2018: Year of borders, walls and resistances
March 4, 2019
2018 in our America was a year of contradictions that make any single reading or even search for trends impossible. But the issue of borders was a recurring theme.
Category: Human Rights
The OAS and Democracy
March 4, 2019
Almagro, who took office in 2015, has been one of the most aggressive leaders of the OAS in representing U.S. interests, often violating the OAS charter in the process. But the perverse violation of the organization’s commitment to democracy in the name of democracy is not new.
Mexico’s Search Brigades for the Disappeared: Rebuilding Society from the Ground Up
March 1, 2019
The families will not stop organizing even if the government begins to do what needs to be done to resolve disappearance and forced disappearance in the country. Their movement doesn’t seek only human remains: it seeks the transformation of society from below.
An Open Letter to the United States: Stop Interfering in Venezuela’s International Politics
January 25, 2019
If the Trump administration and its allies continue to pursue their reckless course in Venezuela, the most likely result will be bloodshed, chaos, and instability.
The Organization of American States Shouldn’t Be Run by Regime Change Zealots
January 23, 2019
Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), recently announced his bid for another 5-year term at the helm of the world’s oldest and most influential regional organization. His re-election would be a major setback for good governance in the region. Hemisphere’s chief regional organization has been hobbled by pro-Trump leadership.
Organizations Oppose Agreements with the U.S. that Violate Migrant Rights
December 22, 2018
On Dec. 7, Mexican organizations in defense of migrants’ rights held a press conference announcing their opposition to an agreement with the Trump administration, such as “Third Safe Country” or “Remain in Mexico” being negotiated between the two governments, in an Open Letter to the Mexican government. On Dec. 20, Donald Trump announced a plan to deport asylum-seekers who entered the United States through Mexico to await decisions in their cases on Mexican soil. The government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador accepted the plan, which is essentially the “Remain in Mexico” agreement referred to in this Letter.
AMLO’s Inauguration and the Future of Mexico
December 4, 2018
Andrés Manuel López Obrador was inaugurated Saturday, in a ceremony unlike any other seen in Mexico. What’s next for the new president?
Miners from Canada and the United States control 80% of the territory in the Oaxaca Valley
December 1, 2018
In the middle of October, the Juicio Popular y Comunitario Contra el Estado y las Empresas Mineras (People’s Trail against the State and the Mining Companies) was carried out in Oaxaca City, Mexico. The participating organizations denounce that in the Central Valleys, the most populated region in the state, 80% of the territory is awarded to mining companies from Canada and the United States.
“What does the program ‘Remain in Mexico’ mean and how does it differ from ‘Mexico as safe third country’”
November 28, 2018
The Washington Post reports that the Trump administration has the support of the upcoming Mexican administration headed by Andrés Manuel López Obrador, to drive a plan entitled “Remain in Mexico”. This plan would consist of the applicants for exile who arrive to the Southern Border being returned to Mexico to wait for a resolution in their case in the United States’ courts.
The Extreme Right in Brazil and Lessons for Renewing the Left in Latin America
November 20, 2018
The victory of the extreme right candidate, Jair Bolsonaro, in Brazil’s presidential elections and the fall of the Workers Party are having a profound impact on the rest of the countries of Latin America. These dramatic events require close analysis on the left to learn from what happened and avoid being shut out as an option for change, and to prevent further victories of the ultra-right.