International Humanitarian Law in Latin America: The Role of Truth Commissions

Salmón E. · Latin American International Law in the Twenty-First Century (2025) · DOI: 10.1093/9780197754016.003.0018

Resumen

This chapter focuses on the contributions of truth commissions in Latin America to the classification of situations of violence as noninternational armed conflicts and to the application of international humanitarian law. In particular, the author highlights that, although Latin America has experienced various armed conflicts in the twentieth century, states have been reluctant to recognize the existence of an armed conflict in their territory. In the absence of official recognition, the reports and conclusions of Truth Commissions have qualified certain contexts as noninternational armed conflicts and have analyzed potential violations of international humanitarian law. In this sense, this chapter studies the cases of the truth commissions established in Argentina, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru, and Colombia. © Oxford University Press 2025.

Instituciones: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú