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Angola’s government launches a campaign to end the use of anabolic body modification · Global Voices
Global Voices Lusofonia

Due to an increase in deaths and complications from the use of medications and aesthetic procedures that alter the structure of the body, the Angolan government decided to launch a campaign to educate and sensitize the population. Image: Giovana Fleck/Global Voices
Julieta Gomes Manuel was a dancer and singer, also known as Juelma Paraíso. She died in May 2021 in a hospital in Luanda from complications caused by a body modification procedure called “jarda.”
Jarda consists of injecting synthetic biopolymers and anabolic steroids into the body to enlarge a specific area. These procedures are cheaper than those offered in medical clinics and are therefore more popular. They can also be more dangerous.
In light of Manuel's death, the Government of Angola launched a campaign to combat the procedure. Organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the campaign is meant to raise awareness about the use of synthetic anabolic steroids and their risks through lectures and advertising campaigns.
Angolan singer Patrícia Pires, who underwent two surgeries in 2020 to remove the jarda from her body after complications from the initial procedure, will be the Ambassador for the cause.
Conhecida como “Embaixadora do Combate a Jarda em Angola”, a cantora Patricia Pires fez uma visita a kudurista Flor de Raíz, após passar por cirurgia de remoção da jarda, para dar a seu apoio e incentivar outras mulheres que fazem o uso das mesmas substância a pararem de o fazer. pic.twitter.com/sFVJbZyqmn
— Kianda Magazine (@KiandaMagazine) July 15, 2021
Known as the “Ambassador to Combat Jarda in Angola”, singer Patricia Pires paid a visit to kudurista Flor de Raíz, after undergoing surgery to remove the jarda, to give her support and encourage other women who use the same substances to stop doing it.
Jarda started to become popular in 2018. Images and videos on social networks showed women who manipulated their body's features using this practice. Anabolic steroids could be purchased easily, both in the informal market and even in pharmacies.
However, the procedure became controversial when cases of women who regretted the jarda were reported in the press. Due to the unregulated nature of the procedure, the precariousness of the materials used, and the often unsanitized environment where the procedure is performed, jarda can lead to severe infections and other complications.
In 2019, Jornal de Angola reported that two young women lost their lives in Luanda, the capital of Angola, while three others were permanently disfigured, after trying to alter their body parts such as their butts, hips, and legs, with chemicals to make them bigger through unsafe methods two years ago. The case was also reported on the largest television network in the country, TPA, as illustrated in the video below:
In the same year, the newspaper reported that the kudurista Samara Panamera, one of the best-known kuduro artists (a common dance in Angola), had to get an operation on her buttocks after using the jarda. Critics blame the jarda craze on harmful beauty standards and an over-emphasis on appearance in Angolan society. Renato Palma, a doctor interviewed by the Jornal de Angola, even said:
Os resultados do uso incorrecto de suplementos anabolizantes são, a curto prazo, desastrosos e muitas vezes irreversíveis (…). As nádegas das pessoas que usam inadvertidamente anabolizantes mudam de lugar, por causa do peso. Quando a pele humana começa a perder consistência elástica normal, a pessoa necessita de uma intervenção cirúrgica para a relocalização ou mesmo remoção.
O líquido pode viajar em forma de êmbolo até aos rins, provocando depois problemas renais, respiratórios e ao coração, que pode provocar enfarte. Em alguns casos, com tratamento envolvendo antibiótico, terapia e outras formas, consegue-se parar o processo, mas a pessoa não fica a mesma.
The results of incorrect use of anabolic supplements are, in the short term, disastrous and often irreversible (…). The buttocks of people who inadvertently use anabolic steroids shift because of their weight. When human skin begins to lose its normal elastic consistency, the person needs surgical intervention for relocation or even removal.
The fluid can travel in an embolus to the kidneys, causing kidney, respiratory and heart problems, which can lead to a heart attack. In some cases, with treatment involving antibiotics, therapy and other forms, it is possible to stop the process, but the person is not the same.
The plan, presented on July 16, by the minister of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ana Paula do Sacramento Neto, will be implemented throughout the country, under the name ”For Health and For Life Say No to the jarda”:
Numa iniciativa da organização Juventude Organizada Responsável e Organizada (JIRO), pretende-se, entre outras metas, reduzir o índice de uso de anabolizantes, particularmente nos ginásios oficiais e clandestinos do país e despertar a juventude no mal que pode causar.
In an initiative of the Responsible and Organized Organized Youth organization (JIRO), the intention is, among other goals, to reduce the rate of steroid use, particularly in official and clandestine gyms in the country, and to awaken the youth to the harm it can cause.
However, there were those who said the Government of Angola should not be concerned with this practice, but rather, with improving the lives of young Angolans:
O Ministério da Juventude e Desporto deveria estar focado em melhorar as diversas modalidades desportivas em Angola para evitarmos essas poucas vergonhas mas como Angola não é país, mas sim meme, estão focados em parcerias com o Combate a Jarda em Angola. #TudoAtoa
— Azulay (@WilliamAzulay) June 30, 2021
The Ministry of Youth and Sports should be focused on improving the various sports in Angola to avoid these few shames but as Angola is not a country, but a meme, they are focused on partnerships with Combate a Jarda in Angola. #Everythingfornothing
Others say that the jarda is a sign of change, as it was previously a desirable practice, but nowadays only criticisms remain:
É interessante ver como as coisas mudam. Grande parte das mulheres idolatradas do ponto de vista físico na banda usavam jarda, hoje são as criticadas. Não tou aqui a fazer juízo de valor do “certo/errado”, mas o facto é: as coisas mudam:)
— Danilo Castro (@danilopacastro) July 17, 2021
It's interesting to see how things change. Most of the women idolized from a physical point of view in the band used a “jarda”, today they are criticized. I'm not judging the “right/wrong” here, but the fact is: things change :)

author: Global Voices Lusofonia


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Bermudians are ‘bursting with pride’ as triathlete Flora Duffy brings home the country’s first Olympic gold · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bermuda's Flora Duffy leads a pack of elite triathletes at the 2012 Edmonton ITU Triathlon World Cup. Photo by Sangudo on Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
The Caribbean island of Bermuda officially has its first-ever gold medal at the Olympic Games, thanks to the efforts of Flora Duffy. The 33-year-old triathlete won the women's event on July 26 in Tokyo, Japan, after a delayed start caused by unfavourable weather conditions affecting the course in Tokyo Bay. Her victory also gives Bermuda the distinction of being the least populous country ever to win Olympic gold:
Hey @BERMEMES I fixed it! Hail to Bermuda’s FIRST EVER Gold medalist #floraduffy!! ???? #bermuda pic.twitter.com/WYiafq2M69
— ?BROOKESY? (@brookesymusic) July 27, 2021
Duffy completed the course in a time of 1:55:36. The two other medallists were Britain's Georgia Taylor-Brown, who finished a minute and 14 seconds behind Duffy to cop the silver medal, and American Katie Zaferes, who finished in third place with a time of 1:57:03:
She was over a minute ahead of second place✌#floraduffy #OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/x2QkVKjxpC
— PandeyG (@MrPandeyG) July 27, 2021
THAT REALLY JUST HAPPENED!!! ??????#floraduffy
— Stephanie (@sgibbles11) July 26, 2021
In the midst of stormy conditions, Duffy remained steady throughout. She emerged from the swim leg among the first batch of competitors, and was among the first three at the end of the first lap of the bike stage. By the second lap, she was leading the pack, and kept up a good pace throughout this stage of the race.
It was on the opening lap of the run, however, that Duffy really made a serious play for the win. She continued to push ahead on subsequent laps, continuously increasing the time gap between herself and her nearest competitors, and looking sure and strong as she crossed the finish line to give the country of her birth its first taste of Olympic gold medal glory:
@floraduffy you made Bermuda and all of us proud! What a fantastic ‘golden’ performance from start to finish. Congratulations! Amazing! #GoldMedal #floraduffy pic.twitter.com/8tgoGZXVmR
— Marie Hargun ? (@Marietwit) July 27, 2021
On the other side of the world, her compatriots celebrated the significance of her win:
The sense of patriotism with #floraduffy today is amazing. We need to continue this to support all of our athletes as they work towards their Olympic goals.
— Catherine A Kempe, JP (@catherine_kempe) July 26, 2021
In households across the island, air horns were being sounded in jubilation:
People in my neighbourhood are blowing their airhorns! We love to see it!!!!! #OlympicGames #FloraDuffy
??????????????????????
— Jimothy?? (@Teela_Leeora) July 26, 2021
Anybody got an air horn???#GoFloraGo #floraduffy #Bermuda pic.twitter.com/QnxD1PsfBB
— Gary Foster Skelton (@FosterSkelton) July 26, 2021
Understandably, many Bermudians got emotional over the victory:
I’m not crying you are ??????????#floraduffy #bermuda #TokyoOlympics
— M.Goater (@Keeby82) July 26, 2021
My kids got to witness history today. That's something I'll never forget. I wasn't alive to see Clarence Hill win his bronze. But I'm so glad we got to witness this moment ??? #olympictriathlon #floraduffy
— Jevon (@jevon_5) July 27, 2021
Hill, Bermuda's first Olympic medallist who took home a bronze medal in Boxing at the 1976 Montreal Games, said that Duffy's triumph reignited his long-held faith in the potential of Bermudian athletes.
Meanwhile, a few social media users were inspired enough to compose songs (or at least play them):
?she’s a Duffy conqueror…?
A Bermudian won de ?athlon…at de age of 33.
Last medal was bronze.
Now it’s gold…
They call that alchemy #floraduffy #Triathlon #champ
— 2Puff Shakur :| (@ELSomner1) July 27, 2021
Hey Siri, play “Proud to be Bermudian”#OlympicGames #FloraDuffy #ProudToBeBermudian pic.twitter.com/AKflx0U75W
— Jimothy?? (@Teela_Leeora) July 27, 2021
Twitter users expressed just how much of a unifying force—and source of pride—Duffy's performance was for the country:
Panini arguments. Cup Match Banter. Vax/no Vax Everything on pause when we stop to support one of our own. Got to ❤ Bermuda Twitter. #floraduffy #Tokyo2020
— Clifton (@CliftonW21) July 26, 2021
CONGRATULATIONS @floraduffy #floraduffy We're bursting with pride. You did it!! #Bermuda’s first ever #Olympic gold??? ??♀??♂??♀#OlympicGames #Tokyo2020 #Olympics #Triathlon #Bermuda #ProudtobeBermudian ?? pic.twitter.com/qpIouMYWAZ
— Shari-Lynn ?? (@shaeyd) July 26, 2021
Some social media users dubbed Duffy the greatest of all time, while for others, the sight of their country's flag flying highest at the Games, accompanied by the playing of their national anthem, was incredibly moving:
When this is the medal pole! Go #floraduffy Duffy Hill please @BermudaPremier pic.twitter.com/aduTjH1vth
— Briley Habib (@Map_Addict) July 27, 2021
Duffy demonstrated that she was both physically and mentally ready for this race, and—unlike her competitor Georgia Taylor-Brown, who lost precious time on the bike leg due to a flat tyre—did not have to contend with any mishaps. Many of her fellow citizens, however, felt in some measure that their support and good wishes must also have counted for something:
Commentator just said #floraduffy hears the bell and she MUST hear the cheers from Bermuda!
— NeverODDOreven (@PalindromeGnome) July 26, 2021
Yes there will be parade and there better be a national holiday. This is HISTORIC! Oh and she’s our National Hero for 2022. Not up for discussion! #FloraDuffy #Bermuda #Olympics ???
— Christopher Douglas (@dark_river89) July 27, 2021
One Twitter user summed up her achievement simply and eloquently:
GOLD tho…
What a feeling that must be. #floraduffy #BER
— 2Puff Shakur :| (@ELSomner1) July 27, 2021

