WOLA Weekly Newsletter

Dear WOLA Supporter,

July 11 marked two years since the protests in Cuba that led to 1,558 people being arrested. WOLA commemorated this event and continues to advocate for the release of the 681 Cubans who unjustly remain in jail on charges related to the protests.

Earlier this year, the crackdown on peaceful protests in the fishing town of Caimanera served as yet another stark reminder that the fundamental human right to freedom of expression remains severely limited on the island.

All this is sadly taking place against the backdrop of a grave humanitarian crisis, which the US embargo only exacerbates. WOLA will continue to speak out as both the Cuban and US governments have a role to play in improving the lives of Cuban citizens.

Also this week, WOLA co-signed a letter urging leaders attending the European Union-CELAC Summit in Brussels next week to discuss the ongoing repression in Nicaragua, as well as human rights violations taking place in other countries around the globe.

In other news, we have continued to denounce the Guatemalan authorities’ attempt to interfere in the electoral process ahead of the presidential runoff set for August 20. The situation is fast evolving. We will keep you informed as best we can.

And finally please Save The Date to celebrate WOLA's 50th Anniversary with us very soon!

Click here to read this week's WOLA Weekly.

Best,

Mariakarla Nodarse

Assistant Director for Cuba

Dear WOLA Supporter,

On Monday, June 26, WOLA observed World Refugee Day and the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. We continue to see cases of human rights violations committed against refugees and victims of torture throughout the Americas. That is why our experts work tirelessly to ensure that governments and human rights violators are being held accountable for their actions. 

On the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, WOLA signed a joint letter speaking out against the current situation in Nicaragua. Additionally, this week, WOLA President, Carolina Jiménez, commented on the International Criminal Court’s decision to allow prosecutors to continue investigating Crimes Against Humanity in Venezuela. Lastly, WOLA observed the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking by highlighting the need for decriminalization and investment in harm reduction drug policies via a health-based approach. 

WOLA’s experts have stood up and advocated for victims, particularly when they were not able to do so themselves. While we continue to work towards a more just and humane society, we urge our supporters to deepen their commitment to our work. With your generous gift, our experts will be able to: 

• Travel to Latin America to meet with allies, partners, and victims to get a first-hand understanding of the complexities on-the-ground and to speak directly to the stakeholders involved.
• Be equipped with the necessary tools and resources to publish detailed communications pieces to inform a variety of audiences about human rights violations occurring in the hemisphere.  
• And, work closely with policymakers at home and in the region to ensure that human rights-respecting policies are in place to protect all people throughout the Americas. 

As we continue to champion human rights throughout the region, I hope you will consider supporting the work of our experts both now and in the years to come. 

Please note that WOLA Weekly will be taking a short break next week and will resume on July 14, 2023. We wish you a Happy Fourth of July weekend.

Click here to read this week's WOLA Weekly.

Best,

Lauren Kimball

Vice President for Development

Dear WOLA Supporter,

I recently returned from a visit to the Mexico/Guatemala border with WOLA’s Board members, where we listened to migrants and refugees talk about their lack of protection. There is much cause for concern and we continue to make recommendations to both the Mexican and U.S governments on access to asylum.

Back in Washington, this week the Organization of American States (OAS) has been holding its General Assembly. For WOLA it has been an opportunity to meet with partners from across the region, to advocate with member states on pressing issues such as drug policy reform, but also to co-sponsor over half a dozen public events with civil society partners, ranging from democratic backsliding in the region, to the political and human rights crisis in Peru and the fragile peace process in Colombia.

Yesterday, I was honored to take part in an all-female panel about the attacks on democracy ahead of Sunday's general elections in Guatemala. By my side was renowned human rights defender and former Attorney General Claudia Paz y Paz, who currently lives in exile in Costa Rica, where she directs the Mexico and Central America office of our partner, CEJIL. Claudia was previously a WOLA Board member, a Senior Fellow and a recipient of the 2014 WOLA Human Rights Award.

In other news, as the U.S commemorated Juneteenth this week, we were reminded that structural racism is still entrenched in our societies. We therefore published a joint statement denouncing persistent racist and gendered attacks against Francia Márquez, the Vice-President of Colombia.

Also, in her latest blog post, Laura Dib, WOLA’s Venezuela Director and a fellow Venezuelan, urges the international community to overcome “Venezuela fatigue” in order to address the country’s humanitarian crisis. We hope you find it interesting.

