “sea change” in Mexican public opinion as well as an unprecedented rejection of the Mexican Army’s role in public security efforts.

Message to Congress: Don’t Turn Your Backs on Vulnerable People in Latin America

echow@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:22:33 +0000

U.S. aid that helps people in need, as they recover from natural disasters, flee from conflicts, and struggle in poverty, is on the chopping block as the Congress takes up the President’s FY2012 foreign aid budget request. Based on a letter we sent with our partners, the Latin America Working Group’s director Lisa Haugaard testified before the House Foreign Operations Subcommittee with the following appeal.

A Lost Connection

pgusmao@lawg.org (Paulo Gusmao) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 17:01:19 +0000

On February 26, 2007, the New York Philharmonic performed in Pyongyang, North Korea. This was the first time a U.S. cultural organization had stepped foot on North Korean soil; and not only were the musicians welcomed into the insulated country, but they were given a five minute round of applause during their final bows.

The Philharmonic’s performance, dubbed “Symphonic Diplomacy” by the New York Times, didn’t create instant harmony (even though there is harmony in dissonance, so I’m told by my friend, Emily) between Washington and Pyongyang. But the performance did make an impact.

Guatemala: Six Months to Examine the Past and Define the Future

vkritzer@lawg.org (Kelsey Alford-Jones, Guatemala Human Rights Commission USA) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:48:34 +0000

According to Kelsey Alford-Jones, Acting Director of the Guatemala Human Rights Commission USA, as Guatemalan political parties gear up for the 2011 presidential elections in September, human rights organizations are preparing for some of the most important war crimes trials in the country’s history. With a leading presidential candidate linked to one of the nation’s most high-profile and controversial human rights cases, Alford-Jones predicts that the way events play out in the next six months will be indicative of Guatemala’s ability to confront the entrenched impunity from the internal conflict.

President Obama's Speech in Chile

pgusmao@lawg.org (Paulo Gusmao) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 20:22:31 +0000

On March 21, President Obama delivered his second major policy speech on Latin America, since assuming office, to an audience gather outside of the Palacio de la Moneda Cultural Center in Santiago, Chile.

Reports and analyses on the President’s Latin America tour are pouring in – keep checking our blog for ours – and we wanted to present a couple of them:

Obama Raises Cuba in Chile Speech

pgusmao@lawg.org (Paulo Gusmao) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:25:58 +0000

Yesterday, in a speech given at the Centro Cultural Palacio Moneda in Santiago, Chile, President Obama gave his first Latin America speech since the 2008 Summit of the Americas. While he spoke of many important issues regarding the region – and LAWG will be reviewing the speech in detail, so keep checking our blog and website for that – the Cuba team wanted to share the substantial Cuba portion of the speech with you today.

Cuba Skate: Different Concepts for a Different Generation

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:40:23 +0000

When you think of Cuba, the first things that come to your mind may be the “three C’s”: Caribbean climate, the Castro brothers, and Cohiba cigars; but that is by far not all that Cuba has to offer. Because of the United States’ foreign policy aimed at isolating Cuba (and therefore isolating us from Cuba), broad knowledge about the island and its people is limited. Many rely on exotic and stereotypical images of beautiful women on pristine beaches, Fidel Castro giving long-winded, animated speeches in front of the masses, and fine cigars to describe Cuba’s identity.

Justice in Mexico: "We continue living; we have to fight."

vkritzer@lawg.org (Alex Gordon) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:24:52 +0000

For nine years Valentina Rosendo Cantú has been seeking justice for human rights violations committed against her by the Mexican military. In 2002, Valentina was raped by Mexican soldiers while washing clothes in a stream running through the indigenous community of Me’phaa in Guerrero state. In 2010, Valentina’s case reached the Inter-American court of Human Rights where the court issued a sentence mandating Mexico to make reparations for Valentina and re-open the criminal investigations in civilian courts. Mexico has yet to fulfill its obligation so Valentina continues to fight.

Honduran Union Leader Iris Munguia: “Who will guarantee rights to workers?”

vkritzer@lawg.org (Ben Thale-Galat) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:18:27 +0000

In honor of International Women's Day, LAWG is pleased to feature this report-back from a discussion with Iris Munguia, lead organizer for the Coordination of Banana Unions in Honduras (COSIBAH). Munguia was born on a Chiquita banana plantation and has spent her life advocating for labor, human, and women’s rights. With 33 years experience as a banana worker and union organizer, Munguia is the coordinator for the Women's Chapter of COSIBAH and the Women's Chapter of the Coordination of Latin American Banana Unions (COLSIBA).

Plan de Paz: A New Plan for Colombia

vkritzer@lawg.org (Mariel Pérez) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 22:10:04 +0000

The stunningly high levels of violence against unionists, Afro-Colombians, indigenous persons, and other civilians are a testament to the urgency of ending the decades-long conflict in Colombia. In a recent policy brief published by the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego, our colleague Milburn Line called for a reshaped U.S. policy towards Colombia, one that brings the possibility of a peace process to the forefront.

A Second Look at the President’s Latin America Budget: Some Smart Cuts, But What About the Refugees?

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:38:54 +0000

President Obama’s budget steeply cuts Latin America spending, but that’s not the whole story. The President’s budget for Latin America smartly aims its axe at programs that merit cutting like military and police aid. One major exception to these “smart cuts”: aid to refugees and displaced persons.

Dying for Land: Colombian Displaced Leaders Murdered

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:54:51 +0000

Since the new government of Juan Manuel Santos was inaugurated at the start of August 2010, the number of land rights activists murdered is heartbreaking. At least eight leaders of displaced communities directly involved in advocating for return of their families’ or their communities’ land have been assassinated, presumably by paramilitary or criminal gangs that benefited from stolen land.

Deep Cuts in the Obama Administration's Budget for Latin America

vkritzer@lawg.org (Vanessa Kritzer) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 20:03:35 +0000

After having vowed to tackle the huge U.S. deficit this year, on Monday the Obama Administration finally revealed its plan of action when it sent the FY2012 budget request to Congress. And what did it propose for U.S. aid to Latin America? Deep cuts. According to Adam Isacson’s analysis on the blog for “Just the Facts,” a joint project by LAWGEF, the Center for International Policy, and the Washington Office on Latin America that monitors U.S. military aid to Latin America, “The request includes about $2.07 billion in new aid to Latin America and the Caribbean for 2012. That would be the lowest amount since 2007, and a reduction of 18.1 percent from 2009.”

Lessons from Guatemala

vkritzer@lawg.org (Alex Gordon) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:23:15 +0000

This January, I traveled to Guatemala on a delegation led jointly by the Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC) and student leaders from American University’s Alternative Break program. The ten-day trip focused on the effects of Guatemala’s internal armed conflict on indigenous communities, as well as the effects of large mega-projects on these same communities. While the testimonies we heard from human rights defenders were disheartening, the resilience and spirit of the survivors, activists, and community members inspired us to work in solidarity with the Guatemalans for justice by bringing their voices back with us to the United States.

Obama's New Travel Regulations are Official

pgusmao@lawg.org (Paulo Gusmao) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:29:01 +0000

On Friday, January 25th the Obama Administration’s new travel regulations were published in the Federal Registry, effective immediately and apparently with no comment period. Guidelines are still being drafted by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and that is where the details of the new regulations will become clear. OFAC says that the guidelines will be released “soon.”

Colombian Vice President Garzón Comes to Town

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:22:35 +0000

Welcome to Washington, Vice President Angelino Garzón. In your visit last week, you said all the right words. Now Colombia needs to see the deeds. Despite a marked improvement in the tone of Juan Manuel Santos’s government, which took office in August 2010, violence against human rights defenders, unionists, Afro-Colombian and indigenous community leaders and land rights activists continues unchecked.

Alto a la Guerra: No More Bloodshed in Ciudad Juarez

vkritzer@lawg.org (Jennifer Johnson) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:02:54 +0000

Violence has hit the residents of Ciudad Juárez hard. In the past year, the city has lost over 3000 to murder and violence, including many young people. One year after the brutal and shocking massacre of 18 youths–students, sons, daughters–at a party in the Villas de Salvarcar neighborhood in Ciudad Juárez, the city’s human rights organizations, students, faith groups and residents are joining together for a day of nonviolent action, including fasting and public reflection, to call for “Alto a la Guerra… No Más Sangre” (Stop the War… No More Bloodshed”). Juarenses will be joined in person and in spirit from those all over Mexico and around the world in this day of commemoration, fasting and reflection.

Honduran Government Must Address Impunity and Stop Attacks

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:59:48 +0000

A December 2010 report by Human Rights Watch outlines the lack of accountability for human rights abuses committed during and following the June 2009 coup in Honduras. The report also documents 47 cases of threats or attacks, including 18 killings, against journalists, human rights defenders, and political activists since the inauguration of Honduran President Porfirio Lobo in January 2010.

Cuban Aid in Haiti, One Year Later

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 14:51:18 +0000

One year after Haiti’s catastrophic earthquake, Haiti is far from recovered and Haitian families are still struggling to survive.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, many countries and international organizations were quick to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Haiti. Despite the outpouring of aid, recovery is painfully slow; and health care is a particular problem. Poor sanitation, lack of access to clean water and crowded conditions in camps have added to the strain on the nation’s limited healthcare system. The nation has been further devastated by a massive cholera outbreak that has claimed over 3,400 lives.

LAWG Saddened by Violence against Rep. Giffords and the Community in Tucson

vkritzer@lawg.org (Latin America Working Group) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:35:47 +0000

We are horrified and deeply saddened by the violent shooting attack on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, her staff, and community members this past weekend in Tucson, Arizona. The Latin America Working Group’s thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of those who were tragically killed and gravely injured.

Too Little, Too Late: Haiti Recovery, One Year Later

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:32:47 +0000

"As Haitians prepare for the first anniversary of the earthquake, close to one million people are reportedly still displaced. Less than 5 percent of the rubble has been cleared, only 15 percent of the temporary housing that is needed has been built and relatively few permanent water and sanitation facilities have been constructed," concludes Oxfam in a hard-hitting report on the world’s response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

Chihuahua Mother Killed While Demanding Justice for her Murdered Daughter

bleiter@lawg.org (Jennifer Johnson) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 17:37:03 +0000

The LAWGEF joins with groups across Mexico and around the world in expressing our deep sadness and denouncing the violence that led to the murder of Marisela Escobedo Ortiz, a woman who fought tirelessly to bring justice for the murder of her daughter, Rubi Frayre, as well as press authorities to end the impunity for the hundreds of feminicides that have occurred in the state of Chihuahua. On December 16th, Marisela Escobedo was gunned down at close-range in front of the governor’s palace in Chihuahua City while holding a peaceful vigil demanding justice in her daughter’s murder case.

Let’s Hear it for Optimism, Peace in Colombia

pgusmao@lawg.org (Virginia Bouvier ) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:22:55 +0000

In this winter moment when we begin to think of “peace and good will to all,” we thought you might like to see this report by our colleague Virginia Bouvier of the US Institute for Peace. Her insights offer a bit of cautious hope for the prospects for peacemaking in Colombia.

Breaking the Silence: In Search of Colombia’s Disappeared

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 14:17:34 +0000

The magnitude of forced disappearances in Colombia is astounding, according to new information emerging from official sources detailed in the report Breaking the Silence: In Search of Colombia’s Disappeared released today by the Latin America Working Group Education Fund and the U.S. Office on Colombia.

A Pan-American Nightmare: Rising Violence against Migrants

bleiter@lawg.org (Jennifer Johnson and Ben Leiter) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:17:10 +0000

This past August, the horrific massacre of 72 Central and South American migrants in northern Mexico brought to the world’s attention the daily violence and exploitation suffered by migrants on their way to the United States. There is no question: migrants in their journey to jobs and loved ones in el norte confront unimaginable dangers and abuses, as chronicled in the recently released documentary The Invisibles.

Ex-Colombian President Uribe Ignites Debate at Georgetown

vkritzer@lawg.org (Vanessa Kritzer) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:57:19 +0000

Perhaps when Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez accepted a teaching position at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service just a couple months ago, he and the university leadership expected him to quietly come and go to his classes as other former heads of state had done before him. But to many students, professors and activists in D.C. and around the United States, this is no mere former head of state. As Georgetown Law student Charity Ryerson put it in a letter to the university, “making him a ‘Distinguished Scholar in the Practice of Global Leadership’… is an offense to the thousands of victims of his administration, to the human rights community in the U.S. and Colombia, and is an embarrassment to Georgetown University.”

A Haunting Delegation to Ecuador

vkritzer@lawg.org (Shaina Aber, Jesuit Refugee Service/USA) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 21:57:46 +0000

Shaina Aber, Associate Advocacy Director for Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, reports back from her fact-finding visit to Panama and Ecuador with a delegation of Refugee Council USA members and a representative from the Canadian Council for Refugees: I am haunted by our delegation’s visit to the border town of Lago Agrio, Ecuador, haunted by the stories of desperation from the refugee population, haunted by the lack of security offered to the residents, haunted by the lack of civilian state presence and the lack of UN presence besides UNHCR, haunted by the abuse suffered by the people at the hands of Colombian armed groups, the local police and even the Ecuadorian military.

