By Brendan Oliver Bergh
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BRASILIA, Brazil -Following London and South Africa, Brazil is set to take the world wide spot light as they are slated to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics. But while London and Johannesburg questioned their infrastructure, Rio de Janeiro is worried about their police. Authorities wrapping up a year long investigation have ordered the arrest of over 60 officers stationed in the Brazilian paradise for accepting bribes related to drug trafficking.

The allure of bribery is easy to see. Underpaid, officers can supplement their meager paychecks by looking the other way. According to the investigation, an officer could receive approximately $1,200 while patrolling certain areas.

Police Force Commander Erir Ribeiro commanded “We can no longer accept the humiliation of deviant conduct practiced by a few.” Their effort in Operation Purification was intended to ensure the security and restore lost legitimacy to Rio De Janeiro infamous corrupt police force. In a quick sweep, a   total of Operation Purification arrested a total of 63 police officers and 11 drug traffickers were brought into custody and currently await trial. Another 2 Police officers and 7 alleged drug traffickers currently have warrants out for them. All arrested officers were members of the same police battalion in Duque de Caxias, located within Rio de Janeiro’s police jurisdiction.

Charges against these officers range from accepting monthly bribes from the Red Command, one of Rio’s most influential and dangerous drug organizations, to racketeering, weapon smuggling, kidnapping  and extortion from kidnapping drug dealers and ransoming them back.

Operation Purification is just the latest in Brazil’s attempt to clean up the country before the international community shines its spot light on the Latin American paradise. In early October, police raided the slums of Rio de Janeiro in an attempt to seize weapons and arrest those involved. However they announced their raid to the community days in advance. While police claim that this reduces violence, the effectiveness of the strategy leaves quite a bit to be desired, with critics noting that this official police practice simply gives criminals a chance to escape.

Earlier this week the heads of the Sao Paulo police force were fired after the bloodiest week in the cities recent history. As drug violence continues to run rampant throughout the country many are convinced that only drastic change will make them ready for the international limelight.

Public Security Secretary expects at the very least those arrested during Operation Purification will be expelled from the force.

For further information, please see:

Atlanta Black Star – Dozens Of Brazilian Police Arrested For Corruption And Drug Trafficking – 5 December 2012

CNN – Brazil: Dozens Of Police Officers Arrested, Accused Of Taking Bribes – 5 December 2012

Belfast Telegraph – Brazil Police Held In Graft Probe – 4 December 2012

New York Times – What’s Killing Brazil’s Police? – 1 December 2012

Associated Press – Heads Of Police Force Replaced In Brazil’s Largest City – 27 November 2012

By Brendan Bergh
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SANTIAGO, Chile –  The fight against the human rights abuses committed under General Augusto Pinochet’s reign as President of Chile continues as a Chilean judge ordered the arrest and imprisonment of seven police officers for their alleged involvement in the disappearance and murder of 3 men and a child in 1973.

This is just the latest in Minister Alejandro Solis’ fight against impunity. In his final days as a judge, [he will be 75 before the end of the year] Solis has decided to prosecute seven police officers for their disappearance of Perez Godoy, 15, Jose Ramirez Diaz, 20, Catalan Pena, 20, and Vergara Gonzalez, 22.

According to judge Solis it is a crime against humanity to be affiliated with a “criminal organization which had, as its sole objective, to crack down on opponents of the military dictatorship, considered political enemies of president Augusto Pinochet.” While the victims in the particular set of offenses can hardly be considered political, their arrests and disappearance were made with such indifference and malice as to be considered a violation of human rights.

While details are sketchy it has been established that two of the victims, Vergara Gonzalez and Catalan Pena were eventually killed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the month after the fall of President Salvador Allende and establishment of the military dictatorship of Pinochet, Gonzalez and Pena were travelling by van with Miriam Conteras Bell, the personal secretary of Allende. Their van was stopped by two of the now-detained officers – dressed as civilians – before being brought to a local Police station. In the days following the arrest the police denied they had been arrested, then changed their story claiming they had been released. After that all traces were lost, until their remains were identified 30 years later.

These arrests are just the latest in Chile’s fight against the remnants of Pinochet’s reign. The alleged officers who all worked at a Santiago neighborhood police station in Ñuñoa, were brought out of retirement to face charges; they were immediately detained by the PDI and brought to a detention center. This level of security was initiated as Judge Solis declared them a “danger to the security of society.”

