(Perfil) Legislators can submit draft declarations condemning humanrights violations in dictatorial countries and ask for declarations from theirrespective governments in intergovernmental organizations; denouncecorrupt electoral processes that are neither fair nor transparent inautocratic regimes; and recognize the work and initiatives of democraticactivists whose lives are at risk.

09-12-2017 | Articles
By Gabriel C. Salvia

2017

It is evident that the CELAC emerges as an initiative of the Alba to politically influence the rest of the countries in the region. For various motives, the CELAC member states that were really committed with the rule of law and the respect of the fundamental liberties have to take advantage of the actual context in Venezuela to abandon this organism that suffers of authoritarians vice in its origins, giving the anti-democratic cases of Venezuelan y Cuban governments.

28-04-2017 | Statements

2017

The biggest problem the UN is facing when defending Human Rights is that only a minority of its 193 members have a well-institutionalized democracy. Furthermore, unlike many authoritarian regimes and countries with poor democratic systems, which constitute the majority in the General Assembly, they do not coordinate their policy on human rights with each other.

26-04-2017 | documents
By Gabriel C. Salvia and Matthias Peschke

2017

(Latin America Goes Global) If Argentina were to help foment a global trend in xenophobia it would be worrisome, and surprising. The country has one of the most open migration regimes in the world.

21-02-2017 | Articles
By Sybil Rhodes

2017

(Latin America Goes Global) Recently, a third of the members of the UN Human Rights Council were renewed with China, the biggest dictatorship in the world, accumulating no less than 180 votes which gives proof to the assumption that several developed democracies voted in China's favour.

29-11-2016 | Articles
By Gabriel C. Salvia

2016

A renewed struggle between democracy and authoritarianism has emerged. The decade-long democratic decline reported by Freedom House has been most dramatic within the ranks of already authoritarian regimes, which have become even more repressive. At the same time, the most influential among them—China, Russia, and Iran—have become more internationalist. In doing so, they have found ways to exploit integration and to broaden their influence in the democratic world. Through the development of the antidemocratic toolkit of simulated NGOs, think tanks, election monitors, and news media, the autocrats are actively seeking to undermine democracy from within.

15-09-2016 | documents
By Christopher Walker

2016

President Obiang, in power since 1979, is seeking reelection in a vote hastily scheduled for April 24. He is the longest serving non-royal head of state in the world. His regime has been marked by longstanding repression.

30-03-2016 | Statements

2016

Sixteen years after the first World Movement Assembly, the situation has dramatically changed. We no longer have the strong wind of triumphant democracy in our sails. Instead, we are facing a reinvigorated wind of authoritarianism that defies us not only in practice but also ideologically and tests our understanding of our own values, our consistency, and our commitment.

09-12-2015 | documents
By Ladan Boroumand

2015

30-04-2014 | Articles
By Alexander Doler

2014

The Council has 47 member states, regionally elected by a majority of the UN countries. For the election of the members of the UN Human Rights Council, the contribution to the protection and promotion of human rights in the country should be taken into account. Now, regarding some of the countries that have just been elected to serve on this body, like Saudi Arabia, Cuba, China, Vietnam, and Russia, it remains clear that the fulfillment of its goal is unfeasible. Can there be a greater contradiction than a Human Rights Council that incorporates dictatorships?

27-11-2013 | Articles
By Gabriel C. Salvia

2013

06-11-2009 | Articles
By Christopher Sabatini

2009

Let me say upfront, unequivocally: what occurred on June 28, 2009, in Honduras was a coup and should be condemned for the violation of constitutional, democratic rule that it is. And unlike the street coups that removed Presidents Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada (Bolivia) or Lucio Gutiérrez (Ecuador), this one was positively 1970s-style retrograde: the marching of military officers into President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales’ residence, his forced removal (or kidnapping as he called it) at gun point.

30-06-2009 | Articles
By Christopher Sabatini

2009