Honduras: “Every day we are subjected to persecution, threats, torture, and murder.”

vkritzer@lawg.org (Vanessa Kritzer and Carmen Miller) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 19:31:55 +0000

Since the elections in Honduras on November 29th, 2009, the U.S. government has been portraying the crisis in Honduras as “resolved.” But according to the Honduran Human Rights Platform, a coalition of six major human rights groups in Honduras, the repression and human rights violations that began with the coup have continued. LAWGEF worked with our partners to open space for their voices to be heard by the U.S. Congress, the Obama Administration and the public during the week of October 13th, 2010, when representatives of the Human Rights Platform visited Washington to receive the Letelier-Moffitt International Human Rights Award from the Institute for Policy Studies.

Whoever said “less is more” was just, well, wrong . . . in this case.

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 20:33:27 +0000

Cultural exchanges have always been an important element of expanding one’s knowledge about countries throughout the world. While certain countries may possess different political ideologies, religious beliefs, or speak different languages from the United States, “intercambios” allow citizens to become familiar with everyday people from cultures that are different from ours. And knowing the people encourages understanding and peaceful co-existence. For countries that are polar opposites on the political and/or social spectrum—like Cuba and the United States, for example—exchanges between students, artists, faith groups, farmers, sports teams (fill in your own community here) help humanize the “other.” And in more cases than not, these exchanges assist all parties to find common ground and shared experiences, despite outward differences.

UN Vote on Cuba, the 19th

pgusmao@lawg.org (Mavis Anderson) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:46:15 +0000

For the 19th consecutive year the United Nations General Assembly has voted against the United States’ policy toward Cuba. This year the vote, occurring October 26, a day or two sooner than expected, was 187 (supporting Cuba’s non-binding resolution condemning the embargo) to 2 (voting against the resolution: the United States and Israel), with 3 abstaining (Palau, the Marshall Island, Micronesia). See an article on the vote here.

Bleak Outlook on Haiti: “Still Trapped in the Emergency Phase”

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 02:28:40 +0000

On October 6, nearly 10 months after the devastating earthquake tore through Haiti, Refugees International (RI) released the report “Haiti: Still Trapped in the Emergency Phase” detailing the continuing crisis. “Action is urgently needed to protect the basic human rights of people displaced by the earthquake,” RI reported. “Living in squalid, overcrowded and spontaneous camps for a prolonged period has led to aggravated levels of violence and appalling standards of living.”

Reform in Mexico Fails to Deliver for Victims of Military Abuses

bleiter@lawg.org (Jenny Johnson, Vanessa Kritzer, and Ben Leiter ) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 02:24:47 +0000

Mounting pressure from rights groups in Mexico and the Obama Administration, and a ticking clock on an order by the Inter-American Court, spurred President Calderón to unveil his long-anticipated proposal to reform Mexico’s military justice code. But while reform is desperately needed to end the historic impunity for members of the Mexican military that have committed human rights abuses, Mexican and international human rights groups agree that President Calderón’s proposal doesn’t do nearly enough.

Gangs Vow Peace After Juanes Concert in Colombia

vkritzer@lawg.org (Vanessa Kritzer) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 02:22:37 +0000

We know that Juanes’ good looks and smooth voice holds a special power over throngs of fans worldwide, but it wasn’t until last month that we learned that he can actually stop bullets. When Juanes returned to his hometown of Medellín to join local musical and civil society groups in a concert on International Peace Day in one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, Comuna Trece, they convinced hundreds of members of the city’s violent gangs to commit themselves to peace.

"Where Afro-Colombians live, there is a grave crisis of human rights violations."

bleiter@lawg.org (Carmen Miller ) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 02:15:43 +0000

Afro-Colombian communities in the past year have faced increasing threats of displacement and violence. On September 21st, LAWGEF joined the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) and other partner organizations in organizing a public event in DC where Clemencia Carabali Rodallega, a prominent Afro-Colombian leader, spoke about the dire situation that many communities are in today. The following video and quotes were taken from that event.

Mexico: Threats against Journalists on the Rise

bleiter@lawg.org (Jennifer Johnson and Ben Leiter ) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 02:11:41 +0000

It isn’t news that journalists around the world risk their safety and security everyday to cover the stories that keep us informed and hold the powers that be accountable, but many people are surprised to learn that neighboring Mexico is an increasingly hostile environment for reporters. Press freedom watchdog International Press Institute (IPI) recently ranked Mexico as the most dangerous country for journalists and media personnel in the world so far this year.

Ecuador: Support the Democratically Elected Government

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 18:15:13 +0000

Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa “returned safely to the presidential palace… after spending hours held by police inside a hospital room outside Quito,” according to CNN. While attempting to talk with rioting police demanding that a law be revoked that they believed would cut their salaries, Correa had tear gas lobbed at him and had been taken to the hospital. Later he was rescued by soldiers and returned to the palace. Correa characterized the events as an attempted coup. He stated, “I leave as president of a dignified nation, or I leave as a cadaver.”

Cuba Travel: Best Chance Since 2003

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0000

We are the closest we have been for years to ending the ridiculous travel ban on Cuba. This Wednesday, September 29, at noon, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs (HCFA) will consider H.R. 4645, the “Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act.” This means that they will be considering whether to lift the travel ban on Cuba, or not.

U.S. Court Convicts Dos Erres Perpetrator for Lying about Role in Massacre in Guatemala

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 02:02:21 +0000

History was made on Thursday when a U.S. District Court Judge in Southern Florida, William J. Zloch, sentenced former Guatemalan special forces soldier Gilberto Jordán to ten years in federal prison. Jordán was convicted of lying on his citizenship application to hide his role in the 1982 massacre of hundreds of unarmed civilians in Dos Erres, Guatemala. In condemning Jordán to the maximum time allowed by law for naturalization fraud, Judge Zloch made clear that he intended the ruling to send a clear message that “those who commit egregious human rights violations abroad” cannot find “safe haven from prosecution” in the United States. The sentence marks the first time that any of the dozens of Kaibil special forces who carried out the murders almost 28 years ago has been prosecuted.

Congress: Withhold Funds for Mexico Tied to Human Rights Performance

bleiter@lawg.org (Jennifer Johnson ) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 01:59:14 +0000

They did it again. Despite the fact that not a single soldier responsible for human rights violations has been held accountable by civilian authorities in the years since the onset of the Merida Initiative, the State Department released its second report on September 2nd affirming that the Mexican government has met the Merida Initiative’s human rights requirements. This report not only recommends the release of roughly $36 million in Merida funds that had been previously withheld from the 2009 and 2010 budgets, but also sends the wrong message to Mexico on human rights.

Against All Evidence, Colombia Certified Again

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 18:27:52 +0000

In 2005, I visited the community of San José de Apartadó, Colombia. A group of poor farmers who had been repeatedly displaced from their homes by violence, they had decided to call themselves a “peace community” and reject violence from all sides—paramilitaries, guerrillas and the army. Yet the community was subjected to ever more harassment and violence, including by the local 17th army brigade. Some 170 members of the peace community have been assassinated since 1997. My visit came soon after seven members of the peace community, including three children, and a local farmer had been massacred and dismembered. The community members had left their army-occupied town to construct a bare-bones, dirt-floor village down the road.

In Memory of Rev. Lucius Walker

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:41:10 +0000

The Latin America Working Group joins thousands of friends of Rev. Lucius Walker, here and abroad, in expressing our great sense of loss at the death of Rev. Walker – and our tremendous admiration for his life. A mentor to many, and friend to more, and a tireless worker for justice and peace, Lucius was and remains a model of commitment, dedication, and faith that lives in actions. He inspired, challenged, guided, and led. Through his leadership of IFCO/Pastors for Peace and through his personal sacrifice, he made people aware and added to the throngs of U.S. citizens who work to end the unjust embargo on Cuba and the Cuban people. Cuba was not the only country to benefit from his humanitarianism, but that is where we at LAWG intersected with his charisma and his example. LAWG sends our sincerest sympathies to the family, friends, and co-workers of Rev. Walker. May he rest in peace.

Mexico: Human Rights Defender Raúl Hernández Released, But Threats Continue

vkritzer@lawg.org (Jennifer Johnson and Vanessa Kritzer) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:16:26 +0000

Persistence, local organizing, effective advocacy and international pressure have ultimately won out in bringing justice to Raúl Hernández Abundio, an indigenous rights defender from Guerrero, Mexico who was targeted by authorities and unjustly imprisoned. Since we wrote about his case in July, international and local human rights groups have been working tirelessly to clear his name of the murder charges for his exposure of abuses committed by soldiers and local authorities.

Shout out to McGovern, Emerson, DeLauro on Cuba letter

pgusmao@lawg.org (Mavis Anderson) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:15:06 +0000

Today, August 25, three key congresspersons sent a letter to President Obama lauding the rumors (that we believe are substantiated) that his administration is on the brink of an announcement easing the ban on travel to Cuba – which is within the executive purview of the President (both President Clinton and President Bush took advantage of the authority of the executive to revise and reinterpret the regulations governing travel to Cuba by limited categories of U.S. citizens).

U.S.-Colombia Military Deal Struck Down

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:04:01 +0000

Colombia's Constitutional Court issued an important decision last week which sent Colombia's new administration back to the drawing board to secure approval for a U.S.-Colombian military base agreement. The decision effectively struck down the contentious agreement, chastising the Colombian executive for having failed to get approval from Colombia's Congress, and requiring them now to seek congressional endorsement before moving forward.

Car Bomb in Bogotá, Colombia

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:42:13 +0000

On August 13th, a car bomb was detonated near the Caracol Radio headquarters, one of the largest networks in Colombia. LAWGEF and its partners issued the following statement in response:

What's at Stake in SB 1070's Legal Duel?

berickson@lawg.org (Brian Erickson) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 10:37:20 +0000

Across the nation, SB 1070 has arguably become one of the most notorious bill numbers in recent history (certainly among state legislation). Mere mention of this bill number has become synonymous with threats of racial profiling, counterproductive “attrition through enforcement” approaches, and criminalization of “driving while Latino” – a sad political commentary for a SW border state with strong historic, cultural and economic ties to neighboring Mexico.

Presumed Guilty: Powerful, Insightful Documentary Available on PBS

berickson@lawg.org (Brian Erickson) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 09:01:53 +0000

Run, don’t walk, to your computer to check out Presumed Guilty (Presunto Culpable in Spanish), an incredibly powerful and insightful documentary on the injustices in Mexico’s criminal justice system. You can see the film in its entirety on the PBS/Point of View website through August 4th. To watch it online, click here.

"I Kept Hoping They Would Be Returned Alive"

twheeler@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:20:49 +0000

A big white teddy bear sat on top of one of the little coffin boxes, and red roses on the other three. The remains of the four sisters were finally being returned to their mother, Blanca Nieves Meneses.

“I never thought that this is the way they would be returned to me,” said their surviving sister Nancy. “I always kept hoping that they would be returned alive.”

Florida Rep. Castor the Latest in Congress to Champion Freedom to Travel to Cuba

twheeler@lawg.org (Travis Wheeler) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:19:44 +0000

On Thursday, July 22nd, Democratic Congresswoman Kathy Castor became the latest House member and the first from Florida’s congressional delegation to join the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act (H.R. 874). The act, introduced in the 111th Congress by Reps. Delahunt (D-MA) and Flake (R-AZ), aims to restore the right of each and every U.S. citizen to travel to Cuba, a policy shift endorsed recently by Cuba’s most prominent opposition figures and 64 percent of Cuban Americans.

Haiti Six Months Later: Still Suffering

vkritzer@lawg.org (Kelly Miller) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:36:05 +0000

It has now been six months since Haiti’s devastating earthquake. In this time, international governments, aid organizations and concerned individuals have donated vast amounts of money and countless hours to the relief effort. But, there are still real concerns about recovery efforts. Last week, TransAfrica Forum hosted a congressional briefing,“Haiti Six Months Later: Reports from the Ground,” to share the devastating news: “what has emerged in the six month period since the quake is a confusing mix of good intentions gone awry.”

Targeting Human Rights Defenders in Mexico: The Case of Raúl Hernández

vkritzer@lawg.org (Jennifer Johnson and Vanessa Kritzer) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:12:04 +0000

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.

A Sobering 10th Anniversary for Plan Colombia

vkritzer@lawg.org (Vanessa Kritzer) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:06:28 +0000

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.

Obama Losing Popularity in Mexico and Argentina

vkritzer@lawg.org (Kelly Miller) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 09:33:49 +0000

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.

Ag Committee Chairman Peterson Outmaneuvers Opponents of Travel to Cuba, Moves Legislation Forward

twheeler@lawg.org (Travis Wheeler) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:36:51 +0000

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.

Colombia: A False Sense of Security

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 09:56:50 +0000

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.

