Latin America

From lowland swamps dominated by tall palms to the treeless cushion bogs of the high Andes, Latin America and the Caribbean are home to a huge range of peatlands. But relatively little is known about them – making conservation difficult.

As one of the world’s largest importers of agrochemicals and exporters of agriculture goods, Brazil sets record for pesticide consumption. A significant part of the pesticides used there is produced in the European Union – and highly hazardous.

The approval of the Brazilian General Data Protection Legislation (LGPD) in 2019 marked a new paradigm in the defence of fundamental rights in Brazil. However, Brazilian society still struggles to enforce LGPD’s rules. One huge challenge has been the difficulty in matching the promotion of public sector efficiency with personal data protection in recent policies of the government to reduce bureaucracy. The following paragraphs will cover some recent episodes where these values have clashed in a false dichotomy.

El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, is attempting to respond to the ongoing violence in the country by declaring a state of emergency. Critics see this predominantly as a militarisation of politics and a further step towards the breakdown of democracy.

The National Assembly of Nicaragua has abolished by decree the legal personality of the partner organisation of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung "Centro Humboldt" and other 24 non-profit civil society associations and organisations, effectively banning them.

In the following months, the Brazilian Senate will vote on a 10-article bill establishing principles for the development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Its content, however, may help perpetuate recent cases of algorithmic discrimination through provisions that hinder the accountability for AI-induced errors and restrict the scope of rights established in Brazil’s General Data Protection Legislation and in the Brazilian Constitution.

In the second round of the presidential elections on 19 December 2021, Chile will be deciding between the far-right candidate, José Antonio Kast, and the left-wing progressive Gabriel Boric. Non-voters and anti-politicians may be able to tip the balance in these pivotal elections. Interview with Gitte Cullmann, office director of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung in Santiago de Chile.

Online discussion that took place on 13 October 2021 on the EU Due Diligence legislation, organised by Espacio de Redes and the EU-LAC Working Group, to identify recommendations for the European Union on access to justice and reparation in the framework of the new EU law on mandatory due diligence for companies in the field of human rights and the environment.

This analysis explores whether and how mutually recognised quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs are creating enhanced trade benefits for third countries’ producer groups in the frame of the Common Market Organisation and Association Agreements of the European Union. A case-study on coffee protected by designations of origin in Central America.