Dr. Jo-Marie Burt is the Director of Latin American Studies, Co-Director of the
Center for Global Studies, and Associate Professor of political science at
George Mason University. Her research focuses on state violence, human
rights, and transitional justice; social movements and revolutions; and
democracy and civil society in Latin America. She brings to her teaching years
of experience working with human rights organizations in Latin America and
the United States, including Peru’s National Human Rights Coordinator; Peace
and Justice Service (SERPAJ)-Uruguay; and the Washington Office on Latin
America (WOLA), where she is currently a Senior Fellow. Dr. Burt has
published widely on Latin American politics and society in academic journals,
edited volumes, and in journalistic magazines and newspapers. She is the
author of Silencing Civil Society: Political Violence and the Authoritarian State
in Peru (Palgrave Macmillan, 2007; published in Spanish in 2009 by the
Instituto de Estudios Peruanos) and co-editor of Politics in the Andes: Identity,
Conflict, Reform (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2004). She is finishing a book
on the trial and conviction of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori for
crimes against humanity and is directing an ongoing research project on
human rights trials in Peru (rightsperu.net). Dr. Burt was previously the editor
of NACLA Report on the Americas.
The Latin American/Caribbean Speaker Series at the
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point presents
This event was made possible thanks to support provided by
College of Letters and Science
Chancellor’s Office
Office of Diversity and College Access
Student Government Association/Spanish Club
College of Natural Resources
College of Fine Arts and Communication
Department of Foreign Languages
Department of Political Science
Division of Communication
Department of Geography and Geology
Department of Sociology and Social Work
Department of Philosophy
Office of International Programs
School of Business/Economics
Department of English
Department of History
Program in International Studies
Program in Peace Studies
Program in Women’s and Gender Studies
History Club
Jo-Marie Burt
Professor of Political Science and
Director of Latin American Studies,
George Mason University
speaking on
GUILTY AS CHARGED:
THE HUMAN RIGHTS TRIAL OF FORMER
PERUVIAN PRESIDENT ALBERTO FUJIMORI
Thursday, October 25, 2012
7:00 p.m.
Room 221, Noel Fine Arts Center
Schedule of Events
Welcome by Dr. Jennifer Collins, Department of Political Science, and
Chair, Latin American/Caribbean Speaker Series
Introduction by Dean Christopher Cirmo, College of Letters and Science
Public Talk by Dr. Jo-Marie Burt
Q&A Session Moderated by Dr. Jennifer Collins
Description of the Series
The Latin American/Caribbean Speaker Series (LACSS) at UWSP was
founded in 2011 to promote awareness of political, social, economic,
environmental, and cultural issues in Mexico, Central America, South
America, and the Caribbean region. The series brings scholars, artists,
activists, and other specialists to our campus each year to share their
knowledge with students, faculty, staff, and the wider community. Reflecting
the interdisciplinary nature of the series, the LACSS committee includes
Assistant Professor Anju Reejhsinghani (History), Assistant Professor Jennifer
Collins (Political Science), and Associate Professor Elia Armacanqui-Tipacti
(Foreign Languages).
For more information about the series, including a list of upcoming guest
speakers, contact Dr. Reejhsinghani at areejhsi@uwsp.edu or (715) 3464122.
Guilty as Charged:
The Human Rights Trial of Former
Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori
A presentation by
Dr. Jo-Marie Burt
On April 7, 2009, former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori
was found guilty of four counts of grave human rights
violations and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Later that year,
the Peruvian Supreme Court upheld his conviction on appeal.
This trial and conviction of Fujimori is unprecedented. Never
before has a democratically elected president been convicted
for human rights violations, and never before has a former
head of state been extradited to face trial for such crimes in his
own country.
In this presentation, Professor Burt discusses the judicial
proceedings against Fujimori and the significance of the
verdict. Drawing on diverse theories in political science and
legal studies, Professor Burt explores the factors that made the
prosecution of Fujimori possible and considers the
implications of his conviction for democracy and
contemporary politics in Peru. She also reflects on how the
Fujimori prosecution fits within the broader context of
renewed accountability efforts in other parts of Latin America
and for the theory and practice of transitional justice, broadly
speaking.
The human rights trial of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori