By: Emily Green
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SAO PAULO, Brazil – A federal prosecutor in Brazil has opened an investigation into the massacre of an “uncontacted” indigenous tribe in Brazil. Reports of this attack originate from illegal gold miners who bragged about their attack in a bar.

These gold miners, also known as garimpeiros, were illegally mining in a protected part of the Amazon when they encountered an indigenous tribe of at least ten members. The miners bragged that they had “gotten the better of them and killed the entire lot.” They boasted of cutting the tribe members’ bodies so that they wouldn’t float and dropping them into the Jandiatuba River.

The miners are recorded speaking in a nearby town and have been arrested and taken in for questioning. They were overheard saying that they shot at women and children hunting for turtle eggs on the riverbank. They also claimed, “it was kill or be killed.” If confirmed, this murder would be the largest massacre of indigenous people in Brazil since 1993.

One official reports that there is no material proof of the alleged massacre. Given the time that passed and size of the Amazon, it is extremely difficult to find the bodies. However, the miners had collected tools and jewelry from the dead which corroborate their story.

This attack is believed to have taken place along the Jandiatuba River, near Peru’s border, where around twenty uncontacted tribes live. This is part of the Javari Indigenous Territory, an 85,445-square-kilometer area which is home to the largest concentration of isolated indigenous people in the world. The territory was given legal protection for indigenous tribes in 2001. However, in recent years the area has seen an increase in the presence of illegal miners and loggers.

The director of Survival International blames the Brazilian government. “If these reports are confirmed, President Temer and his government bear a heavy responsibility for this genocidal attack.” Under President Temer, the government has slashed funds for Brazil’s agency on indigenous affairs, Funai. This 44% cut in funds resulted in Funai closing five of 19 bases designated to protecting uncontacted communities.  Dozens of tribes have been left defenseless against thousands of invaders who want to raid their lands, including gold miners, ranchers, and loggers.

As is expected, little is known about the tribe involved in this massacre. They are known as Fleicheros, or “the ones who throw arrows,” and everything else is a mystery. Because of their isolation from society, these people are highly susceptible to invaders’ diseases and could be killed by something as little as the common cold. Any contact with these tribes, even non-violent, can result in devastation.

Details about this genocide will likely remain blurred. These victims have their own language and culture so are unlikely to ever speak to Brazilian authorities. Knowing this, their invaders feel they can get away with most everything.

For further information, please see:

Aljazeera – Brazil: Indigenous groups condemn alleged massacre – 15 September 2017

Independant – Brazilian police investigate gold miners for ‘killing uncontacted Amazon tribe members’- 13 September 2017

CBS – Prospectors reportedly detained in killing of Amazon tribe members in Brazil – 13 September 2017

NBC News – Brazil Launches Investigation into Alleged Massacre of ‘Uncontacted’ Indigenous Tribe – 12 September 2017

Washington Post – Authorities: Gold miners at a bar bragged about slaughtering members of a reclusive Brazilian tribe – 11 September 2017 

Mongabay – Uncontacted Amazon indigenous groups reportedly attacked by outsiders – 11 September 2017

 

By: Emily Green
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BOGOTA, Colombia – Pope Francis called attention to issues of violence against women during his visit to Colombia. He points out how the patriarchal and chauvinistic customs of the country have contributed to extensive violence against women.

The Argentine pontiff was the first Pope to visit the largely Roman Catholic country in over three decades. His five-day trip is to show support for war-torn Colombia as it moves toward peace. He urges Colombians to resist temptations of vengeance and move past their conflict.

Specifically, he warns the country to correct their ill treatment of women. He said, “We have a grave obligation to understand, respect, appreciate and promote” all that women do for the church and society. He warns bishops to value women more and not let them be reduced to servants.

On his visit, he said mass in the central plains of the city of Villavicencio and emphasized the importance of respecting women to his listeners. Colombia is a deeply conservative society where women often face discrimination, sexual violence, and abuse by partners. Knowing this, he used his homily to preach respect for women. He noted, “the Gospel begins by highlighting women who were influential and made history.”

This speech comes in light of how profoundly women suffered during this war, Latin America’s longest running conflict. Government data shows that about 20,000 Colombians, most of them women and girls, were victims of rape and sexual violence. Both sides used sexual assault as a weapon during the war. Also, seven million Colombians were forced from their homes and women bore the brunt of this displacement. Violence against women was instrumental in the war and has grown as a result.

Colombia’s chauvinistic and conservative culture is demonstrated in relationships especially. A significant amount of violence toward women occurs at the hand of their partners. “One woman is killed every four days in Colombia, often at the hands of a former or current partner.” Additionally, women that have reported partner abuse attribute 80% to have been inside the home.

Critics see Pope Francis’ message as hypocritical. The Roman Catholic Church has an anti-abortion stance and does not allow females priests. This has been protested by several reproductive women’s rights groups.

