International
Europol warns of the increase in groups on the Internet to radicalize minors
Europol issued an alert on Thursday about the growth of groups on the Internet dedicated to “extremely violent child abuse” and warned that these communities seek to “normalize violence and corrupt minors,” by spreading ideologies that inspire “mass shootings, bomb attacks and other crimes.”
The European police coordination agency issued what is known as an “Intelligence Notification” to draw attention to the increase of these communities that “recruit both aggressors and victims” globally and function as “sects led by charismatic figures who manipulate and deceive” their followers to “control” them.
These groups, the agency explains, seek to “normalize violence and corrupt minors, promoting the collapse of modern society through terror, chaos and violence, and spreading ideologies that inspire mass shootings, bomb attacks and other crimes.”
The hierarchy within these groups is based on “the amount of shared content, where the most active members get higher ranks” and participants exchange “extremely violent material, including bloody images, animal cruelty, child sexual exploitation and depictions of murders,” said the Hague-based agency.
The aggressors use “video game platforms, live streaming services and social networks” to identify and attract their victims, and focus especially on vulnerable young people, in particular children between the ages of 8 and 17, including those who belong to the LGBTQ+ community, racial minorities or young people with mental health problems.
“In some cases, the perpetrators infiltrate online self-help or support communities, where victims seek help for their emotional problems,” he says.
The leaders of these communities use “various manipulation tactics” to attract their victims and “force them to generate explicit sexual content, self-harm, harm others or even commit murder.”
Among the methods identified by Europol is what is known as “love bombing”, which is explained as “extreme expressions of affection, understanding and kindness to gain the trust” of the minor.
As the relationship progresses, they collect sensitive personal data of the victim, before moving to “the phase of exploitation”, in which they force the minor to produce sexual content or commit acts of violence.
If the victim does not want to obey, the aggressors “threaten” to share the explicit images or videos with family, friends or on social networks.
“Once trapped in this network, minors become even more vulnerable. Detecting these criminal activities in time is crucial,” Europol warns, sharing a list of “warning signs” in children.
The agency asks to pay attention to, among others, its activities on the Internet (interaction with unknown contacts, use of encrypted communications or exposure to worrying content), social isolation, emotional distress, interest in violent or harmful content, change in language, use of unknown symbols and concealment of physical signs of damage.
“The perpetrators spread harmful ideologies, often addressing our young people. These networks radicalize in the shadows, inciting them to bring violence to the real world. Awareness is our first line of defense. Families, educators and communities must be attentive and provide young people with critical thinking skills to resist online manipulation,” added Europol Director Catherine De Bolle.
De Bolle considered international cooperation “key” and urged to continue sharing information and holding perpetrators accountable, in order to “fight these dangerous communities and protect future generations from extremism and crime.”
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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