In an unprecedented move for Argentina, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has granted three thematic hearings on the human rights situation in the country. During these hearings, which are part of the 191st Period Session of the IACHR and will take place on Thursday, November 14, in Washington, the government of Javier Milei must answer regarding the status of policies on memory, truth, and justice; social and food policies; and programs aimed at eradicating gender-based violence and promoting reproductive health.
The thematic hearings were requested by alliances of human rights, political, feminist, social, academic and religious organizations, including CELS. The Argentine government is summoned to participate in all of the sessions.
The first hearing will begin at 11 am Washington time (UTM-5) find your local time here– and will address the “Impact of social policies on workers in the popular economy in Argentina.” With over half the population living below the poverty line and a million children going to bed without dinner, the Union de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras de la Economía Popular (UTEP), together with CELS and Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO), will present on the severe situation facing the poorest sectors due to the dismantling of social and food policies.
At 2 pm, the hearing titled “Status of policies for the prevention, punishment, and eradication of gender-based violence in Argentina” will take place. Representatives from the Equipo Latinoaméricano de Justicia y Género (ELA), Amnesty International, the Mujeres x Mujeres Foundation, Fundeps, and CELS will present on the precarious state of public policies aimed at addressing and eradicating gender-based violence and ensuring access to health services, particularly sexual and reproductive health. Specifically, they will report on institutional dismantling, staff reductions, and budget cuts to programs, services, and supplies, directly affecting girls, adolescents, women, and gender-diverse populations.
The third and final hearing will be held at 4 pm and will focus on the “Impact of Memory, Truth, and Justice policies on human rights in Argentina.” It was requested by human rights organizations, with numerous endorsements from a wide range of organizations, universities, unions, and clubs.
In Washington, participants will include Estela de Carlotto and other members of the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, Paula Litvachky from CELS, Verónica Torras from Memoria Abierta, and writer and professor Martín Kohan. Joining remotely from the Casa por la Identidad in Buenos Aires will be Taty Almeida from Madres de Plaza de Mayo – Línea Fundadora and Carlos Pisoni from H.I.J.O.S Capital.
In this final hearing, the attacks on memory, truth, and justice policies that Argentina has persistently built since the democratic recovery are going to be discussed. The defunding of crucial state areas, the closure of programs that provide information to ongoing investigations into crimes against humanity, the dismissal of specialized personnel, and the modification of regulations will also be addressed. These and other measures taken in less than a year threaten a process involving all three branches of the state, which is recognized internationally. These measures come amid official denialist, relativist, and state-violence-justifying rhetoric during the dictatorship.
We will report on the hearings on the CELS social networks.
Register here to follow the heargins vía Zoom.