In May, attacks on civil society around the region continued despite calls to honor the rights of citizens to peacefully express dissent. Considering the May 25 anniversary of the murder of George Floyd in the United States, it is clear we must all reckon with how state violence and abuse disproportionately impacts Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized communities—from police brutality against protestors, abuses against migrants, drug law enforcement that fuels mass incarceration, particularly of women, and militarized security policies that lead to human rights violations.
You can also learn more about our latest work by visiting our website and following us on social media.
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55 Members of U.S. Congress Urge State Department to Clearly and Unambiguously Denounce Police Brutality in Colombia
On May 14, U.S. Representatives James P. McGovern (D-MA), Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Mark Pocan (D-WI), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) led 55 Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the State Department to more forcefully denounce police brutality in Colombia, freeze police aid and sales of crowd control equipment, and promote dialogue.
Read the full letter here.
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Civil Society Crackdown in Venezuela: Working for Peaceful Change in the Face of Repression
Marino Alvarado from civil society group PROVEA, Beatriz Borges from the Center for Justice and Peace (CEPAZ), and Marianna Romero from the Center for Defenders and Justice (CDJ) joined a WOLA-hosted webinar discussing the implications of the recent ordinance requiring all non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the country to register with the national anti-terrorism office and other efforts to repress civil society amid the political crisis.
Watch the webinar here.
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Police Violence in Colombia: The Brutal Response to a Month of Ongoing Social Protests
On May 28, WOLA hosted a webinar where WOLA and civil society organizations in Colombia explain the current moment, their critical work monitoring the police abuses, and what needs to be done to ensure accountability and a path forward amid Colombia’s current crisis. Watch the webinar in full above.
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WOLA in the News
“We’re talking about some of the most unequal countries in the world in Latin America, and when people see others still living well in wealthy areas, it’s just not going to sit well with them when they get squeezed by new taxes.” - Adam Isacson, Director for Defense Oversight in the Washington Post.
"Duque’s unpopularity and perceived distance from the general populace and their interests combined with the economic downturn due to COVID and restrictions, increased insecurity and disinterest in advancing peace will keep these [protests] going.” - Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli, Director for the Andes, in Al Jazeera.
"The actions by President Bukele and his allies in the Assembly make it clear that the Salvadoran government is not acting as a reliable ally in strengthening democratic institutions or governance and that the Biden Administration won't be able to cooperate with him and his government in addressing these problems." - Adriana Beltrán, Director for Citizen Security in ABC News.
"[On President Biden's pick for Texas Sheriff Ed Gonzalez to lead ICE]: I think it's a remarkably good choice, actually... Just in the past couple of weeks, Biden has chosen two progressive sheriffs from border cities... You've got people with law enforcement experience but also who have worked to at times to confront CBP and ICE, the agencies they're leading but not in an openly confrontational camera-grabbing way." - Adam Isacson, Director for Defense Oversight, in All Things Considered, NPR
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Sign up here for weekly border and migration updates from our experts. Read our past updates here.
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Stay updated on the Con Líderes Hay Paz campaign by signing up for our campaign newsletters or follow the #ConLíderesHayPaz hashtag on social media.
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Upcoming Events
View all upcoming and past events hosted by WOLA on our website or by subscribing to our newsletter.
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Contact:
Gabriela Sibori
Communications Associate
+1 (202) 797-2171
[email protected]
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