House Ag Committee Set to Vote on Cuba Travel Bill

pgusmao@lawg.org (Andrea Lancaster ) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:35:49 +0000

On Wednesday, June 30, the House Agriculture Committee votes on H.R. 4645, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, which restores U.S. citizens' right to travel to Cuba, creates jobs in the U.S., and puts food on Cubans' tables. What happens Wednesday will determine if this landmark legislation sees the light of day on the House floor this summer or dies in committee. The LAWG Cuba Team will be on the Hill (in 1300 Longworth) for the vote on the bill, championed by Chairman Collin Peterson of Minnesota (picture right), at 2pm EST. You can follow our "live-tweets" via Twitter or tune in online through the Agriculture Committee's website. Live video coverage can be found here once the "mark-up" begins.

Photo Credit: aflcio

Listen Up: Time for Change, Latin America & the War on Drugs

pgusmao@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard & Jenny Johnson) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 18:35:34 +0000

We’ve seen up close how the production and trafficking of illicit drugs has fueled a war in Colombia, corrupted governments in Central America and brought terrifying violence to Mexican communities. We know about the devastating effects of drug abuse in our own neighborhoods in the United States. What has become clear is that solutions the U.S. government has pursued, such as the massive aerial spraying campaign in Colombia which destroys food as well as illicit drug crops or aid that encourages the Mexican army to police the streets and checkpoints do not solve the problem. Instead, it leads to more devastation and violence.

Guatemala: A Blow to Hopes for Justice

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:24:01 +0000

Guatemalans dreaming of and campaigning for a nation governed by the rule of law were devastated June 7th when the head of a UN-supported body set up to investigate organized crime resigned in frustration. Carlos Castresana had labored valiantly, as head of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), to investigate the organized crime that has penetrated the nation.

Colombia's Authoritarian Spell

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 08:01:43 +0000

The year was 2004. I was contacted by Colombian human rights activists. Would I please come to Colombia to join them in a book launch of the second edition of The Authoritarian Spell? They were worried that the book, a collectively written critique of what they saw as authoritarian tendencies by the administration of President Alvaro Uribe, would provoke a reaction, and wanted international accompaniment. I said yes, and went to one of the book launches in Medellín, where a professor at the local university spoke and introduced me and several of the book’s coauthors, and we had a genteel, scholarly discussion of current events, in an auditorium filled mainly with students and professors.

Little did we know that the book, criticized by the government as exaggerated, was in fact far too light a critique of the government’s authoritarian tendencies.

Guatemala's Week of Natural Disasters

vkritzer@lawg.org (Kelsey Alford-Jones, GHRC/USA) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:16:47 +0000

Here’s an update on the recent natural disasters that have hit Guatemala from Kelsey Alford-Jones of the Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA (GHRC/USA):

A week after Guatemalans experienced a dual assault from Pacaya Volcano and Tropical Storm Agatha, volcanic ash still hangs in the air. Over 80,000 people wait in emergency shelters—the homes, crops and livelihoods of many completely destroyed.

The Head-Honchos of Cuban Civil Society Set the Record Straight on U.S. Citizens' Travel to Cuba

twheeler@lawg.org (Travis Wheeler) — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 09:27:47 +0000

Many in the United States Congress continue to hem and haw when it comes to repealing the unjust ban on U.S. citizens' travel to Cuba, but the head-honchos of Cuban civil society know where they stand -- and, presumably tired of the hardliners invoking their name in opposition to any change to the status quo, they've decided to set the record straight. In a letter made public on June 9th, 74 Cubans urged members of Congress to vote in favor of H.R. 4645, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, legislation currently being considered by the House Committee on Agriculture that would restore the right of each and every U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba, without getting a permission slip from Uncle Sam, and ease the sale of U.S. food to the island.

Colombia's President Rails against Justice, Clinton Stands By

berickson@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 11:31:16 +0000

Colombia’s outgoing President has launched an assault against his country’s courts for taking some initial steps to bring high-ranking military and government officials to justice for their role in murder, illegal wiretapping, disappearances and torture. This is no abstract political debate. When the President takes to the airwaves to denounce those working for justice, the judges, lawyers, witnesses and victims’ families know that death threats, and sometimes murder, often follow. The threats and attacks usually appear to be from paramilitary groups. Colombia’s Supreme Court made a call for help: “We make an appeal to the international community to accompany and show solidarity with the Colombian judicial system which is being assaulted for carrying out its duties.”

Appropriate Use of Force? Not on our Border

berickson@lawg.org (Brian Erickson & Jennifer Johnson) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:42:16 +0000

Just days ago, Sergio Adrián Hernandez Güereca, a 15-year-old from Ciudad Juárez, was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent on the banks of the Rio Grande, not far from downtown El Paso. The fatal shooting of this teen came on the heels of the death of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas, a longtime San Diego area resident and father of five U.S.-born children, who died from injuries suffered when Border Patrol and other federal officers responded with a baton and taser gun when he resisted deportation. His death has been ruled a homicide by the San Diego coroner’s office. LAWG extends our condolences to both families.

Guatemala: "Without Justice, Bloody Histories Have a Way of Repeating Themselves"

vkritzer@lawg.org (Kelly Miller and Vanessa Kritzer) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:03:36 +0000

The pursuit of justice “is a challenge that we have been called to take on, and we have no idea how far this journey will lead us,” said Guatemalan human rights defender Jesús Tecú Osorio at a reception in his honor on May 17th, 2010. Human Rights First and the Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC) organized this gathering to celebrate Tecú’s selection as winner of the 2010 Roger N. Baldwin Medal of Liberty Award for international human rights defenders.

Still Waiting for Change: The Obama Administration & Latin America

berickson@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:04:13 +0000

President Obama was elected with a campaign of hope, and change. Those of us who care about Latin America hoped that U.S. foreign policy towards the region, too often unilateral and focused on military solutions, would also change.

A year ago, at a summit of Latin America’s leaders, President Obama hit a note that resonated well with his counterparts: “I pledge to you that we seek an equal partnership. There is no senior partner and junior partner in our relations.”

After that hopeful moment, though, the new administration stumbled at the starting gate. 2009 was a rough year for U.S. policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean. Latin American governments and civil society groups were disappointed by the Obama Administration’s inattention, vacillation on democracy and human rights, and failure of imagination in creating more humane policies, especially after it secretly negotiated a defense agreement with Colombia and backed off from efforts to urge resignation of the coup regime in Honduras despite an admirably united Latin American and OAS response to protect the democratic order.

Spike in Death Threats, Attacks and Assassinations in Colombia

berickson@lawg.org (Vanessa Kritzer ) — Fri, 28 May 2010 14:12:44 +0000

Death threats, attacks and assassinations. Human rights defenders and indigenous, afro-descendant, and IDP leaders in Colombia often face these terrors, but lately there has been a major spike in these actions—and we’re worried. This past week, LAWGEF and our partners released a public statement to the Colombian and U.S. governments, calling on the Colombian government to take action now to investigate and prosecute these threats and attacks, protect the people at risk, and make it publicly clear that human rights defenders’ work is legitimate and important.

Colombia: "Soldiers Simply Knew They Could Get Away with Murder"

berickson@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 25 May 2010 12:59:24 +0000

As I listened to mothers and sisters and sons describe how they found their loved one in the morgue of a Colombian army base, dressed up in a guerrilla uniform when they knew he was a civilian, I was not only saddened, I was stunned by the striking similarity of the cases. From Casanare, Meta, Cauca, the facts were so similar. Witnesses saw the person being taken prisoner by a group of army soldiers. They went looking for him, thinking he’d be detained on the army base. Then they were shown a photo or the body of their relative, dead and claimed by the army as killed in combat.

NGO Letter to Colombian Candidates: Will You Pledge to Build a Nation Where Rights are Respected?

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Wed, 12 May 2010 10:40:36 +0000

As Colombians go to the polls May 30th, they will elect a president who will have a historic opportunity to change the lives of millions of Colombians affected in profound and tragic ways by the country’s enduring armed conflict. The Latin America Working Group and partner organizations have sent an open letter to Colombia’s presidential and vice presidential candidates to ask them how they will lead the nation in building a more just and inclusive society that promotes and respects the rights of all its citizens.

"Los Suns" Play Basketball with a New Purpose: Shedding Light on Arizona

berickson@lawg.org (Brian Erickson) — Mon, 10 May 2010 10:29:50 +0000

There are some memories you never forget, and some of those memories may even change the course of your life. I’ll never forget the excitement of seeing my first National Football League game. A twelve year old at the time, my father and I glimpsed perfection in the Metrodome of Minneapolis as the Minnesota Vikings embarrassed the Chicago Bears by a score of 48-22 – my fate was sealed as a life-long Vikings fan.

Then my family moved to Arizona – so I tried to acclimate as best I could by making the Phoenix Suns my basketball team. But with the proximity of the U.S.-Mexico border beckoning for my acknowledgment of reality, I suddenly found myself seated in a circle with the women and children of Lomas del Poleo, listening to their struggle with the injustices of minimalist wages and blatant civil and human rights violations committed against women both as they work in and travel to the maquiladoras that figure ever so prominently along the Mexican landscape that bumps up against the international line.

Cuba Legislation Could Help Gulf Economies Rebound from Oil Spill

twheeler@lawg.org (Travis Wheeler) — Fri, 07 May 2010 09:19:02 +0000

About two weeks ago there was an explosion aboard BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig, tragically killing at least 11 rig-workers and eventually triggering a pipe-break that's now spewing an estimated 5,000 barrels into the Gulf of Mexico daily. As the oil slick has spread from its epicenter 50 or so miles off the coast of Louisiana to the Gulf state's shores, so have concerns that the disaster could severely harm the livelihoods of individuals--fishermen, for instance--and industries who depend on the vibrant, wildlife-rich ecosystem.

Honduran Human Rights Groups Call for Truth

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Thu, 06 May 2010 09:34:29 +0000

As an official “Truth Commission” was inaugurated May 4th in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, leading Honduran human rights groups expressed serious concerns and announced an alternative commission.

Saying that a real truth commission “should provide a space which has been denied to the victims, in which they can be heard and injury to their rights repaired,” the groups criticized the official commission for “exclusion of the victims” and the “lack of processes to ensure effectiveness and impartiality.”

Arizona Legislation Sends a Heat Wave through the Nation

berickson@lawg.org (Brian Erickson & Jennifer Johnson) — Wed, 05 May 2010 16:04:19 +0000

The early months of 2010 have been a roller-coaster of anticipation and tension within the immigration debate. Expectations were running high in March when a Senators Schumer and Graham released a framework for reform days before crowds of over 200,000–unified in their chants of “immigration reform now” – gathered blocks from the capitol.

Weeks later, a heat wave of anger erupted when Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed SB1070, a draconian and dangerous legislation that has sparked both swift and widespread responses.

Honduran Singer Karla Lara: "The country is different now."

vkritzer@lawg.org (Vanessa Kritzer) — Mon, 03 May 2010 15:59:52 +0000

“Each of us represents a force that has a great capacity to create.” These words rang out on the colorful and majestic voice of Honduran activist and musician Karla Lara during an empowering concert at Busboys and Poets in Washington, DC on April 23rd, where she taught us about the values that are central to the movement of peaceful, civic resistance that has been ongoing since the June 2009 coup. Lara, who for years has been making music that inspires people to be a part of constructing a better reality in places across Central America, now is a leader of the feminists-in-resistance and artists-in-resistance who are a part of the struggle for human rights, justice, and democracy going on in her own country.

Call for Action Following Violent Attacks against International Human Rights Caravan in Oaxaca

berickson@lawg.org (Jennifer Johnson) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:05:11 +0000

Human rights organizations are joining together to condemn and call for urgent action following the horrific attacks against an international human rights caravan in Oaxaca earlier this week.

On Tuesday, April 27th a caravan of 25 human rights observers, reporters and teachers was ambushed by an armed group of paramilitaries in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Two members of the delegation were killed in this attack, Betty Alberta Cariño, the director of Center for Community Support Working Together (CACTUS) along with Tyri Antero Jaakkola, a human rights observer from Finland, with 15 more reported injured.

Justice Is Hard to Find for Mothers in Ciudad Juárez

berickson@lawg.org (Brian Erickson) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:11:42 +0000

“How many years has this been going on? Why didn't they change the way they investigate everything?” These are the questions that linger on the mind of Irma Monreal after nearly nine years of struggling to find a semblance of justice after her daughter, Esmeralda, was raped, tortured and murdered in Ciudad Juárez in 2001.

Haiti: Of Donors and Disasters

vkritzer@lawg.org (Salvador Sarmiento, RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:22:04 +0000

Take a look at a quality analysis by Salvador Sarmiento of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights of the road to travel between an apparently successful donors conference and the actual delivery of well-targeted aid, published on the Center for International Policy’s Americas Program blog.

Improving Relations with Havana: Is the U.S. Up to the Challenge?

twheeler@lawg.org (Travis Wheeler and Emily Chow) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:05:10 +0000

Speaking recently before a university audience in Kentucky, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shared her thoughts about the future of U.S.-Cuban relations. She touched on many headline-grabbing issues, but her comment that it's her “personal belief that the Castros do not want to see an end to the embargo and do not want to see normalization with the United States, because they would then lose all of their excuses for what hasn’t happened in Cuba in the last 50 years" is what got Cuba's, and the international media's, attention.