source: news-globalvoices

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Community support is vital to women athletes: Kosovo alpinist Uta Ibrahimi · Global Voices
Violeta Jonchevska

Uta Ibrahimi. Photo used with her permission.
Uta Ibrahimi, an alpinist from Kosovo, is the first ethnic Albanian woman to climb Mount Everest, which she did on 22 May 2017. Afterwards, she climbed Manaslu, Cho-Oyu, Lhotse and Gasherbrum, making her officially the first woman from the Balkans to summit five peaks taller than 8000 meters.
Through her alpinism and media appearances, Uta seeks to raise awareness about nature, the mountains, and human rights, particularly in Kosovo and Albania. Uta is also a Sustainable Development Goals Champion, promoting gender equality, youth empowerment and environmental preservation.
In this interview you will read more about her mountaineering adventures and the challenges she faces.
Uta Ibrahimi. Photo used with her permission.
Global Voices (GV): How did your career in alpinism start? When was your love for mountaineering and climbing born?
Uta Ibrahimi (UI): I started my hiking activity with professional mountaineers on 22 of May, 2011. Before that I had only practiced short hikes with my family.
Thanks to the guides, who are husband and wife, that was the day I realized that women and girls can be great mountaineers. Later on, I  met many strong and tough women who shared a common passion for the mountains and blew my mind with their power.
Later, in 2015, after climbing Mont Blanc, the love of mountains became my biggest passion. I decided to leave my 12-year career in marketing and a job at one of the most famous agencies in Kosovo, only to get closer to land and sky, and my inner self.
Uta Ibrahimi. Photo used with her permission.
GV: How did you prepare to climb Mount Everest? How did it feel to be the first person from your country on top of the world?
UI:  My biggest experience in mountaineering was definitely in 2016 in the Himalayas, where I had gone for training in high altitudes.
I met a lot of people, learned a lot about climbing high mountains, and most importantly I realized I was physically and mentally prepared to test myself and realize my dream.
As soon as I came back in Kosovo, I started my project to make it work. Everything was harder from what I expected it to be, be it the physical challenges, psychological preparation and the financial aspect.
In order to climb high dangerous mountains, what you need most is the love and moral support of your community. I didn’t receive that in the very beginning, mainly coming from a deep concern of these people about what could happen to me in these altitudes. I also encountered  lack of faith in the power of women, even though a lot of women had already proven themselves to be equal with men in this sport.
The more one climbs the peaks of the world, the more one needs the love of the people—the moral support.
Reaching the top of the world remains one of the biggest accomplishments in my life, and one of the best feelings in my entire life. To witness the sunrise in 8000+ meters, surrounded by absolute silence is like being born for the second time, but this time fully aware and at peace, filled with positivity and joy.
On the other hand, I am very happy that with all the hard work I achieved something for myself and my country. I made my nation proud by waving the Albanian and Kosovo flags for the first time at the top of the world, becoming the first Albanian woman to summit Mount Everest.
After the summit on Everest, I have started the project on climbing the 14 highest mountains in the world—there are only 4 women in the world that have summited till now. I have now climbed 6 of them, by becoming the only girl from the Balkan with 6 summits on 8000 meters peak, and waving Albanian and Kosovo flag for the first time on each. Now, I am on preparation to climb the 8 remaining peaks, all the time training and working for the funding my expedition.
Uta Ibrahimi. Photo used with her permission.
GV: One of your missions is to raise awareness of nature, mountains and environmental protection; what activities do you undertake in that field?
UI:  To participate in projects that embrace the values of my activism as an SDG champion, supported by both the public and private sector, I have founded an NGO called Utalaya Foundation. Through our foundation we target different audiences, mainly focusing on marginalized groups in Kosovo such as: women, minority communities, children and youth, children with special needs, youth from rural areas etc.
We try to engage this audience as much as possible in projects that raise awareness on environmental protection.
For instance, recently we had a great cooperation with the municipality of Prishtina, engaging children with autism and Down syndrome, their caretakers and their parents with recreational and environmentally educational activities in the Bear Sanctuary in Prishtina-Germia Hill. We combined learning on importance of preserving nature and biodiversity with yoga, meditation, hiking and games that enhance their cognitive, behavioral and motor skills with different experts such as speech therapists, artists, instructors etc.
I very often participate voluntarily in calls from different organizations to be their voice of campaigns regarding women empowerment, environmental protection, human rights, children rights etc.
We are currently starting an awareness campaign with the World Wide Fund for Nature advocating the preservation of the Sharr Mountains National Park in Kosovo.
We are also going to take part in a project supported by the ministry of culture, youth and sports to engage the youth from rural areas to consciously use the natural resources and cherish the natural blessings our country offers us.
Uta Ibrahimi. Photo used with her permission.
GV: As an advocate for gender equality, can you describe what kind of strategy you use to implement this important commitment?
UI:  I have always been blessed to be surrounded by wonderful and inspiring women, starting from my mom, sisters, friends, co-workers and work partners, therefore I’ve always found joy in creating something together with women.
It’s not like I use a strategy; gender advocacy has become an unshakable part of my character since a very young age, and I try to do everything I can to empower women, such as hiring them in my hiking company, or foundation. In different projects I always engage women in activities that empower them and remove all stigma or prejudice created from our society.
Vulnerable groups are the main target and value of our foundation, and clearly women and girls do not exercise all their rights in Kosovo. Yet, hopefully with engagement, empowerment and advocacy this will change, and it has already started to change. So gender equality is not a strategy, it’s a moral value, it’s a lifestyle and obligation we must all apply.
Uta Ibrahimi. Photo used with her permission.
GV: Finally, do you have any recommendations for young climbers and mountaineers, things they should pay special attention to, so they can be safe on the mountain?
UI:  Youngsters, but also other age groups, should realize that it is never too late to start practicing outdoor sports and activities such as mountaineering or alpinism. The most important thing and message from me to my fellow alpinists is to stay safe in the mountains and not damage nature. A good mountaineer and alpinist is someone who protects and preserves nature at all cost. The fulfilment we take from mother earth has to be repaid with deep care and compassion.

author: Violeta Jonchevska


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Fifth woman murdered in Azerbaijan in 10 days · Global Voices
OC Media

A screenshot taken from a Meydan TV report about femicide in Azerbaijan.
This article was first published on OC Media. An edited version is republished on Global Voices under a content partnership agreement.
Nargiz Mustafayeva, a resident of the central Barda District, was strangled to death on Sunday, July 25. Her husband, Agil Mustafayev, born in 1983, was arrested. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, Mustafayev killed his wife over a family dispute.
Mustafayeva is the fifth woman murdered in Azerbaijan in the past 10 days.
On 24 July, Meykhosh Jafarov allegedly stabbed his wife, Khatira Farajova, to death. According to prosecutors, Farajova and her children were regularly abused by Jafarov.
On 23 July, Zarbali Guliyev allegedly stabbed and killed his wife Lyudmila Tatachenko following an argument, before taking his own life.
On 22 July, police sergeant Aliaga Soltanov allegedly killed Mubarak Agayeva with a knife also following an argument.
On 16 July, singer Aygun Mirzayeva was stabbed 23 times at a hotel in Baku. Ali Mammadov, who was arrested for her murder, said the two were lovers and confessed to the killing.
According to feminist activist Gulnara Mehdiyeva, women in Azerbaijan lack even basic security. “I think these femicides are proof of how vulnerable women are in the country. Because in most cases, murder is not the first stage of violence, but the last stage,” Mehdiyeva told OC Media. She added:
Murderers are often known for their violence against their spouses or lovers beforehand. For example, a husband who kills his wife who is trying to get a divorce and has abused her and her three children. That was the reason for the divorce.
Mehdiyeva noted that law enforcement agencies had “done everything in this matter except what they should.”
The country’s policies and the current legislation do nothing to protect women in the period before they are murdered. Police does not like to open criminal cases, especially for domestic violence. When applying to the police, applicants are encouraged to withdraw their complaints in order to reduce the number of cases. They [the police] do everything except their job.
Mehdiyeva told OC Media the lack of accountability also extends to the country's court system. “Courts do not serve justice; social security agencies cannot provide social support to unemployed women with children. As a result, women are forced to continue to associate with violence. This ends with murder.”

