Dear John,

This week, ICE carried out widespread visits targeting restaurants  in the D.C. area.  It’s a reminder that the increase in immigration enforcement is having immediate and harmful consequences for  families and communities throughout the country. At WOLA, we’ve always understood the importance of documenting abuses and speaking out. Wednesday, at the book launch for Chile in Their Hearts by our former board member and renowned journalist John Dinges, we reflected on that very idea. The conversation highlighted how advocacy—through documentation and research—has always been essential to resisting authoritarianism. That work is as urgent now as it was during the darkest days in Latin America.

WOLA was founded in the aftermath of the 1973 coup in Chile, and that history continues to shape who we are and how we work. Today, we remain committed to working with partners to expose human rights abuses and defend democratic values in the face of growing authoritarian threats, whether in Latin America or here at home.

So, our work as a research and advocacy organization continues. Just last week, we published a piece analyzing the first 100 days of the Trump administration and what that has meant for the region. And we continue to release our Weekly Border Updates, providing grounded, timely analysis of U.S. migration and border policy. We’re also continuing with our policy analysis and engaging with U.S. policymakers and the broader public–stay tuned for upcoming events to expand on the conversation of enforced disappearances of migrants. 

We are committed to learning from history and fighting back, alongside the communities and movements that inspire this work every day.

Sincerely,

Maureen Meyer

Vice President for Programs

For human rights activists across Latin America right now, the stakes are high. Violence around elections is on the rise, as are threats against those who speak in favor of justice and accountability.

Your support of WOLA creates space to amplify the voices of those who put their life on the line to champion human rights; from Caracas, to San Salvador, and everywhere in between.

"What we’ve seen in the past few days … is Sheinbaum seeming to now more clearly indicate that when the offer is on the table from the U.S., or the proposal is on the table of military action, she has said no.”

Stephanie Brewer

Director for Mexico

– KJZZ, Sheinbaum’s refusal of U.S. military action in Mexico could fracture relationship with TrumpThe U.S. is not Venezuela — but Trump is closing the distance

"Just as happened during the beginning of his first term, migration at the border has absolutely plummeted since January 20th. The main reason for that is first, migrants and smugglers always stop and go into ‘wait and see’ mode when they know that a crackdown is imminent, and Trump was elected promising an enormous crackdown.”

Adam Isacson

Director for Defense Oversight

– FactCheck.org, Tracking Trump’s Promises at the 100-Day Mark

"[Communities in Chocó, Colombia] are just subsisting on whatever, for almost no money.

They often don’t even see [logging] as illegal, it’s just the only thing that’s there." 

Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli

Director for the Andes

– Mongabay, Illegal wood from Colombia’s rainforests enters US and EU supply chains

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