Dear John,
Wednesday's meeting between Presidents Trump and Petro offered a reprieve from weeks of escalating tensions. After months of public clashes, both leaders agreed to work together on narco-trafficking and border security—a pragmatic shift that allows each to save face while preserving the bilateral relationship. However, the meeting featured symbolic gestures and positive optics without substance. No detailed plans or written agreements were released. WOLA will be monitoring closely to ensure any cooperation respects human rights and applies the hard-won lessons from Plan Colombia with a truly humane, integral approach—not a repeat of past failures.
As Colombia approaches critical elections, the regional implications of this moment extend far beyond the bilateral relationship. WOLA remains committed to calling for diplomacy grounded in human rights. As part of our efforts to shape the conversation and provide critical analysis, I've been engaging with press this week, speaking with journalists from The New York Times, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, La Silla Vacía, the Associated Press, among others.
We'll keep you informed as this story develops. Sincerely, |
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Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli Director for the Andes |
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🇨🇴 Adam Isacson, our Director for Defense Oversight, spoke at Gran Foro Colombia in Bogotá this week about U.S.-Colombia security cooperation and regional challenges—you can watch a clip of his presentation here.
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🇬🇹 We joined international organizations in calling on Guatemala's USAC to renew the University Superior Council before designating magistrates to the Constitutional Court, as 23 of 41 members have had expired terms for over a year, putting the country's democratic legitimacy at stake. Read the statement (in Spanish) here.
- 🇻🇪 Our Venezuela Director Laura Dib joined an episode of Hacha y Machete to discuss Venezuela's announced amnesty law and whether recent developments represent a genuine opening toward transition or simply a reconfiguration of power—watch the full conversation here.
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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. |
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“The enormous risk is that this stabilization phase will be prolonged without the participation of civil society and without a true democratic transition, and rather will consolidate into a change of actors without a genuine transition to democracy and a restoration of the rule of law.” This video is in Spanish. Laura Cristina Dib
Director for Venezuela
– Deutsche Welle, Is Delcy Rodríguez following Venezuela's directives a month after Maduro's capture? |
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"It's hard to say how hunky-dory the relationship is going to remain, but there is this détente right now because the two men had a chance to talk to each other. They are two populist leaders who are outspoken, who tweet 50 times a day. They are kind of similar personalities."
Adam Isacson Director for Defense Oversight
– NPR, An uneasy détente: Trump and Colombia's Petro meet at White House
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