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Afro-Descendant & Indigenous: News & Updates

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The water defenders' arrest signals both a crackdown on civil society under President Nayib Bukele and a signal that Bukele may seek to resume metal mining operations.

Washington, D.C. and San Salvador – On February 15, 245 international organizations from 31 countries delivered a petition demanding that the Salvadoran  Attorney General drop the politically-motivated charges against five prominent Water Defenders arrested on January 11, 2023.

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El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele was re-elected for a second term in a landslide win. Bukele has overseen a vast and brutal crackdown on gangs, transforming the nation from one of the deadliest to one of the safest in Latin America. But that peace has come at a cost with thousands of innocent people jailed. Amna Nawaz and producer Teresa Cebrian Aranda visited the country for this report.

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El Salvador's millennial president, Nayib Bukele, secured an easy re-election on February 4, claiming a landslide victory with 85% of the vote and 58 out of 60 congressional seats for his party, Nuevas Ideas. Despite delays in official results and concerns over technical issues, Bukele declared himself president, leading to doubts about the election's legitimacy. Human rights groups criticize Bukele's crackdown on gangs, and his second term raises concerns about authoritarianism. Bukele's vice president, Félix Ulloa, stated they are "eliminating" and "replacing" democracy, causing international alarm. The country faces an economic crisis, with rising poverty attributed to factors like climate change and lack of support for farmers. Bukele's popularity, fueled by a cultivated image and a disregard for democratic institutions, has garnered support from the far right and libertarians, including figures like Tucker Carlson and Roger Stone. Bukele's attacks on the press involve invoking antisemitic conspiracies about George Soros, raising concerns about his approach to transparency and democratic values.

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The election of Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Vice President Francia Marquez, seen as a result of national strikes and mobilizations, is now under threat. The current Attorney General Francisco Barbosa, linked to the previous government, alleges campaign finance violations by the FECODE teachers union, attempting to suspend the transition to a new Attorney General. Despite intimidation, no credible witnesses support Barbosa's claims. The coup plotters, employing "lawfare," advise the armed forces not to obey the president. The U.S. role is complex, with past Republican strategies against Petro and the Biden administration seeking to influence his policies on Venezuela. High-level U.S. officials' recent visits to Colombia raise concerns of foreign interference. Demonstrations supporting the elected government are planned globally, emphasizing opposition to any coup and the respect for the Colombian people's will. A coup threatens Colombia's peace process and intensifies risks to Venezuela and the region, urging global support for the people of Colombia.

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The Pit-Cnt, Uruguay's labor grouping, has expressed strong opposition to the visit of General Laura Richardson, head of the US Southern Command, citing concerns about her interest in fresh water resources and the potential establishment of a military base in Uruguay. The labor union accuses the US of seeking access to the Guarani Aquifer and rare land resources, while also countering China's influence in the region. Additionally, they criticize Richardson as a representative of a country that has engaged in wars worldwide. Meanwhile, Uruguay's Defense Minister, Javier García, views Richardson's visit as an opportunity to negotiate favorable deals for the purchase of weapons, trucks, and maritime radars from the United States. Despite the labor union's objections, García sees the visit as a positive development in the deepening relations between the two countries.

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