author: OC Media


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Filipino weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz makes history for winning the Philippines’ first ever Olympic gold medal · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

A screenshot from local news coverage by ANC News.
Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz inspired Filipinos all over the world by winning the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic gold medal. Diaz took first place in the Weightlifting Women's 55-kilogram category group A during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics on July 26, 2021.
Diaz recorded a 224 kg total Olympic record, besting China's Liao Qiuyun who took the silver medal with a 223 kg total record and Kazakhstan's Zulfiya Chinshanlo who got the bronze prize at 213 kg. Diaz thus became the first Filipino female athlete to win two Olympic medals after also clinching the silver medal during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
In the wake of this historic victory, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte and government officials lined up to wish Diaz congratulations, with one official even calling her a “national treasure.” However, citizens quickly took to Twitter to remind the public of the government's previous hostility toward the Olympic gold medalist, noting that she was once “red-tagged,” meaning she was falsely accused by authorities of being involved with communist rebels.
The Duterte government alleged the 30-year old athlete was involved in a destabilization plot in 2019 after she took to social media to solicit financial support for her 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics bid. She was even added to a matrix of organizations and individuals labeled as “enemies of the state.”
Hidilyn Diaz was maliciously tagged in Duterte ouster plot after she voiced the extreme lack of support for athletes in the Philippines. THIS IS A POWERFUL AND SYMBOLIC WIN— and a huge F U to a gov’t that lets its people down AND that looks down on women.pic.twitter.com/aGasvJp6c1
— Ash Presto ? (@sosyolohija) July 26, 2021
Diaz’s predicament was emblematic of the Philippine state’s perennial lack of sports funding.
The Duterte government's “ouster plot matrix” has been widely criticized for shrinking democratic spaces for dissent, wherein even ordinary individuals voicing out concerns on social media are tagged as either members or supporters of “communist” and “terrorist” groups.
The president's spokesperson deflected calls for a public apology to Diaz by denying that the Duterte government ever released such a matrix.
Hidilyn Diaz was underfunded by the government.
Worse, she was red-tagged when she was placed at the “Red October” plot matrix by the Duterte regime, which was proven to be a hoax.
She was harassed due to this, but braved through. Now, she carries the first gold medal for PH. https://t.co/IhI7BVzVbh
— Carwyn Candila (@JCRWYN) July 26, 2021
Her victory stole the limelight from Duterte’s State of the Nation Address (SONA). The 2 hour and 15-minute speech mainly rehashed the president’s talking points against drugs, communists, and critics while barely mentioning the country’s COVID-19 pandemic and worsening socio-economic crisis. Defying police blockades and threats of violence, thousands marched in protest against Duterte's SONA in the national capital and other major cities in the Philippines.
In his 2021 SONA, Duterte also called on the police and military to shoot communists on sight emphasizing that this will make him happy.
On the day of his last SONA, a woman unfairly included in the drug matrix wins the first Olympic gold medal for the Philippines. Coincidence or a foretelling? The last man standing is a woman.
Thank you Hidilyn Diaz for giving us a reason to be proud to be Filipinos today. ??
— Gideon V. Peña (@attygideon) July 26, 2021
It cannot be overstated that Hidilyn Diaz, who brings us all so much pride and honor, has been red-tagged and attacked by the administration for speaking out on injustice, so it's just poetic she won the gold on Duterte's last ever SONA.
Rise above the evil. https://t.co/uXuiBQoCZe
— Nathania (@PilosopoTanya) July 26, 2021
In the wake of Duterte’s longwinded and lackluster speech, Diaz’s Olympic gold medal win is a much-needed victory for Filipinos fed up with the Duterte administration’s incompetent pandemic response and intensifying attacks on democracy.

author: Karlo Mongaya


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Hong Kong hands down first guilty sentence on terrorism and inciting secession charges under national security law · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The popular protest slogan ‘Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times’. Photo by May James of the Hong Kong Free Press. Used under a content partnership agreement.
Tong Ying-kit, aged 24, the first protester charged under Hong Kong's 2020 National Security Law (NSL), was convicted of inciting secession and terrorist activities by Hong Kong's High Court on July 27, 2021.
The maximum sentence could be life in prison. The court adjourned the sentencing hearing to July 29, 2021.
Tong was arrested after his motorcycle crashed into three riot police officers. He was carrying a flag with a popular protest slogan ‘Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our Times’ on his motorcycle during an unauthorized protest on July 1, 2020, the date marked the anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China and was the first day after the NSL was enacted.
He was later charged with terrorism and inciting secession under NSL as well as dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm. Tong pleaded not guilty to all charges.
It was the first trial under the Beijing-imposed NSL, which outlaws terrorism, secession, subversion and collusion with foreign forces. Many have been debating whether crashing a motorcycle into a police barricade could constitute an act of terrorism, and whether displaying a political slogan like ‘Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our Times’ during a protest could be considered ‘inciting secession’. A Twitter user posted a video showing Tong's motorcycle crash:
Back up.
No cops at the beginning, suddenly they charged at motorcyclist and he couldn't brake sharply.
An edited video is circulating and the motorcyclist is now in custody. pic.twitter.com/tu5XVbGSRA
— Tiramisu ??? (@TiramisuBabe) July 3, 2020
Under the legal principle introduced by the NSL, Tong Ying Kit was denied bail and he has been under police custody for over one year. The Secretary for Justice, Teresa Cheng, refused to grant Tong a jury for the trial and instead the court was composed of three judges appointed by Chief Executive Carrie Lam. The judges were Justices Esther Toh, Anthea Pang and Wilson Chan.
During the 15-day trial between July 5–20, the prosecutor called on Lingnan University historian Lau Chi-pang to testify that the Chinese slogan ‘光復香港’ (Reclaim or liberate Hong Kong) could be interpreted as ‘recovering a regime or national territory that has fallen into the hands of the enemy or a foreign ethnic group’ while ‘時代革命’ (Revolution of Our Times) should be understood as a literal call for regime change.
On the other hand, the defence called on political scientist Eliza Lee and media professor Francis Lee to testify. Eliza Lee explained that the slogan was created by Hong Kong activist Edward Leung in 2016 to convey Leung’s political vision to ‘recover an old order that was lost, and unite freedom-loving people of all ages to bring about historical change’ while Francis Lee presented his research findings to show that the slogan is ‘ambiguous and open to multiple interpretations’ and not necessarily a call for Hong Kong independence.
The defence's request to set the legal standard of proof ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ was ignored, as the special High Court eventually passed a  ruling based on ‘all the relevant circumstances’, such as the timing of the protests and the undisputed understanding that the slogan was ‘capable of’ inciting others to commit secession.
Independent journalist Aaron Mc Nicholas looked into the verdict and highlighted the court’s rationality in the rule:
The court rejected the possibility that Tong could have had an innocent understanding of the slogan, since his WhatsApp conversations on July 1, 2020, showed that he was discussing a “safe spot” to move to in the event of trouble. https://t.co/ofAjHUloGX pic.twitter.com/9GjbbCK7Rr
— Aaron Mc Nicholas (@aaronMCN) July 27, 2021
As for the terrorism charge, the court accepted the prosecutor’s argument that the act of driving into police check line involved ‘serious violence against persons’ and ‘seriously jeopardised public safety or security’ and the guilty judgement was based on ‘the effect of intimidating the public’ rather than the grave harm that Tong’s action had caused or intended to cause to society.
For the terrorism charge, the court ruled that Tong's conduct had the effect of intimidating the public in order to pursue a political agenda, since the effect of his action would have been intimidating to those who hold different political views from Tong's. pic.twitter.com/7a9Qj4bBkF
— Aaron Mc Nicholas (@aaronMCN) July 27, 2021
Galileo Cheng, a citizen journalist who has closely followed the case and live-tweeted the trial further explained the court’s logic:
Thus, the interpretation of terrorist activities of #NSL by Court of First instance becoming:
To instill a sense of fear amongst the law-abiding members of the public, in particular, apprehension of a breakdown of a safe and peaceful society into a lawless one.
— Galileo Cheng (@galileocheng) July 27, 2021
The ruling will likely set a precedent for future cases involving the NSL.
Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Regional Director Yamini Mishra called the ruling an ‘ominous moment‘ for human rights in Hong Kong:
To convict Tong Ying-kit of ‘secession’ for displaying a flag bearing a widely used political slogan is a violation of international law, under which expression must not be criminalized unless it poses a concrete threat. This feels like the beginning of the end for freedom of expression in Hong Kong.
Exiled activist Nathan Law lambasted the trial as a political show:
It's a political show trial.
The right to a jury trial is denied. The government handpicked the judges. The judicial system in Hong Kong is weaponized to suppress.
Guilty verdict in first Hong Kong trial held under national security law https://t.co/EHnGtk4Bfl
— Nathan Law 羅冠聰 (@nathanlawkc) July 27, 2021

author: Oiwan Lam


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Indonesia faces criticism for lack of financial support amid lockdowns · Global Voices
Sydney Allen

Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced the extension of Indonesia's PPKM COVID-19 restrictions. Screenshot taken from ABC's News's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehMcN9VcuuQ
Indonesia is facing a “COVID-19 tsunami” that is affecting families throughout the archipelago. While all of Southeast Asia has seen an uptick of cases in recent weeks, Indonesia has seen the sharpest spike and is widely regarded as the current global epicenter.
On Wednesday, July 28, Indonesia tallied over 45,000 cases — an alarming 15,000 more than the previous day. On the same day, the country recorded 2,069 known deaths, the highest to date. With nearly 87,000 total deaths and no end in sight due to the highly contagious Delta variant, many citizens are criticizing the government for their seemingly inadequate response to the pandemic and lack of socio-economic support amid tightened COVID-19 restrictions.
In recent weeks, protests have broken out across the country against the government-imposed PPKM lockdowns.
A protest outside the Bandung city council against the #COVID19 restriction in Indonesia. Lockdown obviously affect jobs, food. Many Indonesians still remember the Asian economic crisis turn violence in 1997-2004 ?? https://t.co/AMDkRHvpmj https://t.co/xETc6M0Aji
— Andreas Harsono (@andreasharsono) July 21, 2021
On July 3, Indonesia implemented an emergency multi-tiered public activity restriction program (PPKM) to curb the spread of the virus. For the last month, Yogyakarta, Jakarta, and Bali, the regions with the highest COVID-19 rates, each had level 4 restrictions. This included social distancing measures, restricted travel and indoor dining, an 8 pm curfew, and a work-from-home mandate for non-essential workers, among other measures.
The restrictions were partly in preparation for Eid al-Adha on Monday, July 19, one of the major Islamic holidays. Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority nation in the world and often witnesses mass migration during Eid as citizens visit friends and family members across the region.
Officials hoped to tamp down on domestic travel during the period after a May lockdown during Eid al-Futri proved relatively unsuccessful, resulting in a case spike.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s hospitals have been filling up and oxygen supplies running out. Last week Jakarta’s hospitals were at 73 percent capacity and Bali’s are currently at 80 percent. Families report desperation and hopelessness as hospitals run out of oxygen, and in early July, Yogyakarta’s Dr. Sardjito General Hospital saw a tragic 63 COVID-19 patients die outside the hospital while waiting for beds and treatment.
Indonesian media collaborate to investigate the death of 60+ patients in Sardjito Hospital, Yogyakarta, allegedly due to the oxygen shortage. Before, the hospital management denied the case. https://t.co/N64sxcIcDp
— Febriana Firdaus (@febrofirdaus) July 22, 2021
The government is also struggling with a sluggish COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Only 6.9 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, about 64 million out of 276 million people. To complicate matters, most of Indonesia’s vaccinated populations — including healthcare workers — were vaccinated with Sinovac, which has proven to be less effective against the more aggressive Delta variant.
As of June 26, Indonesia extended its COVID-19 restrictions until August 2 but downgraded them from level 4 to level 3, allowing traditional markets, mosques, and malls to reopen, permitting some indoor dining, and extending the curfew to 9 pm. Though Indonesia's cases are on the rise, Indonesia's Finance Minister, Sri Mulyani Indrawati said in a statement that they are trying to protect people while considering the country's economy.
The move to extend follows much criticism and protests as citizens faced economic and social hardships due to the lockdown. Many netizens have turned to Twitter to note the lack of governmental support amid the COVID restrictions.
Indonesian protest for not extending the lockdown is due to the lack of social and financial help from the government. That came from desperation. It's a very different context from anti-vaccine and anti-mask protest in many global north countries.
— kevin ng (黄協龍) (@sandhatu) July 25, 2021
According to Jakarta Legal Aid director, Asfinawati, many suspect the government has continually avoided labeling the COVID-19 restrictions a “lockdown” because the label would require them to provide citizens increased social benefits and support, as per their laws on quarantine and public health.
Yuni, who works as a cleaner in Jakarta, told the Australian Broadcasting Network,
If the government asks us to stay at home they have to give us a financial subsidy but in reality, it's just empty promises. Until now I've never received a thing.
Indonesia’s social aid program has been marred with scandal in recent months as then-social affairs minister and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) official Juliari Batubara, was accused of embezzling 2.7 trillion IDR (186,300 US dollars) from the social aid program and arrested in June. Batubara has since been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
But even before the scandal, many citizens took issue with the state aid programs and reported widespread corruption. In an interview with the Guardian, Eni Rochayati, coordinator of the Jakarta Urban Poor Network said:
[The] government said we would get Rp 300,000 [20 US dollars], but last year we received only around Rp 120,000 [8.3 US dollars],” said Eni. “When we received it we still have to share it with other neighbors who don’t get them.
Some cities are reporting food insecurity and major price spikes as a result of the lockdowns and interrupted supply lines.
Food prices are going up in Jogja, speaking to my local juice seller she shared that fruit is now 4x what is was pre-PPKM pic.twitter.com/UanKhDyFtF
— Harri Crisp (@Haarriet) July 16, 2021
Eni discussed the hardships of the lockdown on Indonesia’s poorest communities.
Rich people can stay at their houses relying on their monthly income. But we have to go out there to earn money every day. If we don’t do that, then our family members who are still healthy will get sick from starving. … Stay at home, using masks, social distancing, all of these would not be working if we are starving. We don’t live alone. We have families, children to feed.
Many volunteers and community organizations have taken matters into their own hands amid the government’s absence. Netizens have flocked to Twitter under the banner #wargabantuwarga (citizens helping citizens) and #Salingjaga (take care of each other) offering aid such as free care packages and transportation, money, and rice donations.
As the pandemic in Indonesia nears its peak, this type of community care might become the norm, as the country’s financial safety net is pressured and more businesses are forced to shutter amid the restrictions.

author: Sydney Allen


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LGBTQI+ community celebrates the first legal same-sex partnership in Montenegro · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Montenego has came a long way since the  2013 SeaSide Pride in Budva, the first pride parade in the country. Photo by LGBTQ+ Forum Progres, CC BY-NC-SA.
The first same-sex life partnership in Montenegro was registered in Budva, a city on the Adriatic coast on July 25, 2021, ten days after a law legalizing gay marriage adopted a year earlier came into force.
On June 1, 2020 Montenegro's parliament adopted a law on life partnership for same-sex couples, making Montenegro the first country in the Western Balkans to legally recognize same-sex marriage. The law came into force on July 15, 2021.
Bojana Jokić. Photo by LGBTQ+ Forum Progres, CC BY-NC-SA.
Right after, Bojana Jokić, the president of the board of LGBT Forum Progress, the first and oldest LGBTIQ organization in Montenegro, confronted the spread of homophobic disinformation, in particular allegations that the authorities are not ready to implement the law due to a lack of appropriate registry books, or that further lower-level regulation needs to be adopted. She called upon the competent institutions to complete the necessary preparations for implementation of the law:
Nakon toliko godina smo se izborili za ovaj mali korak naprijed i djelimičnu pravnu jednakost, sada nećemo dozvoliti da maliciozna tumačenja pravnih normi dovedu do daljeg prolongiranja ili se zloupotrijebe u političke i druge svrhe.
After so many years of struggle we won this small step forward and partial legal equality, and now we shall not allow that malicious interpretation of the legal norms result in further prolonging or abuse for political or other purposes.
Ten days later, she was proven right. According to a news article in the Vijesti newspaper, “two young women with Balkan origins who live and work abroad” submitted a request for registration of their marriage to Budva municipality on July 17.
Local self-government coordinator Milijana Vukotić Jelušić told Vijesti that the municipality was honored to be the location for this ground breaking event.
The group LGBT Forum Progres marked the occasion on Twitter:
Danas su u opštini Budva dvije djevojke postale prvi par koji je sklopio životno partnerstvo u Crnoj Gori, prema zakonu koji je stupio na snagu prije samo deset dana. ?????? (1/3) pic.twitter.com/7jCDXDOdHv
— LGBT Forum Progres (@LGBTFP) July 25, 2021
Today in the municipality of Budva, two girls become the first couple that formed a life partnership in Montenegro, according to the law which came into force only ten days ago.
We congratulate to the two partners from the bottom of our hearts and we wish them a happy life together, hoping that this will encourage other same-sex couples in Montenegro to implement their right guaranteed by law!
We are particularly proud of the fact that the first partnership was registered in Budva, exactly 8 years after the first historic pride parade took place in this town.
The anniversary of the first pride march brought back memories about the long and arduous road the LGBTQI+ community had to cross, given the obstacles in a region considered largely socially conservative.
Zdravko Cimbaljevic, Montenegro's first openly gay man, reminisced on Twitter:
Today marks 8 years since the first Pride march in #Montenegro!
One important lesson I leaned from this experience and can share with U all: Never underestimate the impact you can make as an individual! + be safe! ♥?♥
https://t.co/8aGSWIbKnx
? #Proud #PrideMarch @LGBTFP
— Zdravko Cimbaljevic (@ZdravkoCimbalje) July 24, 2021
The law adopted in 2020 does not include provisions to allow same-sex couples to adopt children. In all other aspects, their rights are the same as for heterosexual couples, including property rights, inheritance, social and health security.
Balkan Insight noted that Minister of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media Tamara Srzentic, on Sunday called the first same-sex marriage in the country a historic step.
Balkan Insight also noted that despite support from the  authorities, homosexuality remains a sensitive issue in Montenegro. It quoted a survey suggesting that 71 per cent of citizens “viewed homosexuality as an illness” and half of them considered the law on same-sex partnerships “a danger to society.”

