Internacionales
Latin America and the Caribbean continue to be regions with high homicide rates, according to UN study
December 8 |
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Global Homicide Survey has revealed that, in 2021, most of the countries with the highest homicide rates in the world are in Latin America and the Caribbean. Notable exceptions include South Africa, Myanmar and Iraq. Jamaica, in particular, stands out as the country with the highest homicide rate globally.
The Latin America and Caribbean region accounted for 27% of the 458,000 homicides recorded worldwide in 2021, consolidating its position as the most violent area on the planet, despite the overall downward trend. Countries such as Ecuador, Nicaragua and Panama are mentioned as exceptions to the general decline.
In 2021, eight of the ten countries with the highest homicide rates globally were in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to data compiled by UNODC. Not only does the region consistently maintain the highest homicide rate among all sub-regions, but it also led the world in the proportion of homicides related to organized crime.
Despite the high rates, the study indicates that the region has experienced a downward trend in homicide rates since 2017, especially due to the decline in Brazil. Between 2017 and 2021, the homicide rate in the region decreased by almost 14%. However, the evolution has been uneven, with some countries, such as Guatemala, experiencing increases in 2021 after years of decline.
Bolivia stands out as the country with the lowest homicide rate in the region, pointing to the diversity of situations in Latin America and the Caribbean in terms of security and crime.
Internacionales
Cuban Supreme Court Confirms Successful Completion of Prisoner Release
The People’s Supreme Court of Cuba announced on Monday that it has successfully completed the release of 553 prisoners, a process first announced on January 14. Among those freed were political prisoners, including opposition figures José Daniel Ferrer and Félix Navarro.
The announcement came shortly after Washington, in the final days of the Biden administration, decided to remove Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.
While Havana has insisted that the releases were a unilateral and sovereign decision, the United States maintains that the measure was part of an agreement mediated by the Vatican. According to U.S. sources, many of those released were participants in the July 11, 2021, anti-government protests, the largest demonstrations Cuba has seen in decades.
Cuban authorities have not provided a list of the released prisoners or a timeline for the implementation of the measure, despite multiple requests for information from EFE.
Internacionales
Russia calls Zelensky’s Washington visit a “complete failure” after altercation with Trump
Russia stated on Saturday that Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Washington was a “complete failure” following the altercation with Donald Trump, accusing the Ukrainian leader of being “obsessed with continuing the war” with Moscow.
The visit “was a complete political and diplomatic failure of the Kiev regime,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova in a statement. Zakharova accused Zelensky of being “incapable of demonstrating a sense of responsibility,” of “rejecting peace,” and of using “lies and manipulations to justify the continuation of hostilities and the reception of military and financial aid from the West.”
Zelensky’s visit to Washington on Friday turned into a verbal brawl before cameras worldwide, when his counterpart, Donald Trump, and Vice President J.D. Vance accused the Ukrainian leader of being ungrateful for U.S. aid and rejecting peace talks. Zelensky was prematurely escorted out of the White House without signing the agreement he had gone to Washington for, which involved giving up the exploitation of Ukraine’s mineral resources in exchange for security guarantees.
“With his excessively rude behavior during his visit to Washington, Zelensky confirmed that he is the most dangerous threat to the international community as an irresponsible warmonger,” Zakharova stated.
She also accused European leaders of “political weakness” and “baseness” for backing Zelensky after the “moral lesson” he received in Washington.
Internacionales
Lula criticizes Trump-Zelensky meeting: “Grotesque and disrespectful”
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated on Saturday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was humiliated during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, calling the scenes broadcast live by the media “grotesque.”
“I’m not a diplomat, but since diplomacy was created, there has never been such a grotesque and disrespectful scene as the one that took place in the Oval Office of the White House,” Lula told reporters in Montevideo, where he was attending the inauguration of Uruguay’s president-elect, Yamandú Orsi.
“Honestly, I believe that part of society thrives on disrespecting others, and it is impossible to talk about democracy without respecting other human beings. I think Zelensky was humiliated, and I believe that in Trump’s mind, Zelensky deserved it,” he added.
Earlier on Saturday, Lula met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier for a bilateral discussion. During their meeting, Lula stated that Europe would likely bear the responsibility for rebuilding Ukraine and maintaining NATO.
“It is very likely that Europe will be blamed for the disaster happening now, when in reality, it is not the fault of any specific country. It is a matter of irresponsible leaders who refuse to discuss peace and instead prefer to talk about war,” he argued.
Lula also reiterated Brazil and China’s proposal for a negotiated peace process, which would bring Ukraine and Russia to the table with other countries acting as mediators.
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