Amnesty International sent an open letter to the heads of state of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Paraguay today in response to their recent statement on the Inter-American System for the Protection of Human Rights.
In the letter, Amnesty International affirmed that the system must be safeguarded and that it deeply regrets that the governments of the aforementioned countries want to make the operation of the inter-American regional mechanism subservient to their own interests, in a way that threatens the rights of victims of human rights violations.
“From Puerto Rico to Honduras and Venezuela, last week we witnessed with alarm the repressive responses to the demands of citizens who express themselves through protest. All countries in the region have to remember that they have a shared obligation to protect human rights,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International.
“The Inter-American Human Rights System is increasingly necessary to resist the attacks suffered by people who stand up to defend their rights, and to help societies in our region move forward with the goals of justice, truth and reparation for the victims of human rights violations in the Americas.”
Amnesty International’s 12 directors in the Americas signed the letter. The organization’s spokespersons are available for interviews.
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Lucy Scholey, Amnesty International Canada (English), + 613-744-7667 ext. 236, lscholey@amnesty.ca
Read more:
Open letter to the heads of state of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Paraguay (Letter, 6 May 2019)
Americas: Open letter to the heads of state of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Paraguay
Americas: Inter-American system is crucial for guaranteeing human rights in the region (News, 24 April 2019)
Americas: Inter-American system is crucial for guaranteeing human rights in the region
