International

UN expresses concern over rising violence in Ecuador

ONU expresa preocupación por aumento de la violencia en Ecuador

Photo: EFE

July 28 |

The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, expressed his “concern” the day before due to the recent increase in violence in Ecuador, mainly related to disputes between gangs for the control of drug trafficking.

In a statement, Türk acknowledged the challenges faced by Ecuadorian society and authorities in dealing with the wave of violence; however, he also asked that the states of emergency declared to deal with it respect the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality.

In this sense, the UN official recalled: “Emergency measures, including the use of the armed forces in public security tasks, may be applied, but must be limited in time and exceptional”.

He also urged a comprehensive reform of the criminal justice system, including prisons, after the last massacre in which 31 inmates died in the Penitenciaría del Litoral (Guayas province) and riots in other prisons of the South American country.

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In this way, Türk expressed his “great concern” for the violence in prisons and cities, as well as warned of the continuous deterioration of the Ecuadorian penitentiary system.

He also called on the Government to apply the policy of social rehabilitation of incarcerated persons, issued in 2022 and developed with the technical support of the UN Office for Human Rights.

It also expressed its concern about the “worrying setback” in the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples and recalled that, according to international standards, these communities must be consulted and not repressed about the use of their lands for mining projects or activities.

In Ecuador, on July 23, the mayor of the coastal city of Manta, Agustín Intriago, was murdered, and other public figures, political candidates and journalists have been attacked. In addition, in recent weeks there have been confrontations due to the enactment, on May 31, of the Executive Decree that allows companies to start mining operations without prior, free and informed consultation with the indigenous communities.

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”