Haiti: "Great Unmet Needs Continue to Be Identified Every Day"

vkritzer@lawg.org (Dominique Griffith) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:26:23 +0000

Although months have passed since the massive earthquake that devastated Haiti, our partners believe that a lot more should be done to help Haitians recover and rebuild.

Colombia: Justice Still Out of Reach

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:02:01 +0000

In March, two major annual human rights reports on Colombia were released by the State Department and the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights’ office in Colombia. They highlight some advances, most notably a decline in killings of civilians by the army (extrajudicial executions), but point to numerous ongoing problems, including the major scandal of illegal wiretapping by the government’s DAS intelligence agency, a pronounced slowness in achieving justice in extrajudicial execution cases, threats and attacks against human rights defenders and failures by the government in protecting them, a resurgence of illegal armed groups following the paramilitary demobilization, and sexual violence in the context of the conflict.

No End to Human Rights Violations in Honduras

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 10:41:16 +0000

Extremely serious human rights violations have taken place since the inauguration of Honduran President Porfirio Lobo on January 27th. Since that date, there has been a notable increase in attacks against people opposed to the June 28th coup d’état and their family members, as well as a surge in attacks against journalists. A teacher was slain in front of his class. Three campesino leaders from the community of Aguán were assassinated.

Call to Veto Senseless, Fear-Mongering Bill in Arizona

berickson@lawg.org (Brian Erickson & Jennifer Johnson) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 22:17:38 +0000

Earlier this week, Arizona state legislators voted in favor of legislation that – if signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer - would institutionalize discriminatory and dangerous policies by effectively pressuring police to engage in racial profiling, criminalize unauthorized migrants for 'trespassing' into Arizona, and permit anyone to sue local agencies if they believe that the law isn't being adequately enforced. Such policies are as sweeping as they are dangerous.

This is our wealth": Cuban Medical Students Speak Out in Rare U.S. Visit

twheeler@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:18:41 +0000

On Monday, April 5th, two Cuban medical students spoke about contemporary Cuba in an open forum at American University in Washington, DC. The students, Yenaivis Fuentes Ascencio and Aníbal Ramos Socarrás*, are the first students to receive visas from the United States since 2002 after President Bush severely curtailed academic exchanges between the United States and Cuba. In fact, in one positive advancement under the Obama Administration, visas for Cubans to travel to the United States are up approximately 65 percent overall, according to the U.S. Interests Section in Havana.

Murder City: Failed Solutions for Ciudad Juárez

berickson@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:31:33 +0000

Charles Bowden’s Murder City: Ciudad Juárez and the Global Economy’s New Killing Fields is an unflinching look at the violence on the U.S.-Mexico border and the failing solutions by both countries to address it. With an intense sympathy for the many victims but also a degree of understanding even for a contract killer who finds God, the author doesn’t let the reader find comfort in anything. The book, just published by Nation Books (New York: 2010), can be found at your local bookstore or online distributors. Here are a few selections from this devastating catalog of violence.

Attacks Against Human Rights Defenders in Guerrero, Mexico

vkritzer@lawg.org (Jennifer Johnson and Vanessa Kritzer) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:08:42 +0000

Working to protect human rights in the heavily militarized mountain region of Guerrero, Mexico is never easy; and threats and harassment are not new for the Mexican human rights defenders who work for the Organization of the Me’phaa Indigenous People (OPIM) and the Tlachinollan Mountain Center for Human Rights. But we have been alarmed to see a rise in threats against them because of their outspoken advocacy, including their accompaniment of two indigenous women, Inés Fernández Ortega y Valentina Rosendo Cantú, who were raped and tortured by soldiers in 2002.

Words Matter: An Apology for the Murder of Archbishop Romero

pgusmao@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard ) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 11:06:44 +0000

On the 30th anniversary of the murder of Archbishop Oscar Romero, Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes apologized for the role of the Salvadoran government in this cataclysmic event.

His words are so moving they require no further introduction.

For text of the speech in Spanish, click here.

For a New York Times article about President Funes' speech, click here.

An English translation of the speech follows.

Honduras: Lawyers at Risk

berickson@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard ) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 07:56:19 +0000

I just listened to a group of Honduran lawyers, who were exhausted, frustrated and in fear, as they explained their efforts to defend citizens’ rights in their country.

The lawyers were here to ask for help from the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights. Their message was:

Oscar Romero: In Our Hearts, and Should be in the History Books

pgusmao@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:53:08 +0000

As the Texas State Board of Education voted in March to exclude Archbishop Oscar Romero from history textbooks, just as we reach the thirtieth anniversary of his murder, it seems like a good moment to remember his legacy.

Colombia's Heroes

vkritzer@lawg.org (Vanessa Kritzer) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:26:05 +0000

In January, I traveled to Colombia on a delegation with Witness for Peace to meet with communities resisting displacement in Northern Cauca and with communities of internally displaced people near Bogotá and Cali. Since I got back, I’ve viewed my work differently, and here’s why:

I realized that in our advocacy we talk so much about “victims,” when the word we really should be using is “heroes.”

Remembering a Women's Rights Champion of Ciudad Juárez

vkritzer@lawg.org (Jennifer Johnson and Brian Erickson) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:01:08 +0000

As we mark International Women’s Day, we remember Esther Chávez Cano, a powerful champion for women’s rights who struggled to eradicate gender-based violence and whose efforts raised worldwide attention to the ever-growing toll of unresolved murders of women and girls in Ciudad Juárez.

I Want Guatemala to Be Known for Our Struggle to Stop Violence Against Women.

vkritzer@lawg.org (Dominique Griffith) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:16:22 +0000

In Guatemala, violence against women has reached staggering levels in recent years. Since 2000, over 4,700 Guatemalan women have been brutally murdered with almost no accountability for a single perpetrator of these crimes. On March 3rd, 2010, American University hosted an event with the Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC) called “Stop Femicide in Guatemala!” Internationally acclaimed human rights advocate Norma Cruz spoke with students and professors about the increasing rate of violence against women in Guatemala. The following quotes were taken from that event.

A Tragic Death

pgusmao@lawg.org (Mavis Anderson) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:01:34 +0000

On February 23, 2010, Orlando Zapata Tamayo died in a Havana hospital, where he had been transferred from prison after an 83-day hunger strike in Cuba. Mr. Zapata was among the 75 internal opposition activists detained in Cuba in March of 2003. He and the others were quickly tried and sentenced. Mr. Zapata was serving a 36-year sentence, extended from an original three-year sentence. He was one of 55 Cubans who have been designated by Amnesty International as “Prisoners of Conscience.”

The Latin America Working Group expresses our utmost sorrow at his passing and our distress over this tragic and indefensible death. We call upon the Cuban government to institute a thorough investigation into Mr. Zapata’s death.

The LAWG Blog Better Than Ever

vkritzer@lawg.org (The LAWG Team) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:07:49 +0000

The LAWG Blog is about to become your favorite thing since fair trade coffee. Why? Because we're ramping it up with more issues, more engaging features, and more room for your voice. Click here to check it out!

So, what's new with our blog?

Colombia: A Ruling for Democracy

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:14:31 +0000

In a decisive ruling for democracy, Colombia’s Constitutional Court determined February 26th that a law authorizing a referendum to change the constitution to permit a second consecutive reelection of President Álvaro Uribe would be unconstitutional. President Uribe immediately accepted the decision.

We Have Things to Share with Cubans: LAWG Briefs House on New Bill on Travel (and Ag Sales) to Cuba

twheeler@lawg.org (Travis Wheeler) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:01:10 +0000

While some historic snowstorms and the President's Day recess sidetracked our congressional advocacy work in the first couple weeks of February, the introduction of the Peterson-Moran Cuba bill (HR 4645) has helped us regain our "travel for all" momentum and represents our best chance to end the travel ban on Cuba in 2010.

Respect in Migration Talks; Dissonance over Dissidents

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:06:08 +0000

A United States delegation led by Craig Kelly, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere affairs, met with Cuban officials led by Dagoberto Rodríguez, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, in Havana on Friday, February 19th, to discuss migration issues. This meeting marked the second round of migration talks since their suspension in 2004 by President George W. Bush.

Haiti: The Streets Are the Bedrooms and Kitchens

vkritzer@lawg.org (Dominique Griffith) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:01:05 +0000

Here are some stories from our partners about how relief efforts are unfolding. In many areas quake survivors are at risk and still abandoned.

Time to Retire Cuba Policy

echow@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:38:38 +0000

On February 11th, Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL), long time pro-embargo supporter (and creator), announced that he will not run for his tenth term this coming November.

“I am convinced that in the upcoming chapter of the struggle, I can be more useful to the inevitable change that will soon come to Cuba, to Cuba’s freedom, as a private citizen dedicated to helping the heroes within Cuba,” said Rep. Diaz-Balart.

The House Gets Ready to Shovel U.S. Government Out of Cuba Policy Mess

twheeler@lawg.org (Travis Wheeler) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:50:47 +0000

If you've been following the national news, you've probably heard that Washington, DC, has been slammed by more snowstorms than usual this winter season (only Syracuse, NY, has had more). This past weekend's snowstorm, dubbed "Snowmageddon" by President Obama and "Snowpocalypse" by some LAWG staffers and other DC-area residents, was so powerful that the Federal Government has remained closed since the snowflakes began falling last Friday afternoon. Today, we're being hit by yet another snowstorm, and we haven't even finished shoveling and plowing ourselves out of the last one!

Toward a Fresh Start? Obamas Response to Haiti and the Budget for Latin America

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:10:28 +0000

We charitably termed the Obama Administration’s first year of Latin America policy a “false start.” After the year was kicked off with a promising beginning with a rousing speech at the Summit of the Americas, a promise to close Guantanamo, the lifting of the ban on travel to Cuba for Cuban Americans, and some principled words on human rights to Colombian President Uribe, we had some hope for a new, less ideological, more people-centered approach to the region. As the year progressed, those hopes were dashed. But now we dare to hope again.

Its Time To Lose the Ideological Lens

echow@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:58:20 +0000

In two interesting analyses of elections in Latin America, Professor Doug Hertzler, associate professor of anthropology at Eastern Mennonite University and Adam Isacson of the Center for International Policy remind us, and the U.S. government, to look closely at the reality in each country rather than viewing it in an ideological context.

Muros y Puertas: Cuban Singer Carlos Varela's Message to U.S. Congress

vkritzer@lawg.org (Vanessa Kritzer) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:51:02 +0000

On a cold afternoon during the last days of 2009, a man dressed in a black shirt, black pants, and a black hat walked through the quiet halls of Congress with a guitar in hand. While no passerby could have known it, this was a landmark moment for Grammy award-winning Cuban singer-songwriter Carlos Varela. For the past ten years, Varela had been denied a visa to tour in the United States due to harsher travel restrictions imposed by the Bush Administration.

Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) hosted a briefing and performance with Varela that highlighted the importance of international cultural exchange. Varela—who has been compared to Bob Dylan for his beautiful, often controversial lyrics and prolific repertoire—was frank in his views on the problems caused by the increased restrictions on travel between the U.S. and Cuba in recent years.

Colombia: He Was Just a Farmer Who Liked to Work

berickson@lawg.org (Lisa Bonds, Lutheran World Relief) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:47:30 +0000

We thought you should hear this story from Lisa Bonds, with our partner Lutheran World Relief in Colombia. See LWR’s blog on Colombia and other topics by clicking here.

“I joined my Lutheran World Relief colleagues and Rosario Montoya, the Director of Fundacion Infancia Feliz, in a visit to the ‘Finca la Alemania,’ the German farm… As we drove to the farm, Rosario briefed us on the farm's history and the people who had recently returned to the farm after having been displaced by one of the most feared paramilitary leaders, called ‘the Chain,’ in the state of Cordoba...

Honduras: Violence Against "Those Who Look or Love Differently"

berickson@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:03:18 +0000

As Hondurans sort through the wreckage of human rights and civil liberties violations that occurred following the June 28th coup, one pressing issue the country will have to address is the wave of violence directed against members of the LGBT community.

High Hopes in Haiti for U.S.-Cuba Cooperation

berickson@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:25:55 +0000

The Haitian earthquake that occurred on January 12th has left the poorest nation in our hemisphere in an even worse position. However, the international community has made a remarkable humanitarian effort to contribute to the relief of the Haitian people. Even nations that are typically at odds have joined together to help.

Honduras: We Cant Pretend It Never Happened

berickson@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:11:55 +0000

As National Party leader Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo is inaugurated president of Honduras, we can’t just pretend the June 28th coup and its bitter aftermath never occurred.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights just released a devastating 147-page catalogue of the violations of human rights and civil liberties that have occurred since the coup in Honduras.

Landmark Case Sentencing Former Guatemalan Military Officials for Forced Disappearances

berickson@lawg.org (Amanda Martin (GHRC/USA)) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:04:37 +0000

Amanda Martin of the Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA provides this important update on the arduous search for justice in the cases of disappeared Guatemalans.

