A Legacy of Political Violence: Political Imprisonment in Latin America and the Caribbean

Nearly 25 years since the leaders of more than 30 countries in the Americas committed to principles of democracy and fundamental freedoms by way of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, many countries’ democratic institutions remain fragile, and political violence has surged across the region. In a number of countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, co-opted institutions, forced disappearances, politically driven repression, and human rights abuses are not distant memories, but continue to loom over citizens and threaten their freedom. Arbitrary detentions and political imprisonment persist as grim hallmarks of authoritarian rule in the region, and authoritarian regimes often take actions that constitute crimes against humanity under international law, such as the widespread or systematic use of torture and enforced disappearance against civilians. These regimes use incarceration as a tool to stifle dissent, and their strategies to maintain their grasp on power often involve grave human rights violations, such as torture and extrajudicial killings, and methods of citizen control like intimidation and censorship.

A regional history of authoritarian rule

Authoritarian regimes plagued Latin America and the Caribbean in the 20th century, featuring undemocratic leaders that imposed severely repressive conditions and used political imprisonment to silence opposing voices. Among others, brutal authoritarian regimes in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and the Dominican Republic wielded incarceration against the general population as a tool of political, economic, and social control. In Argentina, the military junta that controlled the country from 1976 to 1983 imprisoned and disappeared thousands of suspected dissidents in what became known as Argentina's Dirty War. Similar tactics were also used by the military dictatorship in Brazil, which detained and tortured political opponents while in power between 1964 and 1985. Under General Augusto Pinochet, who was brought to power by a military coup and ruled Chile between 1973 and 1990, the military regime carried out mass detentions, enforced disappearances, and the torture of political opponents. Likewise, in the Dominican Republic, the authoritarian regime led by dictator Rafael Trujillo between 1930 and 1961 used imprisonment and violence to maintain a grip on power for over 30 years.

The brutal tactics used by these regimes to take and maintain power had a profound impact on individuals living under their rule, instilling widespread fear and leaving deep and lasting societal scars across the region. Political imprisonment served not just to silence prodemocratic opposition figures and suppress political participation but also to send a clear message about the consequences of dissent.

Today, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile are all considered Free, according to Freedom House’s Freedom in the World 2024, while the Dominican Republic is considered Partly Free. However, several countries in the region are currently controlled by authoritarian regimes that use political imprisonment to silence opposition and dissent. The authoritarian regimes in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela—all rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2024—regularly violate due process, including arresting perceived dissidents without warrants or based on spurious charges, denying detainees access to legal defense, arbitrarily delaying investigations and hearings, and subjecting detainees to prolonged pretrial detention.

Contemporary patterns of political repression

As in the past, corrupt and autocratic regimes today use political imprisonment to stifle dissent and undermine the work of those who oppose their undemocratic rule. Political prisoners are routinely subject to cruel and inhumane treatment, including physical and psychological torture, and are often denied adequate medical care. The families of political prisoners are often kept from speaking out due to the threat of imprisonment and the fear that their actions could cause detainees to face further abuse. This silence emboldens authoritarian regimes and makes it more difficult for political prisoners to attain justice. Political imprisonment, alongside other types of violent repression, serves to constrain civil society and make human rights defense a particularly dangerous pursuit in countries ruled by authoritarian regimes.

In recent years, the targeting of human rights defenders and civil society leaders has intensified in longstanding autocratic regimes, including those in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, especially following periods of social unrest and protests or in the run-up to elections. Currently, an estimated 2,768 political prisoners remain incarcerated in Cuba (1,119), Nicaragua (151) and Venezuela (1,500+).1 However, the number of people that are subjected to politically motivated imprisonment in these countries is likely much higher due to the regimes’ use of the “revolving door” strategy, where arrests surge during periods of social unrest to quell dissent, are followed by temporary releases to allay international scrutiny, and resume when international attention wanes.

Similar patterns of arbitrary detention and politically motivated imprisonment have emerged in other countries such as Bolivia, El Salvador, and Guatemala during periods of societal unrest and shrinking civic space in those countries. Human rights groups and civil society organizations in these countries are documenting and reporting alarming increases in politically motivated and arbitrary detentions of human rights defenders, journalists, judicial professionals, and opposition leaders, among others. Further, the unwarranted criminalization of these groups is commonly paired with irregular legal proceedings, mirroring practices well-established in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

The need for an international response

Despite the democratic transitions seen in countries like Argentina and Chile, democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean remains quite fragile, and authoritarian regimes remain entrenched in countries across the region. A coordinated and robust response at the international level is a key part of breaking cycles of authoritarian repression and paving the way for a future in which freedom of expression, freedom of association, and all other fundamental rights are truly protected and valued.

To combat the ongoing issues of authoritarian repression and political imprisonment in Latin America and the Caribbean, the international community should work to help promote and safeguard democracy in the region, including by supporting civil society organizations within these countries, promoting human rights, and enforcing international laws that protect political freedom. Democratic governments, the United Nations, and the Inter-American human rights system should coordinate to apply diplomatic pressure on the authoritarian regimes that continue to use politically motivated imprisonment as a form of political repression. Democracies must also consider human rights when engaging in trade with such regimes, and refuse to allow political prisoners to be used as pawns in diplomatic negotiations. Additionally, democracies should support international investigation efforts—both politically and financially—to establish the truth about these human rights violations, as domestic justice is often unattainable due to authoritarian regimes’ co-optation of their countries’ institutions.

The people of Latin America and the Caribbean cannot strive for more equitable, stable, prosperous, and democratic societies if authoritarian regimes are permitted to carry out political violence and repression with impunity and in defiance of regional commitments and international law. Democracies around the world—as well as international organizations like the United Nations and the Inter-American human rights system—must condemn the authoritarian regimes carrying out abuses and vigorously support the region’s human rights defenders and political prisoners. 

• 1These numbers were last updated August 19, 2024.