CHAPTER IV.A THE USE OF FORCE Introduction

CHAPTER IV.A

1. Introduction

1. 
   The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (hereinafter “Inter-American Commission, “Commission” or “IACHR”) learned that during 2015, due to the arbitrary and excessive use of force, hundreds of persons throughout the hemisphere have lost their lives, suffered violations of their integrity, or faced several obstacles to the exercise of other human rights and freedoms. This situation, which constitutes a cause of concern for the Commission, has also been the subject of pronouncements by international human rights organs such as the Human Rights Committee, the Committee against Torture, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions (hereinafter “Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions”), the Special Rapporteur on torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (hereinafter “Special Rapporteur on torture”), the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, as well as various international and domestic civil society organizations.¹
   

2. 
   In particular, from late 2014 to the date of the adoption of this report, the IACHR observes that force has often been used in a manner incompatible with international standards. The civilian police agents or their special groups, the armed forces, and private security agents have deployed their force in different contexts, such as social protests and public demonstrations, immigration and anti-crime operations, and evictions, among others, in which the lack of training, coordination, supervision, and control have caused irreparable harm to life and integrity. The intolerance of certain states in the face of dissent and public displays of social discontent and the historical practice of keeping certain groups invisible would appear to be related to the arbitrary and excessive use of force that has been observed to the detriment of protestors, human rights defenders, journalists and other media workers, LGBTI persons, migrants and others in human mobility, Afrodescendants, indigenous peoples and their members, and other vulnerable communities mired in poverty, including their children and adolescents. Of special concern to this Commission is the ever more common trend towards the use of force to contain social protests and public demonstrations that seek to give an outlet to discontent and demands that refer, inter alia, to the construction of large infrastructure works, exploitation of natural resources by private companies, and struggles to vindicate fundamental rights.
   

3. 
   In addition, the IACHR notes with concern the tendency in some states of the region to delegate order and security tasks to the military forces, and even to declare states of emergency in response to scenarios of social protest or to address rising crime. The IACHR laments that the obligation to investigate, prosecute, and punish those responsible for the illegitimate use of force continues to be a task pending in some states. Despite the efforts made by certain states in the area of order and security, on occasion they have been insufficient to guarantee the rational use of force on an exceptional basis, as per international standards.
   

4. 
   The methodology used for producing this report was to analyze the events that occurred in the region from late 2014 to December 2015; that information was obtained in the public hearings of this Commission held during its 153rd, 154^th, and 156^th regular periods of sessions, as well as from the requests for information in keeping with the powers conferred on this Commission by Article 41 of the American Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter, American Convention or ACHR) and Article 18 of its Statute. In addition, information has been garnered from various United Nations mechanisms whose mandate is related to the topic of this study, from reports by international and local civil society organizations, and from press reports. As part of the specific methodology used for this report, in late July 2015 the IACHR published a questionnaire about i) access to water and ii) use of force, that was sent to the member states of the OAS, civil society organizations, and other users of the inter-American human rights system. That questionnaire was answered by a total of 15 member states of the OAS² and by 26 civil society organizations, academics, and individuals.³
   

5. 
   In addition, the Commission notes that the initiatives, practices, and events presented in this report are not exhaustive as regards the situation of any specific country, but rather are representative of an issue identified regionally. As for the structure of the information presented in this chapter of the Annual Report, this introduction is followed by five main sections. First is an analysis of the principles regarding use of force and how they have or have not been considered in the relevant legislative reforms and other regulatory provisions that have been adopted during the period under examination. Second is a discussion of the actors involved and the situations in which force is used, analyzing aspects related to the officers entrusted with the use of force, the means used, and the training those officers have received. Third is a discussion of the specific contexts that highlight the situation of insecurity brought about by the arbitrary and excessive use of force, and its impact on human rights. Such situations include, for example, the use of force in social protests and demonstrations, immigration control operations and evictions, and states of emergency. This report will also address the situation of especially vulnerable groups. In addition is a recounting of the aspects related to judicial oversight of the use of force, as regards administrative and judicial supervision and investigations carried out regarding human rights violations resulting from deployment of the use of force. Throughout this chapter the Commission provides examples of positive measures adopted by member states in this area. Finally, various recommendations are made to ensure that the use of force is in keeping with international human rights standards.
   

2. 
   
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