By Daniel Peralta

In a crucial step toward recognizing the rights of informal economy workers in Latin America, a high-level dialogue session was held last Wednesday evening with Javier Palummo, Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural, and Environmental Rights (REDESCA) of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
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During this event, organized jointly by WIEGO and StreetNet International, the results of comprehensive research conducted with the support of IIRESDOH in Guatemala, Honduras, Argentina, and Brazil were presented. The central objective was to highlight an alarming and systematic trend of human rights violations affecting those who engage in commerce in public spaces.

Denouncing precariousness and exclusion

The organizations present, including the National Federation of Independent Workers and Vendors of Guatemala (FENTRAVIG) and United Markets of Guatemala (ACOMU), FOTSSIEH (Honduras), UTEP (Argentina), and UNICAB (Brazil), presented the most critical findings from the national reports to Rapporteur Palummo:

• Criminalization and stigmatization: It was reported that municipal legal framework often disregard the right to work, fail to initiate regulatory and licesing processes for street vending, and instead use the police force to inspect these workers resulting in violent evictions, confiscation of merchandise, and the persecution of vendors.

• Unfit infrastructure: The lack of maintenance in municipal markets and the absence of basic services (water, sanitation, electricity) at workstations. As well as a complete lack of urban infrastructure to facilitate street vending.

• Exclusion from social protection: The absence of social protection systems and care policies that recognize the specificities of the informal sector.

• Legal uncertainty: The lack of legal frameworks to protect the job security of those working on the streets and in markets, as well as arbitrary non-compliance with existing ones.

A Necessary Dialogue for Change

Javier Palummo heard firsthand the testimonies and technical findings demonstrating that commerce in public spaces is not a matter of “urban order,” but a human rights issue. The reports submitted underscore the need for states to shift from persecution to regularization, based on the international standards of the ILO and the IACHR itself.
For StreetNet International and our member organizations, this meeting marks a milestone in regional advocacy. REDESCA’s acknowledgment of the findings in these reports is a powerful sign that our demands are being heard at the highest levels of human rights. We continue the fight for recognition, dignity, and the right to work in public spaces!

Daniel Peralta is from Guatemala, in the Americas region, and is a member of FENTRAVIG (National Federation of Workers and Independent Vendors of Guatemala). He is part of the media group of FENTRAVIG and currently serves as the Regional Communicator for the Americas at StreetNet International. As the child of vendor parents, Daniel has learned the importance of working hard every day to succeed and be a positive change for future generations. Inspired by Robert Baden-Powell’s words, “Try to leave this world a little better than you found it,” he is committed to making a difference through his work.