International cooperation for development has been treated since its beginnings as a tool for social and economic progress in less developed areas of the world. However, its direct relationship with the protection and promotion of human rights has always been pushed into the background. This article aims to outline the relationships between international cooperation for development and human rights in the case of Latin America. It presents a comparative analysis of the period of time when international cooperation has existed on the continent and it direct influence on the reduction of grave human rights violations. It begins with the narration of the presence of international cooperation on the continent in order to reach a comparison of the effect of this presence and the figures presented by the leading international organizations, regarding human rights violations and the new trends of cooperation for development with a focus on human rights.