By Delisa Morris

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

QUITO, Ecuador — On Wednesday, Ecuadorian law makers overwhelmingly approved a bill that would allow for the legal recognition of civil unions in the South American country.

The measure was approved 89-1 and seeks to amend part of the country’s civil code.

El Comercio, an Ecuadorian newspaper, reported the measure would allow LGBT couples to receive “the same rights and obligations of a marriage” in terms of pensions, purchasing a home together and other benefits. It would also eliminate the requirement that couples must wait two years before entering into a civil union and demonstrate that they had lived together during this period.

The proposal would also apply to unmarried straight couples.

This union is open to couples of all sexual orientations.  The Civil Code specifies that this union is “not considered as marriage” and must be between “two people of legal age.”

The move furthers the rights of same-sex couples by annulling the prior requirement of having to prove a relationship of two years to be recognized in a civil union.  Yolanda Herrera, a lawyer who has worked in various LGBTQ causes explained to teleSUR English, “There are legal loopholes that are up in the air, like the affiliation of the child of a same-sex couple that decides…to have children.”

She added,“Today, those two mothers cannot (both) be registered, or in the case of surrogate mothers for two fathers, they cannot register their children. Only the person that gives birth (will be registered)”.

She explained that this creates legal issues as “when the couple splits up, (the registration) will only be maintained by one of these people.”

“It is a major achievement,” Diane Rodríguez, president of Silueta X Association, an Ecuadorian LGBT advocacy group, told the Washington Blade after the vote.

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has 30 days to sign or veto the measure.

Though, same-sex couples will have legal recognition gays and lesbians remain unable to adopt children.

Ecuador is among the growing list of Latin American countries that have extended legal recognition to same-sex couples.

Gays and lesbians are able to marry in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico City and a handful of other Mexican states.

For more information, please see:

Washington Blade – Ecuadorian lawmakers approve civil unions bill – 23 Apr. 2015

telesur – Civil Unions Approved by Ecuador’s National Assembly – 27 Apr. 2015

Pink News – Ecuador just approved same-sex civil unions – 28 Apr. 2015

GayStar News – Ecuador’s National Assembly approves gay civil unions bill – 28 Apr. 2015

By Delisa Morris

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SANTIAGO, Chile– Just in time for Earth Day Volcano Calbuco erupted last night in Chile for the first time in more than four decades.  The sudden eruption sent a thick plume of ash and smoke several kilometers into the sky.

By night, almost 4,000 people had been moved from the area, an evacuation radius of 20 kilometers was established and schools in the area and the classes were cancelled in surrounding towns, authorities noted.

Chile’s Onemi emergency office declared a red alert following the sudden eruption at around 6 p.m. local time.  Calibuco lies about 1,000 km south of the capital, Santiago, near the tourist town of Puerto Varas.

President Michelle Bachelet is scheduled to travel to the affected area on Thursday.

According to Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo there were no reports of deaths, missing persons or injuries.  Penailillo urged residents to evacuate the area and warned of possible lahars, a mix of water and rock fragments that flow down a volcano’s slopes and river valleys.

The column of ash and smoke is being pushed northeast towards Argentina, by winds.

“In this situation, with the eruption column so high, the main risk is that it collapses, falls due to gravity because of its own weight and causes a pyroclastic flow,” Gabriel Orozco, a vulcanologist with Chile’s geological and mining service, said on local TV.

Video courtesy of Informaciones Chile

A pyroclastic flow is a superheated current of gas and rock that can destroy nearly everything in its path and travel at speeds upwards of 200 to 300 kilometres per hour.

The volcanic ash has caused flights to be cancelled in Argentina and Chile due to the ash making it dangerous to fly.  The ash can cause damage to an airplane.

Canadian-born Trevor Moffat, who lives in Ensenada, some 10 kilometres from the volcano, said the eruption happened without warning. Volcano Calbuco’s last known eruption was in 1972 and the most recent major eruption happened in 1961.

“It sounded like a big tractor trailer passing by the road, rattling and shaking, guttural rumbling … we left everything there, grabbed my kid, my dog, got in the car with my wife,” said Moffat, who was driving to nearby Puerto Varas at the time.

