This month, we update you on developments in Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Argentina,  Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile and Paraguay.  We alert you to three recent or upcoming Amnesty reports: on the use of repressive, mandatory quarantines under COVID-19 in three countries in the Americas; on the lack of protection for Human Rights Defenders in Colombia; and on the arbitrary detention, disappearance, torture and death of a retired Navy captain in Venezuela.

In other public statements, Amnesty has condemned the torture and excessive use of force by the Colombian police; called for a renewal of the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela; called for more investigation into the police force killings in Rio de Janeiro; and called on the Brazilian Government to return control of environmental monitoring and law enforcement to the appropriate civilian authorities in light of the alarming spate of fires in the Amazon.

We have one new and one updated Urgent Action for you: one relating to the killing of Roberto Carlos Pacheco, a Human Rights Defender, in Peru; and the other to the discovery of the body of Facundo Astudillo Castro, who disappeared after his arrest in Argentina.

REGIONAL

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, authorities in Venezuela, El Salvador and Paraguay have held tens of thousands of people in inadequate state-run quarantine centres without sufficient safeguards against human rights violations.  In the latest chapter of its series of reports on human rights in the Americas under COVID-19, When protection becomes repression: Mandatory quarantines under COVID-19 in the Americas, Amnesty has documented how the authorities in these countries have disproportionately held migrants, refugees, people returning to their countries of origin, and low-income communities in state-run quarantines, often in insanitary and sometimes inhumane conditions without adequate food, water and medical care.

The COVID-19 death rates reported for South America are among the highest in the
world. Peru has the highest death rate of any country in the world with 938
deaths per million. Other countries with high death rates include Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia.  This article reports on the impact on indigenous communities in the Amazon.

26 September was the deadline for countries to sign the Escazú Agreement.  24 countries, more than two thirds of the region, have signed it.  For it to come into force, at least 11 countries must ratify it and 10 have already done so.  The agreement, the first regional environmental treaty in Latin America and the Caribbean, sets new standards for protection of the environment and human rights that guarantee access to information, citizen participation and access to justice on environmental issues. It is the first international treaty to include specific measures for the protection of environmental rights defenders.

COLOMBIA

Amnesty is about to launch a new campaign with the report Why Do They Want to Kill Us? aimed at the lack of or ineffective protection that human rights defenders receive in Colombia. The report includes new cases and we’ll send you further details shortly.

Amnesty has issued a public statement condemning torture and excessive use of force by the Colombian police. This follows the death of the lawyer Javier Ordoñez at the hands of the police using Taser guns and the use of violence including firearms against people protesting his death. On 10 September, the Minister of Defence, who is responsible for the National Police, reported that 403 people were injured (194 of whom were members of the security forces) and 10 people were killed during these protests.

The Defence Minister has refused to comply with a Supreme Court order to curb police brutality and has threatened to imprison critics, according to Colombia Reports.

AP news reports on the large number of massacres that have resulted in the death of 230 people so far this year, double all last year’s killings. ‘The deaths signal a new chapter in the country’s long history of bloodshed. Rather than the previous national dispute between guerrillas and the state, violence in rural Colombia is now marked by a patchwork of local feuds between criminal groups that fight over drug routes, illegal mines and even gasoline smuggling routes.’ The disputes are mostly in areas that were vacated by the FARC following the 2016 Peace Agreement with the Colombian government. [Read more…]

Issues discussed 10th September:-

Moordown Community Centre (MCC)

MCC have been in contact with plans to reopen next week on 14th September.  Groups will be required to complete a risk assessment – DR has been in contact and MCC and they are devising their own to complete. However, the announcement this week of a maximum of 6 people per gathering has now made us returning next month unrealistic. We will hold a Zoom meeting instead on 8th October.

We did discuss other ways forward, such as adopting the model used by the New Forest group of having a small planning committee (that could be more flexible where it meets) and having bigger meetings with a speaker (which could now more easily be arranged to be over video platforms like Zoom), or “open forums”. The issue of whether, when MCC does reopen fully, we can still have people we don’t know turn up without  “booking in” was also discussed. But with so much uncertainty all ideas remain on the table.

Quiz Night

Sadly this is now unrealistic with current restrictions. Online charity quizzes are popular and can be investigated further. But with no desperate need for funds this wasn’t seen as a priority.

Write 4 Rights

With recent changes in restrictions its hard to predict how amenable the library will be to hosting an event. New practical issues were flagged up – disinfecting pens, maintaining distancing, etc – which will present new challenges if we need to implement. But how necessary would such steps would be?  Organisations vary enormously in how they apply COVID precautions. We will just have to be flexible and adaptable. But we remain hopeful of holding some sort of W4R event.

Speaker on Syria

JW from the New Forest Group had recommended booking the Revd Dr. Andrew Ashdown. She attended a Zoom talk of his on Syria and found it very informative (and well presented).  Whilst the talk will highlight the dire situation and flag up some Human Rights abuses, he is not an “Amnesty specific” speaker. We agreed to try and facilitate this on an evening in mid October or November.

Update

Andrew is agreeable to do this. He sent this information:

“The Syrian conflict: the human impact.”

Revd Dr. Andrew Ashdown has made multiple visits to Syria since 2014, (and visited the country several times before the way) and has travelled extensively in Syria as a guest of local Church communities.  He has visited communities close to the frontlines and most affected by the war, including many internally displaced, and refugees in Lebanon and Iraq.  Last year, he was awarded a PhD for his thesis on Christian-Muslim relations in Syria both before and during the war and the importance of the Eastern Christian paradigm in that dynamic.  His work will be published in a book by Routledge in November for global distribution.  As well as continuing a priestly ministry, Dr. Ashdown is Manager of Good Governance and Advocacy Development for an International Charity.

In this illustrated talk, Andrew will describe the complex, diverse religious and social landscape of the country, some of the realities on the ground during the war, and the human impact of the conflict.  There will be time for Questions and Discussion.

Local Groups Newsletter

DR has received this from AIUK and subsequently forwarded it to those at the meeting. He flagged up two items:-

Marielle Franco mosaic. This was done by the Southampton group by taking photographs walking around the city. The resulting mosaic is now in the Sea City Museum!

Auction of Promises. This was done by the Croydon group as a fundraiser. They put together “offers” by group members, circulated asking for bids, and raised 500 pounds.

DR will seek more information about both of these.

Update:

This is the Croydon groups list of promises

Auction of Promises, Skills and Experiences

1. A £25 Uber voucher
2. A succulent plant in a beautiful glazed pot from Prick, London delivered within the Croydon area
3. 2 tickets and 2 drinks for a Folk and Blues Night at Ruskin House once it re-opens.
4. A picnic by the sea to include transport for up to 2 people from Croydon and a short walk on a date to be arranged.
5. An Irish soda bread loaf, a lemon drizzle cake, a Fair Trade banana loaf and a jar of Fair Trade marmalade delivered within the Croydon area.
6. For those who love walking- a guided trail walk (any distance) on local footpaths-discover some hidden local gems.
7. A £50 Amazon voucher
8. Collection and disposal of rubbish to the municipal skip-one journey. Rubbish must be sorted into plastic, wood, metal etc and be in suitable bags where possible. Items must be able to fit into a small, family car. Paint and toxic or harmful waste will be rejected.
9. Language conversation practice in French or Kiswahili (holiday conversation standard only).
10. £20 Marks and Spencer voucher
11. A number of old National Theatre programmes- 1996-2018-delivered within the Croydon area.
12. A place on a virtual workshop. Details attached. 10 places available.
13. For those who love running a guided trail run (any distance) on local footpaths-discover some hidden local gems.
14. For those new to running an offer to run with you at your local parkrun-or help you to a new personal best. Perhaps you are new to running and want company for a bit of confidence. The person making the offer is not a coach or expert but she is happy to
offer tips or will try to answer questions from her experiences of running between 5-50 miles.
15. Eight scones, jam and clotted cream delivered within the Croydon area
16. A £50 Amazon Voucher
17. Guided tour of Cambridge colleges (free entry to colleges).

From Southampton Group:-

Thanks for getting in touch.   The collage of Marielle was something we had tried with an earlier case.  That was very well received.  When the lockdown was imposed, one of our group suggested we try this idea with a current case.  We took photos every day and sent them to our technical wizard to build into a mosaic.  He tried out three photos and, once we stepped up our efforts to send even more pictures the result was much improved.  I thought Richard Crossfield had sent all three mosaics to all the group working on Marielle’s case.  Just to make sure you get the right information, I’m going to forward your email to Giampaolo, our Chair and technical wizard. He will be able to give you details of the programme he used and can forward the final mosaics to you.

Campaigns

The latest newsletter from the South America team is on the blog; LP has forwarded the Eastern European newsletter; LF has received a huge amount of information relating to China and will forward. There hasn’t been a recent update on the Marielle Franco case file.

We did reflect that one of the consequences of not meeting up is we haven’t been writing letters, which has been a regular feature of our work. We will all try to rectify this individually.

Finances

As a consequence of not paying out postage or room hire, and no imminent commitments with cost implications, there are no concerns. We also received a donation of stamps earlier this year which would cover any W4R event if we can hold them.

Next meeting

Will be on October 8th pm on Zoom. DR will “host” again as we agreed to pay for a Zoom update to facilitate the speaker (although we will investigate other platforms). This can be cancelled after one month and will only cost 12 pounds. DR stressed he doesn’t want to take over as chair and we should revert to rotating the hosting if online meetings have to persist.

Please use the contact link if you want more information about issues above. Better still sign up for our newsletter to get regular updates.

Does owning this poster warrant two years in prison – see below?

[Read more…]

This month we report on human rights abuses related to measures taken by the authorities to combat Covid-19 in Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and Argentina. In Venezuela and Argentina the systematic human rights abuses by the security forces have been exposed during the pandemic. In Colombia, the killing, forced disappearances and threats to social leaders from armed groups have accelerated during lockdown. We cover the plight of indigenous communities to defend their land rights in Ecuador and to survive Covid-19 in Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil. We report an international landmark case concerning children’s rights in Ecuador and important decisions by the Supreme Courts in Colombia and Brazil. There’s Good News from Chile and Brazil and an Urgent Action for Ecuador on behalf of indigenous peoples of the Amazon.

REGIONAL

This article, originally published in El Pais, describes the deadly threats faced for centuries by the Indigenous people of the Amazon and across the Americas by uncontrolled extractive activities, now aggravated by COVID-19.

VENEZUELA

The daily number of COVID-19 cases reported in Venezuela has accelerated at the quickest rate yet in recent weeks. According to the organization Medicos Unidos de Venezuela, 71 health workers died from 1 July to 16 August, with 37 of those deaths coming in just the first 16 days of August. Amnesty has accused the authorities of failing to take action to protect the population, particularly doctors, nurses and hospital workers, and jailing those who speak out about their dire labour conditions.

Amnesty has joined 83 other national and international human rights organizations in a call on states at the UN Human Rights Council to renew and strengthen the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela. The Fact-Finding Mission was launched with a mandate to investigate human rights violations since 2014, with a view to ensuring accountability for perpetrators and justice for victims. Although the Mission has not been allowed to enter Venezuela, it will present its report to the Council in September, when its current mandate ends.

Human Rights Watch has accused Venezuelan security forces and authorities of using measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 as an excuse to crack down on dissenting voices and intensify their control over the population. [Read more…]

This month, we update you on developments in Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Ecuador and Chile.  In Colombia, enforced coca eradication threatens the livelihoods of rural communities while armed opposition groups are using repressive measures to enforce COVID-19 curfews in the areas that they control.   In Brazil, there is an increase in land seizures for illegal cattle ranching, Amnesty has called for an end to secret and illegal investigations against government opponents, and COVID-19 is out of control.  In Venezuela, opposition members continue to be subjected to government threats and attacks, while the UN has highlighted impunity for gross human rights violations and a government failure to investigate crimes linked to the mining industry. In Ecuador, Amnesty has called for an urgent action plan to protect indigenous communities from COVID-19.  In Chile, Amnesty has expressed concern for 27 detained Mapuche people who are on hunger strike.  We have two Urgent Actions for you, relating to a Human Rights Defender in Colombia and a missing person in Argentina.

COLOMBIA

ELN Guerrillas in Chocó, Colombia

Amnesty International has issued an Urgent Action on behalf of the Human Rights Defender Jani Silva, who has received death threats from an armed group called “La Mafia”.  They oppose the voluntary crops substitution programme that Jani Silva is promoting in the Putumayo region of Colombia.  According to NGOs, “La Mafia” is behind the killings of 14 persons in the Putumayo region since the COVID-19 lockdown started.  We are urging the National Protection Unit to increase the protection measures for Jani Silva.

Amnesty International has said that ‘The decision of Colombia’s Ministry of Defence to begin ground-spraying operations in coca plantations in some areas of the country could result in human rights violations in the campesino farming communities that depend on coca for their livelihoods. Moreover, beginning a process of forced eradication of crops could exacerbate the conflict in the country, leaving rural communities in an even more dangerous situation, particularly for social leaders. Operations to forcibly eradicate coca crops in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic are a death sentence for rural communities.  Spraying illicit crops not only means depriving rural communities of their only livelihood amid the pandemic, but it could also destroy legal crops, an important source of food.  In addition, these operations expose a population with limited access to health services to contagion.’

In a new report, Human Rights Watch found that in 11 of the country’s 32 departments armed groups have imposed curfews, lockdowns, and other measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19. To enforce their rules, the groups have threatened, killed and attacked people they perceive are failing to comply.  ‘Armed groups imposing measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 include the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas; the Popular Liberation Army (EPL); the Gaitanist Self-Defences of Colombia (AGC); and several groups that emerged from the 2016 demobilization of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas, often called “FARC dissident groups”.  Human Rights Watch has also documented that Contadores in Nariño and La Mafia in Putumayo have imposed Covid-19 measures.

Colombia has reported 267,000 cases of Covid-19 and 9,000 deaths and new cases and deaths are increasing at an alarming rate. The refusal of the government to lockdown Bogotá, as requested by its mayor, has resulted in the city’s ICUs being overwhelmed by Covid-19 patients, according to Colombia Reports.

The Internal Displacing Monitoring Centre states that 18 July a massacre in Tibú, in Norte de Santander, perpetrated by an organised armed group left 8 people dead and caused the displacement of 450 people from the area. [Read more…]