private sector
Thursday 25.11.2021 United States of America - Latest Developments -
USA: Frustration over power outages drives thousands to protest in Puerto Rico
On 15th October 2021, about 4,000 people marched in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to protest the island’s recurrent power blackouts. Many criticised power company Luma for failing to provide adequate electricity to residents and demanded its ouster. Read more
Monday 22.11.2021 Mexico - Latest Developments -
New tax rules impact civil society in Mexico
On 27th October 2021, Indigenous forest defender Irma Galindo Barrios went missing, reportedly after attending a protest in Mexico City. According to IM-Defensoras, she was meant to attend a conference of the Mechanism to Protect Human Rights Defenders and Journalists in the capital, but never arrived. Read more
Thursday 18.11.2021 Guatemala - Latest Developments -
Guatemala: Siege in municipality to prevent anti-mining protests by Indigenous groups
On 12th October 2021, hundreds of people marched in Guatemala City to denounce racism and discrimination against Indigenous peoples, as part of a Day of Indigenous People’s Dignity and Resistance. Several countries in the Americas hold commemorative holidays on the date, marking Christopher Columbus’ arrival on the continent in the 15th century. Read more | Read in Spanish
Wednesday 10.11.2021 Nicaragua - Latest Developments -
Daniel Ortega retains power in electoral process lacking legitimacy and human rights guarantees
On 7th November 2021, Nicaragua held presidential elections without independent international observers or human rights guarantees. Hours after the ballots closed, official media announced Daniel Ortega as the winner with preliminary results showing he had received about 75% of the vote. Read more
Sunday 31.10.2021 Ecuador - Latest Developments -
Ecuador: state of emergency amid rising crime
On 18th October 2021, President Guillermo Lasso decreed a state of emergency for 60 days to confront rising crime and violence in Ecuador, saying the military and police would take to the streets to provide security. Read more | Read in Spanish
Sunday 31.10.2021 Canada - Latest Developments -
Canada: provinces ban demonstrations near health facilities
On 23rd September 2021, the Quebec government adopted special legislation that makes it illegal to protest within 50 meters of schools, day care centres, hospitals, medical clinics, vaccination sites and testing centres. Read more
Tuesday 14.9.2021 Argentina - Latest Developments -
Argentina: protests in memory of pandemic victims, demanding rights and policy changes
On 16th August 2021, hundreds of people joined the “Marcha de las Piedras” (March of the Stones) in remembrance of the more then 100,000 people who had died from COVID-19 in Argentina and to protest against President Alberto Fernández’s administration for its handling of the pandemic. Read more | Read in Spanish
Tuesday 8.6.2021 Serbia - Latest Developments -
Journalists face legal suits, threats and obstruction for their work
The Centre for Judicial Research (CEPRIS) has been under investigation by the financial police, as ordered by the Prosecutor's Office, to determine the regularity of the organisation's operations and finances. This comes almost nine months after the Directorate for Prevention of Money Laundering of the Ministry of Finance asked banks to inspect all transactions for 20 individuals and 37 organisations. Several cases of lawsuits being filed against journalists and activists were reported in this period. The "Millennium Team” construction company filed lawsuits against local portals Info Vranjske and JugPress, and against the initiative “Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own” for causing material damage. The worrying trend of attacks, threats and obstructions on the work of journalists has continued. Read more
Tuesday 11.5.2021 Brazil - Latest Developments -
Dictatorship-era National Security Law used to intimidate critics in Brazil
On 29th April 2021, Brazil became the second country to surpass 400,000 coronavirus deaths, according to data by Johns Hopkins University. In April 2021 alone, the country lost nearly 85,000 lives – the deadliest month yet of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more | Read in Portuguese
Thursday 15.4.2021 Honduras - Latest Developments -
Lenca leader killed and several defenders facing criminalisation in Honduras
On 16th March 2021, during its 46th session, the Human Rights Council adopted the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) outcome for Honduras. Read more | Read in Spanish
