Time to Close Guantánamo

You’ve probably been somewhat overwhelmed by news coming out of the United States of America recently. One thing you may have heard little about is the detention facility at the US naval base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. This is now in its 20th year of operation, with 40 detainees who have been there for up to 17 years without trial.
With a change in administration its a unique chance to push for the closure of Guantánamo once and for all. There is a new report Amnesty Report you can download from here.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/amr51/3474/2021/en/
The Lewes Amnesty International group have a detailed blog post about this campaign and a variety of actions you can take. Please check it out here
http://amnestylewes.org/index.php/2021-time-to-close-guantanamo/

South America Newsletter

The February edition of the South America Regional Newsletter is now on the blog. The three volunteers do a huge amount of work, campaigning and coordinating the many human rights issues arising from this continent. This month there are updates from Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Argentina and Chile.
They highlight again the awful plight (and high mortality) amongst human rights defenders in Columbia – we repeat the focus from last month below, which has a link to a petition – please take action.
https://amnestyat50.co.uk/south-america-newsletter-february-2021

Protect Maria, Jani, Joel and Danelly

Colombia is the second most mega-biodiverse country in the world and is home to the Amazon, which makes up almost 40% of its territory. At the same time, it is the most dangerous country for those who defend our environment.

María, Jani, Joel, and Danelly are brave people who have been among the voices and protectors of our environment and natural resources in Colombia. In a country where the attacks that they suffer from usually go unpunished and authorities appear ambivalent about their safety, they are forced to risk their life on a daily basis to defend the water, oxygen, and food that we all depend on to live.

The Colombian Congress has the power to monitor that human rights defenders have the guarantees necessary to continue protecting the environment. Take action and call on the Colombian Congress to guarantee their safety and protection.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/get-involved/take-action/protege-a-quienes-nos-protegen/