Click here to read this week's WOLA Weekly.

Best,

Carolina Jiménez Sandoval 

WOLA President

Dear WOLA Supporter,

This week, we were saddened to hear that José Rubén Zamora, a long-time journalist and founder of the Guatemalan newspaper El Periódico, was arbitrarily sentenced to six years in prison. This represents the latest attack on freedom of expression in Guatemala ahead of the presidential elections set for June 25.

In other news this week, our President Carolina Jiménez Sandoval, along with WOLA board members and staff are in Tapachula, on the border of Mexico and Guatemala. They are meeting with partners, government officials, and international agencies, but also witnessing first-hand the despair faced by migrants and asylum seekers, as Mexico has stopped issuing documents that facilitated travel through the country and is transporting many to different parts of Mexico, under protocols that are not clear.

Ahead of elections at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), WOLA urged States to elect candidates who will work towards guaranteeing human rights in the region.

And, in case you missed it, late last week we issued a joint statement urging Congress to reject a bill seeking to label fentanyl as a “chemical weapon”.

Despite the huge challenges, we believe in a future where states across the Americas guarantee equal rights and opportunities to all LGBTQIA+ communities. We hope you will join WOLA in celebrating Pride this month of June.

Click here to read this week's WOLA Weekly.

Best,

Zaida Márquez

Dear WOLA Supporter,

I am honored to announce that I recently joined WOLA as Venezuela Director following in the footsteps of Geoff Ramsey who held this position for four years. Although I am currently based in Bogotá, I look forward to moving to Washington D.C shortly.

Last month I visited Colombia’s border with Venezuela for the first time since before the pandemic. Following the change in government in Colombia, the border is now open after being closed for  seven years. Much has changed, with the circulation of vehicles along the bridges, less presence of humanitarian aid, and fewer people crossing those bridges than in previous years. However, I was still struck by the continuous humanitarian tragedy facing Venezuelan migrants and refugees.

I decided to write about my experience from a very personal perspective. The result is this feature: “Heading to Venezuela loaded with groceries on their backs.” I hope you find it interesting.

In other news this week, alongside the Center for Democracy in the Americas and the Cuba Study Group, we urged the U.S. government to follow through on promises made a year ago to help alleviate the current economic and humanitarian crisis in Cuba.

We also denounced the U.S.’ decision to send soldiers to Peru for training exercises despite recent human rights violations committed under the presidency of Dina Boluarte.

And we co-signed a letter to the Biden administration expressing concern over a return to Trump-era policies on asylum.

Click here to read this week's WOLA Weekly.

Best,

Laura Dib

Director for Venezuela

Dear WOLA Supporter,

A month ago, a team of WOLA experts visited Honduras and traveled to both the border with Guatemala to the north and the border with Nicaragua to the south. While historically Honduras has been a departure point for migrants, the country is increasingly a stopover for people from around the globe on their way to the U.S. Yet the dynamics in the country rarely make headlines here. Our report “Halfway to the U.S” takes a look at the Hondurans who are migrating , the migrants who are passing through, and those who are deported back from other countries. We hope you enjoy the read. As Mexico City becomes a bottleneck for migrants and asylum seekers, I teamed up with our multimedia producer, Sergio Borbolla, to produce an audiogram with the words of Hermana Magda, who runs a shelter called CAFEMIN. We will have more on that visit in coming weeks. This audiogram is in Spanish. And finally, this week WOLA's Adam Isacson interviewed Stephanie Brewer and John Walsh in his latest podcast about the challenges fentanyl poses and what it means for U.S. drug policy and the U.S. relationship with Mexico.

Click here to read this week's WOLA Weekly.

Milli Legrain

Editorial Director

Dear WOLA Supporter,

As you may know, Guatemala will be holding general elections for president, legislators, and mayors on June 25. In an effort to assess pre-electoral conditions WOLA, alongside Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights (RFKHR) and Human Rights Watch (HRW), visited Guatemala City from April 17 to April 21. The purpose of this trip was to meet with civil society organizations, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, independent press, diplomatic corps, and both United Nations and European Union representatives in order to better understand the existing challenges with regards to the June elections. In these meetings, we discussed candidate exclusions, the crackdown on freedom of speech, increased cases of aggression and criminalization against civil society, among many other concerns. Learn more about our findings here.