On December 3, 2009, a former military official and three former commissioners were sentenced to 53 years in prison for the forced disappearance and illegal detention of six people in El Jute, Guatemala in 1981. This marks the first time in Guatemalan history that a high-ranking military official has been sentenced for forced disappearance. In the sentence, the tribunal also ordered an investigation of former defense minister Angel Anibal Guevara, former head of Defense Security (EMD) Benedicto Lucas Garcia, and other officials and soldiers assigned to the same military base as the guilty parties in 1981.

Haiti: Rebuilding with Rights

berickson@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:02:34 +0000

As we give from our own pockets and encourage our government to fund relief and reconstruction in earthquake-devastated Haiti, we can’t let skepticism about the past success of aid efforts dissuade us from responding. But at the same time, we can’t ignore real concerns. Groups involved in human rights and health related work in Haiti issued a call for Haiti relief and reconstruction efforts to respect the following principles:

The 800 Mile Wall: A Matter of Human Rights

berickson@lawg.org (Brian Erickson) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:12:59 +0000

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has sought to assure us all that human rights are a priority for the administration. Unfortunately, the policies in place to secure the U.S.-Mexico border have hardly been humane. That’s why Thursday, December 10th, Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) sponsored a showing of The 800 Mile Wall in honor of the 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Ecuador: We Cannot Continue Living This Way.

vkritzer@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:26:25 +0000

The Amazon Rainforest is famously known as the “lungs of the earth.” In the Ecuadorian Amazon, indigenous groups have united in an effort to protect our proverbial lungs from multinational corporations who they say have spent many years exploiting these sacred lands for profit and harming the communities that live there.

On Thursday November 5th, 2009, the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), Amazon Watch and the Washington Office on Latin America hosted an event that allowed members of the Ecuadorian Indigenous Rights Movement to share their stories. The following quotes were taken from Marlon Santi’s remarks at that event.

False Start on Latin America: Obamas First Year

berickson@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:57:14 +0000

As I advocate for a U.S. policy towards the region based on justice and human rights, I’ve had easier years during the Bush Administration. For an administration that promised hope and change, both are in short supply.

Wall Art: A Profound Way to Tell the Sad Stories of Our Border

berickson@lawg.org (Brian Erickson) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:03:40 +0000

Between the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Borderlands RAVE photo exhibit in the Senate, the border wall has loomed large in the minds of many this November.

As a final reflection for the month, Leslie Berestein of the San Diego Union-Tribune has called attention to another function of the fence: a place for artistic expression.

Cuba Politics Should be Pushed Aside

pgusmao@lawg.org (Paulo Gusmao) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:35:56 +0000

“The cigar-chomping, no-nonsense general who lifted New Orleans from the depths of Hurricane Katrina in late 2005 thinks Cuba has some important lessons to teach the United States in storm-fighting, and he wants warmer relations with the nation's neighbor to the south for that reason.” See the full article from the shreveporttimes.com here.

Election Day in Honduras

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:44:55 +0000

Elections took place Sunday, November 29th in Honduras with National Party leader Porfirio Lobo declared the winner.

But elections carried out under a state of emergency, with visible military and police presence, by a government installed by coup, with a significant movement opposed to the coup calling for abstention, and with the deposed President still holed up in the center of the capital city in the Brazilian Embassy, are no cause for celebration. As we wrote to the State Department on November 24th, “a cloud of intimidation and restrictions on assembly and free speech affect the climate in which these elections take place… basic conditions do not exist for free, fair and transparent elections in Honduras.”

Honduras: No Ones Idea of an Electoral Fiesta

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:24:38 +0000

“Vote? Me? No way? For what?” said the young man, almost spitting out the words. “What is there to vote for in this election?”

All over Honduras, youth “in resistance,” women in resistance, artists in resistance, lawyers in resistance, well-dressed and blackberried political party leaders in resistance, campesinos in resistance, are saying no to these November 29th elections. While the word “resistance” may conjure up images of masked guerrillas, this image is totally misleading. As I could see in a trip this week to Tegucigalpa, it is, so far, in general an extraordinarily peaceful, civic resistance.

Mexico's Tlachinollan: "Through the Language of Human Rights We Have Become Brothers."

vkritzer@lawg.org (Suzette Diaz) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:53:12 +0000

This year, the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) gave its annual Human Rights Award to the Tlachinollan Human Rights Center from the state of Guerrero in Mexico. This award honors the bravery and dedication of organizations and individuals defending human rights in Latin America.

LAWG has great respect for Tlachinollan’s work and we were moved by the beautiful words that Abel Barrera, the director of Tlachinollan, used in his acceptance speech. The following is an excerpt from that speech. To read the full speech click here. Para leer todo el discurso, haga clíc aquí.

Rethinking the U.S.-Mexico Border

berickson@lawg.org (Brian Erickson) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:12:14 +0000

On Friday, November 13th, some influential thinkers from both the United States and Mexico gathered at the Woodrow Wilson Center Mexico Institute to discuss how our two nations must begin Rethinking the U.S.-Mexico Border.

The current model, as described by former Deputy Foreign Secretary of the Government of Mexico Andrés Rozental, is a system characterized by “irritation, inefficiency, illegality, and now, violence.” Moving forward, he stated, we need “cooperative solutions to shared problems.”

It's time for us to scrap this anachronistic ban

pgusmao@lawg.org (Andy Turner) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:19:24 +0000

“U.S. law lets American citizens travel to any country on earth, friend or foe -- with one exception: Cuba. It's time for us to scrap this anachronistic ban.” -Congressman Berman and Senator Lugar

Yesterday, in an op-ed published in the Miami Herald, Chairman Berman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Senator Richard Lugar, ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, endorsed the freedom to travel to Cuba just in time for the long-awaited committee hearing on Cuba travel. Here we go. The leadership in Congress is firmly in favor of change and not afraid to say so.

Colombia: We Are Still Waiting for Our Loved Ones

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:24:59 +0000

In every province of Colombia, women long to know what happened to their husbands, to their daughters, to their sons. Children want to know what happened to their fathers, to their mothers.

Even Colombia’s associations of families of the disappeared have long estimated that at most the disappeared totaled 15,000. And many did not believe the toll was so high.

But as forensic teams are conducting exhumations following the partial paramilitary demobilization, prosecutors are interviewing paramilitary leaders, Colombia’s National Search Commission is soliciting information from the victims, and victims are organizing to know the truth, the scale of the human catastrophe is slowly being unveiled.

Cuba Policy and Campaign Contributions, ever wonder why?

pgusmao@lawg.org (Andy Turner) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:53:16 +0000

The Miami Herald details a new report today on how money affects Cuba policy.

Public Campaign , a non-profit campaign finance research group, just released the most extensive study of Cuban-American political donations to date. The conclusion: big money from political action committees is the reason for our stagnant Cuba policy.

From the Berlin Wall to the U.S-Mexico Border

berickson@lawg.org (Brian Erickson) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:45:01 +0000

Across the world, individuals this week celebrated the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. While this anniversary reminds us of the historical significance walls have served as barriers to the flow of goods, ideas, and people, many individuals forget the current realities of a similar wall being constructed along our southern border.

Ten years from now, perhaps we will not be able to say we survived the brutality of these times."

vkritzer@lawg.org (Vanessa Kritzer) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:58:26 +0000

The international community initially celebrated an agreement negotiated in Honduras, on October 28th, between coup regime leader Roberto Micheletti and deposed President Manuel Zelaya, which could have put an end to the crisis. But, less than a week later, the accord started crumbling apart.

On November 5th, 2009, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) sponsored a briefing of civil society leaders and activists on Capitol Hill to talk about the human rights violations that have been occurring in Honduras since the coup and give their vision for the future. The leaders’ visits were coordinated by the Quixote Center and Just Associates, and LAWGEF pitched in to help. The following quotes were taken from that briefing.

Imagine That: Humane Drug Control Efforts Work Better!

vkritzer@lawg.org (Adam Isacson, Center for International Policy) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:18:58 +0000

On Friday, November 6th, the U.S. government finally released its estimate of how much coca was cultivated in Colombia in 2008. The result is the first reduction in coca-growing since 2002-2003, a significant drop from 167,000 hectares measured in 2007 to 119,000 hectares in 2008. (A hectare is equal to 2.47 acres.) This brings the U.S. government’s coca cultivation estimate to its lowest level since 2004. (The U.S. government has not yet released 2008 coca data for Peru and Bolivia.) This matches a downward 2007-2008 trend – though not the number of hectares – that the UN Office on Drugs and Crime announced (PDF) back in June.

A reduction in coca cultivation is good news. But what caused it?

Announcement: Hearing on Cuba Travel

pgusmao@lawg.org (Andy Turner) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:35:39 +0000

The hearing has arrived.

Thursday, November 19th, the full House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a public hearing on the freedom to travel to Cuba. Official announcement here. Chairman Howard Berman titled the hearing, “Is it Time to Lift the Ban on Travel to Cuba?”

Floods Lash El Salvador in the Wake of Hurricane Ida

pgusmao@lawg.org (Share Foundation) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:31:56 +0000

Once again, Central America is battered by natural disaster. As our partner the Share Foundation describes it:

“While the National Hurricane Center in the United States has downgraded Hurricane Ida to a Tropical Storm, El Salvador has experienced the full brunt of hurricane force winds and rain. Over the weekend, the storm destroyed more than 7,000 homes and damaged many more. The most recent data… indicates that approximately 130 people have been killed by the storm, and thousands more injured. This total is sure to rise as emergency relief workers continue to work their way through damaged buildings and areas that have experienced landslides.

Obama Hears From You on Cuba

pgusmao@lawg.org (Paulo Gusmao) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:32:29 +0000

Following the UN vote last week over One Thousand of you sent letters to President Obama, in less than 24 hours, expressing a need to change U.S. policy toward Cuba. If you haven't taken this action, take it here.

Amnesty International made a similar appeal to the President.

Future Hurricanes will bring the Rain, and Hopefully Some Change

pgusmao@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:21:46 +0000

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin recently traveled to Cuba in order todiscuss hurricane preparedness with the country’s leading experts. Inthe aftermath of the Mayor’s trip, the need to reinstate a workingrelationship between the United States and Cuba could not be moreapparent. Considering Cuba’s remarkable hurricane response system andproximity to New Orleans, it is logical to collaborate (or at leasecommunicate) about natural disasters. But the trade embargo and travelrestrictions against Cuba make co-operation rather difficult.

Movement in Honduras, but the Futures Still Uncertain

vkritzer@lawg.org (Suzette Diaz and Vanessa Kritzer) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:27:00 +0000

After months of a virtual standstill in Honduras between democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya and regime leader Roberto Micheletti, we might be seeing the end of what one writer called, “The Little Coup That Couldn’t.” On October 29th, Honduras’ defacto leader Roberto Micheletti agreed to step down, allowing the Honduran Congress to decide whether President Zelaya would be returned to power. But, the fate of democracy in Honduras still remains to be seen.

Its a Crude World We Live In

berickson@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:17:11 +0000

On October 23rd, Crude made its debut in D.C. at the Landmark E Street Cinema. Crude, a documentary about the $27 billion dollar “Amazon Chernobyl” case, is making similar debuts across the nation in 2009. Here in Washington, viewers piled into the theater, even at the10:15 PM showing, only to be greeted by director Joe Berlinger whoopened the film stating, “I don’t want to say enjoy the film, because it’s not enjoyable. I hope that it’s provocative so that we can talk about it.” And talk about it we did.

19th Time's the Charm

pgusmao@lawg.org (Paulo Gusmao) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:33:44 +0000

The United Nations votes annually on a resolution to condemn the U.S. embargo on Cuba. On Wednesday, October 28, 2009, the General Assembly, like clockwork, voted again, for the 18th time.

UN Condemns Embargo on Cuba. Obama, Wake Up!

pgusmao@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:34:22 +0000

UPDATE: The United Nations has voted 187 in favor, 3 against (US, Israel, Palau), and 2 abstentions (Micronesia, Marshall Islands) to condemn the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba.

The United Nations General Assembly will vote on a resolution whichcondemns the U.S embargo against Cuba on Wednesday, October 28th, forthe 18th year in a row. According to a CBS news report written afterthe 2008 U.N vote, “The U.S. embargo has cost Cuba $230 million a yearin foreign investment and caused the country more than $93 billion ineconomic damage since its inception, according to Cuban officials.”

Honduras: What Has Happened to the Rest of Us?

pgusmao@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:47:30 +0000

“If that kind of barbarity can be directed against the highest-ranking person in the country, what will happen to the rest of us?” asked the activists at COFADEH, the Committee of Families of Detained and Disappeared in Honduras, right after the June 28th coup that sent President Manuel Zelaya into exile. Now the answer to that question can be seen in COFADEH’s hard-hitting October 22nd report, “Statistics and Faces of Repression.”

