The International Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights is a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group with the goal of eliminating racism and other forms of discrimination in Latin America. As part of its work, it advocates for sex changes and other medical treatments for transgender people to be free of charge. ¹

The group has received donations from George Soros’s Open Society Foundations. ²

Background

The International Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights was founded in 2000 with the goal of eliminating racism and other forms of discrimination in Latin America. The group has worked to encourage the Organization of American States to adopt a convention against racism, which it did in 2013. ³

The group operates in Latin American countries, the United Nations, the Organization of American States, and the European Union. ⁴

Advocacy

Human Rights Day 2023

In 2023, the International Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights published a post celebrating Human Rights Day. The report also criticized several Latin American countries for what it viewed as human rights violations. The report criticized Cuba’s communist dictatorship for passing new laws allowing it to further crackdown on freedom of speech and expression. The report criticized Nicaragua’s communist authoritarian regime for banning political dissidents from returning to the country and holding hundreds of political prisoners. The report criticized Colombia for not doing enough to prevent the assassination of activists. The report criticized Peruvian conservative politicians for trying to ban abortion and gender ideology in schools. Finally, the report criticized the Dominican Republic for deporting Haitian migrants. ⁵

Nicaragua

In October 2023, the International Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights attacked Nicaragua’s communist authoritarian regime for passing laws that it claimed threatened women’s rights. Nicaragua passed laws restricting non-governmental organizations and restricting the speech of women’s rights activists. The group attacked Nicaragua’s government for stripping Nicaraguan dissidents of their citizenship and denying them entry in the country. ⁶

In November 2023, the group attacked the Nicaraguan government for withdrawing from the Organization of American States and said that the government would not be able to avoid accountability. ⁷

Transgender Issues

In March 2024, the International Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights released a report to commemorate International Transgender Day of Visibility. The report criticized some Latin American governments for the lack of available hormone therapy, sex change surgeries, and other related medical treatments. The report called for, among other things, providing sex change surgeries and other transgender-related healthcare treatments free of charge. ¹

United Nations Dues

The International Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights joined with numerous other left-of-center and human rights groups to encourage nations to pay their United Nations dues. The groups also called for an increase in the United Nations budget. ⁸

Washington, D.C. Meetings

In October 2024, the International Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights hosted a delegation of Afro-Latino, Indigenous, and LGBT leaders for a series of meetings with the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Department of State, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The meetings were held ostensibly in reaction to the rise of the far-right in Latin America. ⁹

Funding By Left-Wing Foundations and Governments

The International Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights has received $675,000 from George Soros’s Open Society Foundations since 2021. ²

In October 2023, the Ford Foundation gave $275,000 to the group and increased the grant by another $35,000 in June 2024. ¹⁰ Earlier, the group received $150,000 in July 2018 from the foundation. ¹¹

In 2023, the group received $5,236,313 from the U.S. government, constituting most of its revenue. ¹²

Leadership

The International Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights executive director and founder is Carlos Quesada. Previously, he worked for Global Rights as director of the Ethnic and Racial Equality Program and as an advisor on the interests of LGBTI people. ¹³

Financials

According to a 2023 audit, the International Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights had $6,066,576 in revenue, $5,730,482 in expenses, and $1,432,729 in assets. ¹²

1. “Trans Visibility Day: Access to Healthcare Is a Human Right, Not a Privilege.” Race and Equality , March 31, 2024. https://raceandequality.org/resources/trans-visibility-day-access-to-healthcare-is-a-human-right-not-a-privilege/.
2. “Awarded Grants.” Open Society Foundations . Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=International%2BInstitute%2Bon%2BRace%2C%2BEquality%2Band%2BHuman%2BRights
3.  “About Cirdi.” CIRDI 2024. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://cirdi2024.org/en/about-cirdi.
4. “Race and Equality Inc..” Race and Equality. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://raceandequality.org/
5. “Human Rights Day: In Search of Dignity, Liberty, and Justice.” Race and Equality . Accessed November 4, 2024. https://raceandequality.org/resources/human-rights-day-in-search-of-dignity-liberty-and-justice/.
6. “CEDAW: Laws Enacted by the Nicaraguan State Threaten Women’s Lives .” Race and Equality , October 24, 2023. https://raceandequality.org/resources/cedaw-laws-enacted-by-the-nicaraguan-state-threaten-womens-lives/.
7. “Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo Will Not Be Able to Evade Justice – Institutional Statement Regarding Nicaragua’s Exit from the OAS.” Race and Equality , November 17, 2023. https://raceandequality.org/resources/daniel-ortega-and-rosario-murillo-will-not-be-able-to-evade-justice-institutional-statement-regarding-nicaraguas-exit-from-the-oas/.
8. “UN Liquidity Crisis: Rights Groups Call on States to #payyourdues .” Race and Equality . Accessed November 4, 2024. https://raceandequality.org/resources/un-liquidity-crisis-rights-groups-call-on-states-to-payyourdues/.
9. “In the Face of the Rise of the Extreme Right in Latin America and the Caribbean, Afro-Latino, Indigenous and LGBTI+ Leaders Held Advocacy Meetings in Washington D.C. .” Race and Equality, October 17, 2024. https://raceandequality.org/resources/in-the-face-of-the-rise-of-the-extreme-right-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean-afro-latino-indigenous-and-lgbti-leaders-held-advocacy-meetings-in-washington-d-c/.
10. “147418 – The International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights.” Ford Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/the-international-institute-on-race-equality-and-human-rights-147418/.
11. “129727 – The International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights.” Ford Foundation. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/the-international-institute-on-race-equality-and-human-rights-129727/.
12. “Nternational Institute On Race Equality And Human Rights Audit.” ProPublica. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_audit/2023-12-GSAFAC-0000052397.
13. “Our Team .” Race and Equality. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://raceandequality.org/our-team/.