Analysis & Commentary

Cuba and the Terrorist List

Will the United States Lower the Temperature as Cuba Makes Modest Changes?
5 Mar 2013
Taking Cuba off the terrorist list would be a common sense step that would acknowledge changes in Cuba and serve U.S. interests in the hemisphere.

WOLA Blog: "Venezuelan Politics and Human Rights"

A unique resource for journalists, policymakers, scholars, activists, and others interested in understanding Venezuelan politics and human rights.
5 Mar 2013
The contributors to the blog, including WOLA Senior Fellow David Smilde, provide insights on Venezuela’s politics that go beyond the polarized pro-Chávez/anti-Chávez debate as developments unfold.

The Colombian Government Must Take Clear, Concrete Steps to Protect Human Rights

In a Letter to the Minister of the Interior, WOLA Calls for Action
28 Feb 2013
WOLA expresses concern over the continued violence against human rights defenders, Afro-Colombians, and trade unionists in Colombia and looks to the Interior Ministry for concrete results.

Recent Sentence by Uruguayan Supreme Court Obstructs Search for Truth and Justice

Unconstitutionality Verdict is a New Setback in the Struggle against Impunity
28 Feb 2013
Uruguay's latest Supreme Court ruling, which found a key human rights law to be unconstitutional, threatens to undermine advances made in holding perpetrators accountable for crimes committed during the country's dictatorship.

Notes from Tijuana

WOLA staff notes on citizen security, border security and migration in the border city
27 Feb 2013
Why is Tijuana safer? Why is migration down? Is the U.S. border-security approach effective? Some impressions after a brief visit to the border city

Public Health Approach Takes Back Seat to Law Enforcement as Brazil Cracks Down on Drug Use

21 Feb 2013
Despite some promises for change, law enforcement responses, rather than a public health approach, have come to define Brazil's drug policies.

Judge’s Removal Causes Concerns over Human Rights Investigations in Uruguay

Transfer to Civilian Court Could Represent a Step Backward Toward Impunity
20 Feb 2013
The transfer of a respected Uruguayan judge to civilian court is a clear affront to attempts to prosecute past state crimes. It remains unclear what will happen to the judge's docket of more than 20 human rights cases.

Bolivia Officially Returns as a Party to the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs

12 Feb 2013
On February 10, Bolivia officially rejoined the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs with a reservation allowing for the traditional use of the coca leaf. This long overdue move is a significant step toward correcting a historic wrong.

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Read the Venezuelan Politics and Human Rights Blog

The Human Cost

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