A Tribute to the Jesuits; A New World is Possible

vkritzer@lawg.org (Mavis Anderson) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:02:52 +0000

LAWG celebrates—and I personally celebrate—that yesterday the U.S. House of Representatives approved H.Res. 761, introduced by Rep. Jim McGovern and 33 co-sponsors. This resolution remembers and commemorates the lives and work of the six Jesuit priests and two women who were murdered in El Salvador nearly twenty years ago, on November 16, 1989.

Threats Against Mothers of Soacha Victims

vkritzer@lawg.org (Adam Isacson, Center for International Policy) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Writing a few days ago in El Espectador, columnist Felipe Zuleta reported that mothers of young men killed by the Colombian military have begun receiving anonymous threats.

The mothers live in the poor Bogotá suburb of Soacha, where in 2008 elements of the Colombian Army abducted young men, killing them and later presenting their bodies as those of illegal armed group members killed in combat. When news of the Soacha killings broke in September 2008, the scandal forced the firing of 27 Army personnel. Murder trials have been proceeding very slowly, with an increasing likelihood that some of those responsible may not be punished.

Documentary Makes Debut in D.C: Come Meet the Director!

berickson@lawg.org (Brian Erickson) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:39:02 +0000

Soon after its world premier at the Sundance Film Festival this past January, multiple awards began recognizing Crude as one the most poignant documentaries hitting theaters this year. For all of you deeply concerned about human rights violations, the displacement and destruction of indigenous cultures, increased environmental degradation, or irresponsible development by multinational corporations, Crude is being recognized as an artistic masterpiece that tells the story of the “Amazon Chernobyl” case in which all these areas of concern intertwine. The final result is the creation of a powerful message for increasing awareness among individuals of how the gas they pump has tangible effects on individuals in other parts of our world.

Hurricane Experts from United States and Cuba to Meet in New Orleans

pgusmao@lawg.org (Wayne Smith) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:17:54 +0000

An invitation from Wayne Smith, Former Chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana and Senior Fellow and Director of the Cuba Program at the Center for International Policy

This conference in New Orleans on disaster preparedness seems to open a new and critical door for bilateral exchange.

Cuba and the U.S. Gulf Coast are both in the path of hurricanes, which are striking with increasing frequency and ferocity. It is therefore of marked importance that they cooperate with one another against these onslaughts, exchanging information and providing assistance to one another as needed. The Cubans have indicated their full willingness to do so. It is fitting that Cubans and Americans gather in New Orleans, the American city that was most damaged by and had the highest losses in lives from Hurricane Katrina, to discuss how this cooperation can best be achieved.

Ballet Diplomacy

pgusmao@lawg.org (Andy Turner) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:25:31 +0000

The Washington Ballet debuted a fantastic production of Don Quixote at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts this week. The highlight was an awe inspiring performance by Viengsay Valdés, the Primera Bailarina of the Ballet Nacionál de Cuba. Ms. Valdés, a product of Cuba’s world renowned ballet schools, played the lead role of Kitri in a spectacular rendition of Cervantes’ classic Spanish novel. Many in the crowd didn’t even know about the special guest, who tip-toed into DC almost unnoticed. But the audience adored the Cuban ballerina and interrupted the show frequently with extended applause. And out came Cuban flags with the endless standing ovation for such a rare and delightful performance.

Honduras: Violations, Lobbying Continue

pgusmao@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:57:51 +0000

Despite the Micheletti government’s announced intention following international and national pressure to lift the state of siege, the notice has not yet been published in the official gazette, and rights violations continue. The de facto government issued a new decree allowing the government’s telecommunications agency to revoke licenses for radio and television stations that transmit messages that promote “social anarchy,” ensuring that censorship can continue. Police continued excessive use of force against protestors, and some protestors remain in detention. Meanwhile, hopes for dialogue increased as the Organization of American States negotiators arrived, but no end to the crisis is yet in sight.

Gracias a la Vida

vkritzer@lawg.org (Vanessa Kritzer) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:46:46 +0000

After a long life, touching millions of people with her powerful voice and commitment to social justice, Argentine folksinger Mercedes Sosa passed away on Sunday, October 4th, 2009. Sosa set an incredible example of how music can change the world.

Her deep, rich voice and emotionally charged performances became the rallying cry for a generation of Latin Americans oppressed by dictatorships. In a time of terror, she chose to be “the voice for the voiceless ones” and sing words that were forbidden. In her more than fifty-year career, she pioneered a new movement in music, which buried itself deep into the soul of every listener, as personal as it was political.

Record Level Deaths in Borderlands: NGOs Raise National Awareness

berickson@lawg.org (Brian Erickson) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:40:29 +0000

Mexico’s National Commission on Human Rights (CNDH) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are bringing national attention to a frightening dynamic developing along the U.S.-Mexico border. In spite of a large drop in immigration numbers, migrant deaths this year are threatening record increases!

Police Reform in Mexico: A Sensible Solution to the Violence

vkritzer@lawg.org (Suzette Diaz and Vanessa Kritzer) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:55:54 +0000

As violence linked to organized crime in Mexico continues to mount and spending on a militarized approach to public security challenges expands, reports of human rights violations by members of the security forces are increasing. Policymakers in the United States and Mexico need to ask some hard questions about how to curb drug-related violence more effectively while respecting human rights. One answer includes a focus on improving and increasing accountability over police forces rather than drawing military forces into local law enforcement.

On September 17, 2009 LAWGEF joined with the Washington Office on Latin America and the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center to tackle these questions as part of a forum regarding police reform in Mexico.

Concern Mounts over Suspension of Rights in Honduras

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:15:57 +0000

As international and domestic concern mounts over the suspension of constitutional rights declared by de facto Honduran President Roberto Micheletti on September 26th, the government promises to restore rights, but does not yet act to do so, and human rights violations continue.

Honduras: The Time Is Now

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:10:29 +0000

On September 21st, President Manuel Zelaya returned clandestinely to Honduras and took refuge in the Brazilian embassy in the capital city of Tegucigalpa. Honduran police fired tear gas to disperse Zelaya’s supporters gathered around the embassy. They also launched tear gas at the human rights group COFADEH, where men, women and children had taken refuge after the attack at the embassy. People detained for violating a newly established curfew are being held at the football stadium, where observers saw people who had been severely beaten. The situation in the capital and elsewhere is extremely tense.

Concert for Peace without Borders in Havana: A moment missed by U.S. performing artists

pgusmao@lawg.org (Louis Head) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:12:59 +0000

It seems that a day cannot go by without an article in the MSM declaring that “Cuba is opening up to the world.” There’s a lot of tricky logic going in such statements, and this past Sunday’s Concert for Peace without Borders organized by Colombian pop star Juanes can help us to reflect on this a bit, and also to act to change United States restrictions on travel by Americans to Cuba.

Being the music lover that I am, before anything else I have to comment: What a spectacular display it was! Well over a million people – half of Havana’s population according to Cuban press sources – filled the Plaza of the Revolution to see performances by Cuban artists living on the island and abroad whose work most epitomizes their homeland, such as Los Van Van, Orishas, Silvio Rodríguez, Yerba Buena, Carlos Varela and Amaury Pérez. Hats off to saxophonist and music director extraordinaire Juan Manuel Ceruto and an amazing ensemble that accompanied many of the Cubans, as well as their foreign guests such as Luis Aute, Miguel Bosé, Olga Tañón and Danny Rivera, among others. It was great to see Cuban musicianship on display again here in the United States, if only via an online video stream provided by Univisión, something unheard of not so long ago.

LAWGEF Comments on the Pending U.S. Trade Agreement with Colombia

vkritzer@lawg.org (Vanessa Kritzer and Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:36:08 +0000

Today, LAWGEF joined labor, environmental, human rights, development and faith-based organizations in submitting written comments to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in response to a formal request to the public for opinions on the pending trade agreement. In their comments, these groups outlined the specific human rights and labor problems in Colombia, and urged the Obama Administration to insist upon seeing fundamental improvements on these issues before going forward with a free trade agreement. Violence against trade unionists and other obstacles to worker rights were outlined by the AFL-CIO and US Labor Education in the Americas Project. Some groups also outlined the potential impact of the trade agreement on the rural poor, including Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities.

Activists Rally to Support Colombia's Broken Hearted: We've Got the Pictures!

vkritzer@lawg.org (Vanessa Kritzer) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Last week, a group of intrepid activists came together to raise awareness about the serious human rights issues that the Colombian government is seeking to hide with their recent campaign “Discover Colombia through its Heart.” Here are some great pictures shot of actions during the week by Brandon Wu from Public Citizen.

Oh, No, Not Again. State Department Certifies Colombia

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:43:06 +0000

Just as the Bush Administration did countless times before, the Obama Administration certified on September 8th that Colombia meets the human rights conditions in law. The conditions, which refer to gross violations of human rights by Colombia’s security forces and collaboration between those forces and paramilitary or other illegal armed groups, are attached to thirty percent of Colombia’s military aid.

New Treasury Regulations for Cuban American Family Travel

pgusmao@lawg.org (Emily Chow) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:43:25 +0000

On September 3, 2009, President Obama made some of his campaignpromises official, related to the Cuban-American community; the Officeof Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) at the Department of the Treasuryreleased new Cuba regulations. This was a step forward for theCuban-American community, but what about the rest of U.S citizens - you and me? These changes in OFAC regulations are welcomed, but are long past due. They don’t mean that we can stop urging a change for a just policy for everyone.

Cuba is BIG in the News

pgusmao@lawg.org (Mavis Anderson) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:44:09 +0000

From rock concerts to jailed “dissidents” to impacts on Cuban health and well-being . . . all roads lead to ending the embargo.

CNN on Juanes Concert in Cuba

pgusmao@lawg.org (Mavis Anderson) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:22:05 +0000

Check out the CNN video about the Juanes “Peace Without Borders” concert scheduled in Havana’s Plaza de la Revolución for September 20 here and embedded below.

LAWG Mourns the Passing of Senator Edward Kennedy and Celebrates his Human Rights Legacy

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:56:18 +0000

The Latin America Working Group mourns the passing of Senator Edward Kennedy, a crusader for human rights and social justice in our nation and around the world. As the Woodrow Wilson Center's Cynthia Arnson describes his remarkable efforts in Latin America, including his outspoken efforts to denounce human rights abuses following the 1973 coup in Chile, “His name is recognized and revered among a whole generation of Latin Americans who were persecuted or forced into exile during the years of the dictatorships.”

Merida Funds Released! Mexican NGOs Speak Out

vkritzer@lawg.org (Vanessa Kritzer and Jennifer Johnson) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:59:49 +0000

We were disappointed and troubled to learn last week that the U.S. government had released the chunk of Merida Initiative funds that were supposed to have been withheld until the State Department reported that Mexico had demonstrated progress in key areas of human rights.

Soon after the news of the release was confirmed, the Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez Human Rights Center, the Tlachinollan Human Rights Center, and the Fundar Center for Analysis and Investigation, three prominent Mexican human rights NGOs, released a public statement condemning the U.S. government’s action, as the “human rights obligations remain unfulfilled as Mexican security forces commit widespread, unpunished violations against the civilian population.”

Setting the Record Straight on Merida and Human Rights in Mexico

vkritzer@lawg.org (Vanessa Kritzer and Pesha Magid) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:01:41 +0000

As the media has been spinning many different stories about Merida Initiative funding, we've been glad to see fellow human rights advocates getting the truth out there.

In recent months the Washington Post has provided useful and hard-hitting coverage of some of the brutal tactics employed by Mexico’s military and the Mexican government’s failure to hold soldiers accountable for human rights violations. However, on August 13th the Post’s editorial board published a disappointing op-ed arguing that U.S. government could best assist Mexico by turning a blind eye to these human rights violations. So earlier this week, Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, and Jorge G. Castañeda, the former foreign minister of Mexico, challenged this short-sighted assertion in a powerful letter to the editor.

Peace Without Borders Hits the Blockade; Juanes in Havana

pgusmao@lawg.org (Andy Turner) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:03:39 +0000

Colombian pop star Juanes has planned his second “Peace without borders” concert for September 20th -- UN International Peace Day -- in Havana, Cuba. Cuban stars Silvio Rodriguez and salsa band, Los Van Van, along with Puerto Rican singer Olga Tañon have also committed and there is speculation that some U.S. artists have been invited too. Juanes has formally requested to sing in the Plaza of the Revolution between the statue to José Martí and the grand image of Che Guevara. The show will be free and open to a huge Cuban audience. Juanes’ intention is to "transcend politics,” so what’s the big deal?

Senator Leahy Takes a Stand for Human Rights in Mexico

vkritzer@lawg.org (Vanessa Kritzer and Jennifer Johnson) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:49:06 +0000

A lot has been happening in Washington in the weeks since we covered the Washington Post article that exposed the forced disappearances, torture and illegal raids being carried out by the Mexican military as a part of the “drug war” and the practical impunity for soldiers who use these tactics. Concerned members of Congress have started asking more questions, so LAWG has been working with partner groups in the United States and Mexico to provide some answers. On July 16th, we circulated a joint public statement calling for Congress to withhold a chunk of funds designated for Mexico under the Merida Initiative, which they can only release once they accept a report from the State Department that documents the Mexican government’s efforts to meet four key human rights requirements.

