CSP 3 Human Rights in Latin America in Literature and Film

Until not long ago, Latin America was best known for its economic, social, and political turbulence. With most of the region in the hands of authoritarian governments, human rights violations were widespread and ranged from a lack of free elections to "disappearances" and state-sponsored genocidal violence. Today the region is, to varying degrees, almost all democratic.  While problems such as poverty, organized crime and violence against women still take a toll on individual rights, the region should not just be known for its problems.  Argentina's post-dictatorship experience has become a model in transitional justice studied around the world, and gay marriage has made surprising headway.  Today there are many resources available for the promotion and protection of human rights in Latin America -- from national legislation promoted by local activists, to treaties and a regional court. While focusing on political, social and legal developments rather than on literary analysis, this class relies substantially on short stories, a play, testimonial essays and films to explore human rights-related problems and progress in Latin America over the last 60 years.