Catamarca Province signs agreement to launch local torture‑prevention mechanism

The government of Argentina’s Catamarca Province signed an inter‑institutional cooperation agreement to establish a Local Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture (MLPT). The pact was signed by Governor Raúl Jalil and Vice‑Governor Rubén Dusso, together with Minister of Government, Security and Justice Alberto Natella, Provincial Defender Dalmacio Mera and Security Secretary Gastón Venturini Quiroga.

The agreement creates a framework to coordinate actions aimed at preventing torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in all places of deprivation of liberty in the province. It aligns with the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) and Argentina’s international human‑rights commitments. Key components include drafting a Provincial Adaptation Plan to the recommendations of the National Committee for the Prevention of Torture, information exchange among agencies, development of operational protocols, staff training and technical tools to enable the future functioning of the mechanism. The initiative, begun in late 2023, also seeks legislative backing through a forthcoming provincial law that will give the MLPT a legal basis.