The victims were discovered in 1991 in a mass grave in the General Cemetery of Santiago. Buried along with them were hundreds of other unidentified bodies, their bodies only having been identified in 2003 via DNA testing.

For further information, please see:

Cooperativa – Seven Former Policemen Were Remanded In Custody By Cases DD.DD. – 7 December, 2012

La Nacion – 7 Ex Police Processed By Kidnappings And Executions Of People – 7 December, 2012

La Republica – Chile: Detention Of 7 Excarabineros Ordered Death Of Four Youths in 1973 – 7 December, 2012

Terra Noticias – Court Orders Arrest Of 7 Excarabinerous Chilean Death Of 4 Young People In 1973 – 7 December, 2012

I Love Chile – Former DINA Agents Prosecuted For Crimes Against Humanity – 6 December, 2012

By Brendan Bergh
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America 

LIMA, Peru – In the wake of public outcry the Interior Ministry of Peru has decided to enact new legislation and standards to combat the corruption that has so completely permeated the national police force.

Police corruption is nothing new. But the levels in Peru have run to such levels that reports from the US Department of State and Us Bureau of Diplomatic Security indicate that “corruption and impunity remained problems,” as noted that “Police have been known to solicit bribes in order to supplement their salaries or may readily accept bribes when offered.” The problem is so rampant that in 2007 the Policia Nacionel del Peru noted “Continuity of corruption cases… damage the image of the PNP.”

The levels of police corruption radiate throughout. From local police officers who readily accept bribes for traffic violations or drug enforcement operations. Earlier this year in San Ignacio, a group of police officers captured drug traffickers attempting to illegally ship cocaine paste, however the 200 kilos of cocaine where never entered into evidence as the eight arresting officers took the drugs for their own personal use. Prosecutors met harsh resistance from officers claiming no illegal activity.

To combat this, the Interior Minister Wilfredo Pedraza Sierra announced that they will set in place a new system of investigation action in the National Police of Peru (PNP) to increase disciplinary actions and end the clout of impunity that has protected police officers in the South American country.

This new system is intended to increase punishments for the corrupt, and reduce the time frame in which the accused will be prosecuted. This system will take case against policemen away from police courts and grant jurisdiction to civil and criminal courts with jurors. This will take the power away from the police and give it to the people. In the past it was widely believed that

This is the latest in Peruvian president Ollanta Humala’s attempt to clean up the police within the country. Last year in his capacity as newly elected President, Humala replaced and fired two-thirds of the country’s senior police officers. Thirty of Peru’s police generals were forced into retirement, even a few without evidentiary links to corruption and drug trafficking.

This reform legislation is intended to clean up the image of the police force.  The Minister stressed their intention to fight policemen who have lost sight of their main creed “to provide safety and care for the citizenry.”

For further information, please see:

Andina, Agencia Peruana De Noticias – New System Of Investigation And Disciplinary Action Will Be In The PNP – 1 December 2012

RPP Noticias – Interior Minister Announces New Penalty System For Bad Cops – 1 December 2012

Peruvian Times – Prosecutor Investigates Police Over Drug Arrest In Puno – 24 May, 2012

BBC – Humala Sacks Peru Police Commanders In Corruption Purge – 10 October 2011

How To Peru – Police In Peru – October 5, 2011

By Brendan Oliver Bergh
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America 

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Pilots for Argentina’s infamous “death flights” have begun trial, and brought up on charges for crimes against humanity for their active participation in de facto president Jorge Rafael Videla’s “dirty war” that consumed the Latin American county for years.

From 1976-1983 during Videla’s reign as Argentina’s dictator, in addition to the armies kidnappings and murders, dissidents and  political prisoners were dragged from their cells in military detention, drugged and flown over the ocean and thrown from the plane.

The trial is expected to focus on the Naval School of Mechanics (Esma) which became a military detention center for leftist dissidents, of the 5,000 political prisoners sent there, more than 90% disappeared.

Among the 68 defendants – all ex-armed forces – set for trial are eight pilots who allegedly flew and participated in the flights which contributed to the murder and forced disappearance of hundreds of Argentinians.

