International
Colombia police sexually abused at least 28 during protests: Amnesty
| By AFP |
At least 28 people were sexually abused by police during Colombia’s mass anti-government protests last year, Amnesty International said Thursday.
Having received hundreds of reports of gender-based violence during that upheaval, the international rights NGO documented 28 cases in seven cities, including the South American country’s capital Bogota.
The cases detailed in Amnesty’s 68-page report, entitled “The police does not care for me: Sexual violence and other gender-based violence in the 2021 National Strike,” occurred between April 28 and June 30, 2021.
During that time, hundreds of thousands of people enduring economic strife caused by the pandemic took to the streets to protest against a proposed tax hike by then-President Ivan Duque (2018-2022), which he ultimately withdrew.
Police brutally cracked down on the unprecedented youth-led social uprising, with the UN reporting at least 46 deaths and accusing security personnel of serious human rights violations.
Erika Guevara, Amnesty’s director for the Americas, said at a Bogota event presenting the report that “state violence faced by the population… was part of a generalized pattern against the protesters.”
The Amnesty report details multiple instances of police, after deploying tear gas and other dispersal measures on peaceful gatherings, taking women aside and assaulting them.
The report also describes police insinuating to detained male protesters that they would be punished through sexual violence, before placing them in rooms where they were sexually assaulted.
“The common factor in all cases is the intention behind this use of violence: the perpetrators sought to punish the victims for contravening social gender norms and going out onto the streets to claim their rights,” the report says.
Deploring the lack of convictions for the sexual violence, Amnesty secretary general Agnes Callamard said: “The violence of the street translated into the violence in the judicial system translated into the violence of the system altogether.”
International
Texas Floods: Death toll rises to 68, dozens still missing
The death toll from the devastating floods in central-south Texas rose to 68 on Sunday, according to local authorities, as hundreds of emergency personnel and volunteers continue intensive search efforts.
Larry Leitha Jr., sheriff of Kerr County, one of the hardest-hit areas, confirmed that 59 of the victims were found in that county alone — 38 adults and 21 minors.
“We will continue the search until we find everyone,” Leitha told reporters Sunday morning, adding that the death toll is expected to rise.
Authorities in neighboring counties have also reported 9 additional deaths:
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3 in Burnet County
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1 in Kendall County
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1 in Tom Green County
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4 in Travis County
Leitha also reported that 11 children and teenagers from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp near the town of Hunt, remain missing.
In Kerr County, over 400 rescue workers from 20 different federal and state agencies are involved in the ongoing search and rescue operations.
Local officials have avoided giving a precise number of missing persons, as many visitors were camping in the area for Fourth of July celebrations and may not be accounted for.
More than 850 people have been safely evacuated, and eight were injured. Authorities reported over 160 air rescues.
Dalton Rice, city manager of Kerrville, noted that these are the worst floods the region has seen since 1987, when 10 teenagers died.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott requested a federal disaster declaration from the Trump administration and declared Sunday a national day of prayer.
According to the National Weather Service, more than 12 inches (30 cm) of rainfall were recorded in just 12 hours on Friday, causing the Guadalupe River near Hunt to rise to 32.5 feet (9.9 meters) — its second-highest level on record.
International
Salvadoran Day USA 2025 canceled amid fears of immigration raids
The Salvadoran Day USA 2025 celebration, originally scheduled for Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3, has been officially canceled due to security concerns related to ongoing immigration raids targeting the Latino community in the United States.
The Salvadoran Communities Unit in the United States (UNICOMDES) made the announcement through an official statement on its social media platforms, expressing deep regret over the decision.
“With great sadness, we announce the cancellation of the Salvadoran Day USA Festival 2025,” the organization stated.
According to UNICOMDES, the cancellation came after a thorough assessment of the current immigration climateand extensive consultations with immigration experts, local and Salvadoran authorities, media outlets, sponsors, and community members.
“Holding the festival would be irresponsible, as it is an open-air event where it is impossible to fully control who enters,” the statement added.
UNICOMDES also confirmed that the refund process for all funds collected for the event has already begun. The festival typically attracts thousands of Salvadorans across various cities in the U.S.
International
Mexico’s president blasts ‘Inhumane’ U.S. migration law
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated on Friday that any Mexican detained in the United States should be “immediately” returned to Mexico. Her remarks come in the wake of the opening of a new migrant detention center in Florida earlier this week.
Speaking during her daily press conference, known as La Mañanera del Pueblo, Sheinbaum emphasized that so far, no Mexican national has been held in the facility, which has already sparked controversy and has been nicknamed “the Alcatraz of the Alligators.”
She also criticized the new fiscal law signed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, passed by Congress just a day earlier. The law, which Trump dubbed the “great and beautiful tax reform,” includes significant tax cuts and sweeping reductions in public policies, reallocating billions toward national security and defense—including $170 billion to enhance border security, deportations, and the expansion of detention centers.
“We do not agree with a punitive approach to migration. Migration must be addressed through its structural causes, with cooperation for development,” Sheinbaum asserted.
The Mexican president labeled the Trump administration’s view of migrants as criminals as “inhumane,” and warned that such policies ultimately harm the U.S. economy. She pointed to the mass deportation of agricultural workers as an example of how these actions are already backfiring.
“These are hardworking people—people of good will—who contribute more to the U.S. economy than they do to Mexico’s,” Sheinbaum said, announcing that her government will strengthen support programs to ensure that affected migrants can return home safely and reintegrate into the workforce.
Texas Floods: Death toll rises to 68, dozens still missing
Salvadoran Day USA 2025 canceled amid fears of immigration raids
Mexico’s president blasts ‘Inhumane’ U.S. migration law
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
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