WIKILEAKS FOUNDER UK court rejects Julian Assange's extradition to United States 04-01-2021 12:32 British judge blocks WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition to the United States to face espionage charges, finding he is at serious risk of suicide.
LGBTQ+ Rights Colombian village offers hope for indigenous gay men 18-12-2020 17:02 The Colombian indigenous community of Nazareth's leaders said they have halted cruel anti-gay punishments in recent decades and offered a measure of refuge, but with caveats for about 20 gay residents.
human rights Human rights figures honored at ceremony at ex-ESMA 11-12-2020 16:26 President Alberto Fernández and Vice-President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner on Thursday participated in a ceremony to recognise human rights organisations, thus marking the first anniversary of their arrival in office which also fell on International Human Rights Day.
HUMAN RIGHTS Investigators seek blood samples to help identify 600 bodies from dictatorship era 08-12-2020 09:04 World-renowned Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF) launches campaign calling on relatives of those who disappeared during 1976-1983 military dictatorship to come forward and provide blood samples, as group strives to identify remains of some 600 victims.
ANTI-SEMITISM SCANDAL UK's Labour suspends Corbyn after 'day of shame' over anti-Semitism 29-10-2020 14:41 Labour suspends former leader Jeremy Corbyn, after a government watchdog found his office broke equality law through its "inexcusable" handling of anti-Semitism complaints.
PROTESTS IN CHILE Chile's wounded look to referendum, a year on from start of protests 14-10-2020 23:37 A year after the start of Chile's tumultuous social protests and as the country prepares for a landmark referendum, several protesters who suffered eye injuries believe their loss will not be in vain.
UNITED NATIONS China and Russia win seats on UN rights council, Saudis lose 14-10-2020 08:53 China, Russia and Cuba win seats on the United Nations’ Human Rights Council, despite opposition from activist groups over their abysmal human rights records. Saudi Arabia misses out.
AS I SEE IT In thrall to an abject failure 10-10-2020 10:21 Like many others, the Kirchnerites put their own ideological hang-ups first and human rights a long way second. by James Neilson
EDITORIAL Uncertainty amid the malaise 10-10-2020 09:41 Burning as all these problems are, literally so in the case of the fires and metaphorically in the case of the economic and monetary crisis and the coronavirus pandemic, none of them are really being faced by a government seeking or obsessed with another agenda.
HUMAN RIGHTS UN vote on Venezuela opens up faultline in Frente de Todos 10-10-2020 09:32 Argentina throws support behind a UN human rights report in Venezuela, sparking criticism from Kirchnerite figures and the resignation of key ambassador.
HUMAN RIGHTS Nearly 40 nations criticise China's human rights policies 07-10-2020 01:39 Nearly 40 mainly Western countries criticised China’s treatment of minority groups, especially in Xinjiang and Tibet, on Tuesday and expressed grave concern at the impact of its new national security law on human rights in Hong Kong.
HUMAN RIGHTS Chile President Piñera condemns police violence against protesters 07-10-2020 01:09 Sebastián Piñera condemns police violence against protesters in Santiago after an officer threw a young demonstrator from a bridge.
HUMAN RIGHTS Police officer in Chile accused of throwing teen from bridge 04-10-2020 19:13 Authorities in Chile have arrested a police officer who allegedly threw a teenager from a bridge into a river bed during a protest.
CRISIS IN VENEZUELA Government’s approach to Venezuela crisis falls under spotlight 03-10-2020 09:54 Argentina's Ambassador to the OAS Carlos Raimuni sparks controversy with criticism and pushback after criticising UN report on human rights violations in Venezuela.
HUMAN RIGHTS Court grants Etchecolatz house arrest – but other rulings keep him behind bars 26-09-2020 09:35 Infamous human rights violator, guilty of multiple crimes against humanity dating back to 1976-1983 military dictatorship, granted house arrest by court, but previous rulings prevent him from leaving jail.
HUMAN RIGHTS Volkswagen pay-out to Brazil regime victims reopens debate on justice 25-09-2020 12:31 Volkswagen confirms it has signed a historic deal with the Brazilian state and federal prosecutors to pay US$6.4 million in compensation for its part in atrocities of military dictatorship.
Murders in Colombia Wave of massacres signals new chapter in Colombia's conflict 23-09-2020 17:35 Rather than a national dispute between guerrillas and the state, violence in rural Colombia is now marked by a patchwork of local feuds between criminal groups who fight over drug routes, illegal mines and even gasoline smuggling routes.