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Armenia and Azerbaijan exchange accusations in renewed clashes · Global Voices
Arzu Geybullayeva

A screenshot taken from the documentary film, “In the Shadow of War: Voices from Nagorno-Karabakh,” courtesy of OC Media
Armenia and Azerbaijan exchanged fire on July 28, resulting in the deadliest clash since a Russia-brokered ceasefire ended the 44-day war between Armenia and Azerbaijan in November 2020. The two countries blamed each other for starting the shoot-out and violating the November ceasefire agreement.
According to Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defense, at least two Azerbaijanian servicemen were wounded. While the Armenian Defense Ministry said three Armenian servicemen were killed and four wounded. The most recent clashes come just days after the two countries traded fire near the Armenian village of Yeraskh and the Azerbaijani village of Heydarabad.
Leyla Abdullayeva, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Azerbaijan said in a tweet that Armenia bore the responsibility for recent clashes:
❗According to @wwwmodgovaz positions of the Azerbaijani Army were again subjected to fire on Kalbajar section of the #Armenia-#Azerbaijan state border. 2 ?? servicemen wounded. Armenia bears full responsibility for the escalation of tensions along the state border of two states!
— Leyla Abdullayeva (@LAbdullayevaMFA) July 28, 2021
Meanwhile, Armenia's Ministry of Defense said, “All responsibility for the aggravation of the situation lies with the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan.” While the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that “the Azerbaijani side has been deliberately initiating escalation.”
Later that day, both sides agreed to deescalate tensions in a move proposed by Russia.
Earlier in July, both the EU and the US urged the two sides to reduce tensions.
Deeply worrying developments continue on ??-??state border. Reiterate our call for restraint and separation of forces & constructive engagement on border issues before new casualties are registered. ??stands ready to assist the sides.
— Toivo Klaar (@ToivoKlaar) July 20, 2021
????Միացյալ Նահանգները մտահոգված է Հայաստանի և Ադրբեջանի սահմանի երկայնքով գրանցվող միջադեպերով, հատկապես՝…
Posted by U.S. Embassy Yerevan on Tuesday, July 20, 2021
Last year's war claimed at least 6,900 lives. The ceasefire signed in November saw Azerbaijan regain control over all seven adjacent districts and parts of Nagorno-Karabakh previously controlled by ethnic Armenians.

author: Arzu Geybullayeva


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“Istanbul is the new cool” claims Turkey’s Ministry of Tourism and Culture, though not everyone agrees · Global Voices
Arzu Geybullayeva

A screenshot from Istanbul's new tourism video. Taken from GoTurkiye website featuring the video.
Beautiful models enjoying popular street food, a traceur racing on the rooftop of the Grand Bazaar, a ferry ride with seagulls and beautiful models, Turkish tea and sweets, street art, dancers, nearly deserted streets, and finally, a dinner with a view of the Bosphorus (sans the popular Turkish alcoholic beverage Raki); all of this and more, is featured in a new “Istanbul is the new cool” promo video, released by Turkey's Ministry of Tourism and Culture on July 27. Though the ministry hoped to boost national pride and tourism through the video, it may not have achieved the desired effect, as there have been overwhelmingly negative responses online.
Many users on Twitter, lashed out at both the Ministry of Tourism and Culture as well as the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) for selling a doctored image of Istanbul. The promo video was criticized for glossing over a variety of Istanbul's pressing struggles: women's rights, freedom of expression, freedom of the media, the country's unstable economy, and more. One common theme kept arising among critics online: “This looks like a really beautiful place — where is it?”
Is this Vogue Italy shoot, or Mavi Jeans commercial ad? It is certainly not an ad for Istanbul.
Ne bu paralel evrende yaşanan akepesiz Türkiye mi? https://t.co/22pQ8rpVYG
— Gaye Su Akyol (@GayeSuAkyol) July 27, 2021
Is this the Turkey without AKP in a parallel universe?
This is a really beautiful place. Which country is it?
While there were thousands of responses to the original tweet by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, one user pointed out the “hidden replies” that were visible under the original tweet. There, it was possible to see the comments the account owner was trying to hide, albeit not very well.
The promo film is fantastic. It does not feature not one AKP.
They did not include my turbaned sister in the Istanbul promotional film.
Filmin orjinal adı “AKP'den sonra İstanbul”.
— Fúsi (@cokayipettiler) July 27, 2021
The film's original name is Istanbul after AKP.
And it was only a matter of time before users created their own satirical versions of the promo video.
Realism vs. ‘post-truth’ https://t.co/7YOOPgTrsw
— Beril Köseoğlu (@__berill__) July 26, 2021
İstanbul is The New Cool – (True Version) pic.twitter.com/mrNwiRRQRH
— Mediha ?? (@medihaatesh) July 28, 2021
İstanbul. The new cool (via @bbonewstr) https://t.co/T91NMXOxs0 pic.twitter.com/1j7Pj5xUkC
— Jahrein ⚙ (@jahreindota) July 27, 2021
The Ministry of Tourism and Culture released another promo video on May 13, while most of the country was in the midst of a COVID-19 lockdown. The video showed hotel and other hospitality industry workers greeting tourists with masks that read “Enjoy! I'm vaccinated!” while a voice-over said: “sanitized resorts and vaccinated staff. We call it double safety for tourism. Our guests call it peace of mind. Come and enjoy the safe haven, the Turkish Riviera.”
The ad swiftly attracted criticism on Turkish social media. Numerous opposition party leaders termed the video “humiliating.” The former prime minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, called for the resignation of the current tourism minister in a tweet. The video was removed less than 24 hours after its release. So far, “Istanbul is the new Cool” has remained online, despite the waves of criticism.


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Journalist working remotely in Barbados shares her experience of street harassment · Global Voices
Flora Thomas

Set among the tall palms and lush vegetation of Barbados’ South Coast, United Nations House is illuminated in an orange glow to draw attention to the issue of gender-based violence, as part of the annual commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Again Women. Photo by UN Women/Younes Hosney on Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, working remotely from an idyllic Caribbean island might seem like an offer you can't refuse, but after four and a half months of living in Barbados as part of the country's progressive Welcome Stamp visa, Hong Kong-based freelance journalist Andrea Lo decided it was anything but, thanks to the country's culture of street harassment.
Lo wrote an article about her experience, which is getting a lot of regional attention since many other Caribbean nations have similar issues. In it, she talks about several incidents that made her feel unsafe since she arrived in Barbados in December 2020, and which contributed to her decision to cut her time in Barbados short, despite the island's many advantages:
I was struck by the beauty of Barbados, from the azure shades of the Caribbean Sea to the rugged landscapes of the east coast facing the Atlantic. […]
I also loved learning about Barbados culture. I had the privilege of enjoying a private cooking demo of fried flying fish with cou-cou (corn flour and okra) and sauce–the national dish of Barbados. It was also fascinating to hear conversations in Bayan Creole and learn Caribbean slang.
The culture of street harassment, however, would soon take its toll. Lo described it as more difficult to negotiate than COVID-19 lockdowns and the volcanic ash that held Barbados in a stranglehold after the intense eruptions of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ La Soufrière in April 2021:
Although street harassment is not unique to the island, I had never felt as fearful and vulnerable as I did in Barbados
Catcalling happened almost every time I left the house. […]
This ranged from one man saying he wanted to ‘put his aloe vera on me’ while I was taking pictures of the beach to another yelling, ‘Leave this prey alone!’ when I adjusted my shorts while walking.
I knew catcalling was happening in Barbados and the local women assured me that it was largely harmless. And at first I tried to laugh about it.
But as I continued to explore my new home on my own, I saw more incidents that filled me with fear.
I was warned that solo women on the beach could attract unwanted attention. Once a man was sitting next to me trying to have a conversation. I gave him one word answers before finally ignoring him. He sat and stared at me in silence. When I pretended to pack and leave, he left.
Such interactions left her feeling “increasingly paranoid and withdrawn” as she sank “deep into a rabbit hole of panic and despair.” Lo says she carried a rape alarm and a Swiss Army knife with her wherever she went, and even wore a “fake wedding ring” in an attempt to divert unwanted attention. What surprised her, she said, is that none of her research prior to the move hinted at the pervasiveness of this type of pestering:
Some friends in Barbados speculated that the excessive attention was due to my being an Asian with pink hair.
Local women said to me, ‘But that’s how Caribbean men are.’ One said if I wanted to live in the Caribbean I would have to accept that.
However, Caribbean women have been standing up and speaking out against verbal molestation and other forms of gender-based abuse for years now. In 2016, the #LifeinLeggings hashtag, created by two Barbadian women as a way to give women a voice—and a space in which to share their stories of sexual harassment—resonated throughout the region as it underscored the extent to which sexual harassment is ingrained in the collective regional culture.
Other regional initiatives working against gender-based violence include Jamaica's Tambourine Army and the hashtag #LeaveMeAlone, taken from a song by Trinidad and Tobago's Calypso Rose, which activist Attillah Springer used as a mechanism to have discussions about gender-based violence in the context of the country's annual Carnival celebrations. Both movements were started in 2017.
For Lo, the last straw was an incident that took place as she was walking to her neighbourhood supermarket one afternoon:
The streets were empty. A man drove by and stopped next to me. He said he was selling beach chairs and then he told me to get in the car.
‘I’m fine, thank you,’ I replied.
He became aggressive: ‘I’m trying to get in touch with you, but you don’t care about me.’
I replied, ‘I’m fine on my own.’
‘Don’t you want a husband?’ He asked. I said no and he drove off. But I froze in fear, too panicked to write down his license plate.
The property manager at Lo's apartment complex reported the incident to the police, though as far as Lo is aware, “the driver was never caught.” It was only after this experience that Lo learned about Ronelle King, the co-founder of #LifeinLeggings, who “was on her way to the capital Bridgetown in 2016, when a man offered her a ride. She refused and he tried to drag her into the car.” King explained:
Harassment of women and girls in Barbados is a widespread and ubiquitous issue […] one of those crimes that has been normalized as ‘part of culture’, trivialized to be considered a masculine way of showing their interest in a woman they are attracted to.
It is an aspect of the Barbados reality that is at cross-purposes with Prime Minister Mia Mottley's statement on the Welcome Stamp website, which promised visitors “safety and security” in this “ideal place to live, for both singles and families.”
Lo says her decision to return to Hong Kong was one that filled her with “enormous relief,” though she wondered what she might have done differently:
Maybe I was stupid to move to a place I’d never been to. As a woman, I would not have gone there alone if I had known the reality. Sometimes I wonder if I should have done that at all. So much of what happened was completely unexpected.
This tendency for women to second guess themselves is the very thing that Caribbean feminists are trying to change as they advocate for proper socialisation of boys and for men—whether they be ordinary citizens or regional celebrities—to take responsibility for their actions and make the necessary changes.

author: Flora Thomas


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The Georgian Dream Party’s anti-media crusade continues · Global Voices
OC Media

Anti-Pride protesters threaten an OC Media reporter. Photo by Mariam Nikuradze, OC Media. Used with permission.
This article was first published on OC Media. An edited version is republished here under a content partnership agreement.
In Georgia, independent journalists continue to face harassment and attacks from government officials ever since July 5 when a Pride march in Tbilisi was canceled after violent riots by anti-Pride groups. The most recent spat involves reporter Ema Gogokhia, from an independent TV channel Mtavari, and Georgia's Minister of Culture, Tea Tsulukiani.
On July 22, at a town theater opening ceremony Tsulukiani, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia, grabbed a microphone from Gogokhia's hands, claiming, Gogokhia was no longer the journalist, she was, saying, “Ms. Ema is no longer a journalist, I am … the microphone is mine.” The Minister refused to return the microphone back to the journalist and even asked the audience to applaud for her, according to Civil.ge reporting.
The opening ceremony was organized by the Cartu Foundation, founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, the former Prime Minister of Georgia and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party. Tsulukiani, is known as one of Ivanishvili's oldest allies. After grabbing the microphone, the Minister publicly teased and mocked Gogokhia.
This episode occurs just a few weeks after 53 journalists were attacked and injured while covering the “March for Dignity” on July 5. One journalist, Aleksandre Lashkarava, a camera operator with Formula TV who was severely beaten during the riots, died in his home several days later. Hours after Lashkarava's death, Georgian authorities baselessly insinuated that it may have been caused by a drug overdose, not by the severe head injury he sustained during his beating.
Despite numerous condemnations locally and internationally, the Georgian Dream party has insisted that police did everything they could to defend journalists.
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, the most popular public figure currently in  Georgia's government according to a recent poll by the International Republican Institute, added to the anti-media rhetoric.
In a July 20 speech about his mayoral re-election campaign, Kaladze spoke up about the recent violence. “All those who on July 5, did not spare you, hit you, and engaged in violence, damaged the progress of the country and our future,” he said, referring to the anti-Pride protestors.
But as he condemned the violence, Kaladze also referred to Georgian TV news programs as “psychological violence” which he believed was “equally evil” to the physical violence of the homophobic mob.
“The Georgian authorities should very clearly and unequivocally condemn the attacks on members of the press. Sending mixed messages usually puts journalists at additional risk,” Gulnoza Said, the Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, told OC Media.
“Georgian authorities should investigate the attacks against every single journalist and hold all perpetrators to justice,” she added. “We hope to see a thorough, transparent and swift investigation into the death of Aleksandre Lashkarava. The international community is watching very closely.”
So far 28 individuals have been charged over their alleged role in the July 5 riots, 24 of them for assaulting journalists. No rally organizers, including those who were filmed calling for violence, have faced any charges.
Following the funeral of Aleksandre Lashkarava, numerous Georgian media organizations — including TV companies Pirveli, Formula, and Mtavari —  demanded the resignation of Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili and held protests opposing the ruling Georgian Dream party both on the streets and inside parliament.
During the Georgian Prime Minister's question and answer sessions with the media, journalists have been repeatedly asking him, “When do you plan to resign?”
Nino Zuriashvili, Georgian journalist and the head of the Studio Monitori investigative project, admitted that journalists calling on the government to resign is indeed extraordinary but that these are not ordinary times. Zuriashvili told OC Media:
Knock at any newsroom today in Georgia and you’ll find one or two journalists with bruised faces or injured hands or legs. These wounds have not healed yet. I do believe that if not for July 5, Lekso [Aleksandre Lashkarava] would have been alive today.
In response to mounting calls for government resignation by media groups, the Georgian Dream leaders have not only rejected claims that they mismanaged public safety during the protest, but have even begun a boycott of several major news networks.
The Prime Minister’s office refused to allow journalists from Mtavari, Formula, and Pirveli to cover Gharibashvili's July 17 visit to Georgian troops and their families at a military housing project in Tbilisi on the grounds that the media had “crossed the line” and participated in politics instead of reporting the news.
The following day, a large number of journalists, who said they had received accreditation to report at the parliament, were barred from entering the building during a parliamentary hearing. The government eventually canceled the hearing and blamed the opposition.
On July 20, Tornike Rizhvadze, the chair of Georgia’s Autonomous Republic of Adjara, demanded that journalists “behaved” if they wanted to regain access to his cabinet meetings.
Speaking with OC Media, veteran journalist Nino Zuriashvili noted that the authorities have more than enough avenues at their disposal to respond to criticism, even if they think the criticism is unfair. Indeed, Zuriashvili is among the first to admit Georgian media is both polarised and politicized.


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In North Macedonia, some young people manage to build successful businesses during the COVID-19 crisis · Global Voices
Metamorphosis Foundation

Darko Milevski, Teona Mango and Goran Bakrevski. Photo by Meta.mk, used with permission.
This story was originally published by Meta.mk as part of its ongoing coverage of issues related to Generation Z. An edited version is republished here under a content-sharing agreement between Global Voices and Metamorphosis Foundation.
During the coronavirus crisis, some young people in North Macedonia saw the opportunity to start their own businesses or to adapt their existing businesses to the new normal that was imposed by the restrictive measures against the coronavirus.
This is contrary to widely held positions that advocate apathy and emigration as solution for low level of economic opportunities in North Macedonia, in particular outside of the capital Skopje (which serves as the biggest local market for consumer goods). Analysis of youth underemployment conducted by the NGO Finance Think indicated that at 49 percent, the unemployment rate among youth in 2015 was almost double the national average of around 25 percent. A 2019 survey showed that 52 percent of youth considered leaving the state in order to make a decent living.  According to Eurostat data for 2020, the overall unemployment rate has dropped to 16 percent, while youth unemployment remains very high at 29.5 percent.
Several studies by Finance Think show that the COVID-19 outbreak severely disrupted labour market conditions as lockdowns, closure of borders and movement restrictions contributed to reduced activity, interrupting supply chains, production and sale.
The stories that were told to Meta.mk by Teona Mango, Goran Bakrevski and Darko Milevski, entrepreneurs from Bitola, a city in the south of the country, provide examples of young people who have dealt with the crisis in a creative and positive manner.
Teona Mango, founder of the Beyond Green brand. Photo by Meta.mk, used with permission.
Blogger Teona Mango is the founder of Beyond Green, an eco-friendly and sustainable fashion brand founded in 2020. Beyond Green's products аre made from ecological and sustainable materials, and the idea behind the brand is to promote an ecological and green way of life, while, at the same time, lowering production and the use of products that are polluting the environment.
Mango said that the pandemic also changed her shopping habits, and explained:
Живеев во Лондон до 2020 година, кога почна короната се вратив овде и останав непланирано веќе една година. Во карантин, како и сите, имав премногу време. Кога се вратив тука да живеам, забележав колку е ниска еко-свеста и колку немаме еко-одржливи производи, па така се роди идејата да започнам еко-френдли одржлив бренд. Вишок времето кое го имав, пак ми овозможи да истражувам и да најдам кои производи и кои материјали се најдобри, најодржливи.
I had lived in London until 2020 and when the coronavirus crisis started I returned here and and stayed unexpectedly for more than a year. During the quarantine, like everybody else, I had too much free time. When I returned here, I noticed the low eco-awareness and that we lack eco-sustainable products and this is how the idea to start an eco-friendly and sustainable brand came to be. The extra time I had gave me the space to research and find out which products and materials are the best and most sustainable.
“The people began shopping online instead of shopping in stores. Also, all of the products I purchased were bought from an e-store,” Mango explains.
Goran Bakrevski works as a dentist, but this profession was among the first that were harshly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that during the first three months of the pandemic he didn’t work at all, so he had enough time to dedicate himself to the production of  BAK craft beer, which is “100% natural.”
Bakrevski explained:
Goran Bakrevski, producer of BAK craft beer. Photo by Meta.mk, used with permission.
Планови за развојот на семејната пиварница имавме и пред корона кризата, но работата ја убрзавме за време на ковид-19, бидејќи имавме доволно време. Брат ми е професор по музичко, но и тој беше дома. Во тој период активно работевме на вкусовите на пивата и подобрување на технологијата за производство. Луѓето не излегуваа, седеа дома, што беше одлична можност за тестирање на вкусовите на производите. Тогаш ја добивме поддршката од битолчани. Младите во тој период седеа на социјални мрежи каде што направивме индиректна реклама за производите.
We had had plans to develop the family brewery before the COVID-19 crisis, but then we sped up that work, since we had a lot of spare time. My brother is a music professor, so he was also at home. During that period we actively worked on the beers’ flavors and improvements in the production technology. The people didn’t go out, they were at home, which turned out to be an excellent opportunity to test the products’ flavors. That is when we gained support from the people in Bitola. The young people during this period were spending more time on social networks and we did some indirect advertising for our products in that period.
Darko Milevski is a former football player and his profession had always dictated his diet. He used to live in Sweden, but he returned to Bitola, where three years ago he opened the vegetarian and vegan restaurant Centar. His goal was to educate young people about healthy foods, but also to teach them return to their roots i.e. to make plant foods more present in the diet.
Darko Milevski, owner of the 21/10 Fast & Healthy. Photo by Meta.mk, used with permission.
Кога фати корона кризата се појавија многу потешкотии и бевме затворени скоро пет месеци. Во 2020 година некако преживеавме, а во 2021 година беше важно да се продолжи. Изборот беше малку да се намалат ресурсите но да се продолжи со иста пареа. Затоа направивме ребрендинг затоа се создаде „21/10 Fast & Healthy“ што e take away за брза и здрава храна. Почнавме во мај, кога се уште постоеја рестрикции. Но ние и во такви рестрикции работевме бидејќи имавме само кујнa.
When the coronavirus crisis started, many difficulties arose and we were under lockdown for almost five months. We survived 2020 somehow, but in 2021 it was important to continue. We chose to reduce capacity, but to also continue full steam ahead. So we rebranded ourselves and we have created the 21/10 Fast & Healthy, a company offering healthy takeaway fast food. We started in May, when there were still restrictions. But even during those restrictions we worked, because the only thing we had to care about was the kitchen.
He pinpoints that the coronavirus crisis enticed them in the right manner to make some changes, since, as he says, we are all pretty static and have learned to operate in our comfort zones, so this crisis has only accelerated our efforts. Milevski is happy with the reaction of the people of Bitola and wants to spread his brand in other cities.
“The young people are researching the ways of nutrition and are slowly changing their eating habits,” concluded Milevski.

