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Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)
Founded	1974
Type	Non-profit; NGO
Location	Washington, D.C.;
Fields	Human rights, advocacy
Website	wola.org

The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) is a United States non-governmental organization (NGO) whose stated goal is to promote human rights, democracy, and social and economic justice in Latin America and the Caribbean.^[1]

The Washington Office on Latin America aims to facilitate dialogue between governmental and non-governmental actors, to monitor the impact of U.S. foreign policy on human rights, democracy and equitable development in Latin America, and to promote alternatives through reporting and advocacy. It reports on these activities in order to inform and educate policy-makers, religious and non-governmental organizations, and the general public about that impact. The briefings of WOLA bring policy-makers and the media in direct contact with Latin American leaders and experts, and the organization works closely with civil society organizations and government officials throughout the Americas.

History

WOLA was founded in 1974 after the 1973 Chilean coup d'état.^[2] The first long-term executive director of the organization was Joseph Eldridge, who is currently the chaplain for American University.^[3] In its early years, some of WOLA's contacts were priests and nuns who lived in Latin America and bore witness to the events there.^[4]

WOLA has provided U.S. citizens and policy-makers information about Latin America. It informs the U.S. government about the effects of U.S. policy on the region. It facilitates communications and helps to sponsor visits from Latin Americans with expertise and experiences in human rights.^{[citation needed]}

In 1975, WOLA acted as advisors for congressional staff for the drafting of the first major legislation that put conditions on U.S. military aid abroad regarding human-rights practices.^[5]

In 2003, Joy Olson was named Executive Director, a position she held until 2016.^[6]

Activities

In 2010, WOLA made a presentation to the House Committee on Ways and Means on U.S.-Cuba Policy.^[7]

The organization works on issues such as drug policy, rural development, violence against women, organized crime and the rights of internally displaced people. Its focusses are split between nations and issues of health and security across the nations. It operates within four networks of non-governmental organizations: the human rights community, the foreign policy community, academic think-tanks, and the community of peace, justice, solidarity and religious-based organizations.^{[citation needed]}