Country Report: Costa Rica July 2026
By Juliana Girotto Migrants at the Paso Canoas refugee camp in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, on August 9.Ezequiel Becerra/AFP/Getty Images/FILE Costa Rica is historically regarded as one of Latin America's strongest countries in terms of defending human rights and political stability. Over the past few years, however, several trends have drawn concern from United Nations (UN) agencies and regional human rights groups, such as strain on migrants and refugees, a rollback of protectio
Genocide Watch
18 hours ago
Brazil court orders Indigenous land recognition
Brazil court orders recognition of Indigenous land and apology for historic atrocities. July 29, 2026 Shanna Hanbury Kajkwakratxi-Tapayuna leader Yaiku Suya at an April 2026 public hearing. Image courtesy of Larissa Silva/Rede Juruena Vivo. A federal judge in Brazil has given the country’s government 24 months to recognize the traditional territory of the Kajkwakratxi-Tapayuna Indigenous people in the northwestern state of Mato Grosso. The court accepted evidence from federal
Mongabay
Aug 4
Peru's new President vows military-led crackdown on crime
Peru's newly inaugurated President Fujimori vows military-led crackdown on crime. Peru's newly inaugurated President Keiko Fujimori - the ninth in just a decade - pledged to deploy the armed forces to crime-ridden areas and adopt a hardline security strategy as Peru grapples with its worst wave of gang violence, extortion and illegal mining in decades. July 28, 2026 By FRANCE 24 Peru's President Keiko Fujimori speaking after taking the oath of office. Photo: AFP. Peru's conse
Argentina can now bar foreigners over 'hate speech'
Milei signs decree allowing Argentina to bar or expel foreigners over 'hate speech'. July 30, 2026 Milei government issues emergency decree allowing authorities to deny entry to or deport foreigners accused of inciting hatred, discrimination or violence against Argentina or for insulting national symbols. President Javier Milei. | cedoc/perfil President Javier Milei's government has issued an emergency decree authorising the expulsion or denial of entry to foreigners who inci
Buenos Aires Times
Jul 30
Colombian election loser threatens ‘civil disobedience'
By Astrid Suárez July 1, 2026 A soft-spoken senator, Cepeda spent years advocating for victims of state crimes. But critics say taking on a president made him a 'hero to the left'. Ivan Cepeda concedes defeat in the presidential election at a news conference in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia) BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A Colombian senator, who recently lost the nation’s presidential election, said Tuesday he will not recognize his opponent, A
Astrid Suárez | APnews
Jul 16
Argentine ex-officer convicted of crimes against humanity
Former dictatorship officer gets life in prison for crimes against humanity. José Ignacio Saravia Day was convicted for the false imprisonment of three soldiers, one of whom remains missing. July 03, 2026 Martina Jaureguy Former military officer José Ignacio Saravia Day was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for the false imprisonment of three soldiers during the last military dictatorship (1976-1983), one of whom remains missing. The conviction comes as part of a trial j
Buenos Aires Herald
Jul 15
Is Costa Rica Truly "Up to Date" on Human Rights?
Why Pride Month Still Matters: Is Costa Rica Truly "Up to Date" on Human Rights? By TCRN Staff July 1, 2026 Jonathan Jiménez / The Tico Times A few days ago, the President of the Republic made a statement that sent ripples through the country: “I do not want to see Costa Rica anymore in those forums related to rights, diversities, and those things where the country is already, thank God, up to date.” Her words force us to confront a fundamental question: What does it actually
The Costa Rica News
Jul 14
‘Operation Massacre’ killings of 1956 declared crimes against humanity
A judge ruled that the execution of 12 men — of which seven survived — was a human rights violation committed by the Argentine state 70 years ago. June 23, 2026 Martina Jaureguy A San Martín court declared that the execution of 12 men committed in José León Suárez in 1956 and depicted in journalist Rodolfo Walsh’s non-fiction novel Operación Masacre was a crime against humanity at the hands of the Argentine state. The ruling by Judge Alicia Vence was read on Monday during a “
Buenos Aires Herald
Jul 2
Rodrigo Paz declares State of Emergency in Bolivia
Rodrigo Paz declares a state of emergency in Bolivia "to clear the country's highways" June 20, 2026 By BBC News Mundo* *With information from Cecilia Barría, Ayelén Oliva, and Gerardo Lissardy. “This is not a state of emergency intended to restrict people's lives. It is exactly the opposite,” President Paz said on Saturday. (Photo from June 8). Photo: Aizar Raldes/AFP via Getty Images. After stating that he had exhausted “all avenues for dialogue,” Bolivian President Rodrigo
BBC News Mundo
Jun 21
Colombia's Historic Apology for State-Led Extermination
By Josep Freixes - November 10, 2025 Gustavo Petro presided over the public ceremony in which the state apologized to the victims for the extermination of the left in the 1980s and 1990s. Credit: A.P. / Colombia One. In the city of Santa Marta, during the Fourth Summit between the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the European Union, the Colombian state on Sunday made public an act of acknowledgment and apology to the victims of the extensive proce
Colombia One
Nov 9, 2025
Colombia's Atrato River Crisis: a Human Rights Emergency
A United Nations letter to Colombia warns that mercury contamination from illegal gold mining in the Atrato River basin is causing a grave human rights crisis for Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities By Steven Grattan A group of women, part of Asociacion Nuestra Casa Comun, or Our Community House Association, go by boat to an area destroyed by illegal mining, on the Quito River, the Atrato River’s main tributary, near Paimado, Colombia, Sept. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Ivan Va
ABC 1
Oct 22, 2025
U.S. Military’s Boat Strike Escalates Tensions With Venezuela
The Trump administration has ramped up pressure on Venezuela through an unprecedented military deployment and use of force in international waters off its coast. Concerns of further escalation have mounted as U.S. officials signal more strikes are likely to come.
Council on Foreign Relations
Sep 10, 2025
