To commemorate the 18th International Day Against the Death Penalty, the PGA National Group, together with the Parliamentary Group on Human Rights of the National Assembly of Ecuador, organized a virtual seminar on “The Death Penalty in the Americas: A Problem of the past?”

The event, moderated by the President of the PGA National Group in Ecuador, Dip. Soledad Buendía, aimed at discussing the status of the death penalty in the region and how to promote its abolition or moratorium, considering the positive advances that have been made over the years. In her welcoming remarks, Dip. Doris Solis, President of the Parliamentary Group on Human Rights, stressed that although the death penalty does not exist in the South American region does not mean that it cannot return. Therefore, we must remain attentive to the issue and support the mechanisms for the prevention and fight against the death penalty.

The participation of two experts on the subject, Mr. Kevin Miguel Rivera, President of the World Coalition against the Death Penalty, and Ms. Asunta Vivó Cavaller, Executive Director of the International Commission against the Death Penalty, had the opportunity engage with Ecuadorian legislators and civil society members.

After offering a detailed analysis of the progress that has been made from a global perspective, Mr. Rivera highlighted that the trend in the region is towards the total abolition of the death penalty. A clear example of this progress is Barbados, which in 2019 eliminated the mandatory death penalty from its constitution. However, the President of the World Coalition against the Death Penalty stressed that despite great strides made in the region, for the eleventh time in a row, the United States is the only country currently carrying out executions. Considering this information, Mr. Rivera stated that:

The figures in the United States are worrying since they place the country at the top of the list of the countries in the world and in the Americas with the most people on death row and people executed. In general, as reflected in the figures, most of the people belong to vulnerable groups, namely Black, poor, marginalized, or from other countries. In fact, 15% of the people on death row in the United States are Latin American, which indicates a high degree of racism.

Furthermore, Mr. Rivera highlighted that, although the region maintains a generalized trend towards abolition, Caribbean countries have played a critical role in forming coalitions that have repeatedly voted against the United Nations call for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty. While this has been true for a long time, it is important to note that certain countries in the Caribbean are changing this narrative. For example, Dominica voted for the first time in favor of this General Assembly resolution and Antigua and Barbuda went from opposing to abstaining.

Ms. Cavaller highlighted that Ecuador is a clear example of a country in the Americas that has evolved positively towards the abolition of the death penalty, being a pioneer in this matter. She made special emphasis on the importance of ratifying international instruments such as the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Political and Civil Rights of 1989 and the American Convention on Human Rights, both ratified by Ecuador. In this regard, the Executive Director of the Commission commented that:

Although the death penalty is not prohibited under international law, there are international instruments that restrict its use. Ratifying these regional and international instruments, adopting strategic judicial actions, reducing crimes that lead to the death penalty, as well as promoting pertinent legislative changes, is the way in which, little by little, the death penalty has been reduced in the world and in the region.

Finally, the panelists concluded that, to continue this path toward abolishing the death penalty in the Americas, the region must make general commitments that in turn will influence other countries to join this movement. Both Mr. Rivera and Ms. Cavaller expressed that parliaments are decisive in eliminating this penalty, which is inhuman and degrading and that violates the most fundamental right, which is the right to life.

Both experts encouraged legislators, in cooperation with civil society organizations, to not only promote the drafting of laws that eliminate this practice, but also to hold conversations with counterparts and institutions in other countries to foster the necessary political will for its abolition and to promote greater support for the United Nations resolution calling for a moratorium on executions. As the PGA Secretary General, Dr. David Donat Cattin, clarified during the event that:

It was thanks to the political leadership and proposals of parliamentarians that PGA began to take a more decisive position on the death penalty. In 2013, PGA launched its campaign for the abolition of the death penalty with the aim to guaranteeing respect for the right to life and promoting justice systems that are based on the rule of law and the protection of human rights.