International
UN reports 3,960 gang deaths in Haiti by 2023
November 29 |
A report published on Tuesday by the United Nations denounces that the violence unleashed by gangs in Haiti has left more than 3,000 people killed and thousands more injured and victims of kidnapping, and called for an expedited dispatch of a multinational force to the island.
“The situation in Haiti is catastrophic. We continue to receive reports of killings, sexual violence, displacement and other violence, including in hospitals,” said Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The senior diplomat cited the report, which covers the period between the entire period and October 2023, as showing that killings by gang groups have left 3,960 people dead, 1,432 injured and another 2,951 who “have been kidnapped in gang-related violence”.
Last October the UN Security Council approved the use of a multinational force, commanded by Kenya – without the participation of the United Nations – to assist Haitian police forces in dealing with gangs.
Shortly thereafter, the African nation’s parliament froze the mission, demanding that the training and funding conditions established at the time of announcing the dispatch of the troops be met first.
Haitians, on the other hand, are wary of an armed presence with UN consent. The Caribbean country was cholera-free until 2010, when UN peacekeepers dumped infected sewage into a river. More than 9,000 people died from the disease and some 800,000 became ill.
Tuesday’s report focuses particularly on the Bas-Artibonite district, located in the center of the Caribbean nation, about 100 km from Port-au-Prince, the capital.
In Bas-Artibonite, the report says, 1,694 people were killed as of October of this year.
Violence in Haiti has reached alarming levels since gunmen assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse at his own residence in Port-au-Prince in July 2021.
Several suspects, of Colombian citizenship, as well as Haitian-Americans are either under prosecution or have already been convicted in the US in connection with the assassination.
The gangs have used sexual violence as a method of intimidating the population, the report said, something that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres himself had already denounced.
Following the report, the UN Panel of Experts on Haiti requested that the Security Council update the list of persons and entities under UN sanctions” for supporting, preparing, ordering or committing acts “that are contrary to international law.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
International
Trump Administration Considers Denying Green Cards Over Political Views
The administration of President Donald Trump is evaluating new immigration guidelines that could deny permanent residency to immigrants based on their political views, according to a report published by The New York Times.
The proposed measures, outlined in internal Department of Homeland Security documents, would instruct immigration officials to take applicants’ public expressions and ideological positions into account when reviewing green card applications.
According to the report, cases involving “possible anti-American and/or antisemitic conduct or ideologies” would need to be referred to higher authorities for additional review.
Even if applicants have not violated any laws, authorities could still reject residency requests if they determine that individuals have “endorsed, promoted, or supported anti-American views.”
Among the factors listed in the guidelines are participation in pro-Palestinian activities, actions considered antisemitic, and the burning of the U.S. flag.
The documents reportedly describe such actions as “heavily negative” factors in immigration evaluations, potentially blocking applicants from obtaining permanent residency and, eventually, U.S. citizenship.
The directives also place particular attention on demonstrations held on university campuses following the 2023 Hamas attacks against Israel.
However, flag burning has previously been recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court as a form of protected free speech under the Constitution.
The proposal has sparked criticism from immigrant advocacy organizations, including the New York Immigration Coalition.
Its president, Murad Awawdeh, warned that the policies could pose a threat to fundamental rights and freedoms.
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