The oppressed peoples of Latin America are abundantly represented these days in Washington. A human rights lobby, motivated by idealism of ideology rather than economic gain, carries an often eloquent approximation of the Latins’ case to Congress and the executive branch. These efforts are low-budget but high-key and, according to those being lobbied, can be every bit as influential as those of the sugar or arms interests.

Whether the lobby is truly effective at saving lives and protecting rights depends ultimately on whether the government it seeks to influence is effective at those tasks—and that remains an open issue in this contentious capital. The lobby, which already had established a rapport with sympathetic congressmen during Gerald Ford's presidency, now has at least as intimate a working relationship with the expanded human rights section of President Carter's State Department.