The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) has heard, since its first judgments, cases in which some or some of the victims of enforced disappearance have been women. Although these decisions in which a gender-differentiated approach has been applied are still rare, the standards produced are undoubtedly a relevant input to guide the activities of States in the face of disappearances.
During the second half of the 20th century, several Latin American societies underwent periods of widespread brutal repression and/or internal armed conflict that left in their wake a legacy of massive human rights violations and significant weakening of democratic institutions.
In the context of President Biden’s focus on addressing the root causes of migration from Central America, and the ongoing rule of law and corruption crises in that region, DPLF presented a briefing document with recommendations for the Administration’s consideration as it further develops its “Root Causes Strategy” for Central America.
Experts estimate that El Salvador’s 12-year armed conflict resulted in around 75,000 deaths, at least 5,000 disappearances, more than 100 displaced people and the entire El Salvadorian population due to the prolonged, overarching impact of the conflict. Most of these crimes remain unpunished to date.
The failure of Mexico’s former federal Attorney General’s Office (Procuraduría General de la República, PGR) to successfully prosecute corruption cases, grave human rights violations, and other high-impact crimes played a lead role in generating the widespread violence and insecurity that plagues Mexico today.
This report, titled Transition of the Venezuelan Justice System: Points to Consider in Democratic Re-Institutionalization, examines a possible roadmap to guide the transition of justice in Venezuela’s institutional recovery process.
Venezuela’s ongoing crisis has resulted in the first-ever joint request from States Parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open a preliminary examination. The evidence presented until now of crimes against humanity focuses on attacks on political opposition and demonstrators.
In this research paper, we contend that the situation in Venezuela is not fully comprehensible, and the referral falls short, without looking through the lens of grand corruption.
A group of expert human rights organizations that have been closely monitoring the Berta Cáceres case in Honduras released, “Violence, Corruption & Impunity in the Honduran Energy Industry: A Profile of Roberto David Castillo Mejia.”
In 2014, Mexico’s Constitution was reformed to create an autonomous National Prosecutor’s Office (Fiscalía General de la República), separate from the Executive Branch. The reforms called for the new office to replace the Attorney General’s Office (Procuraduría General de la República, PGR), an institution marred by a lack of independence and minimal results.
While there have been a number of criminal proceedings in El Salvador that have unearthed serious cases of corruption and resulted in the punishment of a few high-level officials, doubts remain about the willingness and capacity of Salvadoran institutions to dismantle the criminal organizations that, to varying degrees and in various forms, have permeated State institutions.
In Mexico and in other countries in the region, the adoption of norms of general application has been discussed as an alternative to the implementation of the right to free, prior, and informed consent and consultation (FPIC) of indigenous peoples. With this publication, DPLF and Oxfam-Mexico seek to contribute to this discussion, based on the analysis of international standards, comparative law, and the challenges faced by other countries in the region.
