International

Every four minutes a boy or girl dies in the world from an act of violence, says Unicef

At least one boy or girl dies in the world every four minutes from an act of violence, revealed the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) at the World Ministerial Conference to end violence against children, which will culminate this Friday in Bogotá.

“Every year, violence claims the lives of an average of 130,000 children and adolescents under the age of 20,” Unicef said in a statement.

According to figures from this organization, at least 90 million children alive have suffered sexual violence, while 650 million women were victims of abuse in their childhood, of which more than 370 million suffered rape or sexual assault.

Unicef also warned that almost 50 million teenage women (between 15 and 19 years old) have been victims of physical or sexual violence by their spouses or romantic partners in the last year.

Children, victims of episodes of violence

“Between 410 and 530 million male and male children (approximately 1 in 7) suffered episodes of sexual violence in childhood, including between 240 and 310 million (about 1 in 11) who were sexually raped or assaulted,” the organization added.

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Likewise, about 1.6 billion boys and girls suffer violent punishments at home on a regular basis and two out of three of them suffer physical and psychological aggressions.

“We are the first generation fully aware of the incidence, causes and costs of violence against children, and the first to know the solutions that give results,” said Unicef’s director of Child Protection, Sheema SenGupta.

Prevention measures

He added that if the world invests “in prevention measures, education and support services,” it can “break the cycle of violence and build a world in which children are safe.”

That is why UNICEF believes that this ministerial conference is an opportunity to intensify efforts to end violence against children.

From Thursday until this Friday, a hundred ministers and representatives from around the world are meeting in Bogotá to talk about topics such as bullying, digital violence, corporal punishment, recruitment or abuse.

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This conference is organized by the governments of Colombia and Sweden; the World Health Organization (WHO); the Special Representative on Violence against Children, and Unicef and it is the first time that so many countries meet to talk about this topic.

International

Marco Rubio warns Venezuela against military action against Guyana

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Venezuela on Thursday that a military attack on Guyana would be “a big mistake” and “a very bad day for them,” expressing his support for Georgetown in its territorial dispute with Caracas.

“It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they attacked Guyana or ExxonMobil. It would be a very bad day, a very bad week for them, and it would not end well,” Rubio emphasized during a press conference in Georgetown alongside Guyanese President Irfaan Ali.

International

Ecuador oil spill worsens as containment dam collapses

The collapse of a containment dam holding back part of the 25,000+ barrels of oil spilled from a pipeline rupture nearly two weeks ago has worsened the environmental crisis in northwestern Ecuador, contaminating rivers and Pacific beaches.

The Ecuadorian government attributed the March 13 pipeline rupture—which led to the spill of 25,116 barrels of crude—to an act of sabotage. The spill affected three rivers and disrupted water supplies for several communities, according to authorities.

On Tuesday, due to heavy rains that have been falling since January, a containment dam on the Caple River collapsed. The Caple connects to other waterways in Esmeraldas Province, a coastal region bordering Colombia, state-owned Petroecuador said in a statement on Wednesday.

Seven containment barriers were installed in the Viche River, where crews worked to remove oil-contaminated debris. Additional absorbent materials were deployed in Caple, Viche, and Esmeraldas Rivers, which flow into the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities are also working to protect a wildlife refuge home to more than 250 species, including otters, howler monkeys, armadillos, frigatebirds, and pelicans.

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“This has been a total disaster,” said Ronald Ruiz, a leader in the Cube community, where the dam was located. He explained that the harsh winter rains caused river levels to rise, bringing debris that broke the containment barriersthat were holding the accumulated oil for extraction.

International

Federal court blocks Trump’s use of Enemy Alien Act for deportations

A federal appeals court upheld the block on former President Donald Trump’s use of the Enemy Alien Act on Wednesday, preventing him from using the law to expedite deportations of alleged members of the transnational criminal group Tren de Aragua.

With a 2-1 ruling, a panel from the Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals affirmed previous decisions by two lower court judges, maintaining the legal standoff between the White House and the judiciary.

On March 14, Trump invoked the 1798 Enemy Alien Act, a law traditionally used during wartime, to deport hundreds of Venezuelans whom he accused of belonging to Tren de Aragua, a criminal organization that originated in Venezuelan prisons.

The centuries-old law grants the president the power to detain, restrict, and expel foreign nationals from a country engaged in a “declared war” or an “invasion or predatory incursion” against the United States, following a public proclamation.