Repression at the Congress: we call on the IACHR to protect the right to protest

Together with human rights defender organizations, we asked that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) take precautionary measures in favor of press workers, human rights defenders, and protesters. We expressed our deep concern about the recurrence of disproportionate security operations that result in people being detained and seriously injured.

  

On Milei’s “omnibus bill”

The Argentine government led by Javier Milei seeks to dismantle essential procedures and implement regressive measures affecting human rights and democracy. Within a span of three weeks, from Decree 70/23 to the proposed “Bases…” law, the Executive Branch introduced 1649 articles altering the entire social and political landscape, protection parameters, and state architecture. Congress bears the political responsibility to refrain from validating it.

  

Protests and escalation of state violence in the Argentine province of Jujuy

Mass mobilizations to protest for higher wages were further heightened by demonstrations against the constitutional reform proposed by the government of Jujuy. The government responded by quashing the demonstrations and criminalizing protesters, resulting in dozens of injured and arbitrary arrests. This new constitution passed in record time restricts the enjoyment of human rights and seeks to avoid social demonstration against the active expansion of mineral extractivism.

  

Magdalena massacre hearing at the IACHR: the State acknowledges responsibility for the 33 deaths

More than 17 years later, the Argentine State acknowledged before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights its international responsibility for the incident and committed to put a series of measures in place to prevent such cruel deaths from ever happening again. CELS and the Colectivo de Investigación y Acción Jurídica (CIAJ) took part in the hearing as representatives of the victim’s families.

  

Indigenous peoples: the state fails to meet its commitments and backslides in response to racist pressure

Despite having the right to ownership and possession of their ancestral territories, this right is not enforced nor are there policies in place to guarantee that Indigenous people can live out their lives in keeping with their identity. The progress made in recent decades has not been sufficient. State response is often couched in rhetoric and stigmatizing stereotypes. The growing number of complaints is linked to this historic debt.

  

Absolution for Luz Aimé Díaz

As the hearings begin in Luz Aimé’s trial, we at CELS join the campaign for her absolution. The case has been marked by discrimination based on her travesti identity wich lead to a change in charges based on an exagerated hypothesis that cannot be substantiated by facts. The deficiency of the justice system ends up putting innocent people in prison, leaves the victims of offenses without reparation while offenders remain unpunished.

  

“Argentina is responsible for widespread and persistent violations of the Convention against torture”

The UN Special Rapporteur on torture, upon concluding his visit to the country, said that detention conditions in provincial police stations and prisons “severely contravene international standards and are incompatible with human dignity.” He also denounced the “degrading” conditions in the Melchor Romero psychiatric hospital and police violence in low-income neighborhoods. At the same time, he urged the Argentine state to allocate “sufficient resources to ensure the timely processing and adjudication of the remaining cases and trials for crimes against humanity.”