Category Archives: Truth Commissions

On Volkswagen’s Ties to the Brazilian Dictatorship

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Colin M. Snider

I recently received an email about Volkswagen’s ties to the Brazilian military regime, documented in the final report of Brazil’s National Truth Commission  (Comissão Nacional da Verdade – CNV), available for full viewing/download here. Stories of Volkswagen’s ties to the military regime and its … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina's Military Dictatorship (1976-1983), Brazil, Brazil's Military Dictatorship, Latin American History, Military Dictatorships, Multinational Corporations in the Americas, São Paulo, Truth Commissions | Comments Off on On Volkswagen’s Ties to the Brazilian Dictatorship

Brazil’s Truth Commission – A Roundup

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Colin M. Snider

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 →

Posted in Brazil, Brazil's Military Dictatorship, Human Rights Issues, Latin American History, Latin American Militaries, Latin American Politics, Memory Struggles, Military Dictatorships, Truth Commissions | Comments Off on Brazil’s Truth Commission – A Roundup

The Brazilian Truth Commission after One Year

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Colin M. Snider

The truth commission investigating repression and state-sponsored violence during Brazil’s military dictatorship of 1964-1985 has recently completed a full year of work, and issued a report of some of its major findings after one year: Part 1. Hiding of Documentation from … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Brazil's Military Dictatorship, Human Rights Issues, Human Rights Violations, Impunity, Police Violence, The "Disappeared", Torture, Truth Commissions | Comments Off on The Brazilian Truth Commission after One Year

Genocide, Judicial Power, and Justice in Guatemala

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Colin M. Snider

Today, the genocide trial for former Guatemalan leader Efraín Ríos Montt begins (in spite of his failed attempts to have charges dismissed based on an earlier amnesty law). The trial marks the first time a former Latin American leader has … Continue reading →

Posted in Amnesty, Guatemala, Guatemala's Civil War, Human Rights Issues, Human Rights Violations, Impunity, Indigenous Peoples, Latin American Militaries, Memory Struggles, Truth Commissions | Comments Off on Genocide, Judicial Power, and Justice in Guatemala

Around Latin America

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Colin M. Snider

-While many in the Americas celebrated the announcement of the first American pope last year, not all citizens (including Catholic clergy) in Francis I’s home country are pleased with Bergoglio or the Catholic hierarchy in Argentina. -It appears the long national … Continue reading →

Posted in "Baby Doc" Duvalier, Argentina, Argentina's Military Dictatorship (1976-1983), Around Latin America, Brazil, Brazil's Military Dictatorship, Catholicism in the Americas, Chile, Cuba, Deaths, Democracy in the Americas, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, El Salvador's Civil War (1980-1992), Evangelicals in Latin America, Governance in Latin America, Guyana, Haiti, Human Rights Issues, Human Rights Violations, Indigenous Peoples, International Organizations, Latin America, Neoliberalism, Rafael Trujillo, Truth Commissions, Venezuela, Violence in the Americas, Weapons and Arms in Latin America, Women's Movements & Issues | Comments Off on Around Latin America

Argentina, Israel, and Misguided Hyperbole

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Colin M. Snider

Israel may have legitimate reasons to dislike the agreement between Iran and Argentina to establish a Truth Commission to investigate the 1994 bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association. However, this is ridiculous: Israel has strongly criticised Argentina for its … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, International Relations, Judaism in Latin America, Latin American Foreign Relations, Religion in Latin America, Truth Commissions | Comments Off on Argentina, Israel, and Misguided Hyperbole

Argentina and Iran Agree to Investigate 1994 Terrorist Attack

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Colin M. Snider

Last November, Iran and Argentina initiated talks that included discussions on investigating the 1994 bombing of Buenos Aires’ Associación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) that left 85 dead and over 300 wounded. Those talks were apparently serious, as yesterday, the two countries … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, Buenos Aires, Human Rights Issues, Truth Commissions | 1 Comment

On Brazil’s Involvement in Operation Condor

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Colin M. Snider

Brazil’s Truth Commission continues to conduct hearings and accept testimony from a variety of witnesses as it investigates human rights violations during the military regime of 1964-1985. Much of this testimony has been helpful in further fleshing out details that … Continue reading →

Posted in Alfredo Stroessner, Argentina, Argentina's Military Dictatorship (1976-1983), Augusto Pinochet, Bolivia, Brazil, Brazil's Military Dictatorship, Chile, Human Rights Violations, Latin American Militaries, Memory Struggles, Military Dictatorships, Paraguay, Peru, The "Disappeared", The "Right" in Latin America, Torture, Truth Commissions, Uruguay, Uruguay's Military Dictatorship (1973-1985) | Comments Off on On Brazil’s Involvement in Operation Condor

More Thoughts on False Equivalency and Brazil’s Truth Commission

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Colin M. Snider

Greg Weeks has a post up suggesting that, by not investigating the crimes of the opposition, Brazil’s Truth Commission may actually be reinforcing the false equivalency of “both sides committed crimes” reasoning: Actually, including opposition abuses helps the opposition because there are … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Brazil's Military Dictatorship, Human Rights Issues, Human Rights Violations, Truth Commissions | Comments Off on More Thoughts on False Equivalency and Brazil’s Truth Commission

Thoughts on Brazil’s Truth Commission and the Investigation of State Crimes Only

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Colin M. Snider

Brazil’s Truth Commission, which is finally looking into (but not prosecuting) human rights crimes and violations committed during the military dictatorship of 1964-1985, has announced that it will only investigate crimes and human rights violations that the state under military … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Brazil's Military Dictatorship, Guerrilla Movements in Latin America, Human Rights Issues, Human Rights Violations, Impunity, Memory Struggles, The "Disappeared", Torture, Truth Commissions | Comments Off on Thoughts on Brazil’s Truth Commission and the Investigation of State Crimes Only