A New Champion for ESCR in the Americas
The creation of this new Special Rapporteurship on ESCR represents progress in the region, and shows that Latin America continues to be a leader in the protections of ESCR internationally.
Read MoreHarsh Rebuke of the Inspector General
The State Council´s decision on March 26th overturning Medellin Mayor Alonso Salazar´s removal from office and 12 year ban on holding public office imposed by the Inspector General Office, not only corrects a great injustice. It is also a harsh rebuke of the Inspector General´s Office for being so arbitrary in its decisions.
Read MoreKnowing It All
Mr. Jorge Fernández Diaz, Minister of Interior of Spain, awarded a police merit medal to the Virgen Mary, Our Lady of the Holy Love. The Minister, who is a fervent believer and a member of the Opus Dei, referred to her “dedication, watchfulness, solidarity and sacrafice,” but did not clarify what exactly the Virgin did to earn her medal.
Read MoreBig Data: High Tech Low Privacy
If any country wants to lead on internet privacy rights, its surveillance standards must include effective privacy doors that are both necessary and proportionate.
Read MoreThe OAS and Human Rights After it is Strengthened
“Nothing is going to happen, because in the Organization of American States (OAS) nothing ever happens.” With great skepticism and irony, Colombia´s Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Angela Holguin gave this answer when asked how the process of strengthening the Inter-American Human Rights System was going.
Read MoreWhat the Constitutional Court Forgot in Reparations for the Victims
The Constitutional Court´s decision seeks to protect the rights of the victims. However it forgot a few things that could make reparations unworkable.
Read MoreTime to Return, or Time to Pay?
“Time to return” is the name of the government campaign launched in March through Colciencias. It offers Colombian scientists with PhDs who live abroad incentives to come back and contribute to Colombia´s development.
Read MoreThe Crippled Philosopher
García Márquez had a unequalled talent for capturing that typical Latin American condition of living between myths and realities.
Read MoreA new Latin American “boom”?
With García Márquez´departure went the last of the Latin American “boom.”
Read MoreThe Battle Against Informality
In order to understand the effects of winning the battle against informality, we need to consider both what formality does, and whom it serves.
Read MoreProfessors, columnists and freedom of speech
One of Colombia’s most important newspapers, EL TIEMPO, lost credibility when it fired one of her star columnists, Claudia López. It deprived itself from one of it’s top opinion makers and considerably reduced its pluralism
Read MoreFamily gay
Colombia could be close to joining the list of countries that allow adoption by same-sex couples
Read MoreThe Dean and the public university
I am saying to show how old the debate over public universities is and how little progress we have accomplished in the solution of this problem.
Read MorePublic intervention concerning Law 21 of May 1851 in relation to slaves liberty.
Dejusticia, member of the Observatory on Racial Discrimination, pronounced itself against the Law 21 of May 1851 related to slaves liberty.
Read MorePublic intervention concerning Law 21 of May 1851 in relation to slaves liberty.
This public intervention presents the reasons why the Constitutional Court should not declare itself inhibited when deciding the present case. Instead, it suggests the Court to order the issuing of a public policy that guarantees integral and collective reparation for the African descendant population in Colombia who suffered the crime of slavery. The mentioned repation policy should not take place before previous consultation with the affected communities is carried out.
Read MoreManual for firing columnists
Fortunately, Héctor Abad (a recognized newspaper columnist) magnified the affair Claudia López vs. El Tiempo into the real dilemma. That is to say, to choose between a newspaper’s right to fire a columnist and the columnist’s freedom of expression
Read MoreLatin American identity
Latin America will only be worldwide recognized insofar it is faithful to its mestizo and mulatto identities
Read MoreJournalism and politics
Claudia Lopez’ firing from El Tiempo has triggered an interesting debate over the relationship between columnists, newspapers, and readers.
Read MoreTax loopholes: Only for the rich?
The “Agro Ingreso Seguro” subsidies scandal is fully justified. However, this incident should remind us of another recurrent episode: excesive tax privileges granted by the government.
Read MoreSectarian patriotism
Winning a Nobel Prize is comparable to winning a world championship. This is the reason why when somebody receives the prize, his fellow citizens celebrate the event as a national victory.
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