In other news this week, our Director for the Andes, Gimena Sánchez was invited to speak at the Embassy of Colombia in Washington about bilateral relations and the need for increased protection of Afro-Colombian communities, labor rights, police reform, the implementation of the Ethnic Chapter, and more. She also spoke on a new episode of Colombia Acuerdo de Paz about corruption in Colombia’s Prosecutor’s office.

Click here to read this week's WOLA Weekly.

Best,

Ana María Méndez Dardón

Director for Central America

Dear WOLA Supporter,

In this week’s newsletter, you will read about:

• The ongoing political crisis in Peru
• The aftermath of Title 42
• The need for a regional approach towards migration as the number of Venezuelan migrants continues to increase, and more.

You can also catch up on a recent YouTube discussion on how the US is supporting peace efforts in Colombia.

WOLA’s experts work tirelessly to help all of us grasp this information in ways that are both impactful and meaningful. None of it would be possible without financial support from readers like you.

Each week, WOLA’s team works to advocate, raise awareness, and create change in a region that is continuously impacted by human rights violations and social justice issues. They listen to the voices of those who are repressed and restricted.  They work closely with partners in the region to push for change. They relentlessly document their findings in the hopes that it will inform the decisions of policymakers and encourage them to implement more humane policies. And, most importantly, they work to produce the valuable content that helps the human rights movement to flourish.

It would mean a lot if you made a donation to WOLA today. We thank you for continuing to stand with us.

Click here to read this week's WOLA Weekly.

With gratitude,

Lauren Kimball

Vice President for Development

Dear WOLA Supporter,

After three years, Title 42, a policy used during the Trump era that restricted migrants from seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border and continued under the Biden administration, has finally come to an end.

Sadly, the U.S. government is continuing with  restrictions on asylum through measures that are similar to previous policies deemed unlawful in the courts. As we continue to advocate for migrant rights, here are 10 Things to Know About the End of Title 42.

The news generated dozens of media requests from leading English and Spanish language newspapers such as The New York Times and Mexico’s La Jornada, as well as several radio and TV networks.

As Mexico announced  that it would continue to accept “the return of migrants on humanitarian grounds,” WOLA led a joint letter to the Mexican government requesting information on how the government will support and protect this vulnerable population and what immigration documents it will provide to the Venezuelan, Haitian, Cuban and Nicaraguan migrants after they have been  deported by the United States.

In other news, WOLA President, Carolina Jiménez Sandoval, penned an opinion piece about her recent prison visit to Virginia Laparra, a courageous anti-corruption public prosecutor from Guatemala, as the justice system is being weaponized against dissenting voices, including those of justice officials themselves. The article was published in El Faro, the award winning Central American news outlet.

We also published a blog post on where Venezuela’s opposition stands ahead of the 2024 Venezuelan presidential elections and we denounced the Cuban government’s response to recent peaceful protests.

Click here to read this week’s WOLA Weekly.

Best,

Maureen Meyer

Vice President for Programs

Dear WOLA Supporter,

At the first-ever Cities Summit of the Americas that was held in Denver, Colorado last week, WOLA helped organize a panel on drug policy and human rights featuring civil society leaders and former mayors from Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and the United States, as well as officials from the Biden administration and the United Nations.

The aim was to foster discussion on how local communities and policymakers can place human rights at the center of the formation and implementation of drug policies. We hope you enjoy our four takeaways from this discussion and the photo carousel we published on Instagram.

In other news this week, Adam Isacson, Maureen Meyer and Ana Lucía Verduzco were on a field visit to Honduras. Despite the heat and their busy schedule, they found the time to publish a podcast after returning from the Nicaraguan border, describing the dynamics for migrants arriving in Honduras and the hardships they face throughout the journey.

Also, as Title 42 comes to an end on May 11, Mexico Program Director, Stephanie Brewer published an opinion piece with World Politics Review titled: Biden is Rebranding Trump’s Border Policies.

Last but not least, WOLA is excited to announce that lawyer Laura Dib recently joined us as our new Program Director for Venezuela. She brings extensive experience in litigation before the Inter-American and International Human Rights Systems and is an expert on transitional justice, migration and human rights.

Click here for this week’s WOLA Weekly.