“All the neighbours were outside, a lot of young people crying. Armageddon-type reaction.”

For more information, please see:

CBC News – Calibuco Volcano Eruption in Chile Forces Evacuation of 4,000 People from the Region – 23 Apr. 2015

LA Times – Hiker Found as Ash from Calibuco Volcano Closes Borders in Chile – 23 Apr. 2015

Aljazeera – Thousands Evacuated as Chile Volcano Erupts – 23 Apr. 2015

Reuters – Flights Canceled as Ash Cloud Pours from Chile Volcano – 23 Apr. 2015

By Delisa Morris

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner will no longer face allegations in court that she tried to cover up Iran’s involvement in a 1994 bombing in Buenos Aires.  The prosecutor has dismissed the allegations.

Prosecutor Javier de Luca’s decision to drop the case could mean a definitive end to the accusations that have stormed the nation, according to Argentina’s state-run Telam news agency.

The case put the international community on alert in January of 2015 after the original prosecutor who brought the allegations was found dead in his home.

Alberto Nisman’s dead body was discovered just days after making the accusations against President Kirchner.  His death jarred conspiracy theories and outrage.

Nisman accused the Argentine government of agreeing not to go after Iranian suspects in the bombing in exchange for a favorable trade deal.

The bombing occurred in 1994 and is the deadliest terrorist attack in the country’s history.  It is suspected that Iranians bombed the Jewish community center in the Argentine capital.  Eighty-five people were killed, and hundreds were injured.

Iran denies any involvement in the bombing.

After Nisman’s death another prosecutor took over and the case went to court in February.  A judge dismissed the case, saying that Nisman’s allegations did not hold up.

Furthermore, the Argentine government has sought to discredit Nisman.  Last week it made accusations that Nisman received salary kick-backs from the IT specialist who had been working with him on his investigation into the bombing.

Nisman spent the embezzled money on champagne, women and lavish vacations, according to President Kirchner’s cabinet chief.

After the dismissal, the case went to prosecutor de Luca for a possible appeal.

Yesterday, de Luca announced that in his investigation he found that “there was no crime here, either carried out or attempted,” according to Telam.

For more information, please see:

CNN – In Argentina, prosecutor drops allegations against President Kirchner – 21 Apr. 2015

Forward – Argentina Prosecutor Dismisses Iran Terror Cover-Up Case Against President – 21 Apr. 2015

Haaretz – Argentina prosecutor dismisses cover-up case against president – 21 Apr. 2015

Yahoo – Argentina court throws out case against Kirchner again – 21 Apr. 2015

By Delisa Morris

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

CARACAS, Venezuela — Ambassadors from both Spain and Venezuela have been summoned due to the remarks made by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro concerning Spain’s take on the opposition crackdown.

During protests that occurred almost a year ago, President Maduro jailed several opposition leaders and has largely ignored numerous international outcry’s for their freedom.

Maduro made less than favorable comments toward Spain on Tuesday after the Spanish Parliament passed a motion calling for the release of opposition leaders jailed in the South American country.  Venezuela is a former colony of Spain.

President Maduro condemned the measure as “an act of aggression by corrupt Spanish elites” and called Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy “a racist”.

He also accused the Spanish parliament of interfering in Venezuela’s affairs and recommended it “look after its mother”.

“In Spain, they are all racists,” he added, warning, “I am ready for the battle against Madrid.” He also threatened to go “on a tour of Spain and announce my candidacy for president,” even though Spain is run under a parliamentary system where non-members of the legislature cannot campaign for the top spot

The Spanish foreign ministry summoned Venezuelan Ambassador Mario Isea to tell him that Maduro’s “statements, insults and threats” were “intolerable”, it said in a statement.

Venezuela in turn summoned Spanish Ambassador Antonio Perez-Hernandez y Torra in protest, complaining of Spain’s “meddling and disrespectful statements”, said Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez.

“We again call on the Spanish government to respect Venezuela’s sovereignty,” she said.

The negative treatment of opposition leaders by the Venezuelan government is a regular source of tension between the two countries.