However, Pope Francis showed some resistance to this policy when he indefinitely extended the ability to grant absolution for abortions to all priests last year. This was a monumental move for the church.

He asked his listeners in Villavicencio, “how many women, in silence, have persevered alone?”

For further information, please see:

Reuters – Visiting Colombia, Pope addresses patriarchy, violence against women – 8 September 2017

BBC – Pope Francis addresses violence against women on Colombia visit – 8 September 2017 

Washington Post – Pope says ‘thick darkness’ threatens Colombia – 7 September 2017

CNN – Pope to begin peace-building visit to Colombia – 5 September 2017

By: Fernando Oliveira
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

GENEVA, Switzerland – On September 11^th, 2017, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zei Ra’ad Hussein, stated that “the world has grown darker and more dangerous.” At his inaugural speech at 36^th Session of Human Rights Council, Hussein cited Venezuela and Brazil, among 40 other countries, as countries wherein human rights have been significantly violated.

Hussein’s statements were based on a wide number of incidents, holding that those two South American countries have been suppressing human rights.

In fact, since former president Hugo Chavez arose 15 years ago, all human rights organizations have expressed concerns about the policies enacted by Venezuela’s government. Massive reports indicate that citizens’ basic rights, such as freedom of speech and peaceful assembly have been abridged. Political imprisonment, ill-treatment of prisoners, and excessive use of force against civilians have been highlighted as well. Furthermore, the executive branch is accused of having frequently attacked public institutions, including the parliament and the supreme court, in order to suppress any kind of reaction from the opposition parties. This long period of misconduct has led the country to an unprecedented financial collapse and launched its people into misery and starvation. Although president Nicolás Maduro has denied all the foregoing charges, the evidences seem to show the reports are right.

Regarding Brazil, despite the undeniable human rights violations, the situation is somehow different. Unlike Venezuela, there are no clear signs of deliberate government attacks against democratic institutions in Brazil. However, the human rights violations are related to a wide swept corruption scheme, which was unveiled by an ongoing investigation, started in 2014, and led by the Brazilian attorney general’s office. The widespread corruption scandal undermined the country’s resources, and carried it to a serious political instability that resulted in former president Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment. According to Brazilian federal prosecutors, billions of dollars have been illegally diverted, and many high authorities and successful entrepreneurs have been arrested due to bribery crimes.

Even the president, Michel Temer, has been criminally indicted before the Supreme Court. It is easy to see how far the systematic corruption has gone in that country, as former president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and the former president of its House of Representatives, Eduardo Cunha, have been criminally convicted of bribery, the first to nine and a half years in prison, and the second to fifteen and a half years, and 4 months in prison. The ongoing government corruption has deprived Brazilians of basic human rights, such as education, health, safe and so forth.

Based on the foregoing facts, Hussein addressed his speech to UN Human Rights Council as follows:

“Last month my Office issued a report on Venezuela, highlighting excessive use of force by security officers, and multiple other human rights violations, in the context of anti-Government protests. There is a very real danger that tensions will further escalate, with the Government crushing democratic institutions and critical voices – including through criminal proceedings against opposition leaders, recourse to arbitrary detentions, excessive use of force, and ill-treatment of detainees, which in some cases amounts to torture. Venezuela is a Member State of this Council, and as such has a particular duty to “uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights”, in the words of Resolution 60/251. My investigation suggests the possibility that crimes against humanity may have been committed, which can only be confirmed by a subsequent criminal investigation. While I support the concept of a national Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the current mechanism is inadequate. I therefore urge that it be reconfigured with the support and involvement of the international community. I also urge this Council to establish an international investigation into the human rights violations in Venezuela.

Corruption violates the rights of millions of people across the world, by robbing them of what should be common goods and depriving them of fundamental rights such as health and education or equal access to justice. Recent scandals, including very serious allegations levelled at high-ranking officials in Brazil and Honduras, have revealed how deeply corruption is embedded in all level of governance in many countries in the Americas, often linked to organized crime and drug trafficking. This undermines democratic institutions and erodes public trust. Progress towards uncovering, and prosecuting, corruption at high levels of government is an essential step forward in ensuring respect for the people’s rights, including justice.”

To read the whole speech, please click here:

For more information, please see:

The Guardian – Venezuela crisis: UN calls for investigation into possible crimes against humanity

Impunity Watch – Venezuelan President will not address UN after shocking human rights report – 11 September 2017

Noricias OUL – Cunha é condenado por Moro a 15 anos e 4 meses de prisão – 30 March 2017

ONUBR – Citando Brasil, comissário da ONU alerta para vínculo entre corrupção e perda de direitos – 11 September 2017

Globo G1 – Lula é condenado na Lava Jato a 9 anos e 6 meses de prisão no caso do triplex – 12 July 2017

By: Max Cohen
Impunity Watch News Reporter, South America

SANTIAGO, Chile – About a week after Chile’s Constitutional Tribunal officially approved a law lessening the country’s restrictions on abortion, President Michelle Bachelet has introduced a bill to legalize gay marriage. Chile previously decriminalized gay sex in 1999 and approved civil unions in 2015. If approved, the measure would redefine the country’s definition of marriage, and expand the rights of gay couples by allowing them to adopt children. It would also recognize the marriages of same sex couples married abroad.

After passage of a bill decriminalizing abortion under certain circumstances, a few legislators requested review of the law before the Constitutional Tribunal claiming that it would violate the Chilean constitution’s guarantee of protection of the unborn. On August 21^st, the ten justices voted six to four in favor of the legislation, which replaced a law passed in the last years of the Pinochet dictatorship. Currently, women may now legally get an abortion in the country when the mother’s life is in danger, the fetus is unviable, or when the pregnancy is the result of rape.

On August 28, President Michelle Bachelet signed a proposal to legalize gay marriage in the country, which now goes to the legislature to decide on. In signing the proposal, President Bachelet said, “We can’t let old prejudices be stronger than love.” Though civil unions have been recognized in several South American countries, only Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and Columbia have thus far legalized same sex marriage, with the latter two legalizing it through court rulings.

With her term ending in March 2018 though, President Bachelet is unlikely to see the bill passed. One of her potential successors, former president Sebastian Pinera, who polls at the time of writing this article have favored to win the upcoming November election, opposes the bill. In a statement to the BBC, he said, “There should not be discrimination, but at the same time the essence of an institution such as marriage should be respected, which has always been about conserving the human race.” Still though, gay rights activists within the country are celebrating the move as historic.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Chile leader sends gay marriage bill to congress – Aug 29, 2017

The Guardian – ‘Essential rights’: Chile’s President Bachelet introduces gay marriage bill – Aug 29, 2017

ABC – Chile’s Bachelet presents gay marriage bill – Aug 28, 2017

New York Times – Chilean Tribunal Weighs In: Some Abortions Will Now Be Legal – Aug 21, 2017

By: Emily Green
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

CARACAS,Venezuela – After a scathing human rights report by the UN, Venezuelan President Maduro cancels plans to address the UN Human Rights Council on September 11, 2017. Maduro will send newly-appointed foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza, in his place to address the Council on its opening day.

Many see Maduro’s decision not to speak as a response to the U.N.’s human rights report and increased activism against his policies. The report calls for further investigation and accountability by the Venezuelan government. It also asks the UN Human Rights Council itself to take measures to prevent these human rights violations.

On August 30^th, The UN reported extensive human rights violations and abuses in Venezuela. These come in the wake of anti-Government protests as tensions between the Government and the opposition increase. The report indicates a repressive policy with the use of excessive force and arbitrary detention against protesters. The government’s actions toward protesters, led by Maduro, point to “the existence of a policy to repress political dissent and instill fear in the population to curb demonstrations.”

The President, as one of the 47 current member states, planned to speak at this three-week UN Human Rights Council session. He last addressed this audience in November 2015. The Council does not invite dignitaries to participate in meetings, but it is protocol to honor member states’ requests to speak.

Although he was granted speaking time, a Council spokesman released a statement that Maduro would not address the council without giving a specific explanation.

The U.N. report paints a disturbing picture of the country. Reliable sources estimate the number of people detained since the beginning of April to be 5,000, including 410 children. Many detained victims have described it as “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.” Other detainees, both men and women, also reported threats of sexual violence and death perpetrated by the guards. Conditions in detention centers are alarming with accounts of over-crowded cells, rat and insect infestations, and lack of drinking water and bathroom facilities. The U.N. found these victims’ accounts to be consistent and corroborated by medical records.

President Maduro does not allow the U.N. investigation to enter the country, so this report is based on phone interviews with victims, families, NGOs, journalists, lawyers, first-responders and doctors. There are reported attacks to journalists and media workers to stop them from covering the demonstrations. These demonstrators and journalists have been designated “terrorists” and “enemies” by authorities.

Maduro’s spot at the podium was already being criticized. Critics were outraged and did not want to see the UN stage used by a dictator. Days earlier, 12 human rights activists called for an urgent Council meeting to discuss Venezuela’s membership and protest Maduro’s appearance.

For further information, please see:

CNS News – Maduro Cancels Plans to Address UN Human Rights Council; Activists Want Venezuela Expelled – 6 September 2017

Reuters – Venezuelan President Maduro will not go to U.N. rights forum – 5 September 2017

Fox News – UN rips Venezuelan human rights abuses, as government orders opposition leader’s wife to court – 2 September 2017

UN News Centre – Human rights violations indicate repressive policy of Venezuelan authorities – 30 August 2017