All Content: U.S. assistance

President Obama to Meet with Central American Presidents

Topics of Discussion to Include Security and Economic Cooperation
1 May 2013
News
The Central American stop on Obama's trip seems intended to showcase positive messages about economic growth and partnership. But Central America has some huge challenges—on dealing with crime and insecurity, and on human rights and democracy—that will inevitably be part of the story.

WOLA Q&A on President Obama's Visit to Mexico

Presidential Visit Attempts to Shift the Narrative, But What Has Really Changed?
30 Apr 2013
News

One Year into the Gang Truce in El Salvador

Can the Funes Administration Turn the Fragile Truce into Sustainable Public Policy?
26 Apr 2013
Analysis & Commentary
In March 2012, authorities in El Salvador facilitated a truce between the country’s two largest street gangs, MS-13 and the 18th Street gang. Homicide rates began to drop quickly after the truce was announced, going from around 14 murders a day to about five, and to many observers’ surprise, the truce has now lasted over a year.

U.S. and International NGOs Request That President Obama Meet with Mexican Civil Society

25 Apr 2013
News
Earlier this week, WOLA, LAWG, and PBI sent a letter to President Obama requesting that he include a meeting with members of Mexican civil society during his upcoming visit to Mexico in order to consider human rights concerns from a non-governmental perspective.

As President Obama Heads to Mexico, Members of Congress Express Concern over Human Rights

Bipartisan letter calls for renewed attention to abuses
25 Apr 2013
News
On April 23, 24 members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry expressing their concern about the persistence of grave human rights violations in Mexico and urging the administration to make the defense of human rights a central part of the U.S.-Mexico bilateral agenda.

U.S. Congress Supports Peace in Colombia

18 Apr 2013
Analysis & Commentary
In a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, 62 members of Congress call for U.S. policy to support peace with justice as the country continues negotiations to end its internal conflict.

Brazil’s Lessons in Rural Development

Family Agriculture, Access to Water, and Civic Engagement
21 Feb 2013
Publication
WOLA is pleased to announce the publication of the new report, “Brazil’s Lessons in Rural Development: Family Agriculture, Access to Water, and Civic Engagement,” which highlights two Brazilian policies that support small farmers.

Tracking International Anti-Crime and Violence Prevention Efforts in Central America

31 Jan 2013
Publication
The Mapping of Internationally-Funded Citizen Security Projects in Central America is a joint initiative of WOLA and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to monitor international assistance from multilateral institutions, donor governments, and private foundations to support anti-crime and violence reduction programs in Central America.

Consolidating "Consolidation": Colombia's Plan to Govern Neglected Territories Stumbles

Colombia's "security and development" zones await a civilian handoff, while Washington backs away from the concept
10 Jan 2013
Publication
WOLA Senior Associate Adam Isacson finds that a U.S.-backed effort to govern neglected territories in Colombia is stumbling.

What the Obama Administration's New Nominees Might Mean for Latin America

9 Jan 2013
Analysis & Commentary

Keep the Rule of Law and Human Rights on the Binational Agenda with Mexico

Priority issues to address in the November 27 meeting between President Obama and president-elect Peña Nieto
26 Nov 2012
News

Human Rights Organizations Ask Congress to Maintain Conditions on Security Assistance to Latin America

15 Nov 2012
News
Today, WOLA joined other human rights organizations (Amnesty International, the Center for International Policy, and the Latin America Working Group) in urging the U.S. Congress to retain the human rights conditions pertaining to security assistance for Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.

UN and U.S. Estimates for Cocaine Production Contradict Each Other

UN numbers suggest an increase in land under coca cultivation in Colombia, while "mysterious" U.S. numbers suggest a decrease
31 Jul 2012
Analysis & Commentary
Are Colombian traffickers really getting less than half as much cocaine from coca grown in their country, as U.S. (but not UN) estimates indicate? With no transparency at all over how these tonnage estimates are derived, the U.S. cocaine-production numbers are wide open to charges of politicization

Security and U.S. Policy in Honduras

A conversation with Mark Ungar
18 Jul 2012
Publication
Adam talks to Professor Mark Ungar of Brooklyn College's Ph.D. Program in Criminal Justice about crime, narcotrafficking, U.S. policy and the challenges of police and judicial reform in Honduras.

Colombia Human Rights Bulletin

July 2012
16 Jul 2012
Publication
WOLA would like to share these documents recently published by WOLA or organizations we work with in Colombia on labor rights and human rights issues.

U.S. Congress Calls on Secretary Clinton to Request Information Related to Human Rights in Mexico

U.S. Needs to Close Information Gap to Accurately Assess Mexico’s Compliance with Merida Initiative
5 Jul 2012
News

U.S. and Mexican Organizations Urge U.S. State Department to Accurately Assess Human Rights Situation in Mexico

25 Jun 2012
News
On June 25, 2012, a group of U.S. and Mexican organizations sent a memo to officials at the U.S. Department of State evaluating Mexico’s compliance with the human rights requirements and finds that limited progress has been made on meeting the conditions.

Colombian Human Rights Defenders Exposed to Grave Dangers

Inadequate Response from U.S. and Colombian Governments
21 Jun 2012
Analysis & Commentary
WOLA’s partners throughout Colombia have seen a concerning upswing of threats and attacks aimed at deterring their work in defense of human rights.

Why Restrictions to Guatemala’s Military Assistance Should Be Maintained

8 Jun 2012
Analysis & Commentary
WOLA believes the ban on military assistance should remain in place given serious concerns about the failure of Guatemala to fulfill the necessary requirements.

State Department’s Human Rights Report Downplays the Severity of Colombia’s Human Rights Problems

Lengthy Report’s Tone Reflects Interpretations Offered by Colombian Authorities
1 Jun 2012
Publication
The U.S. Department of State’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011 glosses over the gravity of the human rights situation in Colombia.

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