Latin America & the Caribbean

Background

The Rule of Law Initiative’s Latin American and Caribbean Division provides assistance in support of legal reform efforts in Ecuador and Nicaragua and has previously carried out projects in Mexico, 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, and competition law. The Latin America and Caribbean Division implements its programs through partnerships with in-country government offices, bar associations, judges associations and NGOs.

News and Program Highlights

ABA ROLI Eases Ecuador’s Transition from Inquisitorial to Adversarial Trial System

Prosecutors, police and judges in Ecuador are praising a recent criminal law training on the country’s new adversarial trial system.  This positive response from the participants underscored the ABA Rule of Law Initiative’s (ABA ROLI) success in bridging systemic change with public education in rule of law promotion. More »»

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Ecuador Criminal Justice Project Holds Mock Trial Training for Prosecutors, Police, and Judges

During the first two weeks of October 2007, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative’s Latin America and Caribbean Division is holding trainings for prosecutors, police, and judges in four cities in Ecuador.  The trainings include a mock trial emphasizing the necessity of close collaboration between police and prosecutors in building a successful case and the independence of the judiciary.  These two key elements of adversarial criminal justice systems have not been part of the traditional approach to cases in Ecuador. More »»

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US State Department Honors Rule of Law Initiative-trained Ecuadorian Prosecutor

The State Department recently honored Lucy Blacio, a veteran of several ABA Rule of Law Initiative trainings, by naming her a 2007 Hero Acting to End Modern-Day Slavery.  Blacio, an Ecuadorian prosecutor, is one of eight worldwide heroes named in the 2007 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. More »»

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ABA Assists Ecuadorians in Modernizing Criminal Procedures

The ABA Rule of Law Initiative has recently started a criminal justice reform project in Ecuador to promote ongoing criminal justice system reforms and to train prosecutors, judges and national police to work in a mixed accusatorial and inquisitorial justice system. The goal of the project is to train prosecutors, judges and police to be more effective in their own roles within the administration and enforcement of justice, and to be able to train their colleagues as well. More »»

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Ecuador Program Helps Train Anti-Trafficking Task Force to Rescue and Treat Trafficking Victims

A task force composed of Ecuadorian Judicial Police, prosecutors, and a women’s shelter, all of whom have received training from the Rule of Law Initiative’s Project to Combat Trafficking in Persons in Ecuador, has worked together to crack down on brothels fronting as hostels and dance clubs, resulting in the rescue of trafficking victims and the shuttering of the offending establishments. More »»