Do you know what happened in Latin America? ALERTA Latam Observatory monthly newsletter—July 2026
Peru: The Inter-American Court of Human Rights finds Peru internationally liable for failing to provide effective judicial protection in connection with the dismissal of workers from the state-owned port company ENAPU
On July 15, 2026, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued its judgment in the case of Bravo Garvich and Other Dismissed Workers of Empresa Nacional de Puerto S.A. v. the State of Peru, in which it held the Peruvian State internationally responsible for violating the rights to judicial guarantees, judicial protection, work, and personal integrity of three former workers of the National Port Company (ENAPU).
The events date back to the 1990s, when a mass dismissal of public sector workers took place in Peru. In response to these events, the victims filed an amparo petition, which was dismissed at every level of the court system, including the Constitutional Court—an institution that was facing a crisis of independence and impartiality at the time. Although the State adopted corrective measures beginning in 2000—which included the reinstatement of the three workers to ENAPU and the retroactive regularization of their social security contributions—these measures did not include payment of the wages they had lost during the period between their dismissal and reinstatement.
For its part, in its ruling, the Court concluded that the courts that heard the amparo action limited themselves to verifying that the State had acted in accordance with domestic laws, without analyzing whether that action was compatible with the victims’ rights. The Court also emphasized that there is an interconnection between the right to work and the right to effective judicial protection. In this case, because they lacked access to an effective legal remedy, the victims were unable to defend their jobs or the rights dependent on them, such as social security. And since the termination dragged on for years without resolution, the consequences extended to other aspects of their lives, causing psychological and emotional effects that were documented in the case file.
Venezuela: The June 24 Earthquakes Exposed the Vulnerability of Children
The 7.5- and 7.2-magnitude earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on June 24 left an official death toll of more than 5,000 dead and 16,000 injured.
In response to these events, UNICEF estimated that 3.9 million children and adolescents live in the areas affected by the earthquakes. The agency warned that children are among the most vulnerable in disasters of this magnitude, as they face the risk of physical injury in addition to being exposed to situations that cause psychological distress, such as family separation.
The emergency is unfolding against the backdrop of an existing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, which structurally undermines the government’s response capacity and exacerbates the vulnerability of those affected.
Cuba: The IACHR published a report documenting the Cuban government’s systematic reprisals against Cubalex
The IACHR published its Report No. 81/26 regarding members of the Cubalex Legal Information Center and the detention of Julio Alfredo Ferrer Tamayo by the Cuban government. Cubalex, a Cuban organization dedicated to the defense and promotion of human rights, filed a petition with the IACHR in June 2018 alleging reprisals by the government.
At that time, the organization began cooperating with international human rights mechanisms after its members began to face detentions, interrogations, immigration restrictions, threats, and surveillance, all of which were documented by the IACHR. On September 23, 2016, the Cuban government raided Cubalex’s headquarters, during which state agents forced their way in, confiscating equipment and documents, and subjecting members of the organization to interrogations and body searches.
In its report, the IACHR concludes that the surveillance, interception of communications, and immigration restrictions were neither justified by the State nor subject to judicial oversight. As a result of state harassment and the lack of domestic protection mechanisms, nearly all Cubalex members and their families were forced to leave Cuba, which also affected their right to residence and freedom of movement. Regarding Ferrer Tamayo, a member of Cubalex, the Commission concluded that his detention was illegal, arbitrary, and linked to his human rights advocacy activities, and that the State failed to guarantee minimum conditions during his detention.
Mexico: RELE Expresses Concern Over Two New Murders of Journalists
On July 3, the body of journalist Roxana Berenice Guzmán Ramírez was found; she had been abducted in June by armed individuals who entered her home. Meanwhile, in Guerrero, the body of independent journalist and environmental activist Manuel Alejandro Moreno Serna was found; he had been reporting on environmental incidents and alleged acts of corruption, had previously warned that he was receiving threats, and had also been missing since June.
In response to both cases, the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (RELE) of the IACHR issued a statement condemning both murders and expressing concern over the escalation of violence against the press in Mexico. In the statement, they also denounced the existence of a sustained pattern of attacks, disappearances, and murders targeting the press in Veracruz, as documented in reports from civil society organizations. It also emphasized that, in cases where violence is directed against the press, a threefold effect occurs: it violates the victims’ right to express themselves and disseminate ideas and information; it also silences their peers; and it violates the rights of individuals and society at large to seek and receive information. The Mexican government was reminded of its obligation to strengthen protections for the press in contexts where they are under threat.
Nicaragua: The Nicaraguan President Stated That There Will Be No More Democratic Elections
At the ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution, President Daniel Ortega declared that he will no longer allow electoral processes under his regime, in order to prevent the ruling party from losing control.
The institutional framework already showed signs of manipulation aimed at ensuring the regime’s continued hold on power. In early 2025, a constitutional amendment took effect that transformed the state. Through this amendment, the separation of powers was eliminated, granting all power to President Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, who serves as co-president without having been elected through an electoral process. The presidential term was also extended from five to six years, and statelessness was legalized—a mechanism through which opponents in exile are stripped of their citizenship. Nicaragua should have held elections in November of this year.
Argentina: A Buenos Aires court upholds the ruling holding the company Aenor responsible for polluting the Paraná River
After a legal process lasting more than a decade, the Supreme Court of Justice of the province of Buenos Aires rejected the latest appeal filed by the company Atanor, thereby upholding the ruling that holds it responsible for irreversible damage to the Paraná River, one of the region’s main biodiversity corridors. The pollution was caused by the presence of a herbicide (atrazine) at concentrations exceeding permitted levels.
The ruling makes clear thatremediation of the damage is impossible, since the water flows downstream, unstoppably spreading the contaminated sediments. It is important to note that the Paraná River connects to numerous waterways, such as lagoons, streams, and wetlands, and serves as a source of food, migration, and reproduction for many species. Furthermore, the ruling sets a legal precedent by establishing thatthe lack of specificity in a parameter for a substance cannot be interpreted as authorization to pollute. It also holds the provincial government accountable for its failure to carry out the necessary environmental controls.
Latin America is the deadliest region in the world for human rights defenders
Front Line Defenders published its Global Analysis 2025/26 report, which documented the killings of at least 357 human rights defenders worldwide in 2025. Of this number, 274 were in Latin America, representing 76% of the total. Colombia tops the list with 165 defenders murdered, followed by Mexico with 43, and Brazil with 22, among other countries in the region. Thus, Latin America stands as the deadliest region in the world for human rights defenders.
Defenders of land rights, the environment, and the rights of rural communities account for 23.53% of those killed, while defenders of the rights of indigenous peoples account for 16.81%.
In this vein, within the framework of the Latin American Gathering, social organizations issued a statement warning of the rise of authoritarianism in the region. In it, they denounce the convergence of interests among state actors, extractive companies, technology corporations, and organized crime structures, which is leading to the weakening of public institutions, the militarization of territories, and the criminalization of defenders. This is creating an institutional framework that exposes human rights defenders to vulnerability.
