International
One year after decriminalizing abortion in Colombia
February 22 |
Organizations, collectives and women celebrated this Tuesday a year since the decriminalization of abortion up to 24 weeks of gestation in Colombia, after the claim of the feminist movement in the country that led the Constitutional Court to endorse this right.
The Campaign for the Right to Legal Abortion, a leading organization for this right, stated that they are celebrating “the first year of Ruling C-055 of 2022, which decriminalized abortion up to 24 weeks. This historic achievement leaves us with new parameters and norms that we must know in order to defend our right. We continue”.
The Share-Net Colombia platform, for its part, valued that “this historic ruling protects the life, dignity, health and rights of women, girls, non-binary people and trans men, who can now access abortion freely, safely, free of charge and without criminal threats”.
In the case of pregnancy exceeding 24 weeks of gestation, the current law allows access to abortion if one of the three grounds contained in Ruling C-355 of 2006 is met.
Causa Justa por el Aborto celebrated “the power of the collective and the movement, which made possible the decriminalization of abortion”, while the slogans raised by women defend that “feminists are changing the world”.
“Our grandmothers gave us the vote, our mothers gave us the divorce and we gave them sentence C-055-22”, said the Colombian women a year after decriminalization.
Likewise, for other activists “migrant women can access abortion, regardless of our immigration status”, thanks to Causa Justa.
Senator María José Pizarro Rodríguez thanked the organizations and the women’s movement that accompanied the process “which guarantees the right to decide on our bodies and life projects”.
In supporting the resolution issued by the Colombian government on January 12 to avoid barriers to access to this right, feminist organizations, one year after the Court’s ruling, also warned of the challenges in guaranteeing this right.
For feminist activist Jennifer Pedraza Sandoval, not all women have the necessary information, while some medical personnel still lie and claim that it is illegal.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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