Allegations of Corporate Human Rights Abuse in Latin America, 2000-2014: Insights from a New Dataset

Abstract

This article presents a new dataset of allegations of corporate human rights abuse in Latin America from 2000-2014. The dataset responds to growing interest in the role of businesses in human rights violations, accountability processes for corporate abuses, and possible remedies for victims. It is the first dataset of its kind that offers a tool for analyzing five types of allegations of corporate human rights abuse (physical violence, development and poverty, health, environment, and labor) and judicial or non-judicial remedy mechanisms associated with each allegation. Initial analysis of the data shows results that defy assumptions in the existing literature regarding which sectors are most likely to be targeted in allegations of abuse, who makes claims against companies, and the outcomes of those claims for victims of abuse.