▁human ▁rights , ▁dem ocracy ▁and ▁equ itable ▁development ▁in ▁Latin ▁America , ▁and ▁to ▁promote ▁alternatives ▁through ▁reporting ▁and ▁advoc acy . ▁It ▁reports ▁on ▁these ▁activities ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁inform ▁and ▁educ ate ▁policy - m akers , ▁religious ▁and ▁non - g overn ment al ▁organizations , ▁and ▁the ▁general ▁public ▁about ▁that ▁impact . ▁The ▁brief ings ▁of ▁W O LA ▁bring ▁policy - m akers ▁and ▁the ▁media ▁in ▁direct ▁contact ▁with ▁Latin ▁American ▁leaders ▁and ▁exper ts , ▁and ▁the ▁organization ▁works ▁closely ▁with ▁civil ▁society ▁organizations ▁and ▁government ▁officials ▁throughout ▁the ▁Amer icas . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁W O LA ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁Chile an ▁coup ▁d ' état . ▁The ▁first ▁long - term ▁executive ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁organization ▁was ▁Joseph ▁E ld ridge , ▁who ▁is ▁currently ▁the ▁chap lain ▁for ▁American ▁University . ▁In ▁its ▁early ▁years , ▁some ▁of ▁W O LA ' s ▁contacts ▁were ▁pri ests ▁and ▁n uns ▁who ▁lived ▁in ▁Latin ▁America ▁and ▁bore ▁witness ▁to ▁the ▁events ▁there . ▁ ▁W O LA ▁has ▁provided ▁U . S . ▁citizens ▁and ▁policy - m akers ▁first hand ▁information ▁from ▁Latin ▁America . ▁It ▁inform s ▁the ▁U . S . ▁government ▁about ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁U . S . ▁policy ▁on ▁the ▁region . ▁It ▁facil it ates ▁communic ations ▁and ▁helps ▁to ▁spons or ▁vis its ▁from ▁Latin ▁Americans ▁with ▁expert ise ▁and ▁experiences