Documents pertaining to WOLA initiatives or projects to be funded. Includes targeted mailings; lists of contacts and prospects for funding; application materials and guidelines; grant proposals; newsletters and other publications regarding funding institutions; WOLA activity reports over a long time span; correspondence with funding institutions; and information on funding institutions regarding past grants. International donor files often contain copies of form letters relating to the Advocacy Training Project, while others contain larger amounts of materials such as reports, correspondence, follow-up material, and proposals. Other initiatives focus on violence against women (see the Liz Claiborne files, box 2), and drug policy work (Century Foundation Files, box 2). U.S. prospective donor files include information on Oxfam, Century Foundation, and the Greenville Foundation. Files retain arrangement and titles of folders as received from WOLA.

Arranged in the following four subgroups: General Files, Appeals, Foundations, and Religious. Similar to the Development Subseries; contains folders pertaining chiefly to past contributors of grants or gifts to WOLA. See individual subgroup descriptions below.

Series is organized into the following subgroupings: Director's Files, History Files, Other Organizations, Planning and Financial, Program Assistant Files, SAETH Files, Additional Files, Initiatives and Activities Office Files, and Publications. Includes information on organizational planning, including retreats; facilities (office space, computer systems, and telephone service); staff travel; management training; finances (tax returns, financial reports); working groups; staff meetings; personnel (manuals, regulations, staff member files and staff activity reports, vacancies and hiring); event planning; and public relations. The historical files were created by staff and contain varied materials documenting the history of WOLA from its beginning to 2003. The files from the Director's Office are chiefly from Alexander Wilde's tenure; these are varied in nature and include reports, files on events, notes on various topics, drafts of WOLA's mission statement, board member files, and internal and Congressional memos.

Files maintained by WOLA assistants concern the management of WOLA programs and activities, and contain memos, press releases, clippings, and other documents regarding human rights projects and responses undertaken by WOLA and its staff. The actual project files are housed in the much larger Initiatives and Activities Series.

Production files for WOLA newsletters (English), and (Spanish). Folders contain proofs, notes, correspondence from readers, and other material. Some contain printed copies of the corresponding issue of the newsletters. See also the Geographic Series under individual countries or under the General Latin America Subseries for actual publication issues of many of WOLA's publications.

Clippings, correspondence, and files primarily concerned with Argentina's stance towards political expression and human rights. Most material is dated between the late 1970s and the early 1980s. Prominent topics include cases of extrajudicial imprisonment of dissidents by the government, several of which were brought before the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). In addition, some files document controversies over proposed sales of arms to Argentina by the United States and Argentina's support of conservative authoritarian regimes in El Salvador and Bolivia. Material was created by WOLA staff, including Rachel Nield and Coletta Youngers.

Files and clippings on the Bolivian state and economy, almost all of which concern drug policy in some way. Many of these document U.S. relations with Bolivia, particularly with respect to military aid to combat drug processing and trafficking. Some documents and reports also examine Bolivian economic development in the context of creating economically viable alternatives for coca farmers. Finally, human rights abuses, most at the hands of foreign-controlled drug cartels, are documented. Additional Bolivia-related material may be found in the Drug Policy Subseries of the Initiatives and Activities Series.

Files documenting WOLA's programs in Brazil. Much of the material relates to Brazilian elections, particularly that of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and possible alliances between politically left regimes in Latin America. Clippings and other material related to Brazilian agriculture are also included.

Divided into files and materials collected by Patrick Ahern and those created by WOLA. The majority of the material in this subseries chronicles the events surrounding the 1973 coup that installed General Augusto Pinochet as leader of Chile and the ramifications of this event over several decades. The Patrick Ahern Files consist of material collected by Ahern, a Catholic priest with an interest in liberation theology. The bulk of this grouping consists of printed material from a range of Chilean and internationally based sources, many of which predate or run concurrently with the coup. Material in the subject files subgrouping documents the immediate aftermath of the coup and the response of key actors in the United States. WOLA Files contain clippings, press releases, correspondence, and reports on human rights abuses and the Chilean political environment. These focus on U.S. relations with Chile including the bombing of exiled diplomat Orlando Letelier in Washington D.C. and the changing political climate in Chile in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Finally, files from the 2000s chronicle international attempts to bring Pinochet to trial for human rights abuses and the Chilean state's response to these efforts.

Organized in the following folder groups: Human Rights; Politics and Government; Printed Material; U.S. Relations; and WOLA Files. United States drug control policy (commonly called the War on Drugs) forms the backdrop against which nearly all files are set. Files chronicle the Colombian government's attempts to maintain control within its borders against drug cartels and guerilla and paramilitary groups. The United States' role in Colombia, both as a military advisor and as a critic of alleged human rights abuses by the military are documented. Human Rights files examine specific cases of rights violations as well as more general reports by Colombian and U.S.-based organizations. Material in the Politics and Government grouping cover domestic issues in Colombia, including elections, the administration of justice, and the faltering peace process between the state and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia–Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP or FARC) the largest guerilla faction in Colombia. Printed Material consists of reports and serials. Most are published by U.S.-based institutions (including WOLA), although some by Colombian government agencies and human rights groups appear as well. Files on U.S. Relations with Colombia include testimony before Congress; correspondence by members of Congress to other leaders in the U.S. and Colombia; and numerous debates about foreign aid to Colombia to combat drug cultivation and distribution. WOLA's efforts to shape the policy debate in the United States are documented in WOLA Files, the largest grouping. Correspondence with officials in the U.S. and Colombia, reports and information relevant to pending legislation (known to WOLA staff as "Hill drops"), material related to conferences and programs organized by WOLA, and files coordinating delegations to Colombia make up the bulk of these files. One compact disc entitled and one videocassette complete the subseries. Material created by WOLA staff, including Charles Call, Jason Hagen, Tina Hodges, Winifred Tate, and Coletta Youngers, whose names can often be found in materials or on file folders. Additional files related to Colombia may be found in the Drug Policy Subseries of the Initiatives and Activities Series.

Files on Costa Rican economy and politics, many relating explicitly to the Contra War. Covers the 1986 election of Óscar Arias Sánchez and Costa Rica's ongoing issues with debt service related to development aid. Relations with the U.S. figure prominently in this subseries, with respect to economic and military aid and Costa Rica's efforts to remain a neutral party in the Nicaraguan conflict. Also contains some material describing the state of human rights in Costa Rica, particularly relating to the counter-revolutionary forces (often called "Contras") that used Costa Rica's northern border as a staging area for incursions into Nicaragua. While nearly all files explicitly refer to Costa Rica, a few relate to the larger surrounding region and the Contra War more generally. Researchers interested in the Nicaraguan conflict should consult subseries on Nicaragua and Honduras as well.

Pertains chiefly to the U.S. trade embargo with Cuba. Organized into the following folder groups: Human Rights, Other Material, and U.S. Relations. Human Rights is the smallest group in the subseries and contains files and reports related to Cuban human rights concerns, particularly the topics of political dissidents and religious freedom. A number of general reports from human rights organizations are included as well. Other Material consists of general files related to Cuban political history; files associated with conferences and seminars, the bulk organized by WOLA; documents on Cuba's relationship with the (non-U.S.) international community; and files related to the status of churches in Cuba, particularly the 1998 visit by the Pope.

The bulk of the subseries is housed in the U.S. Relations grouping. Most of this material relates to details of the longstanding U.S.-imposed trade and travel embargo. Files in this group document escalations of the embargo policy, particularly the 1996 Helms-Burton Act (also known as LIBERTAD), as well as calls for its easement or removal by members of Congress, WOLA, and other organizations. Many files concern the removal of restrictions on humanitarian aid to Cuba, travel restrictions to the island for U.S. citizens, and efforts by farm lobbies to open Cuba to U.S. agricultural exports. Additional files document allegations of Cuban links to terrorist activities by U.S. officials after September 11, 2001 as well as arguments against these claims. Finally, copies of a declassified 1962 Defense Department memorandum outlining the possible instigation of armed conflict with Cuba (Box 107) and declassified reports on the trial of anti-Castro fighter Orlando Bosch in Venezuela are included. WOLA staff, particularly Liah Rosenblum and Geoff Thale assembled and maintained material in this subseries.

One folder containing information on a conference in Ecuador on anti-drug crop fumigation. Issues of the newsletter and a file of information on a sign-on letter protesting a break-in at the offices of the Fundación Regional de Asesoría en Derechos Humanos (INREDH) in Quito follow.

The bulk of the material on El Salvador focuses on economic and human rights issues raised by the civil war, which lasted for eleven years from 1981-1992, between the government and the leftist political party, the Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN). The subseries is separated into Economic Development, Human Rights, and Other Material. The Economic Development subseries includes newsletters, pamphlets, and other writings on development in El Salvador as well as reconstruction after Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and the devastating earthquake of 2001. Documents relating to agrarian reform, land transfers, and outsourcing of U.S. jobs to El Salvador also are found in Economic Development, as are records of international financial aid not contingent on human rights issues. Within Human Rights are records of international aid dependent upon the address of human rights violations (especially by the government's armed forces). Also encompasses clippings, formal reports, correspondence, and documentation of WOLA events revolving around elections, democratization, immigration, labor, judicial reform, criminal codes, and reform of the PNC (La Policía Nacional Civil). The majority of the material pertaining to U.S. foreign policy towards El Salvador appears in Human Rights, and these boxes contain original documents from the truth commission, the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL), the peace accords of 1992, and the FMLN. One VHS cassette produced by the American Jewish World Service appears at the beginning of this grouping. Other Material consists of issues of the Salvadoran magazine dated from 1991-1994 as well as copies of . Conference material, files on elections and the solidarity group El Salvador Policy Project complete the subseries. While nearly all files refer exclusively to El Salvador, a few also address Nicaragua-centered Contra War. Material has been arranged as received and only separated insofar as was necessary to generate the categories described above.

Spans the dates 1965-2007 with the bulk of the material dated between 1978 and 2005. Subseries is divided into the following folder groups: Economy and Development; Human Rights; Peace Process; Politics and Government; Printed Material; U.S. Relations; and WOLA Files. Material details the political situation in Guatemala from domestic and international perspectives. Most of the files in this subseries relate to the conflict between guerilla groups and the government that began in 1960 through the 1996 peace accords and the tenuous process of building civil society afterward. The bulk of the material concerns human rights in some way. WOLA personnel who created and maintained material in this subseries include Adriana Beltran, Hugh Byrne, Rachel Garst, Susan Peacock, and Bonnie Tenneriello, whose names sometimes appear in materials or on folders.

One folder containing Carter Center report on the 2001 presidential elections.

Arranged in the following groupings of files: Background Files; Elections; Human Rights; Individuals; Organizations; Police; Politics and Government; Printed Material; U.S. Relations; and WOLA files. Many materials in the Haitian series are in French or Haitian Creole but the majority are in English. Several issues of grassroots publications are found in the sub-series. Unless otherwise noted, subgroupings are unarranged.

Files, reports, and clippings, mostly on human rights. Human rights abuses include reports of "disappearances," torture, and killings by the military as well as more general reports on the status of human right in Honduras. The tenor and level of the state's efforts at reform in light of human rights abuses also figure prominently in much of the material. Additional material on Honduran politics and government includes files on elections and the administration of justice by the state. Some earlier files directly and indirectly refer to the Nicaragua-centered Contra War as well as Honduran relations with the United States, including U.S. links to the infamous Battalion 316, which became well-known after a series of newspaper articles in the in the mid-1990s. There are also several files on the National Police, responsible for a significant amount of human rights abuses in Honduras. The other files in this subseries are miscellaneous files, some created by WOLA and some photocopies of reports created by Honduran agencies. One videocassette, , an exposé on child labor in Honduran Export Processing Zones appears at the end of the subseries. Files created by WOLA staff, including Paula Church, Jared Kotler, and Bonnie Tenneriello.

Arranged in the following groupings of files: Background Files; Drugs; Economy; Elections; Human Rights; Organizations; Politics and Government; Printed Material; U.S. Relations; and WOLA files. The latter category consists of staff files on trips to Mexico, contact lists, and visit itineraries. The Mexico files chiefly center on political issues, with the largest grouping focusing on Mexican presidential and local elections during the 1990s and later. Other large groupings are for Human Rights - within which exist two boxes of files on events in the Chiapas region during the 1990s - and Organizations, which houses many information files on Mexican human rights organizations and associated movements. Many materials in this subseries are in Spanish. Several issues of grassroots publications can be found in the Printed Material subgroup. Unless otherwise noted, files are in unarranged original order as received. Descriptions of the subgroups follow below.

Chiefly concerns Nicaraguan politics and government. Files in this subseries do not directly address the 1979 revolution or its immediate aftermath, but to later events. Key topics include elections in 1990, 1996, and 2001; peace negotiations between the Nicaraguan state and rebel groups, and some assessments of the United States' role in Nicaraguan political affairs. Files are separated into the following folder groups: Human Rights, Peace Process, Politics and Government, Printed Material, and WOLA Files. Most files in Human Rights refer to abuses committed during hostilities between the ruling Sandinista (Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional, FSLN) government and the various counter insurgent groups commonly called "Contras." Reports on the FSLN's treatment of political dissidents also appear here. Peace Process files include copies of accords negotiated to end the Contra War as well as reports by international observers. The largest grouping, Politics and Government contains clippings, reports, and government documents related to national elections and constitutional law. Major election observers include the International Human Rights Law Group (IHRLG) and Hemisphere Initiatives. Printed Material focuses on Nicaraguan politics and government as well as human rights and includes a mostly complete run of from July 1993-September 1996. Finally, WOLA Files consist of correspondence and draft reports by WOLA and partner organizations attempting to influence U.S. policy towards Nicaragua. U.S.-Nicaraguan relations are a major component of this grouping, and some discussion of the role of the CIA in the Contra War can be found here. Files in this grouping document WOLA's efforts to influence policy as the shifting political climate of each presidential administration created different circumstances. Because the Contra War was international in nature, researchers interested in this subject are encouraged to consult subseries on Costa Rica and Honduras as well. Videocassette on Nicaraguan sweatshops and property rights can be found at the end of the subseries.

Files cover typical issues found in other series such as human rights abuses and reforms, politics and government, the economy, U.S. relations, and international relations. Specific topics include the Panama Canal, U.S. congressional activities, the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama and the trial of Manuel Noriega; drug policies and police forces in Panama; and the Catholic Church. Folders of information on human rights cases and organizations include analyses, conference reports, commentaries, and testimony. Main language is English although there are documents in Spanish from Panama. One folder contains a set of FBIS reports on Panama (the Foreign Broadcast Information Service is a U.S. government operation that monitors and translates news, speeches, broadcasts, and commentary from non-English sources around the world).

Arranged in the following groupings of files: Background Files, which contain clippings, notes, and articles on such issues as the economy, elections, U.S. and other relations (Japan, South Africa), land issues, culture, energy, and the military; Clippings, files created by WOLA staff on a range of topics and events; Elections, containing information on 1989 and 1991 national and municipal elections; Human Rights, with information on human rights abuses, cases, trials, the judiciary, and organizations (the latter is arranged in alphabetical order and includes Amnesty International, America Watch, Centre de Documentation Paysanne du Paraguay, and several labor organizations); Politics and Government, with extensive files on U.S. relations and aid, particularly focused on the congressional record (approximately 1976-1985) and U.S. Ambassador Clyde Taylor's role, as well as files on the Paraguayan government's structure and activities; and Publications and Other Printed Material, a variety of analyses and articles, including WOLA's own , 1988; and one box of printed material, chiefly reports on Paraguayan human rights and politics-indexed by title below. Many materials in the Paraguay series are in Spanish but the majority are in English. Particular topics covered in the Human Rights files include land reform, peasants, and labor issues. Several runs of grassroots publications are found in the Human Rights files, notably a set of issues of (1993-1995), a voice for indigenous peoples, especially the Mbya of eastern Paraguay.

Files in this subseries are generally related to the administration of Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000) and responses to it by human rights groups in Perú as well as associated solidarity groups in the United States. Most are concerned with efforts of groups, chiefly WOLA, to raise awareness or encourage action on human rights abuses attributed to the Fujimori regime. The vast majority of material was created or collected by longtime WOLA associate and fellow Coletta Youngers. Researchers interested in human rights in Perú are encouraged to consult the Coletta Youngers Papers, 1977-2004 and undated, housed in the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Duke. Subseries is divided into the following folder groups: Articles and Reports; Conferences and Programs; Correspondence and Memoranda; Human Rights Organizations and Cases; Politics and Government; and Visits and U.S. Policy.

One folder on Suriname's proposed truth and reconciliation commission. Includes a letter of support for this process from WOLA and paperwork for adding signatories. Information on Suriname's political background germane to the truth and reconciliation commission can be found at back of the file.

Mainly concerned with political events and human rights issues that arose during Uruguay's transition from military to civilian rule in the 1980s. The subseries is separated into the following folder groups: Background and Issues, Cases, Political Parties, Printed Material, WOLA Files, and Other Material. The Background and Issues group contains some research about the political history of Uruguay, but it is mainly composed of files about issues contemporaneous with WOLA's work there in the 1980s, including elections, human rights, the military, the press, and the 1989 referendum on the "Ley de Caducidad de la Pretensión Punitiva del Estado" (granting amnesty for many human rights violations committed under the military dictatorship of 1973-1985). The Cases files comprise correspondence and research about the 1976 assassinations of Uruguayan politicians Zelmar Michelini and Héctor Gutiérrez Ruiz. The Political Parties folders contain printed materials about the Frente Amplio, the Partido Colorado, and various communist and socialist parties in Uruguay. Journals and newsletters from various NGOs make up the bulk of the Printed Material group; organizations and/or publications represented here include , CELADU (Centro de Estudios Para la Democracia Uruguaya), CLAEH (Centro Latinoamericano de Economía Humana), IELSUR (Instituto de Estudios Legales y Sociales del Uruguay), and SERPAJ (Servicio Páz y Justicia). The WOLA Files consist mainly of newsletters, press releases, and other publications generated by WOLA, but also include correspondence, contact lists, and other office files. Finally, documents gathered under Other Material include general correspondence, letters to the United States Congress, and a variety of printed material and reports about Uruguay's history, politics, and current events. Arranged mainly as received, in groups of color-coded files, except for Other Material, which consists of folders that were either too few to constitute a group or whose organizational theme could not be determined.

Clippings, files and printed material on human rights, politics, and economic policy in Venezuela. Several files chronicle Hugo Chavez's first presidential electoral victory as well as challenges to his administration from politically right-of-center opponents. Files on Venezuelan economic policy are included, particularly concerning loans from international financial institutions and the role of oil. Material from human rights organizations including Red de Apoyo, PROVEA, and the Comité de Familiares de Víctimas del 27 de Febrero (COFAVIC) comprise most of the rest of the subseries. One folder containing the WOLA publication dated March 2003 begins the subseries.

Files pertaining to multiple geographic subseries. Divided into General Files and Printed Material. General Files include clippings on human rights, economic, and political issues across individual states. Some of these files address particular regions, including the Southern Cone and the Andes, while others refer to South America or Central America. As with the rest of the collection, most files are oriented around United States policy toward Latin America. However, the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the Organization of American States (OAS) figure more prominently in General Files. Conference and seminar-related documentation also appear in this group. Printed Material includes publications with the same broad scope as found in General Files. The largest component is a mostly complete run of Central America Report dated between 1985 and 1996. Other publications include a very early report by Americas Watch and numerous WOLA reports. Two boxes of printed material are unsorted. One videocassette, produced by the Inter-Church Committee on Human Rights in Latin America (ICCHRLA), and one audio cassette on ex-combatants in El Salvador and Nicaragua complete the subseries. Additional audio recordings on Latin America may be found in the Sound Recordings Series.

Files for WOLA's Central America Advocacy Training Program (ATP). The ATP's primary objective is to build the capacity of local civil society organizations to advocate for rights protection in their respective societies. Divided into folder groups for Administrative Files and Project Files. The Administrative Files mostly concern the activities of WOLA's Washington D.C.-based staff and cover a range of administrative topics, including office correspondence; grants and funding documents; project planning and external reviews of projects; office memoranda; and some research files. The Project Files mostly reflect the work of WOLA staff working in Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Material includes conference and workshop agendas; training and educational materials; and numerous project proposals for various Central American civil society organizations. Major topical groups include police reform, the administration of justice, and violence against women. Administrative files created by Central America-based offices may be found in the Administrative Files group.

Files documenting WOLA's involvement in various meetings on topics germane to its mission. Divided into folder groups for Events and Summits. Eventsconsist of conferences and other programs such as brown bag lunches, speeches by visiting scholars and dignitaries, and seminars. Most of these were organized by WOLA staff, though conferences organized by the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) are also included. Most events involve human rights in some way, though they cover the scope of WOLA's activities. Summits contain files related to major international meetings. The largest group of files relate to the Summit of the Americas, held in Miami in 1994 and in Santiago, Chile in 1998. In addition, material on a 1996 sustainable development summit in Bolivia and the Civil Society for Hemispheric Integration Project (CSHIP) are also included.

Files primarily relating to U.S. efforts to combat drug cultivation in the Americas and its sale in this country. Divided into the following four groups: Drugs, Democracy, and Human Rights Project; Research Files; U.S. Relations; and WOLA Files. Drugs, Democracy, and Human Rights Project (DDHR) files specifically pertain to the WOLA initiative of the same name, directed by Coletta Youngers and Eileen Rosin. The bulk of the material consists of drafts of papers and book chapters written for inclusion in , an edited volume produced as part of the project. Research Files include notes, clippings, articles, and reports collected by WOLA staff for the DDHR Project and other activities. Topics covered in this group include aerial fumigation of coca crops, drug-related money laundering, and aerial interdiction of planes smuggling drugs out of South America. Most files specifically refer to Perú, though documents on Colombia and Bolivia are also well represented. This group also includes a small run of issues of , and English language newsletter promoting crop substitution printed in Bolivia. U.S. Relations files directly relate to the policies and actions of various offices of the federal government. The bulk of these are files on various Congressional hearings on pending U.S. legislation or oversight of Executive Branch activities such at those by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) or the Executive Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Other files concern the CIA (most relating to allegations of drug profiteering in connection with the Nicaragua-centered Contra War), FBI, and various branches of the U.S. military. Numerous documents declassified through Freedom of Information Act requests are included, most concerning the ONDCP. WOLA Files include administrative planning documents, internal correspondence and memoranda, articles by WOLA staff, and material related to conferences on drug policy coordinated and/or attended by WOLA. Documents created by WOLA staff, including Charles Call, Eileen Rosin, John Walsh, and Coletta Youngers. Researchers interested in drug policy should also consult Geographic subseries for Bolivia, Colombia, and Mexico. The , also held by the Rubenstein Library at Duke, also contain pertinent files.

Files documenting the responses of WOLA, the larger NGO community, and state governments to the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Mitch, a massive storm that hit Central America in 1998. Files concern the countries most directly hit by the storm, most prominently Nicaragua and Honduras but also El Salvador and Guatemala. Material in this subseries chronicle WOLA's efforts to advocate for additional aid from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and to persuade USAID and other government agencies to sign on to the principles outlined at a meeting of world governments and NGOs in Stockholm, Sweden. The Stockholm Principles proposed a comprehensive restructuring of hurricane-affected countries that included enlarging and consolidating democratic civil society, improving agricultural and environmental practices, and reducing foreign debt. Printed material and reports by WOLA partners in the region, such as Confederación De Pueblos Autóctonos De Honduras (CONPAH) and Coordinadora Civil para la Emergencia y la Reconstrucción (CCER) are also included. Additionally, some files on appropriations and responses from the U.S. Congress and Executive Branch and the United Nations can be found here. Major topics include sustainable land practices; the plight of indigenous Central Americans and those of African ancestry; international donor nations and debt service reduction; and efforts to reduce prodigious gap between the wealthiest and poorest in the region. Files were created by WOLA staff including Vicki Gass, Eric Olson, and Geoff Thale. Geographic subseries for affected countries, particularly Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador contain some additional Hurricane Mitch-related files.

Documents the Washington Office on Latin America's efforts to influence U.S. policy, particularly with respect to drugs and foreign military and development aid. Consists of correspondence, Congressional debates, newspaper editorials, and memoranda related to pending U.S. legislation. Contains many information packets for Congressional policy aids known internally as "Hill drops." In addition to correspondence to members of Congress, a few letters to Secretaries of State, President Clinton, and foreign heads of state are also included. Major topics include the process of certifying the cooperation of foreign countries in U.S. anti-narcotics programs, particularly with respect to Mexico and Colombia; military aid and training assistance; Hurricane Mitch; and numerous efforts to protect funding for the Interamerican Development Bank's (IDB) Fund for Special Operations (FSO), which provides financial assistance to the weakest Latin American economies. Additional files on WOLA's legislative work can be found in individual Geographic or Initiatives and Activities Subseries, generally in folder groups for U.S. Relations or WOLA Files. Assembled and maintained by WOLA staff, chiefly William Spencer.

Consists chiefly of clippings falling into three categories: Editorials, Op-Eds, and Reprints. Editorials are generally written by major U.S. newspapers. Some packets sent to newspapers by WOLA accompany clippings. Op-Eds, generally written by WOLA-staff, also mostly appeared in major U.S. newspapers. Reprints come from a variety of domestic and Latin American publications. Some directly refer to WOLA activities or personnel. Topics cover the extent of WOLA's work, including most countries in the Geographic Series as well as initiatives on Drug Policy, Hurricane Mitch, and Rights and Development. Most files were organized alphabetically, though some additions are unarranged.

Files on diverse issues of economic development. The majority of material concerns financial assistance to Latin American countries from international sources, particularly international financial institutions (IFIs). Several multilateral development banks (MDBs) figure prominently, including the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB, IADB, BID in Spanish); and the World Bank (WB), especially the activities of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). Subseries is categorized into the following folder groups: Country Files; Indigenous Rights and Rural Development; Interamerican Development Bank; Labor; Multilateral Aid; Other Material; Printed Material; Trade; U.S. Foreign Aid; and World Bank. All groups are unarranged, except Country Files and Printed Material, which are organized alphabetically. Material created by WOLA staff, particularly Eric Olson.

Files primarily relating to Latin American security issues and U.S. involvement in them. Divided into the following folder groups: Police Reform; School of the Americas; Security Policy and Peacekeeping; U.S. Military; and WOLA Files. Police Reform files include country-specific folders for most of the countries in the Geographic Series, arranged in alphabetical order, regarding the conduct of civil authorities and associated human rights issues. A folder on police in Canada is also included. This section includes issues of , a Brazilian human rights publication in Portuguese; , a Spanish-language publication on regional security and demilitarization; and a legislative document from Venezuela's Camera de Deputados regarding Venezuelan federal police. School of the Americas folders encompass courses, enrollment, press, and domestic legislative debate concerning the US Army School of the Americas (USARSA,SOA) located in Fort Benning, Georgia. A large portion includes academic as well as legislative material regarding human rights training at the SOA. The SOA files also include two declassified intelligence manuals on asset acquisition and interrogation. Security Policy and Peacekeeping includes information on military expenditure and folders concerning Latin American militaries, namely Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, and one file on Ecuador and Perú. A number of printed publications and materials concerning the transition to new security strategies and policies is also included. This section also has a significant subsection of both United Nations files and files on arms trades, transfers, and terrorism. U.S. Military files concern American military policy toward Latin America and specifically concern physical placement of troops, economic aid, and educational training. The files include U.S. military budgets between 1989 and 1993 and significant subsections on civic action as well as military human rights training. WOLA Files are documents internal to WOLA regarding security-based initiatives and conferences. Specifically, information regarding the 1994 WOLA conference on police reform in Central America and Haiti is included. This grouping also includes the WOLA as well as drafts and proofs for and other WOLA publications.