Mexico/Latin America: Mental Health and Human Rights

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) has been an important instrument in Latin America since it has determined representative changes at the legislative level in terms of human rights in different areas. It has contributed to the incorporation of non-discriminatory language, autonomy, access to justice, and freedom in decision-making. Its application has been especially immersed in concepts such as capacity, involuntary commitment, and interdiction. This chapter reviews the legislative framework of various Latin American countries, such as Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Panama, Venezuela, Peru, and Mexico, from the promulgation of the Convention in 2008 to date, in order to learn about the changes that have been made in recent years for the protection and promotion of human rights of people with disabilities. The concept of “not guilty by reason of insanity defense” is a subject that continues to be updated, although still being a subject that has had limited attention. Legislation continues to be modified as human rights gain further attention with the aim that these advances are the precedent for future progress in other countries towards meeting the aims of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.