Dear John,

Over the past two weeks, scenes from Washington, D.C. have felt all too familiar to those of us who have spent years documenting the militarization of public security across Latin America. National Guard troops now patrol our nation's capital, and as of this past Sunday, they have begun carrying their service weapons—M17 pistols and M4 rifles—while supporting local and federal law enforcement efforts. 

Having spent decades working on human rights issues throughout Latin America, I've seen how the deployment of military forces in civilian policing roles can erode democratic norms and result in abuses committed with impunity. WOLA has extensively documented and criticized the use of soldiers to assist in domestic policing in non-emergency situations throughout Latin America, and called on the U.S. government not to encourage this use, either abroad or domestically.  Now, the deployment of the National Guard to the nation’s capital is just the latest effort by the administration to politicize the U.S. military and deepen its role in domestic affairs. 

This moment demands that WOLA adapt our expertise and analysis to new circumstances. As Vice President of Programs, I am deeply encouraged by our staff's commitment to applying the lessons learned from decades of work in Latin America to the challenges now emerging here at home. Our recent analysis of why a U.S. military intervention against cartels won't work also draws on this extensive regional experience, demonstrating how such approaches have repeatedly failed to effectively address illicit drug flows and organized crime while exacerbating violence and human rights violations.

In the coming weeks, we will release our comprehensive report examining the conditions faced by people subjected to deportations—research that has taken on new urgency given current directives for mass deportations, bolstered by an unprecedented increase in resources. In the meantime, I encourage you to read our dispatches from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, which provide real-time analysis of these rapidly evolving situations.

While these are sobering times that require vigilance and principled opposition to harmful policies, I remain hopeful. WOLA's unique position—bridging decades of Latin American human rights work with emerging domestic challenges—positions us to offer crucial insights during this critical moment. Our staff's dedication to defending human dignity, regardless of borders, gives me confidence that we can rise to meet these new challenges while staying true to our foundational mission of advancing human rights, democracy, and justice throughout the Americas.

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.

“[The new student conduct measures are] another step within all of the antidemocratic and authoritarian practices that El Salvador has had for many years now. This is alarming.”

Ana María Méndez Dardón

Director for Central America

– The New York Times, El Salvador Enacts Military-Style Rules on Haircuts and More in Schools

"At this point, we know that after more than five decades of the so-called war on drugs paradigm, history has taught us that a militarized strategy against drugs is not truly effective. […] So everything seems to indicate that the naval deployment, mainly in this area of the southern Caribbean Sea, very close to the coast of Venezuela, has more of a political rather than a truly anti-drug objective, which is to intimidate the Venezuelan government, which we all know is seen as an adversary, especially by the current Secretary of State Marco Rubio." This interview is in Spanish.

Carolina Jiménez Sandoval

President

– CNN Chile, CONFLICTO EEUU y VENEZUELA: Todo lo que debes saber sobre las tensiones

"There have been 14 iterations of Operation Orion in the Caribbean since Trump's first term, which continued into the Biden era. At times, these included U.S. destroyers, but involved far fewer naval resources than we see now. This does not appear to be designed to pursue small planes or the speedboats used to transport drugs." This article is in Spanish.

Adam Isacson

Director for Defense Oversight

– El Tiempo, ¿A qué le apuesta Estados Unidos con el despliegue militar más grande en la región desde la invasión a Panamá? Todo indica que Maduro está en la mira

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