Carr Center for Human Rights Policy

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The Latin American Initiative

Program Overview

In Latin America human rights abuses do not take extreme forms. Except for Argentina's Dirty War, the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile, Guatemala in the recent past and in Colombia at some stage in its civil war, genocide and other mass atrocities are not a current occurrence in the region. However, there are still many pressing issues that need to be addressed. Most of these are related either to the lack of legal enforcement throughout the region or to governmental abuses in face of weakening contending powers. In order to improve these conditions, it is important that democracies are strengthened and strong legal systems put in place or reinforced.

The protection of civil and political rights as part of a human rights agenda is crucial to the region. We also believe in the importance of promoting the rights of indigenous populations, as they are some of the most marginalized groups in the region. All of these goals come together under the ideal that human rights should be coordinated internationally, within regional and global initiatives.

More on the Project >

Our Mission:

Serve as focal point (promotion, connection, awareness) for Latin American Human Rights issues within the Harvard community.
Bridge connections with national and international organizations, both academic and non-academic, regarding salient human rights issues in Latin America.
Be a source for research and teaching themes at Harvard University.
Raise awareness about impending human rights risks in the region.

The Honduran Crisis

The current crisis in Honduras, whereby an elected president was ousted from power under military pressure after allegedly pledging the Honduras people his intent in modifying the country's constitution in order to be reelected, is a vivid testimony of the frailty of democratic institutions in Latin America. It reveals to what extent controversies involving the executive branch's decision-making on delicate issues can create conditions for political upheaval including outright Hounduras2

political crises such as the clash of institutional powers or military intervention. At the same time it shows the inability of the Inter- American system to cope with political crises before they reach boiling point.

Hounduras1

It is no secret that under the surface of a more democratic continent, Latin America is deeply polarized. On one side such countries as Brazil, Chile, and Mexico which at one point experienced authoritarian rule, are now some of the strongest democracies in the region. On the other side, countries like Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Ecuador in one way or another are currently experiencing the erosion of important tenets of democracy, such as free press, power alternation, and the independence of the legislature and judiciary from the president. The Honduras crisis, though mainly understood as a military backlash from the past, points to this important fracture that has even affected the Organization of American States' capacity to handle events of this sort.

Events:

James Cavallaro: "Human Rights and the Law" (Tuesday, 12/1/09 at 2:00 PM)
LATAM Speaker Series: Prof. Cavallaro will be speaking about human rights from a legal perspective

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Your Ideas!

The Latin American Initiative is looking for more ways to engage the Harvard community in this region. Do you have a particular interest in the region? Looking to do Human Rights Internship in a country/area we have not announced now? Send us your ideas. Email to leonardo_vivas@hks.harvard.edu

News:

Venezuelan army blows up two bridges in Colombia: Venezuelan soldiers blew up two pedestrian bridges Thursday in Colombia's Norte de Santander frontier department, reported the Colombian government. (November 19) Read More >
Women 'bearing brunt' of climate change: Trouble in Bolivian AndesOn the steep, dusty slopes of the Chacaltaya mountains, thousands of meters above sea level in the Bolivian Andes, the hardy farmers tending root crops or herding llamas have no need of scientists or climatologists to measure the impact of global warming. (November 18) Read More >
New Castro, Same Cuba: Political Prisoners in the Post-Fidel Era This 123-page report shows how the Raul Castro government has relied in particular on the Criminal Code offense of "dangerousness," which allows authorities to imprison individuals before they have committed any crime... (November 18) Read More >

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