International

Abortion rights groups face new wave of Meta censorship across the Americas

Suddenly, every woman who wrote to the WhatsApp number of one of Mexico’s largest abortion information organizations received the same response: silence. The account had been blocked.

Weeks later, a Colombian collective experienced the same thing.

Organizations across the Americas that provide abortion support are denouncing a new wave of censorship on Meta’s platforms — including in countries where abortion is legal. They suspect a combination of factors: changes in Meta’s content policies and coordinated reporting campaigns by anti-abortion groups targeting their posts.

The censorship is not limited to Instagram and Facebook; it also affects verified and business WhatsApp accounts, which are crucial tools for providing thousands of women with information on sexual and reproductive rights — rights recognized by the World Health Organization.

Among the affected organizations is MSI Foundation (formerly Marie Stopes), part of an international network that has been active in Mexico for over 25 years. Its WhatsApp account was suspended in February. Colombia’s Oriéntame, a group with decades of work in reproductive health, was also targeted — labeled a “dangerous organization” by Instagram in April.

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Meta often cites violations of its policies to justify account blocks, but has also admitted to errors in some cases. Since January, the company has introduced a new content moderation system based on user comments, claiming it would reduce mistakes and promote greater freedom of expression.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed the policy shifts likely resulted from his criticism of the “left-leaning bias” in fact-checking mechanisms.

While conservative sectors have applauded the changes, pro-abortion organizations argue that these rules are often enforced too aggressively, possibly driven by AI-based flagging systems. As a result, many of their posts are disproportionately blocked — a trend they say has worsened since the beginning of Trump’s second term.

“It’s not always intentional censorship,” said Martha Dimitratou, co-founder of Repro Uncensored, an organization that monitors and works to bypass digital censorship of sexual and reproductive health topics. “But the outcome is still more censorship for us.”

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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.

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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.

International

Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win

Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.

“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.

In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”

International

Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains

Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.

The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.

“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”

Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.