Colección: Revista Interamericana de Bibliografía (RIB)
Número: 1-4
Título: 1997
Sección: Reseñas Informativas / Informative Reviews
Rachel SIEDER, ed. Impunity in Latin America. London, United
Kingdom: Institute of Latin American Studies, 1995. v, 81p.
During the last decade and a half, Latin America has experienced a decisive
shift from military dictatorship to liberal democracy. However, the problem
of impunity has affected the transition to democratic rule in both South and
Central America, and continues to condition the nature of democracy in the
region today.
Impunity in Latin America explores the phenomenon of impunity—its
nature and the mechanisms used to secure it—and assesses its impact on
contemporary politics in Latin America. The individual cases presented here
cover a wide span of regime types, ranging from established democracies (Colombia);
to authoritarian, presidentialist democracies (Peru); and “democracy
by imposition” (Haiti).
In the different articles, the authors address two main issues: 1) the debate
surrounding impunity and democratic transition, and 2) the limits impunity
places on the existence and functioning of democracy in Latin America. Impunity
appears not as a peripheral issue to the process of democratization but as
its intrinsic and most fundamental aspect because the existence of impunity
compromises the principal of universality of rights and threatens the transition
from authoritarian rule to democratic governments in Latin America. The concept
has been divided into two aspects: first a lack of responsibility, the certainty
that actions will not be investigated and secondly, the certainty of the perpetrators
that they will not be brought to justice and therefore not prosecuted or punished
for their actions.
The book is divided into eight chapters that give a general idea of the problems
faced by the young democracies when challenged with their past. In the first
chapter, the reader is confronted with the topic of impunity and its consequences
in the new democracies. In chapter two, the concept of accountability is added
to the discussion. Both terms are explored and explained, particularly the
different types and implications of impunity as well as its intrinsic relation
to accountability. The third chapter offers a case study of Peru since Fujimori
came into power. The fourth deals with the case of Colombia where the armed
forces and the paramilitary have killed thousands of peoples in the last six
years. The killings have taken place in the context of the war against the
guerrillas and drug barons but has also affected members of the opposition
and non-combat civilians.
In the fifth chapter, the reader can find information about the Haitian crisis.
The author highlights the responsibility of the international community to
promote a model of transition based on impunity. In the sixth chapter, two
clear positions are outlined between impunity and democracy as illustrated
by the Chilean experience. Chapter seven addresses the psychological effects
of impunity experienced by Indians and more particularly Indian war widows
in the Guatemalan Highlands. The last chapter stresses that the right to truth
is a permanent and inalienable necessity for all societies: the right to truth
and the right to justice being complementary to build a democracy.
This work is the result of a workshop held at the Institute of Latin American
Studies, University of London, that brought together academics and human rights
practitioners to assess and analyze the impact of impunity on contemporary
politics in Latin America.
M.B.
1. Estas reseñas fueron preparadas por las sugientes funcionarias de la Secretaría
Ejecutiva para el Desarrollo Integral/These reviews were prepared by the following
staff members of the Exeuctive Secretariat for Integral Development: María
del Carmen Barreneche, María de Icaza, María Teresa Mellenkamp, y Rosario
Villanueva Popovici.