Taught in Spanish at Pontificia Universidad Católica; may not be offered every semester. This course examines the challenges of promoting human rights in Latin America, focusing on the most important analytical and empirical debates since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, First, we will discuss the most relevant theoretical frameworks for understanding human rights, placing them in the historical context of the construction of international human rights regimes. Next, we will review the experience of Latin American countries with authoritarian regimes and human rights abuses during the period of what is called “state terrorism.” Transitional justice policies in democratization processes will also be analyzed. During the last part of the course, we will analyze the current challenges to human rights in the region, especially in relation to security and violent conflicts. We will discuss questions such as:
- What is the nature of human rights abuses in Latin America?
- How have countries in the region responded to past abuses?
- What is the role of NGOs and regional and international institutions in promoting human rights?
- What are the challenges of promoting human rights protection in Chile today?
(PUC #ICP0345)
Department: Political Science
Location: Santiago
Credits: 3