We commend the Special Rapporteur for her report, which rightly shows how the interdependent rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are essential for guaranteeing genuine elections and sustaining democracy.
During the “super election cycle”, however, governments have cracked down on protest – through killings, excessive use of force, arbitrary detention, restrictive laws, smear campaigns, and surveillance. Too often, the military is deployed to police protests, resulting in severe human rights violations.
Across the Americas, the repression of protests and the criminalisation of demonstrators continues to be used as a tool to intimidate and silence dissenting voices during and after elections.
In Argentina, throughout 2024, more than 93 people were arbitrarily detained for participating in protests, and over 600 were injured. The escalation of violence by the Argentine State and the rhetoric of ‘destabilization’ shrink civic space in the country.
In Venezuela, during 2024, 226 protests were repressed, resulting in at least 25 deaths and more than 2,000 arbitrary detentions.
In the United States of America, in a post-electoral context, President Trump called in the National Guard and the Marine Troops to Los Angeles streets and threatened to use ‘very big force’ against any protesters in the future.
In a region with a legacy of authoritarianism, we urge all governments and political parties, leaders and candidates to fully implement the recommendations of the report.