Legal immunity is not what it used to be for former presidents of Latin American countries. Earlier this week, the Guatemalan government sought the extradition of former president Alfonso Portillo (see photo on upper left: UN Photo #UNE4337 by Michelle Poir?), who is residing legally in Mexico . Ecuador has just arrested their former president, Lucio Gutierrez (see photo to right: UN Photo #UNE4388 by Michelle Poir), as he returned home from exile in Colombia . Peru continues to seek the extradition of former President Alberto Fujimori (see photo on left), who faces more than 20 charges, ranging from corruption to human rights abuses. Also this month, Chile?s Supreme Court stripped former military ruler Augusto Pinochet (see photo on right) of his immunity, and he now faces prosecution on tax fraud charges.

These recent stings of extradition requests and criminal charges against former presidents and military rulers must be viewed with a general level of optimism and even profound satisfaction. The process has begun to matter in an area that has historically been void of such a process. The military no longer acts as the judge, jury, and executioner, but rather a system of government has begun to develop wherein judicial powers are separate from other branches of government.