This month we bring you news from Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Argentina and Chile. Amnesty has issued new reports on gender-based violence in Colombia and Ecuador and on institutional racism in Brazil. A transgender couple from Paraguay has been chosen for this year’s Write for Rights Campaign and we encourage you to write solidarity letters and to the Paraguayan authorities on their behalf.

VENEZUELA

On November 25^th, hundreds of women protested in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas to end violence against women, according to the Agencia EFE news agency. Marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, feminist organizations in the country demanded state action, with non-governmental organization Provea stating that femicide has been made possible through “the abuses by, and the silence of, the state” (author’s translation). According to the register maintained by the non-governmental organisation Utopix, 193 women have been killed this year by men who form a part of their lives, meaning that a femicide has occurred every 37 hours. 

In addition, protesters have also marched for the decriminalization of abortion. The current Penal Code prohibits abortion in all cases except where it is an indispensable measure to save the life of the mother, otherwise, it is punishable by between six months and two years in prison.

On November 1^st, the International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan formally asked the Court to continue its investigation into alleged human rights violations committed in Venezuela. In 2020, Khan’s office found, in a preliminary investigation, that there was a “reasonable basis” to believe that “since at least April 2017, civilian authorities, members of the armed forces, and pro-government individuals have committed crimes against humanity”. The ICC has yet to make its decision on Khan’s request.

Researchers writing in the Lancet have found that mining activity in southern Venezuela is associated with hotspots in malaria transmission. The study noted that increased temperatures exacerbated malaria transmission in mining areas, with parts of Venezuela likely to be subject to rapidly rising temperatures because of climate change.  Much of Venezuela is subject to illegal mining, especially in the Bolívar state, where Human Rights Watch and the United Nations have found residents, including indigenous groups, suffer violence and sexual abuses at the hands of armed groups. Meanwhile, inhabitants of the town of Tumeremo have denounced the government efforts to dismantle illegal mining operations, citing the alleged arbitrary detention of individuals. Tumeremo has historically been the scene of violence due to government crack downs on illegal mining.

Talks between Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro and the country’s opposition parties, grouped under the Plataforma Unitaria, will resume, according to the Norwegian government, which will act as a mediator. Talks had already occurred over a potential political settlement between Maduro and the opposition in September 2021, but they broke down after Alex Saab, a key ally of Maduro and a Colombian businessman with business interests in Venezuela, was extradited to the United States on money-laundering charges. The Director of the non-governmental organization Justicia Venezolana, Lilia Camejo, has demanded that Maduro and the Plataforma Unitaria make political imprisonment part of the negotiations, with Justicia Venezolana stating that 320 individuals are currently imprisoned for political reasons.  [Read more…]

This month, we have updates on Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Argentina and Paraguay, as well as Amnesty’s call on governments throughout the region to fight inequality and discrimination.  You can sign a petition calling on the Colombian government to counter the discrimination and stereotyping of refugee Venezuelan women and LGBTIQ+ people; and another calling on the Brazilian authorities to counter police violence.

REGIONAL

In an open letter to heads of state attending the 52nd General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), Amnesty called on governments in the Americas to fight inequality and discrimination by adopting all measures necessary to ensure full enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights in the region.  Amnesty also called on them to guarantee protection for refugees and migrants who face high levels of violence and discrimination based on their gender, race, or nationality, among other factors.

COLOMBIA

The Colombian Ombudsman has reported that between January and September 157 social leaders and human rights defenders have been killed so far this year. This compares to 109 killings in the same period for 2021. Most at risk are indigenous, farming and community leaders.

Colombia’s Congress approved a bill that allows new President Gustavo Petro to negotiate the dismantling of illegal armed groups. The bill gives Petro congressional support for his ambitious “Total Peace” policy, which seeks to reduce violence caused by illegal armed groups and organised crime. The new law will allow illegal armed groups to move to temporary locations where orders for their capture and potential extraditions will be suspended until talks are concluded. ‘Total Peace’ policy is based on the principles of deepening ‘democracy, solidarity and inclusion’.

Amnesty has launched a petition calling on the Colombian government to step in and counter the discrimination and stereotyping of refugee Venezuelan women and LGBTIQ+ people in Colombia. These refugees experience violence every day on the street, in their relationships and at work.

The WOLA Colombia peace monitoring centre has published a thoughtful article on the ‘lopsided’ defence establishment’s approach to security. While Colombia spends more on defence, as a % of GDP, than any other Latin American country, it remains one of the least secure for its citizenry. By comparison, the amount it spends on developing rural areas (PDETs), justice and effective administration of these areas is tiny. [Read more…]