Victims of state violence in Argentina’s Jujuy province deserve justice two years later, Amnesty International said in a report Friday.
In 2023 the province of Jujuy underwent a constitutional reform initiated by Governor Gerardo Morales, which resulted in protests. Those protesting included teachers’ unions, Indigenous communities, leftist parties, and the dissenting wing of the Jujuy Justicialist Party. An Amnesty International delegation visited Jujuy on May 28 and 29 to engage with authorities to seek justice, reparations and assurances of non-repetition for the victims of state violence.
the province used force to repress the 2023 protesters, including tear gas and rubber bullets, which left numerous people injured, including Joel Paredes who was drumming at a protest march and suffered damage to an eye. Amnesty International believes that the amount of force used against the demonstrations was excessive and arbitrary, and some protesters faced criminal charges.
Amnesty International’s investigation of the violence against protesters was collected through photo and video evidence. State authorities and police are thought to have violated international human rights laws in their response to the protest. The situation has raised serious concerns, including the absence of free, prior, and informed consent during the reform process; violations of the right to peaceful assembly in Jujuy and the unjustified dispersal of roadblock protests; unlawful, arbitrary, and excessive use of force; inadequate access to assistance and medical care for victims; arbitrary detentions, criminalization of protesters, and instances of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment; and a persistent lack of oversight and accountability in police conduct.
The protests were spurred by the changes to the Jujuy constitution. These changes included a restructuring of the government that reduced the power of checks and balances against the executive, modification of the electoral system, restrictions on freedom of expression, and continued exploitation of the indigenous through the recent boom in mining.