Some of the jailed leaders include Leopoldo López, who was arrested in February 2014 for organizing a peaceful protest against Maduro, the mayor of western regional capital, San Cristóbal, and the mayor of the national capital, Caracas, have been arrested for expressing disagreement with the socialist government. Maduro accused both of being involved in a conspiracy to overthrow him.

Venezuela recalled its ambassador to Spain for consultations in February after Rajoy met with Lilian Tintori, the wife of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez.

The following month Rajoy met with Mitzy Capriles, the wife of Caracas mayor Antonio Ledezma, who has also been jailed in what Venezuelan opposition figures said was the latest crackdown on criticism of Maduro’s left-wing government.

Spanish political figures have been increasingly vocal in condemning human rights abuses in Venezuela. Former Spanish President Felipe González has personally taken it upon himself to defend López and Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma in Venezuela’s courts. This prompted Maduro to immediately accuse González of spearheading a coup attempt against him.

For more information, please see:

ABC News – Spain Files Protest With Venezuela Over President’s Comments – 16 Apr. 2015

The Local – Diplomatic spat: Spain, Venezuela tensions rise – 16 Apr. 2015

BreitBart – Spain Lodges Protest with Venezuela after President Calls Nation ‘Rascists’ – 16 Apr. 2015

telesur – Respect International Law, Venezuela Tells Spanish Diplomat – 15 Apr. 2015

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Managing Editor

BOGOTA, Colombia – Colombia’s President, Juan Manuel Santos, has ordered the resumption of bombing raids against Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels after an attack he blamed on the group killed Colombian 10 soldiers. The move, which broke a fragile truce between FARC and the Colombian government will likely intensify combat in the region. The Colombian government halted bombing raids targeting FARC as part of peace talks between the two parties in recognition of a unilateral ceasefire declared in December by the FARC insurgents.

According to Al Jazeera’s Alessandro Rampietti said of the FARC attack against Colombian troops that “this is the deadliest attack since they announced the unilateral indefinite ceasefire back in December. And comes just a few days since the Colombian government announced the extension of the suspension of the air raids over FARC camps.” He added that at the present movement, it is not clear what the effects of these attacks will have on ongoing peace talks between FARC and the Colombian Government. FARC negotiators in Cuba committed to the unilateral ceasefire to promote peace talks that have taken place in Cuba over the past two years. FARC negotiators claimed the insurgents would only fire their weapons if they were first attacked by the armed forces. However, it is unclear how much control FARC rebel leaders in Havana really have over the more than 7,000 fighters participating in the FARC insurgency.

Ten Colombian soldiers were reportedly killed in the rural southwestern Cauca province in the early hours of Wednesday when the FARC launched an ambush against the troops, throwing grenades and firing on them as they sheltered in a covered sports pitch, the Colombian army said. “This incident was a product of a deliberate attack by the FARC, it was not a coincidence and this implies a clear rupture of the promise of a unilateral ceasefire,” President Santos said, after meeting with his Administration’s defense team in the city of Cali. “I have ordered the armed forces to lift the suspension of bombings on FARC camps.”

FARC is the largest rebel organization in Colombia, a nation that has been a haven to illegal drug and human traffickers for several decades. The organization was founded 1964 with the stated aim of installing a Marxist regime in the South American state. In five decades of conflict more than 220,000 people are estimated to have been killed. While the FARC movement claims its motives are to establish a Marxist regime, a regime that in theory would focus on the rights of workers, the paramilitary organization has targeted trade unions, even assassinating their leaders, for several decades leading to the degradation of the Labor movement in a countries who’s labor unions were once the among the strongest in Latin America.  Colombia has experienced the highest number of assignations of trade union leaders and labor activists of any country in the world. FARC is listed as a terrorist organization by both the United States and Europe.

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – Colombia to Resume Bombing of FARC Targets – 16 April 16, 2015

BBC News – Colombia Lifts Bombing Truce after FARC Attack in Cauca – 16 April 2015

CNN International – Colombia Renews Bombing Raids on FARC After Rebels Kill 10 Soldiers – 15 April 2015

Reuters – Ten Colombian Soldiers Killed In Attack Blamed On FARC Rebels – 15 April 2015