SHARE
SHARE
The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) was honored to be invited to speak at the Organization of American States’ (OAS) Inter-American Committee to Prevent Terrorism conference held in Mexico City in mid-July. The OAS is the premier Latin American forum for political discussion, policy analysis, and decision-making in Western Hemispheric affairs. The OAS brings together leaders from nations across the Americas to build cooperation among states and advance a common regional agenda on democratic governance, human rights, multidimensional security, and sustainable development.
GPAHE co-founder Wendy Via spoke to government representatives from Central and South America, the Caribbean and the U.S., about the transnational nature of the far-right extremist movements. She explained their rights-stripping agendas, and how these movements can lead to violence, particularly focusing on the growth of far-right extremism in Latin America. GPAHE has released multiple reports about extremism in the region including a country extremist report on Brazil, which is experiencing many of the same trends as the U.S., including election denialism, attacks on federal buildings, the dehumanization of the LGBTQ+ community and women, and the rise of neo-Nazi and white nationalist groups and associated violence.
In July, GPAHE released its country extremist report on Mexico, which exposed the connections of Mexican institutions to far-right groups in the U.S., particularly anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-woman organizations. The U.S. far-right movement is strategic in its attempts to bring as many countries as possible under their bigoted umbrella, with some even sharing funding.
The OAS recognizes the possibility of extremism leading to terrorist violence, saying “Social, economic and political polarization, along with the increase in malicious actors and the proliferation of new forms of online communication have, in some cases, favored the spread of violent extremism that could be conducive to terrorism. In recent years, we have witnessed a number of worrying trends that require the attention of the international community, including an increased number of young people engaging in acts related to violent extremism, the increase in acts of terrorism motivated by xenophobia, racism and other forms of intolerance, and the hybridization and transnationalization of violent extremist ideologies.”
In addition to the presentation, Wendy and GPAHE co-founder Heidi Beirich also had the opportunity to speak one-on-one and establish relationships with government representatives from multiple countries. These relationships are crucial to exposing and stopping the spread of far-right extremism globally.
