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South America Newsletter October 2024
AIUK SOUTH AMERICA TEAM OCTOBER 2024 NEWSLETTER
Dear Friends
This month we bring you news from Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Peru.
Highlights are:
- Regional: Amnesty has called on seven South American Presidents to strengthen action to reduce the risk of wildfires after recent record fires had a devasting impact on indigenous territories
- Colombia: We have an Urgent Action calling for those threatening and harassing Jani Silva to be brought to justice
- Argentina: We have a new Urgent Action urging Congress to insist on the passage of a law to improve pensions for older people.
- Venezuela: Amnesty has called for the extension of the mandate of the UN’s International Independent Fact-Finding Mission for Venezuela
- Brazil: Global Witness reports that 25 land and environmental defenders were killed in Brazil during 2023
- Chile: President Boric has promised to push for the repeal of a dictatorship-era law that rules out most investigations of crimes against humanity committed under General Pinochet.
- Peru: Former President Alberto Fujimori, who was convicted of human rights abuses and corruption, has died aged 86.
- Uruguay: Human Rights Watch report Uruguay’s shortcomings in meeting the support requirements of people with disability
REGIONAL
August and September 2024 saw record fires across South America, with several millions of hectares burning not only in rainforests of the Amazon basin, but also in diverse ecosystems stretching across entire countries. Amnesty has published an Open Letter addressed to the presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru calling for governments to ramp up action to extinguish wildfires, strengthen efforts to abandon fossil fuels, protect territories of Indigenous Peoples and provide guarantees to environmental human rights defenders.
COLOMBIA
Amnesty has issued a new Urgent Action : On 10 September Jani Silva, a defender of land, territory and the environment in the Colombian Amazon (department of Putumayo), received a phone call threatening to “blow you up, car and all”. Jani and her association ADISPA have protection measures in place, provided by the government’s National Protection Unit (UNP). We call on the Colombian authorities to identify those responsible and to bring them to justice. Please take action. This is the letter we sent at our last meeting.
Global Witness reports that in 2023 Colombia was the most dangerous country in the world for land and environmental defenders ‘with a record 79 defenders killed last year compared to 60 in 2022, and 33 in 2021. With 461 killings from 2012 to 2023, Colombia has the highest number of reported environmental defender killings globally on record.’ [Read more…]
South America Newsletter September 2024
Dear Friends,
This month we bring you news from Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, and Argentina.
Highlights are:
Colombia: The UN’s Working Group on Business and Human Rights has found that ‘Colombia suffers from long-standing structural problems that have led to serious human rights violations’
Brazil: Amnesty International has launched a petition to urge the Brazilian Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship to implement the Program for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
Venezuela: Mass demonstrations, following the presidential election, led to hundreds of protesters being arbitrarily detained – there is an Urgent Action
Ecuador: In a new report, and petition, Amnesty International reveals how the Ecuadorian state is failing in its duty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, allowing the operation of gas flares.
Chile: The trial preparation has at last been held in the case against a former Carabineros officer accused of blinding Gustavo Gatica, Amnesty International Individual at Risk.
Peru: There have been important developments following the publication of Amnesty International’s report, Who Called On The Shots?
Argentina: Amnesty International had sent Congress a guide explaining problems with the Argentine pension system and the need for reform that guarantees retirees a dignified life.
COLOMBIA
In a an appeal to support Colombia’s peace process, WOLA, alongside 172 individuals and organizations, calls for immediate action to resume the peace talks between the Colombian Government and the ELN (National Liberation Army) and to extend the bilateral ceasefire that expired on August 3. The implementation of the Ethnic Chapter of the 2016 Peace Accord should be prioritised. This includes humanitarian relief and protection measures for indigenous and black communities. Negotiations ended when the ELN resumed its kidnappings and other illegal activities to fund the armed group.
In another setback to President Petro’s ‘Total Peace Plan’, Colombia Reports that EMC (Former FARC) commander “Ivan Mordisco” declared war on dissident guerrilla units that decided to negotiate peace with the government without his approval. ‘The declaration of war could have major consequences in southern Colombia where the Amazonas Bloc and the Jorge Suarez Briceño Bloc of dissidents operate.’
A gathering of 4,200 representatives of indigenous communities from the Cauca, where the war between armed groups has intensified, are in Bogotá seeking to meet President Petro. They demand that the government stop the fighting. Although they have yet to meet the President, they have achieved another goal, to obtain an ATEA (Territorial and Economic and Environmental Authority) decree for the Cauca region. This will enable indigenous communities to register their land claims and strengthen their legal position in respect of third parties. [Read more…]
Group Newsletter August 2024
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Europe Newsletter August 2024
Dear Amnesty activists and supporters. The Olympic games should be a time of celebrating diversity, but the French ban prohibiting Muslim women from wearing sports hijabs is excluding French athletes from taking part. Please join the on-line campaign to end discrimination in France. For any inquiries about France please contact our coordinator for Western Europe Jovana Bosnjak Jovana.Bosnjak@amnesty.org.uk
We also have a postcard action supporting the Saturday mothers in Turkiye. Please print the attached postcard templates and send cards to the Interior Ministry of Turkiye. For further questions please contact Chris Ramsey country coordinator for Turkiye chris.ramsey@amnesty.org.uk
How we respond to refugees fleeing wars and oppression defines us as a society and civilization. On 14th of June vigils and demonstrations were held in many European countries including Greece, Denmark, Germany, France, Bulgaria, Turkey, UK and others to call for justice for the 600 people who drowned when the “Adriana”, a clapped out fishing boat packed with refugees including many children, sank near Pylos Greece. Investigations by Amnesty, Human Rights Watch and the BBC point to the culpability of the Greek authorities particularly the Hellenic coastguard for this horrendous and preventable loss of life. Just this week Amnesty released a report investigating the suffering of people detained in the EU-funded Closed Controlled Access Centres in Samos Greece. And in Finland a new law on migration is a green light for violence and pushbacks at the border. For more information please contact Ulrike Schmidt Balkan and regional team coordinator Ulrike.schmidt@amnesty.org.uk
In Poland refugees are still dying in the forests pushed back and forth by Belarussian and Polish border guards. Refugees from Afghanistan, who have often helped Western troops and are persecuted by the Taliban are not receiving the welcome that Ukrainian refugees rightly receive. Used by Belarus and forcibly returned by Polish border guards refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and other oppressive and war-torn countries are forced back and forth over the border. Many, including children have died in the swampy and unforgiving forests. Our new coordinator for Central Europe Lucja Jastrzebska is giving us overview and updates. For further information please contact lucja.jastrzebska@amnesty.org.uk
Finally Amnesty has released a detailed report called “Under protected and over restricted“ about the right to protest in 21 countries. Chris Ramsey, our coordinator for Turkey has worked through the 209 pages of the report for us and produced a more digestible summary for us. For further inquiries please contact chris.ramsey@amnesty.org.uk.
Malta
El Hiblu update :
Apologies to all the groups who expressed an interest in adopting the El Hiblu 3. The Action circular on the case has still not been issued, and I finally received an answer from the research team: The courts in Malta are currently hearing preliminary issues, following the attorney generals decision to indict the El Hiblu 3. The first preliminary issue is that they are examining whether Malta has jurisdiction over the case. At the moment all we can do is wait. I will keep you updated as soon as I receive more information. In the mean-time all we can do is continue to write solidarity messages. [Read more…]
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