HUMAN RIGHTS Experts cite 'crimes against humanity' in Maduro's Venezuela 16-09-2020 15:25 Independent experts for UN's top human rights body accuse Maduro administration of torture and killings, claiming security forces have used techniques like electric shocks, genital mutilation and asphyxiation against detainees.
HUMAN RIGHTS Victims, feminists take over Mexico human rights office 09-09-2020 08:49 Demanding justice for victims of femicide, gender violence, sexual assault, and forced disappearances, feminist activists and victims' relatives have taken over the offices of Mexico's Human Rights Commission.
HUMAN RIGHTS Argentina, IACHR demand Paraguay explain deaths of two 11-year-old 'rebels' 06-09-2020 17:33 Government and human rights watchdog call on Paraguay to explain circumstances behind the death of two 11-year-old girls – both allegedly Argentine – during operation against rebel guerrillas.
Human rights Former Spanish minister questioned by local judge over Franco-era deaths 04-09-2020 14:20 Rodolfo Martín Villa, 85, served as Spain's interior minister in the late 1970s. On Thursday, during a five-hour session, he testified over his alleged role in 12 deaths during Spain's transition to democracy.
HUMAN RIGHTS Ex-Spanish minister to testify over Franco-era deaths before Argentine judge 03-09-2020 17:06 Rodolfo Martín Villa, 85, who served as Spain's interior minister in the late 1970s, will testify from the Argentine Embassy in Madrid, answering questions from Buenos Aires over alleged role in 12 violent deaths dating back to end of Franco dictatorship.
HUMAN RIGHTS Uruguayan Army colonel killed ‘in several countries’ during dictatorship 03-09-2020 00:40 Army colonel imprisoned for crimes during Uruguay’s 1973-1985 dictatorship admitted to killing and torturing detainees, as well as confirming existence of clandestine death flight in Argentina, according to official documents.
HUMAN RIGHTS OAS chief Almagro under fire for removal of top rights official 01-09-2020 16:05 OAS secretary general and ombudswoman at centre of bitter feud with the leadership of the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR), the region’s top rights watchdog.
CRISIS IN VENEZUELA Venezuela's Maduro pardons dozens of political opponents 31-08-2020 23:11 Venezuelan government pardons more than 100 people, including dozens of political opponents who are in prison, have taken refuge in foreign embassies in Caracas or fled the country.
HUMAN RIGHTS United Nations condemns spike in Colombia 'massacres' 18-08-2020 08:46 The United Nations peace mission in Colombia condemns a spiral of violence engulfing the country, saying it had documented 33 massacres so far this year.
FACUNDO ASTUDILLO CASTRO Search for Facundo Castro: Body found by investigators 16-08-2020 17:00 Skeletal remains of corpse discovered near where missing 22-year-old's mobile phone was last detected. Body has yet to be identified, though family believe remains may be from their relative.
HUMAN RIGHTS Portland's Wall of Moms builds on a long protest tradition 13-08-2020 00:38 Kelsy Kretschmer, associate professor of sociology at Oregon State University, explains why the Wall of Moms protest group attracted so much attention in the coverage of the Black Lives Matter protests in Portland, and how the group draws on a long tradition of mothers’ movements around the world.
POLICE BRUTALITY Complaint filed after 17-year-old 'tortured with cattle prod' by police officers 31-07-2020 01:57 Members of Buenos Aires provincial force formally denounced by rights group for allegedly beating up a 17-year-old youth and torturing him with an electric cattle prod.
UNITED STATES Portland: Trump administration agrees to withdraw federal forces 29-07-2020 23:53 US government agrees conditional withdrawal of federal forces to defuse weeks of clashes in the city of Portland.
CRISIS IN VENEZUELA Fernández plays down talk of foreign policy shift on Venezuela 18-07-2020 10:08 President reiterates government’s rejection of economic sanctions against Venezuela, days after Argentina condemned human rights abuses in troubled nation.
HUMAN RIGHTS Bacacay 3570: Floresta family home identified as dictatorship torture site 18-07-2020 08:47 Declassified CIA file helps Federal Judge Daniel Rafecas identify clandestine detention centre in Floresta, Buenos Aires, that remained unidentified for more than four decades. by Luciana Bertoia
Abortion rights City lawmakers vote to adopt ILE abortion protocol 17-07-2020 15:57 After two hours of debate and with 50 votes in favour, the Buenos Aires Legislature grants approval to law guaranteeing national protocol for the voluntary interruption of pregnancy.
Global pandemic Colombia: Illegal groups using violence to enforce lockdowns 16-07-2020 23:27 Illegal armed militias are imposing strict Covid-19 quarantines in parts of Colombia where the state has a weak presence, threatening those who don’t comply, Human Rights Watch has warned.
