Task Force on the Americas
The Task Force on the Americas developed out of a February 2006 delegation to Venezuela, an effort sponsored by the NLG and National Latino/a Law Students Association. The delegation of 16 lawyers, 6 law students, and a filmmaker spent a week in Caracas and was inspired by the Bolivarian Revolution and its effort to further regional integration and an alternative to neoliberal trade policies in the Americas. The Task Force then sponsored a U.S. tour of Justice Fernando Vegas of the Venezuela Supreme Court.
We then sent a delegation to Bolivia in 2007 and have sent several groups to observe elections in Venezuela, El Salvador, Honduras, and Bolivia. We have also sent delegations to Guatemala, Honduras, and Colombia to investigate and report on human rights issues. The Task Force has sponsored numerous workshops at NLG conventions and works in conjunction with other progressive organizations on human rights campaigns. We have a listserv and hold annual meetings at the NLG convention.
Because Venezuela's revolution is based on that country's 1999 constitution and laws pursuant to it, and because constitutional change has been a key demand of progressive forces in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Honduras, lawyers and judges from the US can play an important role in explaining developments in left-leaning states, resisting US intervention, and countering US media disinformation.
TFA Updates
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NLG IC condemns the assassination of Juan Lopez, Honduran water defender & mining resistance leader
The National Lawyers Guild International Committee strongly condemns the assassination of Juan López, Guapinol River water protector and mining resistance leader, in Honduras. Juan was a key leader of the community defenders of the national parks and rivers and a healthy environment for the 14 communities impacted by the mining project. The NLG IC is […]
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Gremio Nacional de Abogados condena intervención y amenazas de Estados Unidos al proceso de reforma judicial interna de México
El Gremio Nacional de Abogados (Estados Unidos), por su Comité Internacional, se opone firmemente al actual intento del gobierno de los Estados Unidos de interferir en la soberanía y asuntos internos de México, amenazando con repercusiones económicas si México implementa reformas democráticas en el poder judicial de su gobierno y movilizando al gobierno de Canadá […]
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National Lawyers Guild condemns U.S. intervention in and threats against Mexico’s internal judicial reform process
The National Lawyers Guild International Committee strongly objects to the ongoing attempt by the United States government to interfere in the sovereignty and internal affairs of Mexico, by threatening economic repercussions if Mexico implements democratic reforms in the judicial branch of its government, and by mobilizing the government of Canada to join it in these […]
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200 Attorneys, Dozens of Legal Orgs: US Unilateral Economic Sanctions Violate International Law
Letter to White House Marks Exactly 75 Years Since Signing of Geneva Conventions New York, NY — A new letter from legal groups, legal scholars, and attorneys calls on the Biden administration to end the use of broad unilateral economic sanctions, noting their civilian harms and illegality under international law. The letter, sent to the […]
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El Gremio Nacional de Abogados cuestiona las reiteradas declaraciones de prensa del Centro Carter en relación con las elecciones presidenciales del 28 de julio en Venezuela.
(English) El Gremio Nacional de Abogados cuestiona las reiteradas declaraciones de prensa del Centro Carter en relación con las elecciones presidenciales del 28 de julio en Venezuela. El Centro emitió una declaración pública menos de 24 horas después del cierre de las urnas en la que pedía al gobierno venezolano que publicara inmediatamente los resultados electorales […]
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The National Lawyers Guild Disputes Carter Center Statements on 2024 Venezuelan Presidential Elections
The National Lawyers Guild disputes repeated Carter Center press statements regarding the July 28 presidential elections in Venezuela. The Center issued a public statement less than 24 hours after the closing of the polls calling on the Venezuelan government to immediately publish the election results for each polling station across the country. As lawyers and […]
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August 2: Political, legal, and human rights crises in El Salvador – Online and in-person planning meeting
Please join us for a conversation on Friday, August 2 at 1 pm PT (4 pm ET) with Ivania Cruz, an attorney and human rights defender from El Salvador. Ivania works with the Human and Community Rights Project (Unidad de Defensa de Derechos Humanos y Comunitarios, UNIDEHC), which represents communities confronting illegal displacement and victims of political persecution […]
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August 1, Webinar: Venezuela’s Elections – Reportback from the Observer Delegation
Thursday, August 1 7 pm Eastern – 4 pm Pacific Register online: https://bit.ly/venelex Join the National Lawyers Guild International Committee for a reportback from the NLG election observer delegation. The members of the delegation will speak about their experiences, the new NLG report on the elections, and the attempts by the United States and US-supported […]
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Press Release: National Lawyers Guild electoral observers praise fairness, transparency of Venezuelan election process; condemn the U.S. backed opposition’s refusal to accept the outcome of democratic election
PRESS RELEASE National Lawyers Guild electoral observers praise fairness, transparency of Venezuelan election process; condemn the U.S. backed opposition’s refusal to accept the outcome of democratic election CONTACT: Suzanne Adely suzanne.adely@gmail.com Ken Montenegro kmontenegro@comeuppance.net July 29, 2024 – A delegation of five election observers […]
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Honduras: Guapinol water defenders remain at risk despite IACHR precautionary measures
Nine months after the IACHR issued Precautionary Measures on behalf of 30 human rights defenders at risk, their situation has worsened because the Honduran State has failed to implement any effective protective measures. July 23, 2024 Despite the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issuance of Precautionary Measures in October 2023, the Honduran government has […]
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