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.
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.
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
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from recent rains and floods across several central states has risen to 66, while the federal government has activated air bridges and prioritized assistance in 191 isolated communities.
“Unfortunately, 66 people have died, and 75 remain missing,” the president said during her morning press conference. She added that the official death toll will be updated later in a new report.
As of Tuesday, authorities had reported 64 fatalities. Sheinbaum also announced the creation of a public information center to centralize official data on the deceased, missing persons, damaged homes, and cut-off communities.
According to the president, the number of missing persons has decreased thanks to coordination with state authorities.
“Through calls to phone line 079, 103 people who had been reported missing have now been located,” she explained.
Priority Municipalities
The president noted that the federal government has classified 191 communities as ‘priority’, a designation based mainly on the percentage of homes affected.
International
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Ecuadorian authorities are investigating two explosions that occurred early Wednesday, one on a road in the southern part of the country and another under a bridge in Guayas province. These incidents follow the car bomb explosion in the coastal city of Guayaquil, also in Guayas, which occurred the day before and left one person dead and 30 injured.
Press reports indicate that one person was injured and several vehicles were damaged in the explosion on the Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje road in the south.
“Besides yesterday’s explosion in Guayaquil, we have received reports of explosives placed on bridges along the Guayaquil-Machala and Machala-Cuenca routes to disrupt traffic,” said Roberto Luque, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT).
On his X social media account, Luque reported that authorities have been deployed to the sites to assess the damage and determine the current condition of the structures.
“What they haven’t achieved with their call for a strike, some are trying to achieve through terrorism,” he stated, referring to the 24 days of protests organized by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) against rising diesel prices and other demands.
The protests, called at a national level, have Imbabura province as their epicenter. Roadblocks have also been reported in the northern part of Pichincha province, whose capital is Quito, while activities in the rest of the country continue normally.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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