Source: Amnesty International –
Several countries across the Americas are adopting restrictive legal frameworks to weaken, control, and even dismantle civil society organizations, Amnesty International said today as it launched its new report Tearing Up the Social Fabric: Impact of restrictive laws on civil society organizations in the Americas.
Between 2024 and 2025, Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela adopted or reformed legal frameworks that impose disproportionate controls on civil society organizations (CSOs), directly affecting their ability to support communities, defend human rights, operate, and access resources.
“What we are seeing is a worrying regional pattern. So-called ‘anti-NGO laws’ reflect the rise of authoritarian practices aimed at silencing critical voices and consolidating power at any cost,” said Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International.
What we are seeing is a worrying regional pattern. So-called ‘anti-NGO laws’ reflect the rise of authoritarian practices aimed at silencing critical voices and consolidating power at any cost.”
Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International.