author: Metamorphosis Foundation


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Iranian state comes down hard on protests over ‘Thirsty Khuzestan’ · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Cartoon by Germany-based Iranian cartoonist Assad Binakhahi. Used with Permission.
Demonstrations have erupted across several cities in Iran’s richest province of Khuzestan since July 15, as a months-long drought in the southwest region drove the people to accuse the authorities of mismanaging water resources, both for drinking and for agricultural irrigation.
Days into the protests, Amnesty International said in a July 23 report it had confirmed the deaths of at least eight protesters and bystanders, including a teenage boy, after the authorities used live ammunition to quell the protests. Iranian media and officials have said at least three people have been killed, including a police officer and a protester.
Anti-government chants resounded in these rallies. In some cities, like the southern city of Izeh, pro-Pahlavi dynasty slogans against the Islamic Republic were heard. Protesters in the capital, Tehran, chanted “Down with the dictator!” and “Do not be scared! We are all together!”,  a slogan reminiscent of the anti-government Bloody Protests of November 2019.
تهران الان pic.twitter.com/NPTX5PPlYT
— ?☼ ıllıllı ماه_سال ıllıllı ☼? (@MahSal1398) July 26, 2021
While the Iranian state faced criticism from international organizations and Iranian human rights and civil society activists for repressing the demonstrations in the oil-rich province, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Friday that he understands protesters’ anger over the drought.
According to some reports, internet connections were regularly disrupted a week into the protests in the country's southwest.
A 40 percent drop in rainfall over recent months is seen to be among the reasons behind a nationwide shortage in water, which peaked for the people of Khuzestan. However, protesters also blame the shortage on “corrupt management of resources and a close-minded approach to economic development.”
Many have also taken to social media to express their frustration.
this lady is telling that there's not enough water for her animals and they're dying, this is the way this lady and her family bring food to their table. she's begging for help. does anyone hear her voice? #خوزستان_آب_ندارد pic.twitter.com/o4xwfN1Nt1
— ?????? (@maedtayem) July 19, 2021
Hashtags such as #KhuzestanIsThirsty and #KhuzestanHasNoWater were used to express outrage at the government and shed light on the protests, as well as on the clampdown protesters faced.
The young man who sings, Meisam Achresh, lived in Mahshahr (Bandar Ma'shur). On July 18, 2021, they shot 2 bullets at him (1 in the head). He died on July 21.
Reminds me of Younes Achresh, 17, who, according to Rokna, self-immolated in 2018 because of poverty
#khuzestanIsThirsty https://t.co/cIYkX7vxIF
— Roya Boroumand (@RoyaBoroumand) July 25, 2021
They take the lives of people because they are looking for water#khuzestanhasnowater #khuzestanIsThirsty#khuzestanSOS pic.twitter.com/5d3cuVymJ5
— Hasti pakravan (@hastipakravan) July 22, 2021
Mahmmood Amiri Moghadam, director of the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights Center, told Global Voices that the ongoing protests reflect a growing outrage among a wider segment of the Iranian population, especially those who were once aligned with the regime. Comparing the demonstrations with those of the 2009 Green Movement, he said:
The new protests belong to the lower middle class and the poor and are mainly from districts and peripheral parts of the country, while the Green movement, for instance, had its base among the upper-middle class in larger cities. While the protesters in the last two decades had, to some extent, sympathy with the so-called reformist faction, the new wave of protests don’t distinguish between different factions of the regime and are against the entire Islamic Republic State—an establishment that is not only repressive and brutal but it is also extremely corrupt and incompetent.
He went on to add that ordinary people are getting more impacted by the corruption and mismanagement, as poverty grows, while “the regime doesn’t have the cash which used to buy them some support among the poor.”
Attached is another video of protesting citizens in #Baharestan, #Isfahan from earlier today. In the clip, protesters are chanting “We do not want an Islamic Republic.” #KhuzestanSOS #IranProtests pic.twitter.com/jIJk9Pk4UT
— HRANA English (@HRANA_English) July 27, 2021
On Tuesday, a group of civil rights activists including Narges Mohammadi, the author of “White Torture,” was arrested for a few hours as they gathered in front of the Ministry of Interior to express their support to protesters in Khuzestan.
Numerous artists, writers, lawyers, sportspeople, and associations such as The Writers Association published statements in support of the people of Khuzestan. More than 130 Iranian documentary filmmakers condemned in a statement the repression of protesters and asserted that “they stand by the thirsty people in Khuzestan.” A group of journalists inside Iran also  called for the end of repression and censorship in Khuzestan.
Today’s protests are neither new to the region nor the first instance of state handling dissent with an iron fist. In 2018, Amnesty International published a statement expressing its “concern about the reports that security forces used unnecessary and excessive force, against generally peaceful protesters during recent protests in Khuzestan province, where people have been demanding clean and safe drinking water.”

author: Fred Petrossian


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The essence of LeRoy Clarke, Trinidad and Tobago’s master artist who died this week · Global Voices
Guest Contributor

A Prophetic Flaming Forest by LeRoy Clarke, 2003. Photo courtesy The Lloyd Best Institute of the Caribbean, used with permission.
By Sunity Maharaj
Editor's Note: On the morning of July 27, 31 years to the day that Trinidad and Tobago faced an attempted coup d'etat, the country experienced a different type of loss with the death of celebrated master artist LeRoy Clarke. He was 82 years old.
Known primarily for his vibrant and intricately detailed paintings, Clarke, dubbed “The Chief” (he was an elder of the Orisha community), was also a prolific poet, publishing several books over the course of his long career.
At the heart of his inspiration was a deep and tender vision of everything the Caribbean had the potential to be—a vision rooted in his expansive knowledge of the region's history and culture, propelled by his unending drive for excellence. His work is spiritual, passionate, deliberate, and pioneering, guided by an inner desire to know, understand and make connections, rather than by any external desire for acclaim, though he achieved that too, and on his own terms.
His legacy is assured, and Clarke's commanding voice is present even in his family's official notice of his passing, which began, “Chief Ifa’ Oje’ Won Yomi Abiodun, wishes to announce that he has transitioned to the realm of the ancestors.”
Screenshot of master artist LeRoy Clarke, taken from the YouTube video ‘Studio Archives Ep. 6 LeRoy Clarke,’ by
etv Island.
Trinidad and Tobago journalist Sunity Maharaj wrote about his incredible contribution to the art world, in a piece of writing that Clarke used as the foreword in two of his books, PARables of our Joyless Days and Eye Haiti…Cries…Everywhere. It captures the essence of LeRoy Clarke. Maharaj has graciously allowed us to republish it here:
LeRoy Clarke is because he dares to be.
The child who Yemanja [Orisha Mother of Oceans and of all Orishas] had risen to save from a watery grave has repaid her mercy many times over by a relentless insistence on living and being. At four score and counting, and with his mind now firmly committed to epitaph writing, LeRoy Clarke has never been more present in his life, nor have its strands been less dissonant as the pattern of a unique tapestry begins to emerge.
His is a life of extreme self-consciousness. Every toe placed, every finger raised, every word uttered are as precise and as deliberate as the tiniest dot perfectly placed between two tightly drawn lines on his canvas.
LeRoy Clarke surrounded by his art and admirers at his 2019 exhibition, The Art of Obeah. Photo courtesy The Lloyd Best Institute of the Caribbean, used with permission.
The art of being LeRoy Clarke is a discipline, cultivated by an artist equally inspired and terrified of the society that has hammered his art into existence. He is who he is because of who we are. His painstaking precision, punctilious imagery, raw emotion
and opinionated extremism are his responses to a society that he finds too casual, too unspecific, too cosy with mediocrity and too quick to release the nervous laughter of un-negotiated acquiescence. He is uncomfortable with our in-betweenity and rejects our preference for living in the grey. In his artist’s quest for truth, the clarity of certainty is what he seeks. In Eye Haiti: Cries Everywhere, he has finally worked his way to the stark, indubitable clarity of a world designed in black and white.
LeRoy Clarke is in every respect his own creation and his own work of art. He has crafted his own purpose-built language, invented his own philosophy of art, designed his own image and set the rules of his own house. For better or worse, he answers to no one, neither does he surrender the right to value himself or his work. As the commander of his soul, he reserves the right to set his own price in the transactions of his life.
In a world schooled to manage difference and keep defiance in check and where conformity and un-responsibility abide comfortably in the same house, LeRoy Clarke is an anomaly of rage with ceremony and defiance wrapped in ritual.
Even if we can open our minds, it will take time, first, to understand and then to come to terms with the phenomenon of LeRoy Clarke. In the meantime, let us cherish him.

author: Guest Contributor


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The Georgian Dream Party withdraws from EU-brokered deal with opposition · Global Voices
OC Media

