Disappeared and Silenced: Latin America’s Human Rights Breakdown, El Cafecito del 30/04

From Havana to Houston, Latin America’s human rights crisis crosses borders — and history is repeating itself

Welcome back to El Cafecito, your weekly brew of Latin America’s most relevant and eye-opening stories — served strong and sin filtro.

This week, we focus on a region in deep distress. Amnesty International’s 2025 report sounds the alarm: 2024 marked a sharp decline in human rights across Latin America, from censorship and mass detentions to state violence and the criminalisation of protest. In countries like Haiti, El Salvador, Venezuela, Mexico, and Cuba, the erosion of civil liberties is no longer gradual — it’s accelerating.

But it's not just a regional affair. As the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on immigration, enforced disappearances of Venezuelan migrants in U.S. custody are being reported — echoing the darkest chapters of Latin America’s past. Meanwhile, the region remains the deadliest place in the world to defend the environment, with extractive industries, weak states, and organised crime colliding at deadly cost.

Let’s dive in.

And if you're new here, ¡gracia…