“The region cannot continue down the path of repressing protests, militarizing borders and public security, environmental destruction and failing to protect historically marginalized communities, such as Indigenous peoples and human rights defenders,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International. “The heads of state in the Americas must change course and seek solutions to create a freer and safer continent, with full respect for the human rights of all.”

Amnesty International’s concerns include the excessive use of force to suppress social protests, seen in several countries in the region and most recently in Peru. States in the Americas must ensure that individuals can exercise their right to peaceful protest and that any use of force by the security forces when policing demonstrations is necessary, legitimate and strictly proportionate. The organization also calls on states to end arbitrary detentions, unlawful killings, torture and other ill-treatment, which are frequently committed in much of the region.

Another issue that must be urgently addressed by states in the region is that of human mobility and the need for international protection, specifically in the case of people fleeing human rights crises in countries such as Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. It is alarming how restrictive and even inhumane migration policies, such as those of the USA, Mexico, Peru and Chile, have endangered people in need of international protection, rather than seeking cooperation to address the humanitarian crisis at various borders across the continent.

The region cannot continue down the path of repressing protests, militarizing borders and public security, environmental destruction and failing to protect historically marginalized communities, such as Indigenous peoples and human rights defenders 

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International

Amnesty International also believes that states must find alternatives to address public security crises other than militarization, which has become the norm in several countries in the region. The use of the armed forces for public security tasks has been intensified in countries such as Mexico and Ecuador, which has created contexts that facilitate grave human rights violations without addressing the root causes of criminal violence.

States must take urgent action to protect human rights defenders; the Americas remains the most dangerous region for human rights defenders. According to Front Line Defenders, Colombia was the world’s deadliest country for defenders in 2022, with at least 186 killings, followed by Mexico (45), Brazil (26) and Honduras (17).

The climate crisis is another danger that threatens the region. Although the impacts of climate change on rural and historically marginalized communities are becoming increasingly clear, states’ efforts have been insufficient and have failed to address dependence on fossil fuels, the main factor behind the crisis.

Similarly, states have not done enough to guarantee the rights of Indigenous peoples in the Americas. Over the past year, Amnesty International has documented cases of killings of Indigenous leaders in countries including Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico in the context of land-related conflicts. Meanwhile, several states have proceeded with or granted concessions to national and multinational companies to implement extractive, agricultural and infrastructure projects without the free, prior and informed consent of the affected Indigenous peoples.

Violence and discrimination against women, girls and LGBTI people is another historical problem that urgently needs a concerted response. States in the region continue to fail to adequately address the very high levels of gender-based violence, including feminicides, and several states have taken measures that endanger people’s sexual and reproductive rights.

Finally, the General Assembly is due to elect four people to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). Faced with the withdrawal of nominations from four countries, Amnesty International urges states in the Americas to elect people with the highest credentials, in line with the principles of suitability, impartiality, independence and recognized competence in the field of human rights, and to ensure that nominations and the withdrawal of nominations is firmly based on the inter-American legal framework.

The post Americas: OAS states must address the closure of civic space in the region appeared first on Amnesty International.

“The development of autonomy in weapons is accelerating, and the growing application of new Artificial Intelligence and machine learning technologies is a deeply worrying development. These machines risk automating killing, treating it as a technical undertaking which raises human rights risks as well as humanitarian, legal and ethical concerns. Autonomous machines will make life and death decisions without empathy or compassion.

The development of autonomy in weapons is accelerating, and the growing application of new Artificial Intelligence and machine learning technologies is a deeply worrying development.

Agnès Callamard, Secretary General, Amnesty International

“Autonomous weapon systems lack the ability to analyse the intentions behind people’s actions. They cannot make complex decisions about distinction and proportionality, determine the necessity of an attack, refuse an illegal order, or potentially recognize an attempt to surrender, which are vital for compliance with international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

“These new weapons technologies are at risk of further endangering civilians and civilian infrastructure in conflict. Amnesty International remains concerned about the potential human rights risks that increasing autonomy in policing and security equipment poses too, such as systems which use data and algorithms to predict crime.

