Analysis
Research and Policy Solutions for the Americas
We are known for our rigorous research and informed analysis on critical issues in the Americas. Our long-standing commitment to blending research and advocacy, collaborating with partners across the Americas, and serving as a trusted resource for policymakers, academics, and diverse audiences in both the U.S. and abroad, sets us apart. We produce analysis through reports, perspectives, features, Q&As and more.
Research
Explore in-depth research that provides critical insights into human rights, democracy, and public policy issues across Latin America.
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Denouncing Into the Void: The Dismantling of Internal Oversight and Accountability at DHS
Download in printer-friendly PDF format Executive Summary One year ago, on March 21, 2025, hundreds of experienced employees overseeing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) abruptly learned that the Trump administration was firing them. The Department’s Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO), and Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman…
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One year since the presidential election of July 28, 2024: the Venezuelan crisis
Table of Contents Executive Summary Introduction I. July 28, 2024, as a pivotal moment in Venezuelan history II. Political Persecution Policy: Sustained Repression and the De Facto Suspension of Constitutional Guarantees 1. Pre-election period 2. Post-election period: repression through “Operation Knock Knock” 3. A Sustained Attack: De Facto Suspension of Constitutional Guarantees III. Regional, Local, and Legislative Elections Without Guarantees…
Perspectives
Read unique perspectives on pressing human rights challenges shaping Latin America
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U.S. Resumes Ties with Guatemala’s Attorney General’s Office: An Opportunity That Requires Institutional Reforms
The recent visit to Washington by Guatemala’s Attorney General, Gabriel García Luna, accompanied by the Minister of the Interior, Marco Antonio Villeda Sandoval, marks an important shift in the relationship between Guatemala’s Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) and U.S. security and justice agencies. After several years in which institutional cooperation was limited due to concerns about the deterioration of the rule…
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Five Outcomes of Colombia’s First Round Presidential Elections
On May 31, Colombians voted in the first round of their presidential elections. Here are some of the main takeaways. The Outsider Candidate’s Surprise Win Of the five presidential contenders, far-right outsider candidate Albelardo de la Espriella secured 43.74% of the vote in Colombia’s first-round presidential election, setting up a June 21 runoff against leftist candidate Ivan Cepeda, who received…
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Guatemala’s Attorney General Selection: A Critical Test for the Rule of Law and U.S. Engagement
Guatemala once again faces a pivotal opportunity to restore democratic institutions and rebuild the rule of law by selecting a new Attorney General. The renewal of leadership at the Public Ministry comes after a deeply damaging period under Consuelo Porras, who has been sanctioned by the United States, the EU, and other countries for corruption and undermining democracy. During her…
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Key things to know about the proposed foreign aid budget for FY2027
On April 3, 2026, the Trump administration presented to Congress its proposed federal budget for fiscal year 2027. While the historic $1.5 trillion request for defense spending is getting significant attention, the proposal for U.S. foreign aid, at just $33.6 billion for the State Department’s diplomacy and assistance activities budget, a $12 billion cut from the amount Congress appropriated for…
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Before More People Are Hurt: Why the Trump Administration’s ‘Joint Targeting’ Model Needs a Rethink
At a March 5 “Counter Cartel Coalition” conference, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told assembled Latin American military leaders that, while he would prefer to fight organized crime, drugs, and migration alongside them, “America is prepared to take on these threats and go on the offense alone, if necessary.” Just months prior, on January 3, the Trump administration used unilateral…
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Two months without Maduro in Venezuela: Democratic transition or authoritarian adaptation?
January 3, 2026 changed the course of history in Venezuela, and there are different perspectives on whether or not the country is undergoing a transition. Even if it were classified as a transition, labeling it “democratic” at this point does not seem possible. Despite some openings, the structures of the authoritarian government that Nicolás Maduro has led since 2013, consolidated…
Features
Explore articles, explainers and human-centered stories about the region.
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The Global Anti-Rights Agenda in Latin America
When WOLA set its new strategic priorities in 2024, we consciously included promoting LGBTQ+ rights and gender diversity on the list. This decision would prove to be increasingly relevant. Within months, the president of Argentina would equate “gender ideology” to “child abuse” on the international stage, and the incoming administration in the United States would move to erase legal transgender identities . But attacks on the LGBTQ+ community are not necessarily new…
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Venezuela After January 3: Two Truths That Require the Attention of the International Community
The Facts In the early morning of January 3, we woke to an event we no longer believed possible in this century: a U.S. military attack on a South American capital. The attack culminated in the capture of Venezuela’s de facto president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, and their subsequent transfer to New York to stand trial on…
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2025 Human Rights Award: Senator Tim Kaine’s Leadership on Latin America
When considering our awardees for this year’s Human Rights Award, we sought leaders and organizations who have demonstrated unwavering commitment to democracy and human rights at a critical moment for the Americas. Across Latin America, authoritarian regimes are consolidating power, silencing dissent, and undermining democratic institutions. At the same time, rising authoritarianism at home threatens the values that should guide…
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Political Imprisonment in El Salvador and the Dismantling of Democracy
Political imprisonment in Latin America remains one of the gravest consequences of the ongoing democratic deterioration in several countries. Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela top the list with the highest number of documented political prisoners. Nicaragua currently has at least 73 political prisoners, Venezuela has 1,074 documented cases, and Cuba has 543 people deprived of their liberty in connection with protests…
Q&A
Our Q&A section features interviews with experts and advocates across the Americas
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Q&A on Venezuela: Two things can hold true, and Venezuelans need support now
In contexts of deep political polarization, WOLA aims to provide elements for an objective analysis rooted in universal principles. Treating human rights as ideological markers rather than internationally recognized standards erodes democracy. We see two realities that can hold true simultaneously. On the one hand, the U.S. military action in Venezuela is contrary to international law and forms part of…
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Q&A with WOLA’s Director for the Andes and this year’s Louis B. Sohn Human Rights Award recipient, Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli
The landmark Inter-American Court ruling in favor of displaced Afro-Colombian communities, the five-year delay of the U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement, which forced a reduction in the killing of trade unionists and the protection of Afro-descendant workers, and the inclusion of the ethnic chapter within Colombia’s peace agreement. You may know these victories—but you might not know that Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli was…
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Uncertain Path to the Polls: Integrity and Trust at Risk in Honduras’s 2025 Elections
Honduras will hold general elections on November 30 amid growing political tensions and concerns over electoral integrity. Conflicts among members of the National Electoral Council (CNE) and the controversial roles of the Public Ministry, the Armed Forces, and the National Congress have heightened uncertainty about the credibility of the electoral process. The role of the international community has become increasingly…
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Q&A: Breakdown of the Rising Tensions Between the U.S. and Brazil Over the Bolsonaro Ruling
On September 11, Brazil’s Supreme Court found former President Jair Bolsonaro guilty, sentencing him to 27 years and three months in prison. The Court convicted him on several counts, including: armed criminal conspiracy, attempted abolition of the democratic rule of law, attempted coup d’état, violent destruction of public property, and damage to protected national heritage sites. Seven of Bolsonaro’s allies,…
