Instituto de Defensa Legal presents "Constitution/Heart", an essential book on the defence of human rights in Peru

Author: Alexis Revollé (IDL)

Lima, 7 October 2025. In a context of growing threats to the rule of law and fundamental rights in the country, the Instituto de Defensa Legal (IDL) presented the book "Constitution/Heart: Social and legal contributions of the strategic litigation of the Constitutional Justice and Indigenous Peoples area of the Instituto de Defensa Legal (2012-2024)", written by lawyer and researcher César Bazán Seminario. The book is only in Spanish. 

The work systematises more than a decade of strategic constitutional litigation in favour of Indigenous peoples and vulnerable populations, proposing a powerful metaphor: to defend justice, one must act with the Constitution in one hand and the heart in the other.

A tool of resistance in difficult times

"Constitution/Heart" comes at a crucial time for Peru, in the midst of an onslaught against democratic institutions and human rights. The book documents historic legal victories, but also stands as a testament to resistance and a guide to how law can be a tool to empower the most vulnerable and avert suffering.

The publication delves into the stories behind the legal cases, giving prominence to the communities and leaders who have fought tirelessly to defend their dignity, territory, water and rights. As noted in its foreword, the book seeks to answer the question: "what is constitutional law for?", demonstrating that its ultimate purpose is "to restore a human dignity that should never have been taken away from us by highway robbers". The book, which can be read in its digital version at this link, details emblematic cases that have marked milestones in Peruvian jurisprudence, among them:

• The historical recognition of the Marañón River as a subject of rights, a struggle led by the Kukama Kukamiria women.
• The legal battle against racism in the media in the "Paisana Jacinta" case, led by courageous K'ana women from Cusco.
• The defence of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact (PIACI) against the denial of their existence and the depredation of their territories.
• The struggles against contamination by heavy metals in Espinar and by oil spills in Cuninico.

About the author

César Bazán Seminario is a lawyer, researcher, professor and consultant specialising in constitutional issues and socio-legal research. He holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Freiburg (Germany) and is an ALMA Fellow at the Arnold Bergstraesser Institut. He has been head of IDL's Citizen Security area and is the author of numerous publications. His training includes a Master's degree in Latin American Studies from the Free University of Berlin and a law degree from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, which gives him a rigorous and committed perspective to address the complex cases presented in the book.

"Constitution/Heart is an essential work for lawyers, human rights defenders, students, social leaders and all citizens interested in understanding how law, when exercised with conviction and empathy, can transform reality and build a more just country.

This publication was made possible with the support of Nia Tero, Forest Peoples Programme and Brot für die Welt.

Press contact:

Alexis Revollé - Legal Defence Institute

[email protected]

947209502