International
HRW assures that Sheinbaum “inherited a crisis” from López Obrador due to “extreme violence” in Mexico
The international organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Thursday that the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, “inherited a crisis” from her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018-2024), due to the “extreme violence” of criminal groups and “abuses” of the State.
HRW in its annual report on Mexico, the association maintained that Sheinbaum, “who took office in October, inherited a human rights crisis created by the extreme violence of organized crime groups and widespread abuses committed by state agents with almost total impunity.”
“His predecessor, López Obrador, made little progress to face these challenges,” he said.
In addition, he warned that Congress approved constitutional reforms in September, the last month of López Obrador’s presidency, which expand the role of the military in public security and “radically” transform the Judiciary, which could “perpetuate abuses and seriously undermine the rule of law.”
The New York-based group said that the homicide rate “fell slightly for the third consecutive year” in 2023, to 24.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to 25.9 the previous year, but six cities had rates above 100 in 2022.
Two out of three murders are committed by organized crime and, in the same proportion, firearms are used, of which 70% “arrive in Mexico through smuggling from the United States”.
Despite the “slight” reduction in homicides, “the number of reports of disappearances has increased,” said the association, which reported a total of more than 115,000 people missing in September, based on official figures.
“Many could have been killed and buried in the almost 5,700 clandestine graves that activists and authorities have discovered. Around 53,000 human remains were stored, waiting to be identified by the end of 2022,” the report noted.
HRW criticized López Obrador’s constitutional reform in September to remove the ban on soldiers from performing non-military functions in peacetime, give the Ministry of Defense control of the National Guard and empower the Executive to “deploy indefinitely” the Armed Forces.
In the last month of the previous government there were 232,761 soldiers, sailors and national guards deployed in the country, according to the report, which cited the death of almost 5,700 people in Army operations from 2007 to July 2024.
“The military has obstructed investigations and criminal proceedings into human rights violations committed in the past,” HRW said.
The document also cited the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which in 2023 pointed out that “it remains a widespread practice in Mexico and is too often the catalyst for mistreatment, torture, enforced disappearance and arbitrary executions.”
About 37% of those in prison that year were not convicted of any crime and more than 20% of those in pre-trial detention had been in this situation for more than two years.
HRW also documented almost 830,000 arrests of migrants between January and July 2024, “the highest figure ever recorded,” while in the north of the country the Mexican authorities arrest about 10,000 a month, including some with an appointment in the United States, and send them to the south by bus.
Although there was a record of more than 140,000 asylum seekers in 2023, “the highest figure in history,” the Mexican Commission for Refugee Aid (Comar) resolved less than 26,000 requests.
On the other hand, the association reiterated that “Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists and human rights defenders.”
Based on figures from the organization Article 19, there were 3,408 attacks or threats against journalists, 46 journalists killed and four missing from December 1, 2018 to March 31, 2024.
And in 2023, there were 14 murders of human rights defenders, according to the Cherry Committee, and 18 of environmental defenders, according to Global Witness.
International
Iran Rejects Negotiations With U.S. as Strait of Hormuz Remains Blocked Amid New Attack
Tensions remained high in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday after a vessel was hit by a projectile, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims that negotiations with Iran were moving forward and that the strategic maritime route could reopen as early as Tuesday.
Tehran denied that direct talks were taking place, but Trump insisted that discussions were underway and described the situation as a final opportunity for Iran to reach an agreement.
“This is the last chance they have to sign a good document,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz could happen “literally tomorrow” Tuesday.
The comments came after another escalation in rhetoric from Washington. Last week, Trump threatened Iran with military strikes before unexpectedly changing course on Sunday and announcing that negotiations with Tehran would resume.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai rejected the U.S. president’s version of events, stating that Tehran was not holding negotiations with Washington.
“At this moment, we are not negotiating with the United States. We are negotiating with Oman to guarantee safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” Baqai said.
Earlier, the Iranian official said that Tehran was close to reaching an agreement with Oman, which lies across the Strait of Hormuz, to reopen the crucial waterway that plays a key role in global energy trade.
The maritime route has remained blocked by Iran since the outbreak of hostilities following U.S. and Israeli strikes against the Islamic Republic on February 28.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced Tuesday that they had launched an attack against an airport in Saudi Arabia. The Iran-backed group had previously disrupted the passage of Saudi vessels through the Red Sea, an alternative route used for crude exports by the world’s largest oil producer.
The continued instability in the region has raised concerns over global energy supplies, as the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most important chokepoints for international oil shipments.
International
Lula Launches Re-Election Campaign Amid Rising Tensions With Trump
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is set to be officially nominated for re-election by his Workers’ Party (PT), marking the start of his campaign for a fourth presidential term.
The nomination takes place during the party’s national convention in São Paulo, Brazil’s economic hub, where around 3,000 supporters gathered to back the veteran leftist leader.
“Today I’m here because Lula’s policies changed my life and my family’s. Thanks to him, we finally own a home after eight generations without one,” said Cristiane Rosa Julho, a 51-year-old social worker attending the event dressed in the PT’s signature red.
Seeking the presidency for the seventh time in his political career, Lula is expected to face Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in next year’s election.
The 45-year-old senator is the son of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been jailed over his alleged role in an attempted coup following his defeat to Lula in the 2022 election.
The party convention opened with videos highlighting Lula’s social initiatives and speeches by four women praising his leadership, while supporters waved PT flags and held signs reading “We Want Lula as President” and “Brazil Is Not for Sale.”
The campaign begins amid growing tensions with the United States and President Donald Trump, a close ally of the Bolsonaro family who has openly backed several conservative candidates across Latin America.
Last week, Lula warned against foreign interference, declaring, “In Brazil, we do not accept anyone sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong.”
In July, the United States imposed two rounds of tariffs on Brazilian products, accusing the country of unfair trade practices. The measures followed earlier restrictions introduced in 2025, encouraged by Jair Bolsonaro’s son Eduardo Bolsonaro, in response to legal proceedings against the former president.
Lula has vowed to wage what he called a “war of truth against lies” in response to Washington’s pressure and accused Flávio Bolsonaro of undermining Brazil’s interests by allegedly helping the United States damage the country’s economy. The senator has denied the accusations.
The Brazilian president also claims Washington is attempting to influence the country’s political landscape in an effort to prevent his re-election.
International
Truck bomb attack near police station in Colombia leaves 14 injured ahead of presidential inauguration
A truck loaded with explosives exploded on Saturday near a police station in the Colombian city of Cúcuta, close to the Venezuelan border, leaving 14 people injured in an attack that occurred six days before president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella’s inauguration.
The blast took place in the early hours of the morning and was allegedly carried out by members of the National Liberation Army (ELN), who detonated a vehicle packed with explosives. According to the latest report from the Colombian Army, the attack injured 11 police officers and three civilians.
The explosion involved around 15 explosive devices, and two of the wounded officers are in critical condition and “fighting for their lives,” said William Villamizar, governor of Norte de Santander, the region where the attack occurred.
The incident comes amid Colombia’s worst wave of violence in the past decade, with armed groups expanding their presence in several areas of the country.
“I strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack carried out in Cúcuta against our National Police. Terrorism will not intimidate Colombia or break the determination of Colombians to live in peace and security,” De la Espriella said in a post on X.
The conservative lawyer, who has been described as a far-right figure, will take office on August 7, replacing Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s first left-wing president. The inauguration ceremony will be held in Cali, the country’s third-largest city and a frequent target of attacks by armed groups.
The United Nations condemned what it described as an “indiscriminate attack” that caused not only injuries but also “fear and distress among the population.”
De la Espriella has repeatedly warned about an alleged plot against his life. Meanwhile, President Gustavo Petro, who is currently visiting Cuba, has not commented on the attack. During his visit, Petro met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel to discuss what Havana describes as the United States’ “policy of suffocation” toward the island.
Iran Rejects Negotiations With U.S. as Strait of Hormuz Remains Blocked Amid New Attack
U.S. Defense Secretary to Close Multinational Military Exercises in Panama to Protect Canal
Lula Launches Re-Election Campaign Amid Rising Tensions With Trump
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International4 days agoEU Faces Migration Crisis After 60,000 Migrants Arrive in Spain’s Ceuta Enclave
-
International5 days agoChuck Schumer Unveils Proposal to Strengthen Oversight of the U.S. Presidency
-
International5 days agoFAO and WFP Seek $42 Million to Prepare Southern Africa for Unprecedented El Niño
-
International5 days agoTrump Administration Urges Latin America to Increase Defense Spending Against Organized Crime
-
International1 hour agoIran Rejects Negotiations With U.S. as Strait of Hormuz Remains Blocked Amid New Attack
-
International17 hours agoLula Launches Re-Election Campaign Amid Rising Tensions With Trump
-
International2 days agoTruck bomb attack near police station in Colombia leaves 14 injured ahead of presidential inauguration
-
Central America1 hour agoU.S. Defense Secretary to Close Multinational Military Exercises in Panama to Protect Canal