Leading up to the “Shield of the Americas Summit,” in which President Trump will host leaders from at least 12 Latin American countries in Doral, Florida, Daniel Noroña, the Americas Advocacy Director, Amnesty International USA said:
“As the White House has stated that this gathering of political leaders is to “promote freedom, security and prosperity in our region,” those in attendance are falling into the false dichotomy of guaranteeing public security or protecting freedom and human rights.
“After the United States committed an act of aggression against Venezuela and has committed more than 150 murders via boat strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, it is more important than ever to uphold international law. This forum risks serving as a platform to promote militarization, increase the restrictions on civic space, and erode guarantees for freedom of speech and association.
“Governments in the region are allowing the Trump administration to shield its illegal behavior by backing it or looking away. Instead, the international community and other U.S. branches of government can play a role that will assure that these actions are not met with impunity.
“At the same time, various countries in the region are facing serious human rights challenges. In El Salvador, authorities are detaining people, including human rights defenders, arbitrarily. In Ecuador, the military has disappeared people and heavily repressed protests. Likewise, the governments of Paraguay and Venezuela have approved laws restricting civil society participation and, in Argentina, dissent is often met with heavy repression and State aggression. In Nicaragua and Cuba, the governments no longer allow space for dissent, while also engaging in transnational repression.
“In the meantime, the U.S. government’s racist anti-immigrant policies continue targeting migrants and asylum seekers from all over the region, and instead of protesting this, states are cooperating with the perpetrator. A summit of leaders in the region should be the opportunity to find avenues to address the issues that have sent millions looking for refuge in other countries, but with a committed focus on their human rights as a priority in diplomatic dialogues.”
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