“It has never been more urgent to draw legal red lines around the production and use of autonomous weapons systems to ensure we maintain meaningful human control over the use of force.

“Amnesty International supports the call made by governments from Latin American and Caribbean countries today for binding international legal controls on these weapons and welcomes the decision to work in alternative forums, beyond the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) where talks have stalled, to advance this new law.”

Background

The Regional Conference on the Social and Humanitarian Impact of Autonomous Weapons in San José, Costa Rica is the first of its kind and involved regional and observer governments, representatives of the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and civil society. Amnesty International is a founding member of Stop Killer Robots, a global coalition of more than 160 organizations working to address autonomy in weapons systems.

The post More than 30 countries call for international legal controls on killer robots appeared first on Amnesty International.

The post Ecuador: Constitutional reform to militarize public security would endanger human rights appeared first on Amnesty International.

The post Ecuador: Constitutional reform to militarize public security would endanger human rights appeared first on Amnesty International.

• As of September 2022, approximately 7.1 million Venezuelans have left their country.
• Ecuador is the receiving country with the third highest number of Venezuelans in the world, after Colombia and Peru, with 502,214 Venezuelan refugees in the country.
• By the end of 2022, it is expected that there will be 803,000 Venezuelans in Ecuador, 551,000 with Ecuador as their destination and 252,000 in transit.
• Women make up approximately 50% of the Venezuelan refugees in Ecuador.

General figures on gender-based violence in Ecuador:

• According to figures from the National Statistics and Census Institute (INEC), 65 out of every 100 women in Ecuador have experienced some type of violence during their life.
• According to figures provided to Amnesty International by the Attorney General’s Office, between January and August 2022, 19,359 complaints of violence against women were filed in Ecuador.

Figures on gender-based violence against Venezuelan refugee women:

• 72% of the Venezuelan women surveyed by Plan International believed that this population faces some type of gender-based violence in Ecuador.
  • The most common forms of violence are psychological violence in public and private spaces (51%), sexual harassment in the workplace (41%), physical aggression within the home (32%) and income control (10%).
• Signs of under-reporting: The Ecuador Attorney General’s Office registered 64 Venezuelan women victims of physical violence, 521 victims of psychological violence and 4 victims of sexual violence between January and August 2022.
• In transit, particularly in the border areas between Colombia and Peru, Venezuelan women face a high risk of being victims of multiple forms of gender-based violence, including sexual violence and human trafficking for sexual and labour exploitation.
• The visa requirements for Venezuelans who want to enter Ecuador from August 2019, in addition to the closure of borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2022, meant that Venezuelans were forced to enter Ecuadorian territory through irregular crossing points mostly controlled by criminal groups that act with impunity.

Lack of access to migration documents:

• The majority of Venezuelan women in Ecuador have an irregular migration status. Only 13.37% of the Venezuelan population has regular status (67,185 people).
• Recognition of refugee status
  • Between 2018 and 2022, 27,889 Venezuelans applied for refugee status in Ecuador. In these years, only 1,100 Venezuelans, 555 of them women, have been recognized as refugees. 18,934 applications have been rejected and 7,855 are still being processed.
  • Of the 1,100 refugees recognized between 2018 and 2022, 1,006 have been recognized under the 1951 Convention definition, 60 under the Cartagena Declaration and 34 were unspecified.
• Alternatives to migratory regularization: VERHU and VIRTE visas
  • In August 2019, the state began to require visas for Venezuelan nationals and established the possibility of granting an exceptional temporary residence visa for humanitarian reasons, also known as VERHU.
    • From 26 August 2019 to 27 July 2022, the Ecuadorian state granted a total of 58,425 VERHU visas to Venezuelans. 29,867 visas were granted to women and 28,558 were granted to men.
  • In June 2022, the government announced a new regularization process for Venezuelans through the granting of the Exceptional Temporary Residence Visa for Venezuelan Citizens (VIRTE).
    • The process once again excludes Venezuelan who entered irregularly after 26 August 2019 and requires payment of a fee of 50 US dollars.

Obstacles for Venezuelan women in accessing protection mechanisms:

• Lack of information about existing reporting and protection mechanisms
  • Institutional efforts to spread information lack a focus on refugee women
  • Lack of knowledge of care routes is especially prevalent in places where state institutions with a mandate for handling cases of gender-based violence have less presence, such as the southern border of the country.
    • In Huaquillas, the Domestic Violence Department of the National Police (DEVIF) has only two officers for several districts, the Ombudsman’s Office has no permanent staff on the ground and the Attorney General’s Office has no staff specialized in gender-based violence.
• Fear and mistrust of the authorities
  • According to Plan International, 71% of Venezuelan women in Ecuador believe that cases of violence against women are not usually reported, compared with 29% who believed that they were. 27% mentioned mistrust of public institutions as one of the main reasons for not reporting.
  • Venezuelan women reported being afraid to approach state institutions to request help or report acts of violence for fear of being fined money they cannot afford to pay, or even being expelled from the country.
  • Not having received information about their rights, many Venezuelan women are unaware that Ecuadorian law allows them to seek protection or file a complaint with the prosecutor’s office even if they do not have an identity document.

Shortcomings in the state’s response to gender-based violence

• Shortcomings in front line services to identify and respond to gender-based violence cases, such as the National Police and the health service:
  • Sexist and xenophobic stereotypes by public officials towards Venezuelan women
  • Illegal practices, such as mediation attempts, in cases of violence
  • Lack of human and financial resources
    • According to international standards, Ecuador should have 1,700 shelters for its population. The Human Rights Secretariat has identified the existence of 12 civil society shelters, 4 of which are currently funded by the central government. In 2022, 18.46% of the budget for shelters was cut, leading to the closure of shelters and a reduction in staff.
• Shortcomings in the justice system:
  • Stereotypes towards Venezuelan women
  • Lack of knowledge of applicable regulations, which allow all foreigners to file complaints without restrictions
  • Court proceedings that are slow, re-victimizing and costly in practice

The post Facts and Figures: Unprotected in Ecuador appeared first on Amnesty International.

“It is worrying to see that Ecuador, as a state, is joining Colombia and Peru in its unacceptable treatment of Venezuelan women who survive gender-based violence. As the country taking in the third largest number of people fleeing the massive human rights violations in Venezuela, the Ecuadorian state must urgently address and reverse the lack of protection for Venezuelan women,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International.

With 502,214 people in the country as of August 2022, Ecuador is third only to Colombia and Peru in the number of Venezuelan refugees it receives, with those countries having received 2.5 and 1.5 million Venezuelans respectively. The global total is increasing steadily and now exceeds 7.1 million people, while the number of countries restricting their entry and protection continues to rise, as in the case of the United States.

In Ecuador, women and children make up approximately half of these half a million people and most of them are in an irregular migratory situation. Amnesty International believes that Venezuelan people who have fled their country due to massive human rights violations need international protection and should be recognized as refugees. Regardless of their current migratory situation in the country, the organization refers to them as refugee women.

It is worrying to see that Ecuador, as a state, is joining Colombia and Peru in its unacceptable treatment of Venezuelan women who survive gender-based violence

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International

The research confirmed that the Ecuadorian state is not guaranteeing the rights of Venezuelan women to seek protection as refugees and to a life free from violence. With regard to protection as refugees, the Ecuadorian authorities are not guaranteeing the right of Venezuelan women to apply for refugee status. Despite meeting the conditions of the 1984 Cartagena Declaration’s definition of a refugee in Article 98 of its Organic Law on Human Mobility, the Ecuadorian authorities rarely apply this definition. Between 2018 and 2022, only 555 women were formally recognized as refugees and some women reported that the authorities discouraged them from seeking international protection. With serious obstacles to accessing existing alternative migration regularization mechanisms, Venezuelan women are left in situations where they are at greater risk of violence and discrimination because of their irregular migration status.

