Subscribe to The Activist Files podcast on iTunes

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CCR’s new podcast, The Activist Files, is now available on iTunes! Subscribe here now. Our monthly series features the stories of activists, artists, and lawyers on the front lines fighting for justice. Be sure to listen to the first few episodes, featuring conversations with our partners on the ground fighting ICE's state repression and resisting the Bayou Bridge Pipeline in Louisiana. And check out our latest bonus episode, in which CCR Communications Director Chandra Hayslett interviews Senior Staff Attorney Pardiss Kebriaei on her visit to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, examining the history of lynching through a present-day lens. Never miss an episode of The Activist Files by subscribing here, and if you're in NYC, save the date for our listening party to celebrate our launch: June 21, 6-9pm.

Judge overturns unanimous jury verdict that found former Bolivian president guilty of massacre

Last week, a federal judge overturned the verdict of a unanimous jury that found the former president of Bolivia and his minister of defense responsible for extrajudicial killings carried out by the Bolivian military, which killed more than 50 of its own citizens and injured hundreds during a period of civil unrest in September and October 2003. The jury's decision, announced on April 3, came after a 10-year legal battle spearheaded by family members of eight people killed in what is known in Bolivia as the "Gas War." The jury awarded a total of $10 million in compensatory damages to the plaintiffs. The trial marked the first time in U.S. history a former head of state sat before his accusers in a U.S. civil court.

"The judge's decision to overturn the jury's unanimous verdict cannot change the truth, which the 10 jurors saw during the trial and affirmed after deliberating for nearly five days," said Teófilo Baltazar Cerro, a plaintiff and member of the indigenous Aymara community of Bolivia, who were victims of the defendants' decision to use massive military force against the population. "We have been fighting for justice for our family members for over 14 years, and we have no plans to stop now. We will appeal this decision."

Welcome, 2018 Ella Baker interns!

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This week, CCR welcomes our 2018 class of Ella Baker summer interns. CCR created the Ella Baker Summer Internship Program over thirty years ago to honor the legacy of Ella Baker, a hero of the civil rights movement, and to train the next generation of social justice lawyers. Interns will spend the summer gaining practical litigation experience on cases ranging from government misconduct to Guantánamo to international human rights, and build on their understanding of how movement-based lawyering can advance social change. Welcome, Ella Baker interns!