Inter-American Court condemns Peru for wrongful dismissal of port workers

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that Peru violated the rights of three former employees of the state-owned port company ENAPU. The workers were dismissed in 1996 during a government‑led staff rationalisation and were later reinstated, but the Court found that domestic courts had failed to provide effective judicial protection. The judgment ordered Peru to pay compensation, implement reparative measures and publish the decision as acknowledgment of responsibility.

Chilean academic María Cristina Melgarejo Sáez, a professor of law at the Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, acted as an Inter‑American public defender for two of the victims, Ernesto Yovera Álvarez and Gloria Cahua Ríos. She highlighted the prolonged denial of judicial guarantees and the impact on the victims' personal and professional lives.