International
Court blames Colombian State for lack of protection of social leaders
December 13 |
The Constitutional Court of Colombia, faced with the alarming increase of crimes against social leaders in the South American country, declared on Tuesday the “unconstitutional state of affairs”.
According to the court, the violation of the rights of social leaders is “persistent, serious and widespread” and the institutional capacity of the Colombian State does not guarantee the protection of this population.
In this way, the Court’s decision responds to a tutela action filed by 20 leaders and human rights defenders, who claim the constitutional protection of their right to defend their guarantees.
The decision, in addition to exposing the individual violations in concrete cases, recognizes the reasons why the life and personal integrity of the social leaders is at risk.
It presented the following list: threats and attacks continue, protection schemes do not have a differential approach to gender, ethnic, racial, cultural or territorial issues, protection measures, in some cases, are not sufficient to protect their lives and there are no policies to prevent the systematic stigmatization of which they are victims.
In this sense, the social leaders had requested that “the Attorney General’s Office adopt the necessary measures to give priority in a prompt, effective and adequate manner to the investigations related to threats against the population of leaders and human rights defenders”.
According to the Constitutional Court, the causes of the violation are not completely related to the absence of instruments or instances for the protection of the rights whose violation has been identified.
However, it also made it clear that “the lack of a plan articulated in a clear and precise instrument has contributed to the infringement of rights. In addition, there are serious deficiencies in the organization of available human and material resources, as well as probably insufficient budgetary allocations”.
The Court warned that the violation of the rights of social leaders in Colombia “may be due to the lack of institutional will to dialogue and interact jointly, and requires the authorities to make an effort to adjust their own behavior. In the opinion of the high court, this could contribute to address the structural flaws detected.
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
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