Dear John,

I’m writing these lines as I return from a constructive trip to Honduras, where WOLA’s Director for Central America, Ana María Méndez Dardón, and I meet with civil society organizations and government officials, including President Xiomara Castro.

At the meeting, we discussed a number of human rights and democratic governance challenges the country faces, particularly around the fight against corruption and the establishment of the International Commission against Impunity (CICIH), migration flows, and the ways in which the U.S. government can, and should, contribute to progress on these issues.

Also this week, one of our Senior Fellows, Coletta Youngers, reflects on the rise in the number of incarcerated women across the region and the possible strategies to end this concerning trend, while Isabella Oliver reports on how formerly incarcerated women in Argentina are developing strategies to help those transitioning to life after prison.

Thanks for reading,

Carolina Jiménez Sandoval

President, WOLA

🇭🇳 In the context of the Central American Donors Forum (CADF) in Tegucigalpa (Oct 26 - 28), WOLA held a a series of meetings with members of civil society, press, donors, the U.S. Embassy and President Xiomara Castro to exchange ideas and discuss priorities regarding the human rights situation in Honduras. Learn more here.

🇬🇹 With this statement WOLA and partner organizations urged the Supreme Court of Justice of Guatemala to comply with the resolution of the Inter-American Court and cease the persecution against Judge Gálvez, reinforce security measures for him and his family, and assume responsibility for protecting the independence of judges against attacks by individuals and groups that only seek to undermine justice.

📋  In Latin America, the continued rise in women’s incarceration is driven in large part by punitive drug laws and “mano dura” policies that disproportionately impact women. WOLA's Senior Fellow Coletta Younger explores potential solutions.

⚠️ The disproportionate impact of incarceration on women creates a myriad of challenges that they are forced to overcome once they are released. Nora and Paulina, two formerly incarcerated women from Argentina, are prime examples of how motherhood adds a different layer of complexity. This is their story.

Join WOLA and The Inter-American Dialogue in the expert panel "Militarization in Mexico: a discussion of the future of security, human rights, and civil-military relations."

 📅 November 10, 2022
 ⏰ 2:00 P.M. Washington D.C

During the panel, we will discuss both the efficacy and the implications of the militarization of law enforcement, which is a trend across much of the region.

Questions will include:

• What has been the impact of the militarization of public security since President Felipe Calderón turned to the military to fight crime in 2006?
• What are the impacts on democracy and human rights?
• What are the alternatives to indefinite troop employment?

🏆🕊️It is with great excitement that we share with you our 2022 WOLA Human Rights Awards Ceremony and Benefit Gala video. After hosting the gala virtually for two years, we returned in person at long last. 

🎉We are honored to have been able to celebrate the amazing work that our 2022 honorees have accomplished.

Adam Isacson

Director for Defense Oversight

"Any assistance to Guatemala’s military is high-risk. Among the Western Hemisphere’s security forces, it has one of the longest and most egregious records of corruption and human rights abuse. Policymakers at the State and Defense Departments knew of this risk: human rights advocates were warning them at the time this program got started."

WOLA seeks a mid-level professional to spearhead the execution of our partnerships strategy, including managing our grants portfolio and supporting cultivation and stewardship of our institutional donors. To learn more, click here.

WOLA seeks an assistant to support two programs; Cuba and Drug Policy! They will provide administrative support to the Directors and their programs with event planning, booking travel, clerical duties, database management, webinars and in-person meeting support, and other logistical support. Click here to learn more.

WOLA is also looking for an assistant to support our Colombia program. They will provide administrative support to the Director and the program with event planning, calendar management, copy-editing, translations, and in-person meeting support. Click here to learn more, 

At WOLA, Internships are critical to arming future generations of advocates with the necessary skills to champion human rights and social justice work in their careers. Please consider contributing to WOLA’s internship program today!

The Spring 2022 Internship is now open for applications! It will be hybrid, meaning all interns are expect to come into the office at least half of the time they work. WOLA will follow all public health guidance and revert back to hybrid if needed at any time. Interns that would like to be considered for a virtual internship should specifically request so in their cover letters. Application Deadline: November 30, 2022. We will look at resumes on a rolling basis. Click here to learn more.

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