Amnesty International Report 2017/18

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Amnesty International Report 2017/18

STATELESS AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE

The Dominican Republic’s statelessness crisis continued to affect tens of thousands of people 

of Haitian descent who were born in the country but were left stateless after being retroactively 

and arbitrarily deprived of their Dominican nationality in 2013. Those affected were denied a 

range of human rights and were prevented from accessing higher education, formal 

employment or adequate health care.

In Haiti, almost 38,000 people remained internally displaced because of the 2010 

earthquake. There was a reported increase in deportation cases at the Dominican-Haitian 

border.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ RIGHTS

Indigenous Peoples’ rights continued to be violated in countries including Argentina, Bolivia, 

Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Peru.

VIOLENCE AGAINST INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

Indigenous Peoples continued to be criminalized and discriminated against in Argentina, 

where the authorities used legal proceedings to harass them; there were reports of police 

attacks, including beatings and intimidation. Rafael Nahuel of the Mapuche community was 

killed in November during an eviction conducted by security forces.

In Colombia, a wave of killings of Indigenous people from communities historically affected by 

the armed conflict highlighted shortcomings in the implementation of the peace agreement. 

The killing of Gerson Acosta – leader of the Kite Kiwe Indigenous council in Timbío, Cauca, 

who was shot repeatedly while leaving a community meeting – was a tragic example of the 

ineffectiveness of the authorities’ measures to safeguard the lives and safety of community 

leaders and other Indigenous people.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights documented the different forms of 

discrimination faced by Indigenous women in the Americas and highlighted how their political, 

social and economic marginalization contributed to permanent structural discrimination, 

leaving them at increased risk of violence.

LAND RIGHTS

In Peru, new laws weakened the protection of Indigenous Peoples’ rights related to land and 

territory and undermined their right to free, prior and informed consent. The government 

neglected the right to health of hundreds of Indigenous Peoples whose only water sources 

were contaminated with toxic metals, and who lacked access to adequate health care.

In Ecuador, the right to free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples continued to 

be violated, including after intrusions of the state into their territories for future oil extraction.

Indigenous Peoples in Paraguay also continued to be denied their rights to land and to free, 

prior and informed consent on projects affecting them. Despite rulings from the Inter-American 

Court of Human Rights, the government failed to provide the Yakye Axa community access to 

their lands, or to resolve a case regarding the ownership of land expropriated from the 

Sawhoyamaxa community.

Guatemala’s Supreme Court recognized the lack of prior consultation with the Xinca 

Indigenous People of Santa Rosa and Jalapa, who were negatively affected by mining 

activities.

In Brazil, conflicts over land, and invasion by illegal loggers and mine workers into Indigenous 

Peoples’ territory, resulted in violent attacks against Indigenous communities.

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HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AND JOURNALISTS

The extreme risks and dangers of defending human rights were apparent in numerous 

countries in the region, with human rights defenders facing threats, harassment and attacks 

including in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Paraguay.

KILLINGS AND HARASSMENT IN MEXICO

In Mexico, human rights defenders were threatened, attacked and killed, with digital attacks 

and surveillance especially common. During the year, at least 12 journalists were killed – the 

largest number recorded since 2000 – many in public places in daylight, with the authorities 

making no notable progress in investigating and prosecuting those responsible. Victims 

included prize-winning journalist Javier Valdez, who was killed in May near the office of the 

newspaper Ríodoce, which he founded. It became apparent that a network of people was 

using the internet to harass and threaten journalists throughout Mexico. Evidence also 

emerged of surveillance against journalists and human rights defenders, using software that 

the government was known to have purchased.

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AT RISK IN HONDURAS

Honduras remained one of the region’s most dangerous countries for human rights defenders 

– especially those working to protect land, territory and the environment. They were targeted 

by both state and non-state actors, subjected to smear campaigns to discredit their work, and 

regularly faced intimidation, threats and attacks. Most attacks registered against human rights 

defenders went unpunished. There was little progress in the investigation into the March 2016 

killing of Indigenous environmental defender Berta Cáceres. Since her murder, several other 

Honduran environmental and human rights activists have been harassed and threatened.

INCREASED ATTACKS IN COLOMBIA

There was an increase in the number of attacks against human rights defenders in Colombia, 

especially community leaders, defenders of land, territory and the environment, and those 

campaigning in favour of the peace agreement. According to the Office of the UN High 

Commissioner for Human Rights, almost 100 human rights defenders were killed during the 

year. Many death threats against activists were attributed to paramilitary groups, but in most 

cases the authorities failed to identify who was responsible for the killings that resulted from 

the threats.

ARBITRARY DETENTIONS, THREATS AND HARASSMENT

In Cuba, large numbers of human rights defenders and political activists continued to be 

harassed, intimidated, dismissed from state employment and arbitrarily detained to silence 

criticism. Online and offline censorship undermined advances in education. Prisoners of 

conscience included the leader of the pro-democracy Christian Liberation Movement, Eduardo 

Cardet Concepción, who was jailed for three years for publicly criticizing former president Fidel 

Castro.

Human rights defenders in Guatemala, especially those working on land, territorial and 

environmental issues, faced ongoing threats and attacks, and were subjected to smear 

campaigns. The justice system was also frequently misused to target, harass and silence 

human rights defenders.

A ruling by Peru’s Supreme Court confirming the acquittal of human rights defender Máxima 

Acuña Atalaya after five years of unfounded criminal proceedings for land seizure was a 

landmark decision for environmental defenders.

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