Update on Honduras, please?

cschelter@lawg.org (Millie Moon) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0000

We know that you are anxious for a resolution of the situation in Honduras and are wondering what is going on. Where is President Zelaya? Will he return? What is the U.S. doing to move the negotiations forward?

Going Off Base: An Ousted U.S. Considers Moving Military Bases to Colombia

vkritzer@lawg.org (Millie Moon) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:29:14 +0000

Why is the United States expanding its military bases in Colombia?
What does this mean for U.S.-Colombia relations?
What does this mean for the region?

These are the questions on the lips of many Latin American leaders and activists as they react to the deal under works between Colombia and United States that would grant the U.S. military access to at least five additional Colombian military bases. This deal with Colombia comes quickly after Ecuador decided to end its agreement with the U.S. that allowed the U.S. military access to the Manta airbase on Ecuador’s Pacific coast.

Venceremos Brigade and Pastors for Peace Return from Cuba

pgusmao@lawg.org (Paulo Gusmao) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:34:56 +0000

Congratulations to Pastors for Peace and the Venceremos Brigade on their safe return from Cuba yesterday.

President Obama: Cuba Wants to Talk

pgusmao@lawg.org (Paulo Gusmao) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:47:43 +0000

On Saturday, Cuban President Raul Castro, while addressing the Cuban parliament, again announced that his government stood ready to discuss anything with the Obama Administration.

President Castro’s statement both reaffirms his government’s commitment to the principles of the 1959 revolution and his willingness to reestablish a cordial relationship with the United States. See coverage here.

Cuba Caravan Crosses with 100 Tons of Aid & Venceremos Brigade Returns on Aug 3rd

pgusmao@lawg.org (Paulo Gusmao & Andy Turner) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:12:49 +0000

Activist groups nation-wide continue to rally against the travel ban. The Inter-religious Foundation for Community Organization/ Pastors for Peace’s annual U.S.-Cuba Friendshipment Caravan (video) successfully crossed the U.S.-Mexico border with 100 tons of aid bound for Cuba. Click here to see the press release about the crossing.

Human Rights at Risk in Honduras

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:36:27 +0000

With the chaos following the June 28th coup and the shuttering of media outlets, it has been hard to learn about the state of human rights in Honduras. That’s why it’s so important to read the report that the Honduran Association of the Detained and Disappeared, COFADEH, released July 15t on the human rights situation in Honduras since the coup on June 28, 2009.

More Collaboration with Cuba

pgusmao@lawg.org (Andy Turner) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:20:10 +0000

Outside the Base at Guantanamo Bay last week, the US Military and Cuban Frontier Brigade worked together in basic preparation for major disasters. This is not a new collaboration, but the Obama Administration opted to make the exercise public, in contrast to the previous Bush policy of keeping it secret. According to US Marine Corps General Jack Sheehan, the preparations are yet another sign of an “Incremental process” towards more cooperation. ''We've never advertised [the exercise]… because it was very controversial,'' he said. The Administration seems to be sending yet another “trial balloon,” with this announcement, following the talks on migration last week in New York.

The United States and Cuba Meet on Migration

pgusmao@lawg.org (Andy Turner) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:50:38 +0000

A Good Step, but Let’s Open the Conversation

The two neighbors are back at the negotiating table after a six year hiatus. Since President Obama pledged to relax travel restrictions for Cuban Americans in April, we’ve all been looking for signs of a next step from the administration.

These migration talks show a renewed willingness to engage in focused discussions – one issue at a time. This limited engagement with Cuba is part of a clear signal coming from Washington that diplomacy will again be central to America’s foreign policy. And as Hillary Clinton delivers a major speech this week at the Council on Foreign Relations to outline her global priorities, Latin America has to be high on the list.

Torture, Disappearances, Illegal Raids: The Mexican Army's Drug War

vkritzer@lawg.org (Vanessa Kritzer and Jennifer Johnson) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:16:10 +0000

“The Mexican army has carried out forced disappearances, acts of torture and illegal raids in pursuit of drug traffickers, according to documents and interviews with victims, their families, political leaders and human rights monitors.”

In a detailed exposé published on the front page of last Thursday’s Washington Post, reporters Steve Fainaru and William Booth draw on testimonies from victims, their family members, political officials and human rights monitors to illustrate some of the brutal tactics that the Mexican Army has employed in its efforts to combat drug related violence. Horrific and heartbreaking stories from rural and urban communities, including Puerto Las Ollas, Guerrero and Tijuana, Baja California, are representative of too many of the abuses that have occurred.

Powerful Military + Fragile Democracy = Recipe for a Coup in Honduras

vkritzer@lawg.org (Millie Moon and Vanessa Kritzer) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:01:37 +0000

“I urge all leaders in the Americas to see the Honduran crisis for what it is: an urgent call for the profound social and institutional changes our region has delayed for far too long.”

This is how Costa Rican President Oscar Arias closed his strongly worded op-ed, which was published in the Washington Post on Thursday, July 9th.

Honduran Stand-off Continues; Arias to Mediate

pgusmao@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:03:40 +0000

LAWG calls for the restoration of democratic order in Honduras, including return of democratically-elected leader Manuel Zelaya and the restoration of full civil liberties and freedom of the press.

Today, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Honduran President Zelaya and announced, following the meeting, that Costa Rican President Oscar Arias has agreed to act as a mediator and has been accepted by both President Zelaya and the leader of the de facto government, Roberto Micheletti.

“But it has been my view for several days that the most useful role we could play is to convince all that are directly concerned, not only President Zelaya, but also the de facto regime, the OAS, the UN, everyone, that we needed to have a process where the Hondurans themselves sat down and talked to each other,” said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at the daily press briefing. “And that is – that’s been my goal, and I believe that we are on the brink of that happening. I’m hoping that it actually occurs soon. So we have tried through our good offices to get people to this point. And we’re very grateful for the willingness of President Arias to serve in this position, and we’re also appreciative of the efforts of the OAS as well.”

http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/july/125753.htm

Guerrero, Mexico: Human Rights Defenders Need Protection Now!

cschelter@lawg.org (Jenny Johnson) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Deeply concerned after learning of an assassination attempt against human rights defenders in Guerrero, including Margarita Martín de las Nieves, the Latin America Working Group, Human Rights Watch, the Washington Office on Latin America and Due Process of Law Foundation issued a letter to Ambassador Juan Manuel Gómez Robledo, the Mexican Assistant Secretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights, urging state and federal authorities to take immediate action to ensure the safety of Margarita Martín de las Nieves and fully implement security measures necessary to make certain that human rights defenders in Guerrero can safely carry out their work without fear of reprisals. These protective measures include those agreed to by the Mexican government within the context of proceedings before the Inter-American system of human rights.

Dark Days in Honduras

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:46:25 +0000

The situation in Honduras has only worsened since the coup on June 28th when the Honduran military rousted President Manuel Zelaya from his bed, and flew him to Costa Rica in his pajamas.

Protest in the Streets of DC Sends a Message to Obama on Colombia

pgusmao@lawg.org (Millie Moon and Vanessa Kritzer) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:14:35 +0000

“Money for the victims, money for the displaced. No more money for murder and waste!” Chanted the crowd gathered outside the White House on Monday, June 29th. Inside, Colombian President Uribe was trying to get the same approval from President Obama that he received from the Bush Administration, and activists from around the city came to make sure that he would not get it. Attracting media attention and stopping traffic, they exposed the human rights abuses committed by the Colombian military and demanded that the U.S. change its policies to support victims of the ongoing violence.

Military Coup in Honduras

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:13:20 +0000

Military vehicles with machine guns rolled through the streets of Tegucigalpa, Honduras as the Honduran military ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya yesterday, June 28. This marks the first military coup in Honduras in thirty years and brings back ugly memories of darker times for democracy in Latin America.

Far Worse Than Watergate

vkritzer@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard and Millie Moon) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:50:20 +0000

As President Uribe visits the White House, the scandal regarding the Colombian intelligence agency Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad (DAS) is widening daily. According to Colombia’s Attorney General, over the last seven years the DAS systematically and without warrants tapped the phones and email of Colombia’s major human rights groups, prominent journalists, members of the Supreme Court (including the chief justice and the judge in charge of the parapolitics investigation), opposition politicians, and the main labor federation. Not only did DAS personnel spy on their targets, they spied on their families. This includes taking photos of their children, investigating their homes, their finances, and their daily routines. DAS even wrote a detailed manual of spying methods for personnel to follow.

The Nightmare Is Not Yet Over: Killings of Civilians by the Colombian Army

twheeler@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:24:31 +0000

Since 2007, the Latin America Working Group has been demanding action to end the killings of civilians by the Colombian Army. While the Colombian government has taken some steps to address these systematic abuses, the nightmare is not yet over. Two important resources have just come out that show that much more needs to be done.

Peaceful Indigenous Protests Turn into Violence in Perú

twheeler@lawg.org (Vanessa Kritzer) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:25:41 +0000

On June 5th, violence erupted near Bagua, Perú when members of the country’s security forces confronted indigenous people who were protesting recent governmental decrees that, if fully enacted, would allow logging, drilling, and mining on indigenous lands without the prior consultation of the communities. According to various sources, the protestors had been blocking roads and waterways peacefully when ground forces and helicopters were sent in to break up the demonstration. Many people, both indigenous protestors and members of the security forces, were killed and wounded in the ensuing clash.

In Colombia, the War on Drugs Is About As Effective As Shoveling Water

twheeler@lawg.org (Travis Wheeler and Millie Moon) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:56:45 +0000

In mid-May, shortly after being confirmed to lead the White House Office on National Drug Control Policy, Gil Kerlikowski offered the latest hint that the Obama Administration might take a new approach to counternarcotics.

Mauricio Funes Becomes First Leftist President of El Salvador

twheeler@lawg.org (Claudia Rodriguez, SHARE Foundation) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:24:13 +0000

Mauricio Funes was sworn as President of El Salvador last June 1st. As Funes and his wife, Vanda Pignato, arrived at the inaugural ceremony, they were received by a cheering crowd chanting, "Yes, we did!" As the couple reached the stage, the chants turned into the traditional Latin American leftist hymn, "The people, united, will never be defeated." Monday's inauguration marks a turning point in the country's history, since it is the first time El Salvador elected a leftist president. Since colonial times, the smallest Central American country has had a troublesome history characterized by brutal repression of indigenous uprisings, decades of military dictatorship, a bloody twelve-year civil war and more recently, 20 years of right-wing party rule. Therefore, the FMLN victory represents a new era of hope and change for Salvadorans.

Activists Rally for Comprehensive Immigration Reform on Capitol Hill

cschelter@lawg.org (Christa Schelter and Jenny Johnson) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:18:59 +0000

Shedding Light on the 'Iron River': Stemming Firearms Trafficking Across Our Southern Border

bleiter@lawg.org (Christa Schelter) — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:21:43 +0000

In recent years, thousands of military-style rifles and other firearms have been purchased in the United States and trafficked over our southern border, ultimately ending up in the hands of Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs). If the U.S. is to hold true to its promise of being a good neighbor, we know that bold moves must be made to effectively stem this illicit flow of U.S.-sourced firearms into Mexico. Yet the question arises: What steps need to be taken to achieve this?

Bravo Pres. Obama! Good Direction with Cuba Policy

pgusmao@lawg.org (Paulo Gusmao) — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:35:43 +0000

The State Department on Friday, May 22, took an incremental, yet important step toward reestablishing a limited diplomatic relationship with Cuba similar to what existed under the Clinton Administration -- high-level migration meetings between Havana and Washington. See AP article here.

First Peek at the Obama Administrations 2010 Aid Request for Colombia

twheeler@lawg.org (Adam Isacson, Center for International Policy) — Thu, 21 May 2009 09:39:56 +0000

The Obama administration’s State Department has released a “Summary and Highlights” document for its 2010 foreign assistance request, which offers some significant clues about where future aid is headed.

Days of Prayer and Action 2009: Calling for Change, Making Displaced Colombians Visible

twheeler@lawg.org (Travis Wheeler) — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:10:34 +0000

When we started working with faith-based and grassroots groups to plan this year's Days of Prayer and Action, Colombians were being forced to flee their homes at the staggering, almost unbelievable rate of 1,500 a day. By the time 2008 was said and done, nearly 400,000 had become internally displaced people (IDPs) and Colombia's displaced population had swelled to more than 4 million, overtaking Sudan in the seeming-blink-of-an-eye as the country with the world's most displaced people. We knew we had to do something to make this crisis visible to people here in the United State and to our government that has funded and supported so many of the policies that have exacerbated this humanitarian crisis.

Celebrate! LAWGs Quarter Century of Working for Justice

pgusmao@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Wed, 13 May 2009 10:14:58 +0000

It’s hard to believe—the Latin America Working Group has completed a quarter-century of campaigning for a just U.S. policy towards Latin America. Right now we’re celebrating this history: our collective work to shift U.S. support from war to peace in Central America; to increase U.S. aid for victims of hurricanes, earthquakes and war; to build U.S. counternarcotics policies that are more humane and effective; to promote border policies that respect the rights of border communities and migrants; and to end, once and for all, the Cuba travel ban.