In terms of failing to guarantee the right of Venezuelan women to a life free from violence, the report highlights how gender-based violence is a systematic and prevalent problem in Ecuador: two out of every three women suffer from some form of gender-based violence during their life. In this context, Venezuelan refugee women face an even greater risk of physical, psychological, sexual, patrimonial, gynaecological-obstetric and cyber violence in public and private spaces, along their migratory route and in their place of destination. This vulnerability to violence is exacerbated for women in an irregular migratory situation, as is the case for the majority of Venezuelan women in Ecuador, many of whom are afraid to report gender-based violence for fear of being expelled from the country or fined.

Amnesty International identified structural problems in the front line institutions that identify and respond to cases of gender-based violence, as well as the system of administration of justice in Ecuador. Stereotypes and discrimination based on gender and xenophobia against Venezuelan women, the lack of resources and the lack of institutionalization of good practices contribute to the lack of access to protection mechanisms and the justice system. All of these factors mean that access to justice and reparation for Venezuelan women is a fantasy in practice, violating their right to a life free of violence.

“More than 7.1 million people have fled an unprecedented crisis in Venezuela in recent years. Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and other countries receiving Venezuelans in search of international protection owe them a coordinated, urgent and human rights-based response. Women and girls, particularly survivors of gender-based violence, must always be a priority for protection for all states and we will continue to demand this,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas.

The findings of the report are based on research carried out between June and September 2022, including fieldwork in the cities of Huaquillas, Machala and Quito between August and September. A total of 99 people were interviewed for this research, including 63 women survivors of gender-based violence, 19 representatives from civil society organizations, seven from international organizations and 10 from government bodies. In addition, Amnesty International submitted 10 requests for access to public information and extensively reviewed current legislation, public policies, existing literature and media reports on the subject.

The post Ecuador: Another state following the regional trend of discrimination and lack of protection for Venezuelan survivors of gender-based violence appeared first on Amnesty International.

In relation to this, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International, said:

“Referendums and public consultations should not be used as a tool with which to violate a state’s international human rights obligations. Human rights obligations cannot be dependent on popular support, and referendums should therefore not be used to suppress the inherent rights of all people. On the contrary, governments should develop their policies in accordance with international human rights law.”

Our region has already experienced the negative impact that the militarization of public security has on human rights, from Mexico and Brazil to Colombia and Venezuela, among other countries.

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International

“The consultation proposed by President Lasso opens up the possibility of constitutional reform in Ecuador permanently allowing the use of the armed forces in public security tasks. Permanent deployment of the armed forces in public security tasks goes against international standards and poses a threat to the guarantee of human rights in the country.”

“Our region has already experienced the negative impact that the militarization of public security has on human rights, from Mexico and Brazil to Colombia and Venezuela, among other countries. As the evidence from these countries shows, the security challenges that Ecuador is facing will not be solved by deploying the military and on the contrary, this could cause the human rights situation to deteriorate. In order to respond effectively to these challenges, the authorities must prioritize the strengthening and professionalization of police forces and promote public policies focused on crime prevention and access to justice.”

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has determined that maintaining public order and public security should be primarily the responsibility of civilian police forces. The use of the armed forces in public security tasks, as the Court has indicated, must be exceptional, temporary and restricted to what is strictly necessary, under the direction of civil authorities and supervised by relevant civilian bodies. In exceptional circumstances where the deployment of the armed forces is necessary, military personnel must have the necessary instructions, training and equipment to act in full compliance with human rights and must be subject to international standards on human rights and the use of force.

The post Ecuador: Militarization of public security poses a threat to human rights appeared first on Amnesty International.

The repression by President Guillermo Lasso’s government of demonstrations called by Indigenous, trade union and social organisations as part of a national strike since 13 June 2022 is causing a human rights crisis with many reports of harassment, excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests, ill-treatment, and criminalisation of protesters, journalists and human rights defenders, Amnesty International said today.

“President Lasso’s regrettable decision to repress the protests is provoking a human rights crisis reminiscent of that of October 2019. To prevent history from repeating itself, the president must cease the repression and address the structural causes of the protests, including addressing the economic crisis and the impact of his policies on the rights of groups most affected by the pandemic, such as Indigenous Peoples and people living in poverty,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International.

Since 14 June the Ecuador Alliance for Human Rights has recorded 79 arrests, 55 injuries and 39 episodes of human rights violations – such as excessive use of force, arbitrary detentions of demonstrators, attacks on journalists and intimidation of civil society organisations – in the context of the authorities’ repression of demonstrations. Other human rights organisations have also warned of cases of ill-treatment and criminalisation. The National Police have also reported incidents of violence by demonstrators.

President Lasso’s regrettable decision to repress the protests is provoking a human rights crisis reminiscent of that of October 2019

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International

Human rights organisations in Ecuador and Amnesty International documented similar human rights violations during the crackdown on protests in October 2019, and these still remain unpunished.

According to public information, between the night of 17 June and the early hours of 18 June at least 16 people received injuries, including to the skull and eyes, during the repression of a demonstration by National Police officers in Riobamba. Two of the victims are reported to have suffered pellet wounds.

On 19 June at 2:17 pm the General Commander of the National Police stated that he would launch an internal affairs investigation and denied that his officers used buckshot and also that they shot at the victims.

Human rights defenders and Indigenous leaders have also reported suffering harassment and attacks while carrying out their work in the context of the protests.

On 18 June the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) reported that unidentified individuals had shot at the window of the vehicle of its president, Leónidas Iza, while it was empty. Two hours later the Ministry for Government reported that it would request an investigation into this and that it did not tolerate acts of violence “all the more so if the acts occur against those who criticise us, justifiably or not”. CONAIE had already reported surveillance and harassment by unidentified persons.

On 19 June at 6:34 pm CONAIE released a video showing two military trucks with security agents allegedly parked in the vicinity of the organisation’s headquarters in Quito.

CONAIE, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon (CONFENIAE) and the Alliance for Human Rights Ecuador reported having suffered attacks on their websites by bots seeking to overload their servers on 13, 14 and 18 June, respectively.

“To prevent the escalation of this crisis, Amnesty International calls on President Lasso to cease stigmatising and repressing those exercising their right to peaceful protest, to publish detailed information on the number of people injured and detained, as well as the charges against them, and to address the structural causes that have led various sectors of the population to demonstrate in defence of their human rights,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas.

Given the disturbing number of allegations of human rights violations committed by security forces, the Attorney General must conduct prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations to bring those suspected of criminal responsibility to justice, including the chain of command.

More information:

On 14 June, at around 12:29 a.m., security forces arrested Leonidas Iza, president of CONAIE, in Cotopaxi province. He was detained incommunicado and charged with the crime of “paralysing a public service” before being released that night. His detention may have been arbitrary and the criminal proceedings against him could constitute the criminalisation of protest.

On 17 June President Lasso issued Executive Decree No. 455 which declared “a state of emergency due to serious internal commotion in the provinces of Cotopaxi, Pichincha and Imbabura”, suspending freedom of association, assembly and transit for thirty days. The decree established the Metropolitan District of Quito as a “Security Zone” in the charge of the Armed Forces, who were also ordered to “maintain order” in the context of the protests in a manner “complementing” the actions of the National Police.

Amnesty International calls on President Lasso to cease stigmatising and repressing those exercising their right to peaceful protest, to publish detailed information on the number of people injured and detained, as well as the charges against them, and to address the structural causes that have led various sectors of the population to demonstrate

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International

An earlier version of the decree, which contained the president’s signature, included worrying provisions authorising the use of “lethal force” (Article 11) by security forces and limiting the right to information (Article 9), suspending “fixed, mobile and internet telecommunications services” and restricting the dissemination of “classified, reserved or restricted information through social media, social networks and communication content”. Subsequently, the President’s Office contended that this was only a “draft” and issued a new version without these provisions.

