International

145 rights activists killed in Colombia in 2021: ombudsman

AFP

Colombia saw 145 community leaders and rights defenders killed in 2021, a year marked by anti-government protests that were brutally put down, the country’s human rights ombudsman said Monday.

The toll was lower than in 2020, when 182 killings were registered, the offices of ombud Carlos Camargo said in a statement.

Those killed in 2021 included 32 representatives of indigenous groups, 16 advocates for rural or agricultural communities, and seven trade unionists.

“We repudiate these acts that are mainly due to the criminal actions of illegal armed groups,” said the statement, without naming the alleged perpetrators.

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Colombia is officially at peace after signing a pact with the FARC guerrilla group in 2016 to end more than a half-century of armed conflict.

But it has seen a flare-up of violence in recent months due to fighting over territory and resources by dissident FARC guerrillas, the ELN rebel group, paramilitary forces and drug cartels.

The regions with the highest number of killings last year were the same in which fighting is fierce over thousands of hectares of drug crops or illegal mines.

Colombia is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for activists, according to observer groups such as Global Witness, which has identified the country as the deadliest for environmentalists, with 65 killed in 2020.

President Ivan Duque’s government accuses drug traffickers of being behind the killings in the country, which is the world’s largest cocaine producer.

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In May last year, violence also marred anti-government protests that were brutally put down by police and soldiers.

More than 60 people were killed in weeks of clashes and a clampdown condemned by the United Nations, United States, European Union and international rights groups.

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Internacionales

Parliament approves national celebration for Venezuela’s first saint

Venezuela will declare a National Day of Celebration on the date set for the canonization of Blessed José Gregorio Hernández, following its approval by Pope Francis on Tuesday, the National Assembly (AN) announced on Thursday. The chavista-controlled Parliament passed a resolution marking this occasion as a historic milestone.

According to the approved decree, this decision follows 75 years of anticipation from the Venezuelan people, who have long awaited the official recognition of the miraculous virtues of this revered figure.

The National Assembly also endorsed efforts to promote the life and legacy of Hernández, who will become Venezuela’s first saint. Additionally, a relic of the “Doctor of the Poor” (1864–1919) will be placed in the National Pantheon in Caracas, where Simón Bolívar’s remains rest.

The legislative body celebrated the upcoming canonization as a tribute to a man who dedicated his life to serving others, spreading a message of hope and love.

International

Colombian Education Minister fails master’s thesis for lack of rigor

Colombia’s Minister of Education, José Daniel Rojas, failed his master’s thesis due to a lack of theoretical rigor, according to the National University, a decision that sparked widespread criticism and mockery on Wednesday.

Local media quickly picked up the news, while social media users flooded platforms with jokes, asking, “What’s the ultimate irony for an Education Minister?”

Rojas’ thesis on “Guaranteed Employment in Colombia” for his Master’s in Economic Sciences was graded as failed due to “theoretical weaknesses and lack of conceptual rigor,” the National University (UNAL), the country’s most prestigious public institution, stated in a press release.

“Additionally, the student’s responses to the questions posed during the defense were not considered satisfactory,” the statement added.

International

Trump announces 25% tariffs on EU products, including cars

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that tariffs on European Union (EU) products will be set at 25% across the board.

“We will announce them very soon, and they will be 25% in general terms, applying to cars and all kinds of things,” he stated during his first cabinet meeting at the White House.

Trump reiterated his grievances against the EU, claiming that the bloc “does not accept [U.S.] cars or [U.S.] agricultural products.”

“They take advantage of us in a different way than Canada or Mexico,” he added. The Republican president once again cited the U.S. trade deficit with Europe at “$300 billion,” a figure the European Commission disputes, estimating it at €150 billion ($157 billion) in goods, and only $50 billion when factoring in the U.S. trade surplus in services.

“The EU was designed to screw the United States. That was the goal, and they succeeded. But now I’m the president,” Trump said, adding that European countries might consider retaliating, but “they won’t.”