Best,

John Walsh

Director for Drug Policy and the Andes

Dear WOLA Supporter,

Ahead of the summit on Venezuela held in Bogotá this week, we wrote a joint letter to Colombian President Gustavo Petro with recommendations on putting human rights at the center of the dialogue and on finding solutions to the multiple crises affecting Venezuelans, including the lack of rule of law,  co-optation of the justice system, rampant impunity, attacks on civil liberties, and grave human rights violations committed by the State.

We also hosted a webinar with Mexican civil society organizations to discuss the recent fire at the migrant detention center in Ciudad Juárez that killed 40 migrants and exposed severe mismanagement and corruption within Mexico’s National Migration Institute. We provided recommendations for improving Mexico’s migration policy and underscored the urgent need for the Biden administration to prioritize access to protection at the border as Title 42 comes to an end. As we explore new means of communicating to a diverse audience, we distributed an audiogram on social media immediately after this event.

Lastly, we celebrated WOLA partner and human rights defender, María Herrera Magdaleno, for her recognition by TIME magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2023 for her leadership in the relentless search for Mexico's disappeared, including four of her sons.

Click here for this week's WOLA Weekly.

Best,

Maureen Meyer

Vice President for Programs

Dear WOLA Supporter,

This week, Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro and U.S. President Joe Biden met at the White House to discuss Venezuela, climate change and regional migration, among other topics. Ahead of this meeting, we published a statement urging Biden to discuss the implementation of the 2016 Peace Accord, including developing a clear strategy for implementing the Ethnic Chapter, protecting social leaders and promoting justice for human rights abuses, as well as advancing Total Peace and alleviating the various humanitarian crises. The security situation in Colombia remains of grave concern in a number of regions, as highlighted by a statement we co-signed in response to the recent violence in the Pacific municipality of Buenaventura.

Petro’s U.S. trip independently coincided with the visit of a delegation composed of three human rights defenders who were awarded Colombia’s National Human Rights Prize in 2022. WOLA accompanied them to meet with State Department officials and Hill staffers and hosted a panel focusing on the need for a gendered, rural and environmental approach to peace.

As part of our efforts to promote democracy, the rule of law, and respect for civil and political rights during the 2023 Guatemalan electoral process, WOLA President Carolina Jiménez Sandoval is currently taking part in a delegation to Guatemala with members of  Human Rights Watch (HRW), and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights (RFKHR). The organizations have met with civil society, public officials, independent press, diplomatic corps and the United Nations in order to understand the current challenges ahead of the presidential elections in June.

Additionally, next week, we will be hosting a webinar on Tuesday, April 25, at 2:00pm EDT with Mexican civil society organizations that accompany survivors and family members of the recent immigration detention center fire in Ciudad Juárez. And on Wednesday, April 26, we will be hosting an event with Veterans for Colombia at 2:00pm EDT. Please join us either virtually or in person.

Click here for this week's WOLA Weekly.

Best,

Gimena Sánchez

Director for the Andes

Dear WOLA Supporter,

As the U.S. and Mexico continue to impose barriers on asylum seekers, this week WOLA is particularly proud to have partnered with media outlet Animal Político and non-governmental organization IMUMI to present an investigative multimedia project that exposes the deportation of child and adolescent migrants from Mexico in 2022, despite landmark legal reforms created specifically to protect them. As well as several articles revealing crucial data, the Niñez Migrante, Promesas de Papel project includes a 20 minute documentary, illustrated case studies as well as graphs and a summary in English and Spanish.

Also this week, as the outrage continues over the death of 40 migrants following the fire at a migrant detention facility in Ciudad Juárez, WOLA’s president Carolina Jiménez Sandoval spoke to Venezuelan news site El Nacional about the detrimental migration policies implemented by the US and Mexican governments.

With Covid restrictions increasingly behind us, WOLA is looking forward to hosting more in-person events. On April 19, we hope you will join us either in-person or virtually for a panel discussion with leading human rights activists on "Women Defending Peace in Colombia: A gendered environmental and rural perspective".

Click here for this week’s WOLA Weekly.

Best,

Stephanie Brewer

Director for Mexico

Dear WOLA Supporter,

I would like to introduce myself as WOLA’s new Vice President for Communications and Outreach. As we prepare to celebrate 50 years of fighting for justice and human rights in Latin America, I am excited to be leading WOLA’s communications team alongside Milli Legrain, who is taking on the newly created position of Editorial Director. It is an honor for both of us to be joining an organization with such an outstanding record in the region and to work with a team of top-notch experts recognized for their in-depth knowledge of human rights in our hemisphere. We look forward to reaching out to you and building new audiences with compelling and innovative content in English and Spanish. And we hope to meet you in person at one of the many events we have planned for this upcoming year.

As for our latest news, WOLA’s president, Carolina Jiménez Sandoval  recently participated in a conversation with Venezuelan NGO Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón (JEP) about the continuation of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (FFM), where she stressed its importance for the investigation and prosecution of serious human rights violations committed by the state, as well as its potential role in advancing the dialogues between the Maduro Government and the opposition to restore democracy.

This week we also published a feature by WOLA’s Senior Fellow Jo-Marie Burt about the Diario Militar case, the most important transitional justice case in Guatemala since the 2013 Maya Ixil genocide trial, involving hundreds of victims. For decades, survivors and the families of the victims of this case have been demanding truth and justice. But with an increasingly co-opted justice system and a majority of judges exiled or beholden to mafias and corrupt politicians, that hope is fading fast.

For more information about WOLA’s enhanced communications team, feel free to check out our bios.

Click here for this week's WOLA Weekly.

Best,

Zaida Márquez

Vice President for Communications

Dear WOLA Supporter,

This week brought the terrible news of the deaths of at least 39 migrants who lost their lives on March 27, 2023 at a migrant detention center in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. As expressed in our recent statement, this tragedy was preventable and we urge the U.S. and Mexican governments to implement humane policies that protect the lives of migrants and asylum seekers.

In other news, this week marked one year since President Nayib Bukele summoned the Legislative Assembly to approve an emergency 30 day decree intended to reduce gang-related violence, which has since been renewed 12 times, enabling the suspension of constitutional guarantees, leading to serious human rights abuses and the deepening of corruption. While gang-related violence was severely impacting the daily lives of Salvadorans, and victims of violence certainly deserve justice, maintaining public security policies based on the restriction of constitutional guarantees does not address the root causes of violence. On this one-year anniversary, WOLA called on the international community to closely monitor the rapidly deteriorating situation of democracy and human rights in El Salvador, and to urge the Bukele government to end the state of emergency and commit to the rule of law and democratic governance.

Additionally this week, alongside our partners CEJIL, DPLF and RFK Human Rights, WOLA signed a joint letter urging Peru to support the creation of an independent group of experts  backed by the Inter-American Commission to investigate recent human rights violations in the wake of social protests in which 67 people died.

We also analyzed the effects of Cuba’s inclusion on the State Sponsor of Terrorism List on the everyday lives of ordinary Cubans.

Click here to read this week’s WOLA Weekly.

Best,

Ana María Méndez Dardón

Director for Central America

Dear WOLA Supporter,

This week, we submitted an official objection to the Biden Administration's proposed asylum "transit ban," calling on the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice “to withdraw this rule in its entirety, to avoid endangering and immiserating migrants arriving at the U.S. southern border, and instead allocate resources toward vastly increased capacity for humane asylum processing, alternatives to detention, and fair adjudications.” Members of the public have until March 27 to submit comments, to which the administration must respond before implementing it. WOLA encourages you to submit your own comment.

We also published a statement in reaction to recent electoral reforms in El Salvador. WOLA is concerned by the Legislative Assembly’s decision to repeal Article 291-A of the electoral code as this opens the door to a myriad of changes in the electoral process. The decision set alarm bells ringing for those who have been observing the elimination of checks and balances in El Salvador, particularly since Bukele announced in September 2022 that he would run for re-election next February despite the Constitutional ban. WOLA calls on the U.S government, the international community, and other relevant actors to work with the Electoral Tribunal, and recommends in-country electoral observation missions to ensure a comprehensive analysis of the electoral process.

Click here to read this week's WOLA Weekly.

Adam Isacson

WOLA's Director for Defense Oversight

Dear WOLA Supporter,

A decade after the first state legally regulated adult recreational cannabis, the 2022 International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), which monitors the implementation of UN drug control conventions, released a new report focused on the legalization of cannabis. The real question is not whether legalization models can resolve all problems associated with cannabis but rather, is legalization mitigating the harm committed under prohibition. Read more about it in this analysis which was published alongside the Transnational Institute (TNI) and the Global Drug Policy Observatory (GDPO).

In addition this week, despite the change in rhetoric and announced efforts to improve security for social leaders and conflict-affected-communities by the Petro government, at least 20 social leaders have been murdered in Colombia in 2023. Just this week, two women who belonged to Sintraunicol, a trade union of public university workers and employees, were murdered in the entrance to Cali's Universidad del Valle. While there is no quick fix to the ongoing violence, the U.S. and Colombian government should prioritize a joint strategy for monitoring and advancing the implementation of the Ethnic Chapter of the 2016 peace accord.

Click here to read this week's WOLA Weekly.

John Walsh

WOLA's Director for Drug Policy

Dear WOLA Supporter,

This week WOLA observed International Women’s Day. While there are millions of women who should be celebrated on March 8, it is important to remember that too many women to this day continue to face adverse challenges and gender inequality in the Americas. For this reason, this week’s newsletter will include a list of our primary 2022 publications that advocated for women’s rights, as well as, our weekly update.

On Wednesday, we analyzed the Regressive Wave for Women in Central America and highlighted human rights advances, obstacles, and setbacks for women and the implications for their democracies. Additionally, we published an array of social media posts, including a tweet from myself and a tweet by WOLA, to further amplify the importance of addressing inequality and discrimination against women. In January, we published an op-ed that examined the ways in which arbitrary detention of women in Latin America significantly impacts their families. Since then, 222 Nicaraguan political prisoners were released and forced into exile while arbitrarily deprived of their nationality. For all the women political prisoners in the region, especially those in Guatemala, Cuba, and Venezuela, we continue to call for their freedom.

In other news, this week we also published a commentary on 10 cases of fatalities since 2020 in which CBP officers and Border Patrol agents may have violated the Department of Homeland Security’s Use of Force policy.

Although we have seen progress in advancing sexual and reproductive rights in some countries in Latin America, gender-based violence, inequality and discrimination are still a reality experienced by millions of women around the world. Therefore, we remain committed to continuing to push for policies and reforms that advance the human rights of women.

Click here to read this week’s WOLA Weekly.

In Solidarity,

Carolina Jiménez Sandoval

President

Dear WOLA Supporter,

This week, WOLA and Temple University Beasley School of Law launched a new series of Annotated Table of Contents (ATOCs) for U.S. attorneys supporting asylum claims for clients from Central America and Mexico. This new set of ATOCs are tailored to cases from El Salvador, Mexico, and Nicaragua, and compiles information on country of origin conditions, including children recruited by gangs, state complicity, internal relocation, risks faced by human rights defenders and journalists, and persecution based on gender. You can learn more here.

We also published this joint press release with Human Rights Watch, calling for the Guatemalan government to reverse the electoral tribunal's decision to bar two candidates from running for presidency on dubious grounds. The electoral process, and the decision, are taking place in a context of deterioration of the rule of law, where the institutions charged with overseeing the elections have little independence or credibility.

Click here to read this week's WOLA weekly.

Best,

Maureen Meyer

WOLA's Vice President for Programs

Dear WOLA Supporter,

A recent judgment by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered Mexico to reform its legal framework to eliminate and modify, respectively, two forms of detention: arraigo and pretrial detention. Complying with the Court’s judgment is a binding legal obligation and a necessary step to eliminate practices that violate human rights and undermine the effectiveness of Mexico’s criminal justice system, as we explain in this analysis.

Meanwhile, Biden’s proposed asylum ban will imply new human rights challenges for Mexico. But this is not the only tool that the U.S. government has at hand to keep asylum out of reach, as we explore in this article that we published last week. That’s why WOLA participated in this press release with other U.S. and international organizations calling on the government to reverse its course on this radical change to asylum access. You can read more about this recent development and the current human rights crises at the U.S.-Mexico border in our weekly updates.

Click here to read this week’s WOLA weekly.

Best,

Stephanie Brewer

WOLA's Director for Mexico

Dear WOLA Supporter,

As Colombia's government continues to advance dialogues with the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas and seek a "Total Peace" with other illegal armed groups, in this Q&A we discuss the progress and setbacks of Colombia's new government to address the main threats to human rights in 2023 and the importance of U.S. government support to achieve this.

We also joined over 90 Venezuelan and regional organizations expressing to Colombian president Petro our concern about the possible approval of the "Law for the Control, Regularization, Performance and Financing of Non-Governmental and Related Organizations" in Venezuela, which will mean the suspension of the right to free association and assembly.

