Americas

In Argentina, lawyers’ groups working on cases of human rights violations which occurred during the military dictatorship that governed the country until 1983, have been facing regular threats including raids on their offices, threatening graffiti at homes and offices, and death threats. With the hearings against the military due to begin in March 2010, these lawyers and groups campaigning for justice fear continued and worsening attacks.

HRDs working on issues related to economic, social and cultural rights, including the promotion of agrarian reform, land rights for rural workers, indigenous rights and labour rights, have reported an escalation in the level of violent harassment and intimidation in Brazil, Chile, Peru, Nicaragua and El Salvador (see part I above).

In 2009, Front Line joined the national and international campaign supporting Colombian human rights defenders under threat.The campaign identified five key areas where change is needed in relation to the protection of HRDs: impunity; the misuse of state intelligence against HRDs; their stigmatisation; unfounded criminal proceedings; and, flaws in the state protection programme.

2009 saw the DAS (Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad – Colombian intelligence agency) scandal made public. It was revealed that the DAS had systematically and without warrant, tapped the phones and emails of, amongst others, Colombia’s major human rights groups, journalists, members of the Supreme Court and trade unions since 2004. Front Line reported that human rights lawyer Jorge Eliecer Molano, who is working on key legal cases currently underway and in which military personnel are implicated, has been under increasing surveillance and intimidation.

The high risk situation faced by HRDs in Guatemala did not ease in 2009. In the first half of the year alone, the organisation Protection Unit for Human Rights Defenders in Guatemala (UDEFEGUA) documented 171 attacks against HRDs, including ten killings and 17 attempted killings. The past few years have seen a steady deterioration in the security of human rights defenders despite the establishment of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) in 2008.

In 2009 Dr Yuri Melini, Director of the Center of Legal Action in Environment and Social Issues (CALAS), won the Front Line Award for his work campaigning for investigations into the killing of environmentalists, challenging mining companies, fighting against the contamination of water sources and the occupation of land in nature reserves. In September 2008, Dr Melini survived a serious assassination attempt.

In Cuba, human rights defenders, journalists and civil society members faced continued criminalisation as they campaigned for civil and political as well as economic, social and cultural rights. They have been arbitrarily detained and have reported attacks by the Brigada de Respuesta Rápida (Rapid Response Brigade), a group of pro-government civilians working with members of the security forces. Several HRDs remained in detention serving long jail sentences as a result of their human rights activism.

In Mexico, the general levels of insecurity and violence make it an extremely dangerous country for HRDs to operate in. Organised criminal activity, narco-trafficking and a culture of almost absolute impunity allow for the continuation of intimidation and harassment of HRDs by both state and non-state actors. In February 2009, a week after their abduction by three armed men who identified themselves as police officers, the bodies of Manuel Ponce Rosas and Raúl Lucas Lucía, respectively Secretary and President of the Organisation for the Future of the Mixteco People (OFPM), were discovered buried approx. 30 minutes from Ayutla, Guerrero. There were visible signs of torture on their bodies. The investigation is yet to yield results.

In Chihuahua, the government’s implementation of Operation Chihuahua and the resultant militarisation of the area has led to a dramatic increase in incidents of general violence and corruption, with an increase in specific targeting of HRDs.

The military coup in Honduras in June 2009 led to mass unrest within the country. A large number of HRDs and organisations joined forces together with some political parties and movements to form the National Resistance Front, against the coup. In addition to the general threats against HRDs, their involvement in the movement has led to increased risks. The LGBTI community continued to face extremely violent persecution with many LGBTI rights defenders being targeted and two killed in 2009.

Front Line issued 44 urgent appeals on behalf of human rights defenders at risk from 7 American countries, namely Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru.