Objective:

This article analyzes the potential impact that international institutions can have on the dynamics of collective memory within States through a case study of the reparation measures ordered by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in the case of “Prison Miguel Castro Castro vs. Peru” in 2006, which demanded the modification of the monument “Ojo que Llora”, located in Lima.

Methodology:

After a description of the context that led the Court to order the modification of the “Ojo que Llora”, designed to commemorate the victims of the armed conflict that took place in Peru between 1980 and 2000, the judgment’s consequences are analyzed in the light of concepts such as collective memory, official memory, memory disputes, underground memories, and places of memory. The selection of the Inter-American Court as the object of analysis is based on its unique ability, amongst regional human rights courts, to determine a myriad of symbolic measures such as reparations for human rights violations, including the construction and modification of places of memory.

Originality:

While the power of influence of a State on the collective memory of social groups is widely recognized and investigated in the field of memory studies, this research innovates by proposing considerations on the role of supranational institutions in this process.

Conclusions:

Studying the judgement’s impact allows for the observation of the influence that international institutions can exert on the collective memory within States. In this sense, the Inter-American Court’s practice of mobilizing places of memory in honor of victims of human right violations as a measure of reparation, despite being positive, demands great caution.