Amnesty International Labels U.S. Airstrikes in Latin America and the Caribbean as «Murders» and Calls on Congress to Halt Them

Original article: Amnistía Internacional califica como “asesinatos” los ataques aéreos lanzados por Estados Unidos en Latinoamérica y el Caribe

Amnesty International Labels U.S. Airstrikes in Latin America and the Caribbean as «Murders» and Calls on Congress to Halt Them

U.S. airstrikes in Latin America and the Caribbean, which have killed at least 57 individuals since early September, are illegal, and Congress must act swiftly to prevent further bombings by the U.S. government. This is the assertion made by Amnesty International today.

“In the last two months, U.S. Southern Command has engaged in a wave of murders while carrying out the illegal orders of the Trump administration,” stated Daphne Eviatar, director of Human Rights and Security at Amnesty International USA. “The government has not disclosed the names of the victims nor provided evidence of their alleged crimes. However, even if it did, the deliberate murder of individuals accused of offenses that do not pose an imminent threat to life is murder, plain and simple.”

“For far too long, Congress should have exercised its oversight role over the government’s unlawful actions, put an end to these illegal airstrikes, and held those responsible for these murders accountable.”

Neither Evidence Nor Legal Basis

U.S. authorities have reported 13 airstrikes in Latin America so far: eight in the Caribbean and five in the Pacific. The Trump administration has attempted to justify its actions by claiming without any evidence that the targets were “narcoterrorists” involved in drug trafficking.

Intercepting vessels suspected of transporting drugs is a law enforcement operation, subject to international human rights law, which dictates that all individuals have the right to life and a fair trial, permitting states to use lethal force only when there is an imminent threat to life, and other, less extreme means, such as apprehension, are insufficient.

A state that deliberately kills someone outside these circumstances is committing extrajudicial killing, a form of murder, regardless of the alleged crime that the person may have committed.

In the case of these airstrikes, the Trump administration has not provided any proof that its victims constituted an imminent threat to human life. Even if the vessels or individuals were engaging in drug trafficking, the mere act of transporting drugs does not represent an imminent threat to life that justifies the use of lethal force.

Government authorities have also failed to demonstrate that they could not have intercepted and boarded these vessels, as the U.S. Coast Guard routinely does. In fact, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the U.S. could have intercepted the first vessel they attacked but chose instead to bomb it.

“The attacks carried out by U.S. Southern Command are unlawful actions from a government acting outside the law,” Eviatar remarked. “If the Trump administration wants to address drug addiction, it should fully fund public health programs for treatment and prevention in the United States, rather than illegally bombing vessels in Latin America and the Caribbean. Regardless of the crimes committed by drug cartels, for authorities to execute someone they accuse of belonging to one of those cartels and carrying drugs is a crime under both international and national law. They cannot do it on the streets of the United States, nor can they do it in international waters.”

The Caribbean and Eastern Pacific Are Not War Zones

Government officials have claimed that the U.S. is “at war” with drug cartels, suggesting that the administration believes that the laws of war, which allow for the killing of enemy combatants on the battlefield, apply in the Caribbean and Pacific. This argument is erroneous.

The United States is not involved in any armed conflict in the Caribbean or Latin America. No one, including drug traffickers, has attacked the United States in a way that would justify a military response.

Furthermore, Congress has not authorized the use of military force against cartels. However, even if Congress were to authorize it, these airstrikes would still be illegal under international human rights law.

“The laws of war simply do not apply in this case. The Caribbean and Eastern Pacific are not war zones where the U.S. military can bomb vessels that the White House claims carry enemies,” stated Daniel Noroña, director of Advocacy for the Americas at Amnesty International USA. “The deployment of troops under the guise of law enforcement is an old, failed authoritarian tactic that has repeatedly resulted in severe human rights violations in Latin America. Moreover, these airstrikes send a chilling message of tacit approval to other leaders who might attempt to carry out extrajudicial killings.”

Congress Must Act

Congress should do everything in its power to stop these airstrikes to ensure that the government does not murder more people either abroad or in the United States.

It must also demand that those responsible for these killings face justice, including both the direct perpetrators and those who ordered them. To this end, legislators must conduct thorough and independent investigations that reach the highest levels of the U.S. government to determine accountability.

President Donald Trump has publicly claimed responsibility for ordering the killings. Both he and senior officials in his administration have openly boasted about these attacks while disregarding Congressional oversight and international law concerns.

“Congress, the American public, and the international community should be raising all alarms to put an end to these cynical and dehumanizing airstrikes and demand accountability,” declared Ana Piquer, regional director of Amnesty International for the Americas. “Human life cannot be left to the whims of a ruler. No president has the right to kill arbitrarily and without accountability.”