LIKE most clubs of governments, the Organisation of American States (OAS) is widely seen as little more than a debating society. It makes decisions by consensus, and cannot force its members to do anything against their will. But many of those who complain about the OAS’s lack of effectiveness still concede that its watchdogs, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, have proved their worth. The IACHR consists of seven jurists,...

The U.S.-Mexico border presents a distinctive set of challenges for combating human trafficking. The involuntary transport of human beings in order to exploit their labour or sexuality is nothing new. Yet conditions in the current era of globalization-growing economic inequalities within and among nations, increasing flows of labour and products across national borders, and the growth of informal economies and organized criminal networks, to name a few-are causing it to proliferate on a...

After a decade of silence and an apologetic attitude towards the countries of the Bolivarian alliance (ALBA), the international community finally protested attacks against freedom of the press in Ecuador, forcing the Ecuadorian president to back off. For years the Organization of American States and countries of the region have been enablers and thus passive accomplices of the anti-democratic wave that has penetrated Latin America. Under the pretext of helping the poor and the...

At the time of writing this article, it is unclear if the Environmental Criminal Bill (the "Bill") had been published in the Venezuelan Official Gazette. However, everyone should know some of its implications and impact on human rights. Foremost, it is a superfluous initiative. A Criminal Law of the Environment has been in force since 1992. It has been regarded by the best experts as an excellent legal instrument. It is clear, very well written, with proportionate penalties and...

Two leaders in the peaceful Cuban resistance movement who were released on the week ofDecember 12-18 after being subjected to violent arrests and inhumane prison conditions declared that the Cuban regime is intimidated by the rise and strength of the human rights groups in the island. Jose Daniel Ferrer García (released Dec.12), leader of the umbrella group UMPACU, (Cuban Patriotic Union) in Eastern Cuba, and Angel Moya Acosta (released Dec. 14) who resides in Havana and is the main...

Mexico’s military and police have committed widespread human rights violations in efforts to combat organized crime, virtually none of which are being adequately investigated, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The 212-page report examines the human rights consequences of President Felipe Calderón’s approach to confronting Mexico’s powerful drug cartels. Through in-depth research in five of Mexico’s most violent states, Human Rights Watch found...

The right to live in peace is a fundamental human right, according to UNESCO (See: unesco.org). This is the international dimension of the right to life, as said by Karel Vasak. "It's the most basic right," Amnesty International has touted, without which no rights would exist. Without peace there is no chance of life to many dead there are no human rights. All international crimes (genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes) have been committed by violations of the right to...

Events of 2010 Many of Mexico's most significant human rights issues in 2010 stemmed from violent confrontations between state security forces and organized crime, as well as clashes among criminal groups. The Mexican military continues to commit serious abuses in public security operations, yet those responsible are virtually never held accountable. Journalists, human rights defenders, and migrants are increasingly the targets of attacks by criminal groups and members of security forces, yet...

It is estimated that there are more than 130 political prisoners in Venezuela. One of the reasons Chavez is arresting greater numbers of his political opponents is that there are virtually no negative consequences for him doing so. The State Department and Human rights organizations have reported the existence of political prisoners in Venezuela but action on their behalf has not ensued. The main staff person from Human Rights Watch was expelled from Venezuela several years ago. Since then...

December's "Enabling Law" - which grants President Hugo Chávez far-reaching decree powers for 18 months - constitutes an illegitimate infringement on the new National Assembly's authority, subverting the will of the electorate. President Chávez's recent offer to limit the term of the law to five months is a positive step. But the underlying problems with the law remain, whether it is in force for 18 months, five months, or one day. The "Law for the Defense of...