‘We are on the eve of a genocide’: Brazil urged to save Amazon tribes from Covid-19
Brazil’s leaders must take immediate action to save the country’s indigenous peoples from a Covid-19 “genocide”, a global coalition of artists, celebrities, scientists and intellectuals has said. In an open letter to the Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, figures including Madonna, Oprah Winfrey, Brad Pitt, David Hockney and Paul McCartney warned the pandemic meant indigenous communities in the Amazon faced “an extreme threat to their very survival”. The organiser of the petition, the Brazilian photojournalist Sebastião Salgado, said trespassers including wildcat gold miners and illegal loggers must be expelled immediately from indigenous lands to stop them importing an illness that has killed more than 240,000 people around the world, including 6,750 in Brazil.
Colombia's largest armed group says it will resume warfare after a month-long ceasefire
Colombia's National Liberation Army, better known as the ELN, says it is resuming its five-decades-long armed activity after declaring a ceasefire exactly one month ago. The country's largest rebel group says it agreed to a truce to alleviate the humanitarian crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic and as a gesture of peace. More than 6,500 people have tested positive for the virus there, and nearly 300 have died. But the rebels are now accusing the government of showing little to no enthusiasm for revamping the long-stalled peace talks or for combating the virus.
Former police chief of Honduras accused of trafficking drugs to US
US prosecutors allege ‘El Tigre’ trafficked cocaine on behalf of Honduran president. US federal prosecutors have accused the former national police chief of Honduras of trafficking tonnes of cocaine to the US on behalf of the country’s president, Juan Orlando Hernández, and his brother, who was convicted of similar charges in October. Hernández was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the trial of his brother Juan Antonio “Tony” Hernández, but the US has continued to call him an ally in its “war on drugs”.
Coronavirus: Colombia foils jail break attempt amid contagion fears
Guards have foiled an attempted jail break and riot at a prison in central Colombia which has hundreds of cases of coronavirus, officials say. Seven inmates tried to dig a tunnel out of one of the cells at a jail in Villavicencio, guards said. Home-made weapons that were going to be used in an uprising have been seized, they add. The jail has 314 coronavirus cases, the highest number of any Colombian prison. Inmates have protested about the high risk they run of contracting the virus. Among the more than 300 people who tested positive at the jail are both guards and prisoners.
Spanish PM: Face masks will be obligatory on public transportation from Monday
The prime minister daily brefing began by referring to the relaxation of confinement measures, which began last weekend when children under 14 were allowed outside for walks of one hour a day, and were widened today to allow adults out for strolls or sporting activities such as running or cycling. “These are small comforts that are coming in doses, and may appear insufficient, but are important,” he said. Sánchez added that mobility would be recovered “bit by bit” as well as other elements of social activity. He stressed that social responsibility would be a key element of the deescalation.
Latin History for Morons
If you're looking for some entertainment during this lockdown, be sure to take a look at this show. With a rapid-fire lesson in overlooked Latin history, Colombian-American actor John Leguizamo comes to Netflix with his one-man Broadway show "John Leguizamo's Latin History for Morons". Examining 3,000 years of Latino history, Leguizamo charts everything from a satirical recap of Aztec and Incan history to stories of Latin patriots in the American Civil War, revealing how whitewashed history truly is. Latin History For Morons earned a 2018 Tony Award nomination for Best Play on Broadway.
