International
Two laws in force in Bolivia since 2014 allowed the marriage of 487 girls and 4,804 adolescents
Two laws in force in Bolivia guarantee that girls and adolescents up to the age of 17 marry males of legal age, which, according to complaints from human rights defenders of the Andean country, exposes them to sexual abuse, abandonment and unwanted pregnancies.
A recent report by the Ombudsman’s Office revealed that since 2014 the Bolivian State registered 487 marriages of girls and 4,804 links of adolescents, all with the consent of the parents of the minors.
These figures alarm Ariel Ramírez, director of the Munasim Kullakita Foundation (‘quiérete sirta’, in the Aymara language), who works on the problem of human trafficking, pimping, child pornography and sexual exploitation.
“We have forced unions, violations that become conciliations with the aggressor and reach marriage, or cases of rape that become marriages by conciliation. Behind these data we do not see the damages that are generated against the girls nor do you see the future problems they are going to suffer,” he told EFE Ramírez.
The legality of these marriages is based on Law 996 ‘Family Code’, which dates from 1988, and Law 603 ‘Code of Families and the Family Process’, promulgated in 2014.
The first rule states that women “before the age of 14 cannot marry,” but then indicates that “the judge can grant age waiver for serious and justified reasons.”
The second says that exceptionally, marriage can be constituted “at the age of 16, provided that there is the written authorization of those who exercise parental authority.”
“These records date back approximately 10 years and the legal regulations at the time allowed those exceptions to carry out those marriages with parental consents,” the national director of the Civic Registry Service (Sereci), David Dávila, confirmed to EFE.
Given the number of marriages registered in 10 years, Dávila said that it is worrying and that although marriages have been reduced in recent years, they still occur.
“Behind these issues of forced unions there is a total detachment from the State. We have had two cases of girls who were sexually exploited by their husbands. One of them took his friends to his house,” said the director of Munasim Kullakita.
According to Ramírez, among the short or long-term consequences is the abandonment of the husband when the adolescent is pregnant or the removal of relatives after getting married, which leaves the minors more vulnerable.
“I had to get together, I had no other choice, my family left me,” said a teenager interviewed by the Ombudsman’s Office, when asked why she got married.
“It was evident that many, when forced to marry, left their family environment to live with their husband’s family, which implies situations of physical, psychological or sexual violence,” the Ombudsman’s Office concluded in its report “Interrupted Dreams.”
“My father forced me” or “they forced me to marry” reflect the null consent that existed in these marriages, “forcing a girl or adolescent to assume roles of wife at a young age and for those who are not physically, psychologically or sexually prepared,” the institution said.
From the Sereci they reported that among the cases they received is that of a 15-year-old teenager who was taken by her parents to a notary’s s Office to marry a 78-year-old neighbor.
“When the civil registrar saw that age difference, he asked the girl if he agreed and she replied no, that her parents took her and then it was known that the reason for the marriage was an economic matter, her parents had debts,” the source who preferred not to identify himself told EFE.
The marriage was not registered because the teenager’s parents were convinced to suspend it.
According to the Sereci registry, in the eastern region of Santa Cruz there is the largest number of marriages of girls and adolescents. It is followed by the central department of Cochabamba and La Paz.
The investigations of the Munasim Kullakita Foundation agree that some parents take their daughters to marry adult boys because they abused them and became pregnant, or for an economic arrangement.
Ramírez emphasized that in the absence of State protection, which translates into the absence of children’s defenders and sexual and reproductive education policies, measures must be taken from all levels of the Government so that this problem comes to light.
Central America
Senator Van Hollen Meets with Deported MS-13 Member in El Salvador; Trump and Bukele React
U.S. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, representing the state of Maryland, held a meeting in El Salvador with deported MS-13 gang member Kilmar Ábrego García, a member of the criminal group classified by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization.
“Kilmar Ábrego García, miraculously resurrected from the ‘extermination camps’ and ‘torture chambers,’ now sipping margaritas with Senator Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!” wrote President Nayib Bukeleon X (formerly Twitter), sharing photos of Van Hollen, Ábrego García, and a lawyer sitting together at a Salvadoran hotel.
The deported gang member is seen wearing a plaid shirt and a flat-brimmed cap, seated at a table with glasses and coffee cups. The senator also shared images of the meeting on his own social media accounts.
Bukele reaffirmed that Ábrego will remain in El Salvador and will not be returned to the United States.
“Now that his health has been confirmed, he has earned the honor of remaining under the custody of El Salvador,” Bukele added.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the senator’s meeting with Ábrego on Truth Social, calling Van Hollen “a fool” for advocating for Ábrego’s return to the U.S.
International
Pope Francis Appears for Easter Blessing, Calls for Peace and Religious Freedom
Pope Francis, still recovering from pneumonia, appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Easter Sunday and, with a faint voice, wished a “Happy Easter” to the thousands of faithful gathered to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.
A month after being discharged from a lengthy hospital stay, the presence of the 88-year-old pontiff had remained uncertain, with the Vatican not confirming his attendance ahead of time.
Eventually, the pope made a brief appearance in a wheelchair shortly after 12:00 p.m. (10:00 GMT) to deliver his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing (“to the city and to the world”).
Although no longer wearing an oxygen cannula, the Argentine Jesuit relied on a close aide to read his Easter message, which touched on major global conflicts.
Francis condemned the “dramatic and unworthy humanitarian crisis” in Gaza and called for a ceasefire, while also expressing concern over the “growing climate of antisemitism spreading across the globe.”
He further emphasized the importance of religious freedom and freedom of thought, stating that without mutual respect, “peace is not possible.”
International
Thousands rally nationwide against Trump’s threat to U.S. democracy
Thousands of protesters gathered on Saturday (April 19, 2025) in major cities like New York and Washington, as well as in small communities across the United States, in a second wave of demonstrations against President Donald Trump. The crowds denounced what they view as growing threats to the country’s democratic ideals.
In New York City, demonstrators of all ages rallied in front of the Public Library near Trump Tower, holding signs accusing the president of undermining democratic institutions and judicial independence.
Many protesters also criticized Trump’s hardline immigration policies, including mass deportations and raids targeting undocumented migrants.
“Democracy is in grave danger,” said Kathy Valyi, 73, the daughter of Holocaust survivors. She told AFP that the stories her parents shared about Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in 1930s Germany “are happening here now.”
In Washington, demonstrators voiced concern over what they see as Trump’s disregard for long-standing constitutional norms, such as the right to due process.
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Pope Francis Appears for Easter Blessing, Calls for Peace and Religious Freedom
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