Human rights and democracy in the Americas – with Luis Almagro

Human rights and democracy in the Americas – with Luis Almagro

On Friday 17 May, Canning House was pleased to welcome Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), to a roundtable at its offices in Westminster. Also in attendance was Tamara Sujú, Executive Director of the CASLA Institute, a centre for the study of Latin America based in the Czech Republic.

The Secretary General provided an update on human rights and democracy across the Americas. He began his presentation with an overview of the Americas’ authoritarian regimes, citing accusations of crimes against humanity and systematic violations of human rights. A lack of guarantees of personal security, and a weakness of the rule of law, he said, has meant some people are forced to flee their home country, while those remaining can face threats of violence and other repressive controls.

A second source of human rights violations in the Americas arises from organised crime. Mr Almagro explained how criminal groups’ engagement in acts such as murder, kidnapping and extortion, often undertaken amidst processes of human, arms or drug trafficking, presents a huge challenge for the region. He said that, in contrast to violations committed by states, little protection at the institutional level exists against organised criminal activity.

On a more positive note, the Secretary General put forward that “freedom” is “in the DNA” of the peoples of the Americas. Although democracy continues to face hurdles in some areas, he believed work to improve institutional efficiencies and modernising their structures could help to overcome decades-long challenges such as inequality, poverty and discrimination, whilst helping to give guarantees of safety to citizens.

Ms Sujú then presented the recently-published CASLA Annual Report 2023-2024 about Crimes against Humanity, speaking in detail on allegations of human rights violations, and about the role of the International Criminal Court in seeking justice for victims. You can read the full report here.

Canning House thanks Mr Almagro and Ms Sujú for their participation in this roundtable, to the BRaVE Group for their assistance in its organisation, and to our audience for their engagement and interest.