International
Amnesty International warns that the world is on the verge of the collapse of international law
Amnesty International (AI) warned that the world is on the verge of the collapse of international law, due to repeated human rights abuses and frequent attacks on armed conflicts by States and armed groups, such as in the current crisis in the Middle East.
The non-governmental organization, based in London, released its report ‘The state of human rights in the world’ of 2023. It lists a series of abuses in different countries, such as the repression of dissent, the illegitimate use of force against protesters or arbitrary arrests.
This NGO also warned that the collapse of the rule of law is likely to accelerate with the rapid advance of artificial intelligence (AI) that, together with the mastery of large technologies, runs the risk of a greater violation of people’s rights if the regulation is still lagging behind.
At a press conference in the British capital to present the document, the secretary general of Amnesty International, Agnés Callamard, recalled that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948 designed for “all of us, without exception,” but that now the world is attending an “erosion of the rule of law due to massive violations in the name of terrorism and security.”
Many powerful countries, he said, are abandoning “humanity and universality” enshrined in that declaration, signed under the slogan of “never again” due to the atrocities of World War II.
“The Amnesty International report presents a bleak panorama of alarming repression of human rights and prolific violations of international norms, all in the midst of an ever-deepening global inequality, superpowers competing for supremacy and a growing climate crisis,” he said.
The Amnesty International report makes special mention of armed conflicts. It indicates that the violation of international humanitarian law, also known as “laws of war”, has had devastating consequences for the civilian population.
In many armed conflicts, government forces have launched ground and air attacks against populated areas. Using weapons with a wide range of action, while racism occupies a central place in some of these conflicts.
Specifically, the crisis in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories is linked to an extreme form of racial discrimination, Amnesty points out.
For the organization, the Israeli system of separation from the Palestinian people is based on the fact that Israel oppresses and dominates the Palestinian population through territorial fragmentation, segregation and control, the set-aside of land and property and the denial of economic and social rights.
In a conflict that shows no signs of diminishing, the evidence of war crimes continues to accumulate while the Israeli government mocks, in its opinion, international law in Gaza.
After the attacks perpetrated by Hamas on October 7, Israeli authorities responded with relentless air strikes against populated civilian areas that often annihilated entire families. Almost 1.9 million Palestinians were forcibly displaced. They restricted access to humanitarian aid that was desperately needed despite the growing famine in Gaza, he adds.
“Israel’s flagrant contempt for international law is aggravated by the failure of its allies to stop the indescribable shedding of civilian blood inflicted in Gaza.”
Many of those allies were the architects of that legal system after World War II,” said the secretary general.
Racial discrimination has also manifested itself in the responses to these conflicts, according to the report.
Many governments have imposed illegitimate restrictions on solidarity protests with the Palestinian population, he added.
The governments of Germany, Austria, France, Hungary, Poland and Switzerland – the document indicates – preventively banned this type of protest in 2023. Alleging risks to public order or national security that, in some cases, were based on racist stereotypes.
Dissidence was repressed through the adoption of strong measures against freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. While arbitrary detentions and imprisonments of human rights defenders, members of the political opposition and activists were documented. And his sometimes subjected to torture and other mistreatment.
According to the text, many States neglected economic injustices and the climate crisis. Governments often treated refugees and migrants in an abusive and racist way.
Among other things, AI denounces deeply rooted discrimination against women, LGBTI people and indigenous peoples. It emphasizes that multinational companies were part of abuses.
Amnesty focuses its report on several global trends: the treatment of the civilian population in armed conflicts, the growing offensive against gender justice, the disproportionate impact of economic crises, climate change and environmental degradation, and the threats of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence.
In his opinion, these issues represent critical challenges for human rights around the world. They demand a concerted response from the States to face them and avoid new conflicts or that existing ones are aggravated.
International
Petro expresses concern over fatal shooting during mass protests in Lima
Colombian President Gustavo Petro voiced his “concern” on Thursday over recent events in Peru, following the death of a protester reportedly shot during a massive demonstration in Lima against the government and Congress.
“I must express my concern over the events in Peru. A young artist has been killed in citizens’ protests,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The Colombian leader also noted that in Peru, “a popularly elected president remains imprisoned without conviction,” referring to Pedro Castillo, who led the country from July 2021 to December 2022 until he was removed by Congress following a failed attempted coup.
“This is a blatant violation of the American Convention on Human Rights,” Petro stated, adding, “I hope Peru seeks social and political dialogue to legitimize its public institutions.”
On Wednesday, Peru experienced widespread protests in several cities, with the largest demonstration in Lima in recent years, driven by citizens’ concerns over corruption and public insecurity.
During the capital’s mobilization, the Ombudsman’s Office confirmed the death of Eduardo Ruiz, 32, and reported clashes that left over 100 injured, including 78 police officers and 24 protesters, as well as ten arrests.
The Attorney General’s Office, investigating Ruiz’s death “in the context of serious human rights violations,” confirmed that the protester was shot.
International
Peru’s interim president José Jerí refuses to resign after protester’s death in Lima
Peru’s interim president, José Jerí, stated Thursday that he has no intention of resigning from the post he assumed last Friday, following the removal of former president Dina Boluarte, despite growing unrest over the death of a protester during massive demonstrations in Lima on Wednesday.
“I will not resign,” Jerí declared outside the Government Palace in Lima, where he returned on foot after making a surprise visit to Congress headquarters alongside Prime Minister Ernesto Álvarez.
Earlier, after leaving the Legislative Palace, the president acknowledged that the country is going through “difficult times” and condemned what he described as “a small group attempting to impose an agenda different from the citizens’ expression of discontent.”
Jerí expressed condolences for the death of Eduardo Ruiz, a 32-year-old man who died during Wednesday’s protest against the government and Congress, amid growing anger over corruption and insecurity.
“We stand in solidarity with his family,” he said, without offering further details about the incident, which has sparked outrage among Peruvians.
The president also described the demonstrations as “a legitimate civic expression” that later turned violent due to “certain groups seeking to provoke chaos by exploiting a peaceful citizen movement.”
“In a state governed by the rule of law, the rights of both demonstrators and security forces must be protected,” Jerí emphasized, adding that “as a result of that situation, this unfortunate death occurred outside the main area where the protest was taking place.”
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.
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