During the Third Manuel Conceição Latin-American Symposium on Amnesty and Human Rights, the representative of the Center for Justice and International Law (Cejil) Beatriz Stella de Azevedo Affonso said that the "truth committees" have already been created in several countries in Latin America, such as(:) Argentina, Chile and Peru.

According to Beatriz Affonso, one of the most important was the Truth Committee for the Reconciliation of Peru, created in 2001 by President Paniagua, who replaced Alberto Fujimori as President. Several cases reviewed by this committee were referred to the Inter-American Human Rights and their investigations resulted in prosecutions, such as the one that put Fujimori in jail for crimes committed throughout his mandates.

In the case of Argentina, Beatriz Affonso said that the National Committee on the Disappearance of Persons was created in December 1983 by a decree of President Raul Alfonsin, shortly after the end of military dictatorship. In the case of Chile, the National Truth Committee on Reconciliation was created in 1990 by a decree of President Patricio Aylwin soon after General Pinochet left office.

Central America
In Central America, one of the cases cited was that of El Salvador, in which the Truth Commission was created through the Mexico Agreement in April 1991, and was attended by the two sides that were participating in the struggle in the country.

In Guatemala, a Committee for Historical Clarification was created in July 1994, through the Oslo Agreement. As in El Salvador, this committee brought together the national government and the guerrillas. Their recommendations reinforced the need for legislative and institutional changes.

The Truth Committee of Panama was created in January 2001 by a decree of the Executive. Still in operation, this committee contains representatives of the Catholic Church, who have taken charge of the work, and of civil society. The goal is to clarify the human rights violations committed during the military regime in Panama (1968-1989).

Report - Juliano Pires
Edition - Pierre Triboli
Translation – Danielle Currlin