By Bibbi Abruzzini and Clarisse Sih, Forus, EU SEE consortium partners
From restrictions on gender rights advocacy in Argentina to the suppression of indigenous voices in Paraguay, current events across Latin and Central America reveal a pattern of regression in advances that have previously been made in terms of equality and inclusion – and an urgent need for solidarity, resistance and visibility. These insights from our network members explore these developments and their impact on civil society.
Argentina: silencing a leading feminist voice at the OAS
The 2015 femicide of 14-year-old Chiara Paez sparked national action in Argentina and led to the first Ni Una Menos (Not One Less) march against gender violence. This transformative movement quickly spread beyond Argentina, replicated in Peru, Uruguay, Italy and Germany, among other places but also inspiring protests across Latin America and beyond.
“Balance ton porc,” “Un violador en tu camino,” and #MeToo have all become global movements, each emerging from different socio-cultural and national contexts but resonating across borders.
Rooted in Argentina’s long history of resistance, particularly from the Mothers and Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, feminist activism in Argentina is under threat since the new government took office in 2023. This is a warning for the entire region that is facing aggressive attacks on women’s rights, social justice, and environmental protections.
The Government of Argentina, led by Javier Milei, filed a formal objection with the Organization of American States (OAS) to “dissociate” itself from the inclusion of the organization Catholics for the Right to Decide (CDD) alleging that its commitment to legal abortion violated the “right to life from conception”. While the OAS did not accept the veto, Argentina used an official footnote to dissociate itself from CDD’s presence – a symbolic yet deliberate attempt to undermine civil society participation in international fora.
CDD is a respected feminist voice with over 30 years of experience advocating for sexual and reproductive rights from a faith-based perspective. Their exclusion signals a broader attempt by the state to redefine who gets to speak on behalf of society in multilateral spaces – and who doesn’t. It has sparked concern among feminist and human rights organisations, who see it as an attack not just on one organisation, but on plurality, civic expression and reproductive justice and the “plurality of voices in multilateral spaces”, affecting the “democratic participation of Argentine civil society”.
Argentina’s feminist and social movements have consistently demonstrated resilience. Following the OAS incident, several organisations met with the UN human rights representative in South America to denounce the censorship attempt
This pattern of civic resistance is not unique to Argentina. Across the region, similar threats to rights and participation are being met with pushback.
Paraguay: office closure threatens indigenous participation
In Paraguay, the government’s recent decision to close the central office of the Paraguayan Institute of the Indigenous (INDI) in the capital, Asunción, has sparked similar concerns.
Although framed as a decentralisation effort, indigenous organisations warn that the move effectively removes their presence from the country’s political centre, reducing their ability to advocate, access services or influence policy.
Groups like MAIPy (Indigenous Articulation Table of Paraguay), ANIVID (National Indigenous Articulation for a Dignified Life) and CONAMURI (Coordinator of Rural and Indigenous Women) have denounced the decision as unilateral, non-consultative and harmful to indigenous representation. It comes amid growing tensions, including mass evictions, government neglect and budgetary constraints that already marginalize indigenous communities.
Panama: human rights violations during protests
In Panama, Bocas del toro province, the Ombudsman’s office and National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture released a preliminary report on human rights violations committed during a recent state of emergency during which protesters opposed a pension reform law. Detainees reported beatings, prolonged handcuffing and coercion, prompting the Ombudsman to file a criminal complaint with the Attorney General.
The severity of these abuses underscores the growing use of state violence and emergency powers to repress public protest and repress worker and elderly rights, who already face precarious conditions at the first mile of the supply chain – often without accountability and with impunity often reigning.
According to fundación libertad ciudadana “declaring a state of emergency to restore order is legitimate if it is used within the forms and limits of Article 55,” but does not permit the infringement of “essential guarantees such as habeas corpus, judicial supervision or the privacy of communications.”
Mexico: legislative fast-tracking undermines civic participation
In Mexico, the legislative branch pushed through 22 major legal reforms in just 10 days, many of which have far-reaching implications for civic space, privacy and civil society operations. Most notably, the new General Law of the National public Security System introduces mass surveillance through a centralized information system, raising flags about state overreach and violations of fundamental freedoms and personal privacy online.
While some grassroots movements (such as collectives of mothers searching for missing persons) managed to get their voices heard, this was due to public pressure rather than meaningful inclusion. Civil society groups have warned that the new law risks institutionalizing surveillance, over-regulating CSOs and consolidating executive power.
Peru: restricting and monitoring civil society
In Peru the APCI Law (Ley de la Agencia Peruana de Cooperación Internacional) was originally designed to regulate and coordinate international cooperation efforts in Peru. However, since its inception it has raised concerns among civil society organisations, especially when applied to restrict or monitor their funding sources and activities, in an already tight situation.
For instance, the recent application of the APCI Law in the context of the Baguazo case – a conflict involving Indigenous communities and state forces in 2009 – has triggered protests concerning the use of this law to scrutinise NGOs involved in human rights defense or environmental advocacy setting a dangerous precedent, potentially criminalising legitimate civil society work.
Proética considers that “this measure can set a precedent in terms of the violation of fundamental rights such as association, expression, opinion, and citizen participation, as it classifies as a very serious offense the act of taking administrative and judicial action against the State. The APCI Law is being used to restrict the exercise of legal representation previously provided by civil associations, directly affecting the right to defense of individuals and communities who confront the State for cases of human rights violations and acts of corruption.”
Colombia: homicides and threats against social leaders
In Colombia there has been a sustained uptick in homicides and threats against social leaders, human rights defenders, and signatories of the Peace Agreement. Most recently, on 11 August 2025, Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay died after being shot during a political rally in Bogotá on 7 June while running for president in the 2026 elections.
These events occur in a context of fragmentation of armed actors and weak state capacities for preventive protection in rural and peri-urban areas. The electoral climate was already marked by polarisation; the Electoral Observation Mission has been reporting increased violent incidents against political actors, especially at the local level. International organisations, including the UN, have also warned of an increase in reports of homicides against defenders. The upturn threatens community coordination, reduces social participation and erodes the credibility of the democratic system. It creates a climate of fear in spaces for political participation and reinforces the vulnerability of electoral contenders.
“This resurgence of violence has direct effects on the enabling environment for citizen participation: fear displaces civic action, collective action is restricted, mistrust between actors grows, and the legitimacy of the authorities is weakened. Democracy loses credibility as a shared horizon, and this situation is capitalised on by actors in the war, who reinforce their banners of control and security, relegating other rights and social justice to the background,” A network member of the EU SEE in Colombia explains.
These developments call for collective resistance and strategic advocacy. Civil society across Latin and Central America must continue to build transnational alliances, document violations and hold governments accountable. The EU SEE stands ready to support them.
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This article has been developed with support from EU SEE network members across Latin America.