On 18 June, despite the state of emergency suspending freedom of association and assembly, the President’s Office issued Official Bulletin 561 entitled “Ecuadorians’ capital marches for Peace”, to promote a march of “hundreds of Quito residents (…) concerned about the situation in the country and the acts of violence and vandalism”. The bulletin included the message “The National Government supports this initiative and joins this cause”. Both the official page hosting the bulletin and the tweet promoting it were subsequently deleted. A video posted on social media, allegedly recorded during the march, shows a group of people chanting racist messages against the indigenous population.

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact Amnesty International press office: press@amnesty.org

The post Ecuador: Repression of protests is causing a human rights crisis appeared first on Amnesty International.

“Being deprived of your liberty in Ecuador has almost become a death sentence. Repeated mistakes by the Ecuadorian authorities in dealing with the crisis in prisons have led to the deaths of hundreds of people. The authorities must address, once and for all, the structural causes of this problem, such as overcrowding, corruption and impunity, through a comprehensive prison policy focused on human rights. All deaths and human rights violations of persons deprived of their liberty must be thoroughly, independently and impartially investigated.”

“In response to this latest massacre, President Guillermo Lasso announced the transfer of ‘six criminal gang leaders’ to other prisons. However, such superficial measures are insufficient to fulfil the authorities’ primary obligation in this context: to protect the lives and safety of thousands of people who are deprived of their liberty and currently at risk.”

Being deprived of your liberty in Ecuador has almost become a death sentence. Repeated mistakes by the Ecuadorian authorities in dealing with the crisis in prisons have led to the deaths of hundreds of people. The authorities must address, once and for all, the structural causes of this problem, such as overcrowding, corruption and impunity, through a comprehensive prison policy focused on human rights

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International

More information:

On 25 April 2022, a clash between criminal gangs in El Inca prison in Quito left 15 people injured. On 22 April 2022, another confrontation in Esmeraldas No. 2 prison, in Esmeraldas, resulted in 12 people injured.

In February 2022, President Lasso announced a public policy for the social rehabilitation of prisoners, with the technical support of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. However, this policy is still far from being a comprehensive reform of the penal system and the authorities have not yet provided adequate resources to implement it.

In 2021, at least 316 people deprived of their liberty were killed in clashes between rival gangs in prisons. Of the total number of deaths, 79 occurred on 26 February, 119 on 28 September and 62 between 12 and 13 November.

The post Ecuador: In light of new prison massacre, authorities must address structural causes appeared first on Amnesty International.

Authorities and companies in Ecuador threaten the Amazon through legislation, policies and extractive projects (mainly oil and mining) that have not obtained the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples or that have affected their territories, environment, health, water or food, Amnesty International said today, as it released the report Ecuador: Amazon at risk.

“Ecuador must guarantee the consent of Indigenous Peoples to legislation, policies and projects that may put their existence at risk. The Amazon is also a critical ecosystem for overcoming the climate crisis that threatens all life on our planet, and Indigenous Peoples have protected it for centuries. We cannot turn our backs on them,” said Fernanda Doz Costa, deputy director of research for the Americas at Amnesty International.

In this regard, the organization welcomed the victory of the A’i Cofán community of Sinangoe before the Constitutional Court on 27 January 2022. In its ruling, which has not yet been complied with by the relevant authorities, the Court confirmed that the state had violated the community’s “rights to prior consultation, to nature, to water, to a healthy environment, to culture and to territory” by granting 20 mining concessions without their consent and processing 32 others that affected their territory. In addition, the Court ordered comprehensive reparation measures for the community.

Ecuador must guarantee the consent of Indigenous Peoples to legislation, policies and projects that may put their existence at risk

Fernanda Doz Costa, deputy director of research for the Americas at Amnesty International

In addition, the authorities have yet to promptly, thoroughly, and impartially investigate the oil spills that occurred on 7 April 2020 and 28 January 2022 in the Amazon, establish the relevant administrative and criminal responsibilities, and guarantee truth, justice and reparation for the affected communities.

This year the Constitutional Court is expected to rule on the sentences issued in the case of the oil spill of 7 April 2020, and on the extraordinary protection action filed by the affected communities.

In this report – presented in the context of Ecuador’s Universal Periodic Review before the UN Human Rights Council this year – Amnesty International also analyses the excessive restrictions in the law regulating abortion in cases of rape; the lack of a policy to protect human rights defenders and investigate attacks and threats against them; and impunity for human rights violations committed during the protests of October 2019.

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Amnesty International press office at: press@amnesty.org

The post Ecuador: Authorities and companies threaten the Amazon and its Indigenous Peoples appeared first on Amnesty International.

“We are relieved that Steven Donziger will finally recover his freedom after almost 1,000 days of arbitrary detention, which included 45 days in prison and over 900 days under house arrest. He should have never been detained for even one day, as it has been clear the whole process against him has been in retaliation for his human rights work that exposed corporate wrongdoings”. 

“Unfortunately, the end of this sentence does not mean the end of the injustices Steven has faced. The US government must fully implement the decision of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, including launching an impartial and independent investigation into the circumstances that led to Steven’s arbitrary detention, to prevent something like this from happening again, and to swiftly enact anti-SLAPP laws to protect those brave enough to call out corporate crimes. Corporations must not be allowed to continue abusing the US justice system to silence and intimidate human rights defenders or anyone else exposing their wrongdoing.”

Background

Strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP) are legal cases brought, or threatened to be brought, with the intention of silencing or intimidating public participation. SLAPP suits often target journalists, human rights defenders, civil society organizations, activists or academics with the aim of silencing them and deterring other critical voices. SLAPP suits are not necessarily aimed at protecting the honor or reputation of an individual or a corporation, but rather to intimidate, tire and deplete the financial and psychological resources of their target. The cost of fighting these legal actions can put extreme financial and other pressure on human rights activists forcing them to repurpose the already limited funds and resources from their work to defend the lawsuit. The litigation is often also successful in diverting the attention from the environmental or human rights issue to the legal defamation case itself.

The post USA: After almost 1,000 days of arbitrary detention, Steven Donziger’s release highlights urgent need for action against SLAPPs appeared first on Amnesty International.

In the Americas, Amnesty International Report 2020/21: The State of the World’s Human Rights documents how women, refugees, migrants, under-protected health workers, Indigenous Peoples, Black people and other groups historically forgotten by governments have borne the brunt of the pandemic, while some leaders have exploited the crisis to ramp up their assault on human rights.

“Over the last year we’ve witnessed certain leaders in the Americas respond to the pandemic with a mixture of denial, opportunism and contempt for human rights. We cannot continue down the road to ruin, repeating the mistakes that left the region ravaged by inequality, discrimination and destruction, even before COVID-19 struck,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International.

The governments of the Americas must rebuild the region into one grounded in fairness, compassion and humanity

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International

The Americas has been the region worst hit by COVID-19, with over 54 million cases and 1.3 million deaths. The USA, Brazil and Mexico have the world’s highest absolute death tolls, after their governments, along with those of Nicaragua and Venezuela, issued confused health messages, failed to implement policies to protect those most at risk, or failed to ensure full transparency.

“The governments of the Americas must rebuild the region into one grounded in fairness, compassion and humanity. The first step towards this is to prioritize the needs of those left behind by decades of abandonment and divisive policies and guarantee their access to COVID-19 vaccines. They must also take bold and comprehensive measures to address the disproportionate social and economic effects of the pandemic on people who have been historically discriminated against, to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to live in safety and enjoy their human rights,”  said Erika Guevara-Rosas.

The Americas began 2020 as the world’s most unequal region and this only worsened under the pandemic, with an additional 22 million people falling into poverty, while the number living in extreme poverty grew by 8 million. COVID-19 hit the region’s vast informal economy hard, while government measures frequently undermined the social, economic and cultural rights of those in the most precarious situations.

At least 10,558 health workers across the Americas had died from COVID-19 as of 5 March 2021, with health professionals in almost every country complaining about their governments’ failure to provide safe working conditions and sufficient personal protective equipment. Those who spoke out sometimes faced sanctions, as in Nicaragua, where at at least 31 health workers were dismissed after expressing their concerns.

