Archives as Agents of Accountability and Justice: An Examination of the National Security Archive in the Context of Transitional Justice in Latin America

This dissertation uses the National Security Archive as the unit of study to examine the roles and impact of archives in mechanisms of accountability for past human rights violations in Latin America. The National Security Archive, a research institution based at the George Washington University, collects declassified U.S. government documents related to foreign policy. The Archive's documentation and research about U.S. policy in Latin America during the Cold War has uncovered the planning and implementation of counterinsurgency operations by Latin American dictatorships and authoritarian regimes. It has also documented the U.S. government involvement and knowledge of these operations. These records have become vital to transitional justice mechanisms, particularly truth commissions and criminal prosecutions. The National Security Archive has been an active participant in these processes. This research examines the roles of the National Security Archive in mechanisms of past human rights abuses. Through case study research, it performs an analysis of documents, including court decisions, news, and resources from NSA. Semi-structured interviews were also performed. Particular attention is given to the Archive's work in Guatemala