International

Violence affects resumption of classes in Ecuador’s coastal region

Photo: El Comercio

April 28 |

The high levels of violence and insecurity in Ecuador affect the restart of classes in the coastal region of the South American country, where the school year began days ago, but with students who did not join.

According to local media, hundreds of families did not send their children to classes in schools located in areas of the provinces of Guayas, Esmeraldas, Manabí and El Oro, for fear of crime, drug trafficking, hired killings and the actions of organized gangs.

The longest list of neighborhoods considered very dangerous is in the city of Guayaquil. The National Police ordered, since last Monday, that 169 schools located in the most dangerous neighborhoods of the Ecuadorian coast receive custody, for which a total of 1,172 agents were assigned.

This is in response to the Safe Schools plan, promoted by the Ministries of the Interior and Education, through which the police are mobilized in motorcycles and patrols, mainly during the hours of entry and exit to and from schools.

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In addition, the schools are monitored from the Integrated System ECU-911. For this purpose, there are eight operational rooms in the Coast and Galapagos, 1,572 officers and 901 cameras around the schools.

For his part, the president of the National Union of Educators in Guayas, Hilario Beltrán, questioned the plan; he warned that the patrols are not fully complied with. He also said that teachers and parents are concerned that students are being captured by criminal organizations for drug consumption and sale.

Last week, the official declared that the teaching units in the Coast of Ecuador have been the most affected by the winter and the earthquake of March 18; therefore, some students will not be able to return to classes due to the scarcity of resources for a distance or virtual modality.

International

Brazil offers to mediate Colombia-Ecuador tensions, calls for restraint

The government of Brazil has offered to mediate in the ongoing tensions between Colombia and Ecuador, while calling on both nations to exercise restraint.

In a statement released Wednesday, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the parties involved to act with moderation and seek a peaceful resolution to the dispute.

“Brazil encourages all sides to act with moderation in order to find a peaceful solution to the controversy. It stands ready to support dialogue efforts aimed at preserving peace and security in the region,” the statement said.

Brazil also expressed “serious concern” over reports of deaths in the border area between Colombia and Ecuador, noting that the circumstances surrounding the incidents have not yet been clarified.

The diplomatic move comes amid rising tensions between the neighboring countries, increasing regional concern over stability and security along their shared border.

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International

U.S. lowers travel advisory for much of Venezuela but keeps high-risk zones under warning

The U.S. Department of State announced on Thursday that it has lowered its travel advisory for much of Venezuela to Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”), reflecting what it described as improved security conditions in parts of the country.

However, the agency will maintain the highest Level 4 warning (“Do Not Travel”) for several regions, including the states of Táchira, Amazonas, Apure, Aragua and Guárico, as well as rural areas of Bolívar, citing ongoing risks such as crime, kidnapping and terrorism.

The updated advisory marks a shift from December, when the United States raised the alert for Venezuela to Level 4 nationwide, warning of severe security threats.

Despite the partial downgrade, U.S. authorities continue to urge caution, emphasizing that conditions remain volatile in certain areas and that travelers should carefully assess risks before planning any trips to the country.

International

EU lawmakers move to ban AI tools that generate non-consensual nude images

Members of the European Parliament are pushing to ban across the bloc artificial intelligence services that allow users to digitally “undress” people without their consent.

The proposal, adopted on Wednesday at committee level, aims to prohibit applications that generate non-consensual explicit images. Irish lawmaker Michael McNamara, one of the sponsors, said the measure seeks to stop tools that “have caused significant harm for the benefit of a few.”

Dutch MEP Kim van Sparrentak welcomed the move, calling it “a major victory, especially for women and children in Europe.”

The amendment, part of broader EU legislation on artificial intelligence, was approved by the Parliament’s civil liberties and internal market committees. It specifically targets systems that use AI to create or manipulate sexually explicit or intimate images resembling identifiable individuals without their consent.

The proposal will be put to a full vote in the European Parliament on March 26. If adopted, lawmakers and European Union member states will need to agree on a final version before it can take effect.

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Separately, representatives of the 27 EU countries recently backed a Franco-Spanish amendment seeking to ban AI services used to generate non-consensual sexual images or child sexual abuse material.

The initiative follows controversy surrounding a feature introduced in Grok, developed by xAI, which allowed users to create simulated nude images from real photos. The tool sparked widespread criticism and prompted an EU investigation.

In response, xAI restricted image generation features in mid-January to paying subscribers and stated it blocks the creation of sexualized images in jurisdictions where such content is illegal.