Tag: land

Palestine
settlement

Israel again expands West Bank settlements

The Israeli government announced the establishment of 22 new settlements in the illegally occupied West Bank—including the recognition and expansion of several already existing “wildcat” outposts, built without government permission. Defense Minister Israel Katz said that building the settlements was “a strategic move that prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger Israel.” The announcement comes amid expanding Israeli military operations and settler violence on the West Bank, and open calls from Israeli officials—including cabinet members such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich—to annex the territory.  (Photo: delayed gratification via New Jewish Resistance)

Afghanistan
Afghans

Afghans out; Afrikaners in

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans, saying that the “conditions in Afghanistan” no longer warrant continuing the program. Afghanistan is experiencing a dire human rights crisis under renewed Taliban rule. Human Rights Watch has reported that individuals who have links with the previous Afghan government’s security forces (or the US-led force that backed it) face violent reprisals such as extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention and torture. Meanwhile, nearly 60 white South Africans were admitted into the US as part of Trump’s resettlement program for Afrikaners who say they fear persecution. Trump, who has otherwise virtually shut down the US asylum program, said that a “genocide” against “white farmers” is taking place in South Africa. Bill Frelick, head of the Refugee & Migrants Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, responded that Trump’s claim “is not actually supported from any of the information that we have seen.” (Photo: USMC Staff Sgt. Victor Mancilla/CentComPublic Affairs via Wikimedia Commons)

Central America
salvador

MAGA-fascism and the struggle in El Salvador

US-directed repression and counter-insurgency in El Salvador in the 1980s allowed the imposition of “free trade” or “neoliberal” regimes in the generations since then—ultimately culminating in the adoption of CAFTA. This, in turn, has exacerbated the expropriation of the traditional lands of the peasantry by the agro-export oligarchy. It also led to the hypertrophy of the narco economy and a new nightmare of violence, which Nayib Bukele has exploited to establish a new dictatorship. This dictatorship is now openly in league with Donald Trump, and has in fact become critical to his fascist agenda. In Episode 275 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg breaks down El Salvador’s historical role as a laboratory of genocide and police-state methods for US imperialism, and the imperative of trans-national resistance. (Map: University of Texas)

Africa
Plateau

Massacres mount in Nigeria’s Plateau state

Communal violence in Nigeria’s troubled north-central state of Plateau has killed more than 100 people in just under two weeks. Plateau has a history of tensions between Muslim pastoralists and mostly Christian farmers over access to land. The state governor described the latest killings as “coordinated acts of terror” and has blamed armed Fulani herders for the violence. In what seems like an abdication of responsibility for security by the police—a trend across much of Nigeria—he said every community “must defend itself.” (Map: Google)

Syria
Palmyra

Israeli intervention threatens Syria transition: UN testimony

Israel’s ongoing military actions in Syria undermine the Arab country’s political transition, and the opportunity for Syria and Israel to form a new security agreement, UN Assistant Secretary General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Khaled Khiari said before the Security Council. In addition to carrying out air-strikes on several towns and cities since the fall of the Bashar Assad dictatorship late last year, Israel has pushed deeper into Syria from the Golan Heights and occupied more territory. Israel recently declared that it would remain in southern Syria indefinitely, and has even advertised Passover “hiking tours” in the newly occupied areas. (Photo via Twitter)

Africa
Africa

Trump tariffs ‘inexplicably cruel’ for Africa

Some of the world’s poorest countries, including nations grappling with protracted humanitarian crises, are among those most affected by President Donald Trump’s new trade tariffs regime, which has compounded pre-existing economic strains and debt woes. Among the worst effects will likely be felt in Africa, where Trump’s decision has created an “inexplicably cruel situation,” according to the Center for Global Development (CGD). “It is hard to fathom that the administration set out to destabilize poor African countries and unclear what they hope to gain,” wrote CGD researchers. The tariffs have effectively tanked the African Growth & Opportunity Act (AGOA), which allowed duty-free imports to the US for 32 countries and was credited with helping economic growth. Amid existential financial worries in the international aid sector—triggered by Trump’s closure of USAID—economists have also raised the possibility of a global trade war, with far-reaching ramifications for inflation and the cost of living worldwide. (Photo: Down To Earth)

South Asia
Manipur

Amnesty: India must end Manipur violence

Amnesty International called on Indian authorities to take immediate steps to end ongoing ethnic violence and ensure human rights protections in the conflict-torn northeastern state of Manipur. The statement comes as N. Biren Singh resigned as chief minister of Manipur. Since May 2023, ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities have left over 250 dead and more than 60,000 displaced. Villages, businesses, and places of worship have been destroyed, as vigilante groups operate with impunity. The resignation of Singh follows a Supreme Court-ordered forensic inquiry into leaked audio tapes that allegedly link him to instigating ethnic violence. Amnesty emphasized that Singh’s resignation provides an opportunity for authorities to break the cycle of violence and impunity that has plagued Manipur for nearly two years. (Photo: Asia Media Centre)

North America
thacker-pass

Nevada lithium permit violates indigenous rights: HRW

Human Rights Watch (HRW) charged that the US government’s decision to permit Lithium Americas company to mine at Thacker Pass in Nevada violates indigenous people’s rights by failing to obtain free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) in accordance with international law. The report determined that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) permitted the lithium mine without the FPIC of the Numu, Nuwu and Newe peoples. In the 2021 BLM decision to approve the mining project, the agency stated it had been in contact with tribal governments since 2018 and that “no comments or concerns have been raised.” HRW challenges that assertion, claiming there was no meaningful consultation, and that US courts have rebuffed all efforts by affected indigenous peoples to challenge the adequacy of the consultation process. Thacker Pass contains one of the largest known lithium deposits in the world. The project sprawls over 18,000 acres of Numu, Nuwu and Newe ancestral lands. (Photo: Protect Thacker Pass)

The Andes
ELN

Colombia: demand truce between illegal armed groups

Human rights organizations, including the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), have urged an immediate end to violence between illegal armed groups in the northeast Colombian region of Catatumbo. WOLA joined the Colombian movement “Defendamos la Paz” in a call for armed groups in Catatumbo to suspend their conflict. In the statement, WOLA wrote: “The Ejercito Nacional de Liberación (ELN) must cease human rights violations and adopt a truce to halt armed confrontations with Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) dissidents.” The rights organizations also called on the Colombian government to provide immediate humanitarian aid for the large number of internally displaced persons in the region. WOLA urged the armed groups involved to “respect international humanitarian law and allow relief efforts to reach those in need.” (Photo: Colombia Reports)

Central Asia
Hulunbuir

PRC: blogger detained for reporting land seizures

Reporters Without Borders called on the Chinese government to immediately release Liu Hanbin, a blogger who was detained following his publication of information regarding a protest against forced land seizures. Liu, who blogs under the name Wen Yi Fan, was taken into custody after he posted a video on social media platform WeChat reporting on a protest by farmers in a rural area of Inner Mongolia province against land confiscations by government officials. The protest was met with a swift response from local authorities, leading to Liu’s arrest. The 52-year-old blogger has been charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” an offense punishable by up to five years in prison. (Photo of Hulunbuir Grasslands, Inner Mongolia. Credit: Sergio Tittarini via Wikimedia Commons)

Mexico
corn

Trade panel strikes down Mexico GMO corn ban

A trade dispute panel convened under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ruled that Mexico’s import restrictions on US genetically modified corn violates the accord. The conflict stems from a presidential decree published by Mexico in February 2023 instating an immediate ban on the use of genetically modified corn in dough and tortillas, and a gradual end to its use in animal feed and other products. The panel determined that the ban was not based on science, and contravened the market access required under the USMCA. However, advocacy groups such as Greenpeace are proponents of the corn decree and implored the US to respect Mexico’s sovereignty, arguing that market dominance of patented GMO varieties leads to the decline of indigenous strains and threatens food security. (Photo of indigenous Mexican corn varieties: Feria de Productores via Earth@Home)