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Category Archives: Human Rights Issues
The Limits of Bans on, and Limited Access to, Abortion
As many know, and as may be unsurprising, Latin America in general is one of the more restrictive regions in the world when it comes to abortion and legal reproductive rights for women. Several countries, including Nicaragua and El Salvador, have … Continue reading
Brazil’s Truth Commission – A Roundup
Yesterday, on International Human Rights Day, Brazil’s National Truth Commission (Comissão Nacional da Verdade) concluded and submitted its report after over two years of work across 14 work groups and thousands upon thousands of hours of interviews, fact-finding, document-collecting, and … Continue reading
The Ties between the Ayotzinapa Killings and Argentina’s Military Dictatorship
Over a month ago, 43 students from the Ayotzinapa teachers’ college in the state of Guerrero, Mexico, went “missing” after mobilizing and protesting for improvements in Mexico’s educational policy and social system. Within days, authorities had uncovered mass graves; yet the … Continue reading
Police Disappearing Protesting Students in Mexico in 2014
I’ve written before of police violence against students in Mexico on a much grander scale. And now, in 2014, it tragically appears we have a twenty-first century version, no less horrific even if on a smaller scale: Authorities were investigating whether … Continue reading
On This Date in Latin America – September 16, 1976: Argentina’s “Night of the Pencils”
Given the recent discussion of memory and military dictatorships, it seems worthwhile to recall one of the many horrific events of Argentina’s military dictatorship: La Noche de los Lápices, or “Night of the Pencils.” The Night of the Pencils had … Continue reading
Thoughts on Letting Brazil’s Military Investigate Itself for Past Abuses during the Dictatorship
This week, Brazil’s Truth Commission finally managed to get the Ministry of Defense to accede to requests to investigate the military and sites of torture during Brazil’s military dictatorship of 1964-1985. I’m of two minds on this. On the one … Continue reading
Dictatorship Apologists, 50 Years On
Yesterday, Brazil’s Congress marked the 50th anniversary of the military coup that overthrew constitutional president João Goulart and ushered in a 21-year military dictatorship that killed hundreds of its own citizens and tortured thousands others. In 1964, Congress was directly … Continue reading
