International
The regional director of UN Women hopes that the gender agenda in A will not go back. Latina
The new right-wing governments in Latin America have made a political handling of the gender agenda, but have not yet managed to make setbacks in access to basic rights for women, María Noel Baeza, regional director for the Americas and the Caribbean of UN Women, told EFE on Thursday.
“There are many screams, there are many political uses of the gender agenda, but I do not see yet – and I hope not to see it -, that legislative setback,” he said in an interview during a visit to Guadalajara (western Mexico).
He recalled that there have been effects on public policies in countries such as Argentina, with the government of Javier Milei, who eliminated the Ministry of Women and threw back the adolescent pregnancy prevention program, but at the legislative level this and other governments have not been able to close rights already achieved.
The UN official said that there is an organized force of women who are fighting from different countries to resist this rise of conservative sectors.
“As long as the legislative powers do not begin to change the laws, there it would be… there they find us (women) organized and in the street, activists. I hope that doesn’t come, because luckily governments last four years, so that’s changing,” he warned.
Noel Baeza pointed out that in the region there is an interest in advancing issues such as violence, sexual and reproductive rights, access to public and business governance spaces, to respond to the Beijing Platform for Action that 30 years ago laid the foundations for gender equality in the world.
He recalled that through reports managed by the Secretariat of the UN Commission on the Legal and Economic Status of Women, 160 countries are making progress in the challenges posed in terms of education, work or the eradication of violence.
“It was massive, it was impressive. No one wanted to be left behind in reporting, and positively reporting what they are doing. Which translates into positive votes, and is a very important indication that they are moving forward,” he said.
Noel Baeza participates in the VII Ibero-American Summit of Local Gender Agendas and the XV Ibero-American Congress of Municipalists that takes place in Guadalajara until May 30.
The representative of UN Women referred to the fact that Mexico has a president for the first time as an opportunity for there to be substantive changes in public policies focused on girls, adolescents and adults.
“When women enter politics, politics change. That is a very, very very said phrase many times, but it is true. A woman who is in politics begins by changing the reality of what equality means,” he said.
She praised the efforts of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to put women’s rights as a central part not only in public policies, but with budget and concrete actions, which profiles her as a leader in the region.
“All the women in the region are looking at Mexico and we are looking at her to support her in what we can. I think she will try to pay off that debt and of course the most difficult thing will be cultural change to avoid violence,” he concluded.
International
Looting Spreads in Venezuela’s Hardest-Hit Areas After Deadly Earthquakes
Not even the wires were left behind at a small grocery store. Before the ground had even stopped shaking, looting and theft began in the areas hardest hit by the double earthquake that struck Venezuela.
Reports of robberies have multiplied in the coastal state of La Guaira, located near Caracas and now transformed into a landscape of collapsed buildings and debris.
Videos circulating on social media show groups of people removing boxes of household appliances from a damaged store. Other images show similar boxes being carried on top of vehicles and motorcycles.
Social media platforms have also been filled with accusations against police officers and military personnel who allegedly stole from homes and even from victims who died during the disaster.
A branch of a major pharmacy chain was looted, along with supermarkets and other businesses. Some residents have described the situation as “disaster tourism,” while others say the looting reflects hunger and desperation among people who lost everything in a country already facing a prolonged economic crisis.
“Is it fair that our own people turn against our own people?” said María Esther Bernal, 71, who rented commercial spaces to Chinese merchants, all of which were looted. “They left nothing behind, not even the wallpaper. They even took the cables,” she said.
“Next door, a man died. He was Chinese. People walked over his body while they looted the place. It was a supermarket,” she added.
An AFP journalist witnessed looting in La Guaira since Thursday, following the earthquakes.
Jenifer Mayora, 34, defended some of the actions, saying that “the things people took were because the owners of the stores allowed us to take them.”
However, she criticized the limited response from authorities. “I have been waiting for a mattress so my children can sleep,” she said.
Residents have expressed anger over what they describe as a slow and insufficient response from authorities after the double earthquake, which has left around 1,450 people dead and tens of thousands missing.
Communities are demanding not only faster rescue operations in La Guaira, but also stronger security measures and urgent assistance with food, water, and medicine.
International
UN warns Venezuela earthquakes could affect up to 6.76 million people
Up to 6.76 million people could be affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, according to an assessment released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency.
The organization said the projections are based on available population data and damage assessments, and include up to two million people living in Caracas, the country’s capital.
The estimates highlight the potentially massive humanitarian impact of the disaster, the IOM warned.
Entire buildings collapsed in La Guaira, a coastal area north of Caracas, following the powerful twin earthquakes that reached magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 on Wednesday.
The national death toll has risen to 920, while rescue teams continue searching for people trapped beneath the rubble in coastal regions and other affected areas.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told AFP on Friday that more than 50,000 people were reported missing.
The IOM also revealed that it worked with Microsoft’s artificial intelligence laboratory on an initial satellite mapping analysis, which showed that 31.5% of buildings in the town of Catia La Mar had suffered damage.
Authorities and international rescue teams continue operations as Venezuela faces one of its largest humanitarian emergencies in recent years.
International
United Nations Coordinates Relief Efforts as Venezuela Death Toll Rises After Twin Quakes
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday expressed his condolences to the people of Venezuela following the two devastating earthquakes that struck the country and highlighted the ongoing coordination between UN humanitarian teams and interim President Delcy Rodríguez.
Speaking during the UN’s daily press briefing, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Guterres was deeply saddened by the loss of life and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.
“The Secretary-General is deeply distressed by the loss of life and the widespread devastation caused by the earthquakes that struck Venezuela yesterday. He extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured,” Dujarric stated.
Venezuela was struck on Wednesday by two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude. According to official figures, the disaster has left at least 164 people dead and 971 others injured.
Dujarric noted that preliminary reports indicate significant damage across several states, including the capital, Caracas. Numerous casualties have been reported, while other individuals remain trapped beneath collapsed structures or are still missing.
“Critical infrastructure has been damaged and essential services have been disrupted,” the spokesperson said.
The United Nations confirmed that its humanitarian team remains in close contact with interim President Delcy Rodríguez and other relevant authorities as emergency operations continue.
To support relief efforts, the UN has established a coordination center in Caracas and is assisting local authorities to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches affected communities as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Guterres also welcomed the expressions of solidarity and offers of assistance from countries around the world that responded following news of the disaster, underscoring the importance of international cooperation in addressing the humanitarian emergency.
Looting Spreads in Venezuela’s Hardest-Hit Areas After Deadly Earthquakes
UN warns Venezuela earthquakes could affect up to 6.76 million people
United Nations Coordinates Relief Efforts as Venezuela Death Toll Rises After Twin Quakes
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