Critical views on protection mechanism for human rights defenders in Latin America
In this executive summary, Terra de Direitos and Justiça Global systematized the main information produced by these organizations on the situation of the Programs for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, emphasizing Brazil, and comparative projections with three other Latin American experiences: Colombia, Honduras, and Mexico.
As a general conclusion of the comparative analysis, it is possible to state that the national mechanisms for the protection of human rights defenders in Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, and Honduras present important challenges/shortcomings in several aspects:
- The lack of a comprehensive approach beyond the use of security equipment and security personnel in the protection measures (prevalence of police escorts, bulletproof vests, among others)
- Lack of specialized care centered on rights
- The lack of political will for proper coordination and provision of human and financial resources for the programs’ operation and, finally,
- Deficiencies in the components of what should be a public policy aimed at guaranteeing the right to defend human rights.
Ações: Human Rights Defenders
Eixos: Human rights policy and culture
Tags: Human Rights Defenders,Brazil,Mexico