Latin America & the Caribbean

The Rule of Law Initiative’s Latin American and Caribbean Division provides assistance in support of legal reform efforts in Ecuador and Mexico and has previously carried out projects in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru. The Latin America and Caribbean Division has implemented programs in a variety of areas, including: combating and documenting human trafficking, promoting law school accreditation reform, promoting mediation and alternative dispute resolution to provide speedier access to justice, assisting in transitioning from inquisitorial to adversarial criminal justice systems, supporting governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with capacity building, and providing neutral advice and support to restructure laws in a number of substantive areas; including arbitration, commercial mediation, competition law and human trafficking. The Latin America and Caribbean Division implements its programs through partnerships with in-country government offices, bar associations, judges associations and NGOs.

ABA ROLI Promotes a More Robust Accusatorial System in Ecuador

The ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) continues its multi-disciplinary approach to promoting improved understanding of the accusatorial system in Ecuador. More than 200 representatives from the prosecutor’s office, the National Judicial Council and the judicial police in Cuenca, Quito and Guayaquil attended three conferences held in August. The event was part of a series of conferences to better prepare judges, prosecutors and police for participation in oral trials, as mandated by the Criminal Procedure Code of 2000.  Read more »»

Podcast: Assessing Human Trafficking in Mexico

Gretchen Kuhner, an expert on trafficking and migrant rights, talks about implementing ABA ROLI’s Human Trafficking Assessment Tool in Mexico. She shares insight into the methodology of the tool and the assessment process. Read more »»

ABA ROLI Aids Mexico in Addressing Human Trafficking

Since January 2008, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) has been conducting an assessment of Mexico’s efforts to address the phenomenon of human trafficking in that country. Following Mexico’s adoption of federal legislation to address the issue, ABA ROLI implemented its Human Trafficking Assessment Tool (HTAT) to assess the integration of that legislation into federal and state laws and operations. Read more »

 

• Quito Conference Focuses on Money Laundering and Anti-Corruption

• Podcasts: Criminal Justice Reform in Ecuador

• ABA ROLI Sponsors a Study Tour to Puerto Rico for Ecuadorian Legal Professionals

Current Programs

• Ecuador
• Mexico

Past Programs

• Brazil
• Costa Rica
• Nicaragua

• Access to Justice and Human Rights
• Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity
• Criminal Law Reform and Anti-Human Trafficking
• Judicial Reform
• Legal Education Reform and Civic Education
• Legal Profession Reform

• Jose W. Fernandez (Chair)
• Allan Van Fleet
• Horacio E. Gutierrez
• Armando Lasa-Ferrer
• Carol M. Mates
• Meaghan McGrath Beaumont
• Honorable Stephen G. Breyer (Special Advisor)

• El Contrainterrogatorio y el Código de Procedimiento Penal del Ecuador (2000)
• Tool-Kit to Combat Trafficking in Persons in Ecuador
• Assessment Report and Recommendations - Anti-corruption initiatives in Costa Rica
• Assessment of Trafficking in Persons, Ecuador (Final)
• Principios De La Mediacion

Please follow these links to read about our staff in DC or in Latin American and the Caribbean.