The most famous on trial during this new set of trials is Alfredo Astiz. Convicted in 2011 – and serving a life sentence – for crimes against humanity, the pilot affectionately known as the “Blond Angel of Death” is facing new charges for his active participation in the force disappearance of prisoners in the infamous secret detention camps in Beunos Aires. In interviews Astiz showed no remorse, claiming that he “had acted to save Argentina from left-wing ‘terrorism’”, and he dismissed his trial as an act of political vengeance.

Many of these pilots have only recently been identified, some who have been identified by survivors from the Esma detention centers and others for lapses in judgment. Emir Sisul Hess, one of the pilots on trial admitted to co-workers how his victims “fell like little ants.” He has since formally denied any involvement in the flights.

Among those testifying are 70 survivors of Esma. One survivor, Carlos Munoz, who was detained at Esma for a year remembers  ” to have seen a room filled with vomit. I later found out that those who were going to be killed in the death flights were drugged and that those drugs made them throw up,” he continued, “At one point many of my cell mates disappeared and we were told they were moved somewhere else. We now know they were thrown in the water.”

Current President Cristina Kirchner has pledged to speed up and prosecute those involved with these human rights abuses. Many speculate that her commitment is linked to her husband, Nestor Kirchner who rescinded the laws that granted amnesty to security forces who participated in these military abuses.

For further information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Argentina Holds ‘Death Flights’ Trial – 29 November 2012

Bernma Malaysian National News Agency – Argentina Tries Alleged ‘Death Flights’ Pilots – 29 November 2012

Prensa Latina – Death Flight Pilots Prosecuted For The First Time In Argentina – 28 November 2012

SF Gate – Argentina’s ‘Death Flights’ Trials Begin – 28 November 2012

The Independent – Victims Of ‘Death Flights’: Drugged, Dumped By Aircraft – But Not Forgotten – 27 November 2012

BBC – Argentina ‘Angel Of Death’ Alfredo Astiz Convicted – 27 October 2011

By Brendan Oliver Bergh
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BEUNOS AIRES, Argentina – Work stoppage in Argentina has slowed the already ailing country to a standstill. A general strike organized by the two biggest trade unions brought the Latin American countries economic grain exports to a halt as demonstrators protested Argentina’s economic policies. The ‘General Confederation of Labor of the Argentine Republic’ (CGT) and ‘ Argentine Workers’ Central Union’ (CTA) organized a general strike that shut down public transportation and forced many businesses to shut down.

The ailing country has been in economic trouble for some time. In 2001 the country defaulted on a number of loan repayments, and according to the World Bank, Argentina’s economic growth has slowed from 9% in 2011 to just 2.2% in 2012.

Beyond protesting the increase in violence and crime the trade unions are demanding a decrease in income taxes to combat the high inflation they are now feeling at home. Officially, Argentina has an annual inflation of 10%, but some economists estimate that number to be closer to 24%.

Farming unions have joined the protests, led by Hugo Moyao, who is demanding lower taxes for workers hit hard by the un-tethered inflation.  Mayano has vowed to keep pressing the demands of the labor unions, telling reporters “The silence of the streets, the absence of people in the streets, in the shops, in the businesses – this is the voice that the government must hear.” The farming industry has been hit by unprecedented 35% export tax on Argentina’s most important export, soybean and soybean oil. Soybean oil is one of the main components to bio-fuel.

While President Cristina Fernandez has refused to back down, calling the strikers “extortionists” her opposition has latched on to the civil discourse. Many have hailed as the beginning of the end. Citing that she may have lost the streets, and despite decreasing the voting age from 18 to 16, have stated that they will do everything they can to stop her from seeking re-election.

The general strike has not been the completely non-violent demonstration that the trade unionists claim. Burned tires block roads, and protesters have used the chaos to vandalize businesses that stayed open during the work stoppages. A block away from the presidential palace, tourist attractions were forced to close after opportunists vandalized them.

While leaders of the strike are hopeful that the general strike will strengthen their position, President Fernandez has refused to give ground, citing the need to keep taxes were they are to payback the growing debt she inherited from previous administrations.

For further information, please see:

Los Andes – The Unions Expect Cristina Replies – 22 November 2012

Terra – Cristina Fernandez: “Impossible” to Stop Paying Debts Argentina – 22 November 2012

BBC – Argentina: Strike Paralyses Buenos Aires And Other Cities – 20 November 2012

Reuters – Argentina’s Fernandez Faces Her First General Strike – 20 November 2012