Includes bibliographical references and index.

A regional survey -- Explaining violations -- Global governance -- Transnational networks -- Human rights change -- Accountability versus impunity -- Never again?

"For the last half century, Latin America has been plagued by civil wars, dictatorships, torture, legacies of colonialism and racism, and other evils. The region has also experienced dramatic - if uneven - human rights improvements. The accounts of how Latin America's people have dealt with the persistent threats to their fundamental rights offer lessons for people around the world." "Human Rights in Latin America: A Politics of Terror and Hope is the first textbook to provide a comprehensive introduction to the human rights issues facing an area that constitutes more than half of the Western Hemisphere. Leading human rights researcher and educator Sonia Cardenas brings together regional examples of both terror and hope, emphasizing the dualities inherent in human rights struggles. Organized by three pivotal topics - human rights violations, reform, and accountability - this book offers an authoritative synthesis of research on human rights on the continent."--Jacket.