" We've seen an increase in authoritarian regimes that maintain a democratic facade, but where that democracy is a fiction, where elections are held, sometimes clean and sometimes not transparent enough in the game that you win, seeing that temporarily are majority seek to remain in power, enslaving society and those who think like them and quickly intervening judiciary. In this region we identified that behavior in Venezuela and Ecuador are likely to qualify for the league, "said José Miguel Vivanco Tuesday, responsible for Latin America of Human Rights Watch, during the presentation of the report on the region.
Vivanco shown pessimistic about the observance of human rights on the continent and has placed special emphasis to " blur safety " of the Mexican government headed by Enrique Peña Nieto in reference to the events of Michoacán and the emergence of autodenfensa groups, a situation that is contained in the report this year.
Impunity for crimes against humanity The lack of progress in the prosecution of crimes against humanity for abuses committed in the past, recent or distant, of the governments of Latin America is almost a constant in the HRW report intended for Latin America. Subject to the exceptions of Argentina, Chile or Ecuador where the organization recognizes progress in judging violations committed during their dictatorships, the institution is very critical in the case of Guatemala, mainly due to the reversal of the conviction of former chief State Efrain Rios Mont, Honduras, the few " judgments about the excessive use of force and killings " are criticized after the 2009 coup, or Peru, where " extensive delays in the judicial inquiry " is reported and some negligence when allocate " sufficient staff and resources."
In the case of Mexico, HRW notes the limited efforts by the new government of Enrique Peña Nieto to investigate, prosecute and try cases of murder, enforced disappearances and torture committed by military and security forces during the war against drug trafficking the presidency of Felipe Calderon. "The Government of Peña Granddaughter has shown throughout this year that the issue of human rights is not a priority," he argued Vivanco. The report denounces the danger of impunity for military abuses that can be derived from the fact that this type of crime " to be tried by the military justice system that lacks independence and transparency."
In this sense, the report is very critical in the case of Colombia, where the government is alleged refusal to recognize the international court, in this case the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the involvement of the military in the case of false positives. HRW warns of the danger of the Legal Framework for Peace, adopted in 2012, and provides for a system of transitional justice to promote the peace process with the FARC. The organization warning that this measure " opens the door to widespread impunity for atrocities committed by guerrillas, paramilitary and military in the event that an agreement is reached with the FARC," according to the statement. " The price of peace can not be impunity, we are not in the 80 " warned Vivanco. "That supondrñia a setback for Colombia." Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, has defended the transitional justice mechanism in international forums like the UN or the OAS.
Peace Process Without leaving the context of violence generated by armed conflict in Colombia and its consequences, the report draws attention to the abuses committed against civilians during the peace process by the FARC and ELN, on the presence of paramilitary organizations still active and, in particular, is concerned about the problems in the implementation of the Victims, denouncing the threats and violence suffered by many IDPs have started the process of land reclamation.
Threat to freedom of expression HRW 's report warning of the danger to freedom of expression in Ecuador involves new media law passed by the National Assembly in June 2013. " Contains vague provisions that allow arbitrary criminal proceedings and acts of censorship," said the report which included the concern that journalists accused of " media lynching " may be required to " issue a public apology and be criminally prosecuted by other crimes. " The document sets out the specific cases of some critical tweets with the government headed by Rafael Correa, published by Universe, or the recent condemnation of opposition Assemblyman Cléver Jimenez Fernando Villavicencio and his advisor, for having insulted the president.
In the same vein, the organization is concerned about the Media Control Act passed by the Argentine Congress in 2009 to expand the plurality of the media. HRW warns that " the federal authority in charge of implementing the law must still ensure that a broad range of perspectives in media programming managed by the State" and cites opposition largest telecommunications group in the country, Clarin, which has lost the battle over the constitutionality of the rule. The review report, attacks on critical media that are made from power in specific cases of Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador or Venezuela.
Concentration of power in Venezuela As usual in recent years, the HRW report denounces the institutional deterioration in Venezuela and the progressive accumulation of executive power in the current government of Nicolas Maduro. HRW, this time reveals the violence by the security forces after the presidential elections of April 2013. " The President Maduro and other senior officials have used the threat of carrying out criminal investigations as a political tool and brought to Henrique Capriles as responsible for all acts of violence during demonstrations," the organization
Charges against protesters The report warns of police abuses Chile and Peru during the student protests and occupations and mining respectively. In the Chilean case, HRW criticized the absence of a law regulating public protests and highlights the failure in the Senate of a rule intended to address the issue at the cost of removing the right to freedom of expression and manifestation. As for Peru, the organization highlights civilian deaths -27 - in clashes with police during protests against mining projects Ollanta Humala's government or the private sector. HRW also warns of criminal charges disproportionate to the protesters clash in Ecuador.
Tags: America, authoritarian, democracies, HRW, Latin, warns