Arbitrary arrests were common and often linked to the enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions, with some countries forcibly quarantining people in state-run centers that failed to meet sanitary and physical distancing standards. As people continued to flee violence, poverty and the effects of the climate crisis, several governments detained refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants in conditions that left them at high risk of contracting COVID-19, while others forcibly returned people without proper consideration of their asylum claims.

Under the pretext of public health measures, US authorities summarily detained and deported almost all asylum-seekers on the US-Mexico border, expelling over half a million migrants and asylum-seekers from March 2020 through February 2021, including over 13,000 unaccompanied children as of November 2020.

Poor sanitary conditions and overcrowding were features of many of the region’s prisons, with inadequate state measures denying inmates their right to health and exposing them to COVID-19. There were at least 90 prison riots across the region protesting precarious conditions as concern about the pandemic grew between March and May.

COVID-19 restrictions also impacted freedom of expression, which remained under threat in Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Uruguay, Venezuela and Mexico, which was the world’s deadliest country for journalists in 2020. Rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly were also denied or unduly restricted by the police or military, with unlawful use of force recorded in more than a dozen countries.

Racial injustice and discrimination persisted, with the killing of George Floyd leading millions of people in the USA to join the Black Lives Matter protests. US police violently repressed those protests and failed to protect peaceful demonstrators from violent counter-protesters. Elsewhere, police violence in Brazil escalated during the pandemic, with at least 3,181 people – 79% of them Black – killed by police between January and June. Impunity and a lack of access to justice remained a serious concern in much of the region.

The pandemic intensified the crisis of violence against women and girls across the Americas, with lockdown measures leading to a marked increase in domestic violence, rape and femicide. Measures to protect women and girls were inadequate throughout the region and investigations into cases of gender-based violence were often inadequate and insufficient. 

Many governments have not done enough to prioritize sexual and reproductive health as essential services during the pandemic. Abortion remained criminalized in most countries, posing a serious obstacle to the right to health. The Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica and Nicaragua still have total bans on abortion, while 18 women remained in jail on charges related to obstetric emergencies in El Salvador.

LGBTI people were the targets of violence and killings in countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Honduras, Paraguay, Puerto Rico and the USA. At least 287 trans and gender-diverse people were killed in the continent last year.

Indigenous Peoples were heavily affected by COVID-19 because of inadequate access to clean water, sanitation, health services, social benefits, and a lack of culturally appropriate mechanisms to protect their rights to health and livelihoods. Moreover, several countries declared mining an essential sector during the pandemic, exposing Indigenous Peoples to contagion. Indigenous Peoples’ rights remained under threat, with many governments failing to ensure their free, prior and informed consent before greenlighting major extractive, agricultural and infrastructure projects that affect them.

We draw strength from the passion and resilience that we have witnessed from activists across the region, especially from women, young people and anti-racist activists. Their courage in the face of adversity shows us that we can create a more just world for everyone

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International

Latin America and the Caribbean continued to be the most dangerous region for human rights defenders, especially those working to defend their land, territory and the environment, and Colombia remained the world’s most lethal country for defenders. Nonetheless, 2020 also brought cause for hope, with human rights defenders achieving great victories and refusing to be silenced.

Argentina made history in December by becoming the largest nation in Latin America to legalize abortion, thanks to a sustained campaign by a vibrant feminist movement. In November, Mexico became the 11^th country in Latin America and the Caribbean to ratify the Escazú Agreement, an unprecedented regional treaty for the protection of the environment and environmental defenders, meaning it will come into effect on 22 April 2021. And although action on climate change remained limited across the continent, Chile became the first country in the region, and one of the first in the world, to submit a 2030 emission reduction target.

“While the first year of the pandemic has been particularly difficult for the Americas, we draw strength from the passion and resilience that we have witnessed from activists across the region, especially from women, young people and anti-racist activists. Their courage in the face of adversity shows us that we can create a more just world for everyone,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Amnesty International press office:  press@amnesty.org

The post Americas: Pandemic deepens decades of inequality, neglect and abuse in region worst hit by COVID-19 appeared first on Amnesty International.