Also this week, we explain in this commentary why any strategy from the Biden administration to address the ongoing migratory crisis needs to fix the significant shortcomings and lack of resources of the current system and to ensure that asylum at the border is accessible to everyone, especially with the possible end of Title 42 in May.

Click here to read this week's Newsletter.

Gimena Sánchez Garzoli

WOLA's Director for the Andes

Dear WOLA Supporter,

While the release of 222 political prisoners who were illegally detained by the Ortega-Murillo government in Nicaragua is cause for celebration, there are several concerns and doubts that need to be addressed. In an alarming act of human rights violations, the prisoners were exiled and revoked of their citizenship by the Nicaraguan National Assembly, which is prohibited by international human rights norms. We urge the international community to continue supporting Nicaraguan civil society to promote human rights, access to independent and impartial justice, and a return to democracy.

Additionally this week, WOLA shared its concern on Peru’s deteriorating human rights and political crisis and the ongoing repression against protestors at the hands of security forces. We called on the Peruvian government to fundamentally change its approach to the challenging and institutional crisis Peru is facing and offered some insights to promote an urgent and peaceful solution.

Click here to read this week's Newsletter.

Carolina Jiménez Sandoval

WOLA's President

Dear WOLA Supporter,

Recent months have seen what appears to be a sharp rise in violence and threats of violence against migrant shelters in the city of Tijuana, in Mexico, with little or no protective response from local authorities. In an analysis published this week, we explore what authorities in Mexico and the United States must do to protect these shelters.

Also this week, WOLA's President Carolina Jiménez Sandoval and Senior Fellow Jo-Marie Burt met with the Peruvian Minister of Foreign Affairs during her visit to Washington D.C . We expressed our concerns over the current human rights crisis in the country, rejected the excessive use of force in the context of social protests, and highlighted the importance of respecting human rights. Learn more in this article.

Click here to read this week's Newsletter.

Adam Isacson

WOLA's Director for Defense Oversight

Dear WOLA Supporter,

This week, we joined civil society organizations in a statement expressing our deep concern over the approval, in the first round, of a bill that seeks to criminalize and further hinder the work of civil society organizations in Venezuela. This is yet another government strategy to limit the fundamental work of civil society organizations that legitimately defend rights, and work on behalf of victims of human rights violations.

Meanwhile, Guatemala opened nominations for candidates ahead of the general elections scheduled for June. Read this document of questions and answers we published in collaboration with Human Rights Watch to learn more about the challenging context in which the elections are taking place and the need for international scrutiny to help protect democracy in the country.

Click here to read this week's WOLA weekly.

Best,

Carolina Jiménez Sandoval

WOLA's President

Dear WOLA Supporter,

As the political crisis continues to unravel in Peru, with dozens of people killed since the protests began, WOLA and other international human rights and environmental organizations published a joint statement calling on the Biden administration to publicly denounce the human rights violations perpetrated by Peruvian security forces.

In Mexico, while the General Law Against Disappearances has been in force for five years, gaps in implementation remain as thousands of families continue to search for their loved ones. Together with our Director for Mexico, Stephanie Brewer, I will be participating in an in-person discussion alongside the producers of the podcast “After Ayotzinapa”, and the former prosecutor for the investigation, to explore the unresolved case of the enforced disappearance of 43 Mexican college students in 2014.

Finally, this week marked the 30th anniversary of the signing of the peace accords that brought an end to the civil war in El Salvador. Three decades on, serious human rights challenges remain in the country, particularly around the independence of the judicial system and the rule of law.

Click here to read this week's WOLA weekly.

Best,

Maureen Meyer

WOLA's Vice President for Programs

Dear WOLA Supporter,

The new year has begun with complex challenges for human rights. In Brazil, the acts of violence and vandalism against government buildings in Brasilia at the hands of Bolsonaro supporters were a tragic illustration of the rising attacks against democracy across the Americas. They also brought renewed attention to the need for governments to take decisive action against dangerous discourses based on hatred, disinformation, and a disregard for the rule of law.

These authoritarian tendencies are increasingly affecting women as I analyze in an opinion piece published in Hora Cero.

Things haven't been much better in the United States, where the Biden administration announced a series of new measures that will prevent numerous asylum seekers from entering the country and is certain to endanger many of them. Read more about the implications of those measures here.

Click here to read this week's WOLA weekly.

Best,

Carolina Jiménez Sandoval

WOLA President

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