LGBT+ Rights Argentina celebrates a decade of legal same-sex marriage 15-07-2020 15:20 Ten years on from the nation's landmark marriage equality law, buildings in Buenos Aires go rainbow-coloured to celebrate a decade of increasing rights and visibility for its LGBT+ community.
Facundo Astudillo Castro UN demands ‘exhaustive’ probe into 22-year-old’s disappearance 13-07-2020 13:48 Facundo Astudillo Castro was last seen on April 30 after being stopped by police in Buenos Aires Province for breaching Covid-19 lockdown. UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances demands ‘all possible hypotheses’ be considered, as family alleges officers may have been involved in their relative’s disappearance.
HUMAN RIGHTS Mexico identifies remains of another of missing 43 students 07-07-2020 23:50 Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF), which has been advising Mexican Attorney General’s Office on investigation, confirms remains have been identified of a second of the 43 Ayotzinapa students who disappeared in September 2014.
PRIDE WEEKEND Gay Pride events go online to mark 50th anniversary 28-06-2020 09:10 In Argentina, public buildings and monuments were lit up in the rainbow colours of the gay rights movement, and local activists organised a week of online events, even though Gay Pride is normally celebrated here in November.
POLICE BRUTALITY ‘It’s always the same,’ says relative of attacked Qom family in Chaco 06-06-2020 08:56 The violent police invasion of Qom community dwellings in Banderas Argentinas, Chaco, has sparked outrage. by Ayelén Bonino
SAME-SEX MARRIAGE Costa Rica legalises same-sex marriage in first for Central America 26-05-2020 15:53 Celebrations were cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, but a special programme about LGBT rights was broadcast on public television and online after a court ruling came into force at midnight.
HUMAN RIGHTS Government asks Brazil to extradite suspect accused of ESMA crimes 13-05-2020 15:17 Gonzalo Sánchez, who was arrested in Rio de Janeiro last week, is wanted for a raft of crimes committed during the 1976-1983 military dictatorship, including the murders of Rodolfo Walsh and Dagmar Hagelin.
HUMAN RIGHTS Ex-Navy officer wanted for dictatorship crimes arrested in Brazil 12-05-2020 17:51 Gonzalo Sánchez, 69, also known as "Chispa," taken into custody. He is suspected of participating in dozens of disappearances and killings, including that of journalist and writer Rodolfo Walsh in 1977.
HUMAN RIGHTS France strips jailed human rights violator of decoration 09-05-2020 10:51 Naval officer Ricardo Cavallo, alias "Sérpico" or "Marcelo,” was part of Task Force 332, which was responsible for thousands of kidnaps, tortures, rapes and murders at ESMA.
VICE-PRESIDENT Cristina Fernández de Kirchner files ‘lawfare’ writ with IACHR 05-05-2020 23:22 Télam confirms former president has filed writ before Inter-American Commission on Human Rights accusing previous Macri government of "political discrimination and persecution."
WIKILEAKS FOUNDER Assange had two children while inside Ecuador's London Embassy 13-04-2020 08:51 Julian Assange's partner revealed Sunday that she had two children with him while he lived inside the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, issues plea for the WikiLeaks founder to be released from prison over health fears.
HUMAN RIGHTS Dictatorship-era criminals request release from jail, citing virus risk 28-03-2020 10:15 More than 70 prisoners convicted of crimes against humanity have asked for house arrest, citing fears they will be infected by the novel Covid-19 coronavirus while behind bars. by Luciana Bertoia
NUNCA MÁS Quarantined Argentines use balconies, networks to remember 1976 coup 24-03-2020 16:51 Today marks the anniversary of the 1976 military coup, but with a mandatory quarantine in place to help contain the spread of the coronavirus, Argentines are finding other ways to mark the day.
Abortion rights Argentina braces anew for abortion battle 05-03-2020 07:00 In his first speech to Congress upon the arrival of a new legislative session, Alberto Fernández vowed to begin a project to legalise abortion in the coming weeks. Campaigners on both sides are preparing for another showdown.
HUMAN RIGHTS 'Tex' Harris, US diplomat who detailed dictatorship's crimes, dies at 81 25-02-2020 13:04 US diplomat, who was sent to Buenos Aires in 1977, famously opened the US Embassy's doors to relatives of those disappeared by the dictatorship and created a detailed catalogue of the 1976-1983 military regime's human rights abuses.
Democracy in Crisis Protests in Chile hit LatAm's biggest music festival 24-02-2020 09:48 Protesters, using rocks and molotov cocktails, engaged in clashes with the police during the Viña del Mar Music Festival in a demonstration against Chilean President Sebastián Piñera.