If you’ve called your member of Congress on these issues, if you’ve contributed to our cause, if you’ve sent our messages on to your friends, if you’re a member or supporter of any of the groups in our coalition—then this is your history, too.

Fujimori Verdict: An Advance for Justice

twheeler@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Mon, 11 May 2009 09:22:47 +0000

The trial of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori “contributes to the strengthening of the rule of law and democracy in Peru and is a genuine milestone in the struggle against impunity in the region,” according to Jo-Marie Burt of George Mason University and Coletta Youngers of the Washington Office on Latin America. “It is the first time that a democratically elected head of state in Latin America has been found guilty of committing crimes against humanity.”

Mexican NGO's Voice Support for the Rule of Law, Not Military Hardware

cschelter@lawg.org (Jenny Johnson) — Wed, 06 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Recent statements by congressional leaders and the Obama Administration indicate that Congress is poised to send hundreds of millions of additional dollars of counternarcotics assistance for Mexico, including helicopters, planes, and other hardware, as part of a supplemental appropriations bill.

Mexico before the Inter-American Court for the Femicides of Cd. Juárez

cschelter@lawg.org (Jenny Johnson) — Mon, 04 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Since 1994 the brutal murders of hundreds of women and girls in Ciudad Juárez and the city of Chihuahua in northern Mexico have been met with impunity. Despite loud and persistent outcry from family members and human rights advocates across Mexico and around the world, authorities have consistently failed to adequately investigate, prosecute and prevent the murder and disappearances of countless women and girls.

Pedro and the Captain: The Use of Torture

pgusmao@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 09:40:05 +0000

As our country is reflecting upon the use of torture by U.S. interrogators since 9/11, some history and literature from Latin America’s dirty wars offers insights. A new translation of Uruguayan author Mario Benedetti’s play Pedro and the Captain, about to be released by Cadmus Editions, provides an unblinking look into the psychology behind such abuses.

Yes to President Obama's Tone at the Summit. Now Lets See the Action!

twheeler@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:43:08 +0000

As our President addressed the gathering of the hemisphere’s leaders, the Summit of the Americas, in Trinidad-Tobago, he got the tone right. “There is no senior partner and junior partner in our relations; there is simply engagement based on mutual respect and common interests and shared values,” he said in his official speech. In other settings, he went farther: “If our only interaction with many of these countries is drug interdiction, if our only interaction is military, then we may not be developing the connections that can, over time, increase our influence,” he said, noting that Cuba’s sending of doctors to care for the poor in other countries offered an example to the United States. He also stated he is “absolutely opposed and condemn any efforts at violent overthrows of democratically elected governments” (reported in The New York Times here and in The Washington Post, “Obama Closes Summit, Vows Broader Engagement with Latin America,” April 20, 2009).

U.S. - Cuba on the Mind

pgusmao@lawg.org (Paulo Gusmao) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:57:46 +0000

This week Cuba made big headlines around the country, not once but twice. On Monday the White House announced the lifting of restrictions on travel and remittances for Cuban Americans; see our alert here.

President Obama's Visit to Mexico: What the LAWG Hopes to See

cschelter@lawg.org (Jenny Johnson) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:48:17 +0000

In just two days, President Obama will embark on his first official trip to Latin America as he travels to Mexico following a string of visits from high-level U.S. officials in recent weeks. Comments made by visiting U.S. officials mark a shift in the U.S. stance towards Mexico’s challenges with drug cartels - a shift that indicates the Obama Administration’s willingness to recognize U.S. responsibility for spiraling violence in Mexico. This sentiment was clearly expressed by Secretary of State Clinton when she said, “Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade…Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police officers, soldiers and civilians.”

Cuban Americans Win Travel Rights AND Ask For "Travel For All"

pgusmao@lawg.org (Mavis Anderson) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:36:11 +0000

President Obama today returned the right of Cuban Americans to travel to Cuba whenever they want and to support their families with remittances in whatever amount. We applaud that action. And we urge the President to do more. Watch this video of Silvia Wilhelm, founder and executive director of Puentes Cubanos, asking for “travel for all” in addition to “travel for some.”

In Guatemala, a 25-Year-Old Search for the Truth Is Still Dangerous

twheeler@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:38:21 +0000

"For 25 years we knew absolutely nothing," said Alejandra García Montenegro, 26, who was a baby when her father, labor leader Fernando García, left for a meeting in February 1984—when Guatemala was under military rule—and never came home. "It was as if the earth had swallowed up my father and he had never existed," she said.

The Problem of Baseless Persecutions of Human Rights Defenders in Colombia

twheeler@lawg.org (Travis Wheeler and Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:03:32 +0000

While many of our readers know that Colombian human rights defenders are frequently targeted and stigmatized by public threats and innuendo that call the very legitimacy of their work—and sometimes their personal integrity—into question, what’s less well understood is how often the voices of those denouncing human rights abuses are stifled by baseless investigations and prosecutions.

El Salvador's Presidential Elections

twheeler@lawg.org (Claudia Rodriguez, SHARE Foundation) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:28:23 +0000

El Salvador celebrated a historical presidential election on Sunday, March 15th. The Farabundo Marti Front for National Liberation (FMLN), the former Salvadoran guerilla movement during the 12-year civil war, won 51.3% to 48.7% for the conservative ARENA party. Mauricio Funes, the president-elect, became the first left-leaning president in the country’s history. His victory puts an end to the twenty years of ARENA party rule and makes El Salvador the latest to join a growing number of Latin American countries that have democratically chosen leftist governments.

Obama on Cuban-American Family Travel

pgusmao@lawg.org (Paulo Gusmao) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 18:39:44 +0000

Check out this Friday afternoon article with news from the White House on President Obama’s apparent intention to announce an end to all restrictions on Cuban-American family travel and remittances to Cuba . . . prior to the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago in mid-April. Momentum is building. The world will notice. The next move is congressional action on “travel for all.” here.

Cuba on the Front Page

pgusmao@lawg.org (Mavis Anderson and Paulo Gusmao) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:56:09 +0000

The nation’s policymakers woke up to this on the front page of the Washington Post:

Momentum Grows for Relaxing Cuba Policy, by Shailagh Murray and Karen DeYoung

Here is a snippet of the article:

At a Capitol Hill news conference scheduled for tomorrow, a wide array of senators and interest groups -- including Senate Democratic Policy Committee Chairman Byron L. Dorgan (N.D.); Banking Committee Chairman Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.); Richard G. Lugar (Ind.), the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and Human Rights Watch -- will rally around a potentially historic bill to lift the travel ban.

Shooting the Messengers

twheeler@lawg.org (Travis Wheeler and Lisa Haugaard) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:56:40 +0000

Speaking to reporters after a local “security council” meeting in Norte de Santander earlier this week, President Uribe claimed that only 22 of the many hundreds of cases of “false positives” civilian killings by the Colombian army in recent years have any “judicial foundation.”

An Op-Ed to Lift Travel Restrictions

pgusmao@lawg.org (Jeanne Lemkau) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:07:27 +0000

From Ethelbert Miller's E-Notes blog on Tuesday February 25, 2009

At Ethelbert’s suggestion, I would like to invite readers to consider joining an initiative I am coordinating to help pass legislation to assure the legal right of all U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba. With Obama in the White House, the chances of success in this endeavor are better than they have been in years. But energy and passion are needed to get us there.

Colombia's Victims' Rights Act

twheeler@lawg.org (Adam Isacson) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:27:08 +0000

Here's a guest blog from LAWG colleague Adam Isacson at the Center for International Policy on the debate surrounding Colombia's victims' law. Colombia needs a strong, fair law on victims rights and meaningful reparations.

U.S.-Cuba Cultural Exchange Letter and Interviews

pgusmao@lawg.org (Mavis Anderson and Paulo Gusmao) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:29:59 +0000

Last week the U.S.-Cuba Cultural Exchange released a letter from over 900 U.S. artists, arts presenters, arts educators and cultural scholars in support of cultural relations with Cuba and “travel for all.”

Respond, Yes, But Only the Right Way: The U.S. Debates Drug Cartel Violence in Mexico

twheeler@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:22:35 +0000

Day after day we hear nightmarish stories of gangland slayings in Mexico, as drug-related violence expands, affecting the lives of countless families and communities across Mexico, as well as the U.S-Mexico border region. Mexico’s Attorney General estimates that rival drug cartels killed 6,262 people in 2008.

Colombian Civil Society Leaders Go to Washington

twheeler@lawg.org (Travis Wheeler and Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:26:48 +0000

Last week, Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos visited Washington, DC to meet with lawmakers and top Obama Administration officials, including Sec. of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Sec. Robert Gates, and National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones.

Senator Dorgan to Speak on Cuba Policy Today on Senate Floor

pgusmao@lawg.org (Mavis Anderson) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:00:20 +0000

We have learned that Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) will speak on the Senate floor late this afternoon on Cuba policy, highlighting the absurdity of the policy by showing four photographs from LAWG/WOLA's photobook on family travel, Love, Loss, and Longing: The Impact of U.S. Travel Policies on Cuba-American Families.

Reports of Major Changes in Cuban Government

pgusmao@lawg.org (Mavis Anderson and Paulo Gusmao) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:41:47 +0000

Early news reports indicate major changes in the Cuban government. The Miami Herald reports "Cuba replaces top Cabinet ministers."

Senator Lugar Speaks on the Need for a New Cuba Policy

pgusmao@lawg.org (Paulo Gusmao) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:13:30 +0000

Senator Richard Lugar's (R-IN) office released a staff trip report to the Committee on Foreign Relations today, see it here . In Senator Lugar's Dear Colleague prefacing the report, the senator states:

"My Father was a Dreamer": Violence Against Trade Unionists in Colombia

twheeler@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:05:39 +0000

"My father was a dreamer. He was a cheerful, generous man. He was our friend and our hero, the man who helped us discover the world."

These are the words of Yessica Hoyos Morales, whose father, Jorge Darío Hoyos Franco, a Colombian labor leader, was assassinated in 2001 by two hired hitmen, as she testified to a hearing held February 12th by the House Committee on Education and Labor, chaired by Representative George Miller (D-CA).

Cuba Bill in the Senate S428

pgusmao@lawg.org (Mavis Anderson and Paulo Gusmao) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:28:35 +0000

Senator Dorgan (D-ND) along with Sen. Lugar (R-IN), Sen. Enzi (R-WY), and Sen. Dodd (D-CT) introduced legislation in the Senate on Thursday (Feb. 12) calling for the lifting of travel restrictions so ALL Americans can travel freely to Cuba.

Join Faith and Community Leaders Across the Country in Calling for Immigration Reform Feb 13-22

cschelter@lawg.org (Jenny Johnson) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0000

In the coming week, over 100 prayer vigils will be taking place in towns across the country – all calling for the new Administration and members of Congress to show moral courage and leadership in enacting humane immigration reform.

Welcome to the LAWG Blog

twheeler@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Latin America Working Group’s new blog—the LAWG Blog (sorry, we couldn’t resist the name). We’ll be bringing you updates on U.S. policy towards Latin America, inspiring stories from Latin American human rights activists, tips for what you can do to make change—all in the service of building a more just U.S. policy towards our neighbors to the south.

End the Travel Ban on Cuba

pgusmao@lawg.org (Mavis Anderson and Paulo Gusmao) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:51:55 +0000

It takes persistence and patience to work to change U.S. policy toward Cuba – 50 years of it! And we aren’t there yet. But we probably have the best chance that we’ve had for decades. We don’t intend to fail. We’d like to count on you to join us in this effort, and then join us in the international celebration that will occur when the travel ban is lifted.

LAWG Expresses Appreciation for Hilda Solis's Efforts to Stop Violence against Women

cschelter@lawg.org (Christa Schelter and Jenny Johnson) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:57:07 +0000

As Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA) is being considered to serve as our next Secretary of Labor, the LAWG would like to salute Ms. Solis for her record of leadership in Congress to raise awareness and bring an end to brutal violence against women in Mexico and Guatemala.

Stand by Colombia's Victims of Violence

twheeler@lawg.org (Lisa Haugaard and Travis Wheeler) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0000

When we talk about Colombia, we often hear two reactions. "It's so complicated!" Or, "Why should I care. There are no good guys to support there." Well, as to the first, yes, it’s complicated. Even more than you know. But as to the second, there are few places on earth with more heroes and heroines than Colombia.

Promote Justice in Mexico and the Borderlands

cschelter@lawg.org (Jenny Johnson) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0000

I remember arriving to Ambos Nogales (Nogales, Sonora & Nogales, Arizona) in 1994. Dairy Queen Blizzard in hand, I walked by the crumbling mix of chain-link fencing and rusted metal sheets that bisected the downtown, with families from both sides of the border streaming through the ports of entry to go grocery shopping, celebrate a cousin’s birthday party, or attend church services.