The Condor Trials

Operation Condor is the coordination that occurred between military governments across borders in South America during the Cold War to repress those suspected of being subversives. Some fled their home countries, only to be apprehended, tortured, and sometimes killed by a neighboring regime.

As difficult as it has been to try those involved in national crimes, it has been even more challenging to do so in these legally complex cases that span numerous jurisdictions. Lessa, however, has been following these accountability efforts for over a decade, and writes a fantastic book about these battles, shedding light on not only the… show more.

The dictatorships of the Southern Cone of South America joined forces to detain, torture, and kill their perceived political enemies in the 1970s. Decades later, human rights lawyers, family members, and survivors joined forces themselves to bring those responsible for crimes against humanity to justice in the national courts of the region. Lessa, an Oxford researcher and long-time observer of these trials, writes this inspiring story of perseverance and hope. She explains the legal complexities of getting the defendants into court, trying large numbers of defendants, and hearing testimony from survivors scattered around the world about crimes committed long ago.