“E. Rinkēvičs meets with the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Irakli Kobahidze” by Latvian Foreign Ministry is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
This article was first published on OC Media. An edited version is republished on Global Voices under a content partnership agreement.
Georgia has been engulfed in a political crisis since October 2020, when opposition groups contested the results of parliamentary elections won by the ruling Georgian Dream Party. The contesting parties reached an agreement on April 19, 2021, with mediation from the United States and the European Union. In a July 28 press briefing, the Georgian Dream Party announced its decision to withdraw from the agreement.
Speaking to members of the press, the party chair, Irakli Kobakhidze said, “Today, 100 days after the signing of the document, it is clear that it has fulfilled its mission and reached its limits.”
The April agreement, signed by the Georgian Dream Party and most opposition parties, ended the oppositions’ seven-month boycott of the parliament. It included a number of judicial and electoral reforms and crucially, a promise by the Georgian Dream party to hold new parliamentary elections if they won less than 43 percent of votes in October’s local elections.
In the withdrawal announcement, Kobakhidze said they would call new elections if they won less than 53 percent of the vote in the upcoming elections, but only if they saw a possibility of a coalition government “based on the behavior of the opposition.” He added that the decision was an act of “goodwill” by the Georgian Dream Party.
Since the deal was signed in April, the government has come under increasing pressure from the EU and US over their apparent failure to implement the agreed-upon provisions as well as criticism over its handling of homophobic riots earlier this month.
While the agreement explicitly stipulates that judicial appointments should be paused until reforms are carried out, the government has proceeded with controversial lifetime appointments to the Supreme Court.
On June 23, The US Embassy in Georgia tweeted that the Georgian Dream party was not meeting its commitments to making “inclusive” judicial reforms.
On APR 19 GD & opposition parties agreed ”ongoing appointments shall be paused” and committed to comprehensive & inclusive judicial reform & new legislation on Supreme Court nominations.https://t.co/qm1UyFaRwG pic.twitter.com/BETz5judMG
— U.S. Embassy Tbilisi (@usingeo) June 23, 2021
In another statement issued on July 29, the US Embassy to Georgia said:
The United States is deeply disturbed and exasperated by the unilateral decision of the Georgian Dream party to withdraw from the April 19th Agreement, a document established through six months of difficult but collaborative negotiations, and one that gives an urgently-needed way forward for the Georgian people and their democracy.
This decision by the ruling party only creates more political instability for the country and raises questions about Georgian Dream’s commitment to achieving Georgia’s democratic goals, goals that Georgian Dream itself set for the country.
In his remarks, Kobakhidze hit back at Western critics. “Although more than half of the opposition MPs have not yet signed the agreement, we see that our international partners do not consider it necessary to urge the radical opposition to sign the document and participate in its implementation,” he said.
He also insisted that judicial and electoral reforms would go ahead without any political agreement.
Khatuna Samnidze, chair of the Republican Party, said that the Georgian Dream Party's statement was a rejection of Europe and the United States. Other members of the opposition such as Zurab Japaradize, leader of the opposition party Girchi — For Greater Freedom, said, “They realized that they have a zero chance of getting the 43 percent,” in an interview with Interpressnews.ge.
Some 18 local civil society organizations issued a statement on July 28 criticizing the withdrawal and describing it as a political move:
The decision of Georgian Dream is a way to deepen the pre-election political crisis and polarization and only serves a desire to retain the power, for which the “Georgian Dream” is ready to sacrifice the country's prosperity, Western orientation, democratic development and friendly relations with strategic partners.


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Violence against women is on the rise in Mexico. How do Mexicans perceive it? · Global Voices
Timothy S. Rich

Image inspired by the performance protest led by Elina Chauvet in Mexico City, where red shoes were used to represent the absence of women. Illustration: Giovana Fleck/Global Voices
In Mexico, femicides increased by 137 percent between 2015 and 2020, with the government only formally tracking femicides as a specific crime in 2012. Mexico’s justice system remains woefully ineffective as only 27 percent of homicides are investigated and only 4 percent of femicide cases go to trial.
The murder of women based on their gender is an acute issue for women’s health in the country. Global Voices wanted to look deeper to understand how people in Mexico perceive violence against women and the government’s response.
We conducted a national public opinion web survey from June 24 until June 26, surveying 625 Mexicans representative of gender, age, and partisanship of the national population. Our forthcoming research confirms that most Mexicans are alarmed by violence against women and that many remain unsatisfied with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s approach to resolving these issues.
By asking two questions, “How concerned are you regarding crimes against women in Mexico?” and “How would you evaluate the López Obrador administration's actions in addressing crimes against women?”, we found that most Mexican respondents, regardless of their partisan affiliations, gender or age were either moderately or extremely concerned about crimes committed against women in their country.
Women were only slightly more likely to state they were concerned (83.86 percent versus 81.43 percent for men). Respondents ages 18 to 24 were the least concerned (68.68 percent answered to be “moderately” or “extremely” concerned compared to over 80 percent for all other age groups).
Concern ranged from 76.2 percent among leftist Working Party (Partido del Trabajo in Spanish, known as PT) supporters to 88.5 percent for right-wing National Action Party (Partido Acción Nacional in Spanish, known as PAN) supporters.
However, when asked to evaluate the López Obrador administration’s response to crimes against women, respondents who identified as members of López Obrador’s MORENA party were significantly more likely to have somewhat positive or very positive views (43.37 percent) than those who were affiliated with other political parties, with PAN supporters the least supportive at 7.5 percent. Overall, only 27.04 percent of respondents held positive views on the administration’s efforts.
López Obrador’s MORENA party has maintained a legislative majority, even as violence disrupted June’s elections with 34 political candidates assassinated ahead of the ballot. Female candidates have increasingly become the victims of political violence. Despite the government's broad public acknowledgment of the problem, their path on how to combat femicide remains less clear.
On International Women’s Day last March, more than 20,000 Mexicans gathered in Mexico City to protest President López Obrador’s support for Félix Salgado Macedonio. At the time, Salgado was a candidate for governor of the state Guerrero in southwestern Mexico despite having been accused of raping several women. Facing criticism for his support for Salgado and disregard for gender-based crimes, López Obrador deflected criticism away from the administration and towards the “decadence of neo-liberalism” and other alleged root causes of gender violence.
Last February, President López Obrador said little about the femicide of a seven-year-old girl, Fátima Cecilia, and failed to use the term femicide regarding her death, and instead blamed social decomposition for the rise in femicides.
Likewise, the media romanticized instances of femicide and domestic violence against women, instead of holding the Mexican government responsible for their inaction. The brutal murder and skinning of Ingrid Escamilla by her partner in February was publicized by media outlets who referred to her death as the fault of Cupid, or in other words, love. Romanticizing femicide and violence against women only reinforces toxic machismo culture in Mexico, according to Mexican feminist writers.
Additionally, UN Women stresses the challenges in collecting reliable data on femicides. Mexico lacks the infrastructure and the tools to differentiate types of violence against women, resulting in the underreporting of femicides.
Women of lower socioeconomic status remain disproportionately vulnerable to gender-based crimes, with femicides higher among Mexico’s Indigenous populations. The pandemic has only worsened the situation, forcing 23 million women into poverty. Rates of domestic violence have also risen.
Families of victims, particularly victims’ mothers, have repeatedly been told by authorities that they are partly responsible for violence against women and girls. For instance, if the mother of a victim was employed when the victim was a child, then she did not spend enough time with her daughter. Conversely, if she remained at home to care for her family, then she spoiled her daughter.
Despite widespread concern about crimes against women and dissatisfaction with the administration’s responses, it is less clear how to end the violence.
NGOs have helped document cases of femicide and provide counseling services for family members of victims. In the state of Chihuahua, when private prosecution rights were introduced into the state’s legal framework, lawyers were able to strategically litigate perpetrators of femicide, helping to both raise awareness of these crimes and set new legal precedents. International and domestic pressure has also caused Mexico to implement policies, such as raising penalties for gender-based violence and joining the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. Last year, the Chamber of Deputies passed a bill to increase sentences for femicide.
However, the variation in legal standards for femicide across Mexico’s 32 states, as well as the frequent lack of enforcement of existing laws, means that rates of violence against women are unlikely to change without additional pressure.

author: Timothy S. Rich


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How a swimming pool became Puerto Rico’s symbol of climate change and corruption · Global Voices
Ángel Carrión

Protesters in the municipality of Rincón on the western coast of Puerto Rico have established a permanent presence at the construction site of a swimming pool that is being rebuilt after hurricane Maria destroyed it in 2017. Opponents of the construction say it is being built illegally. Screenshot from YouTube video uploaded by Carlos Mercado.
A coastal town like Rincón, located on the westernmost tip of the main island of Puerto Rico, is undeniably vulnerable to climate change and biodiversity loss.
That is why, over the course of several weeks, hundreds of people have protested at Los Almendros beach in Rincón, where a swimming pool destroyed by Hurricane Maria in 2017 is being rebuilt.
Residents are worried about accelerating environmental degradation, the government's historical lack of vision regarding climate change, suspicions of corruption because of the heavy police presence, and the hindered access to beaches due to private construction.
The pool belongs to a private beachfront apartment complex, Condominio Sol y Playa. Critics of the construction project claim that the pool is being rebuilt too close to the water, which was also the previous pool's flaw. With stronger and more frequent storms occurring in the Caribbean due to climate change, it stands to reason that the next hurricane that hits Puerto Rico could destroy the pool again.
In Puerto Rico, beaches are legally considered a public good and, therefore, must be accessible to people at all times. This has often been a point of contention between citizens and developers that build apartment complexes near the beach.
The following drone video shows where the pool was located:
Another point argued by critics is that the pool would be within Puerto Rico's maritime-terrestrial zone, swaths of land susceptible to be submerged by tides and larger waves during storms. Maritime-terrestrial zones are an important habitat for endangered species, such as leatherback and hawksbill sea turtles, which come to lay their eggs at Los Almendros beach. Recently, a hawksbill turtle was found within the construction perimeter and 180 eggs had to be removed and relocated. Currently, there are four hawksbill nests and two leatherback nests in the Los Almendros beach area.
Along Puerto Rico’s coastline, there is a multitude of examples of real estate projects that were somehow allowed to be built against Puerto Rico's environmental and building rules. The expected rising sea levels in the coming years will inevitably render some of those facilities uninhabitable, if not destroy them completely, putting human lives at risk. Scientists have long pointed out that this is not a question of if it will happen, but when. Atmospheric phenomena like Hurricane Maria, still an open wound for many Puerto Ricans, are a vivid reminder of Puerto Rico's vulnerability in the face of climate change.
The private pool project's environmental consultant, Ángel Román, insisted that it meets all requirements and is capable of withstanding another hurricane like Maria.
However, Puerto Rico's Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales, or DRNA) previously issued a cease-and-desist administrative order in May. Its director, Rafael Machargo, then amended the order that same day, granting permission to continue construction.
The official narrative is that the initial administrative order was not clear and needed clarification, which is why a new order had to be issued. Director Machargo has refrained from commenting throughout the past few weeks. The irregular way in which the administrative order was handled and Director Machargo's silence have given rise to rumors of corruption.
The reconstruction of Condominio Sol y Playa's pool started to gain more attention when Eliezer Molina, a former political candidate for governor, denounced the project in a live video on his Facebook page in May. The video quickly went viral and was the catalyst for the protests and legal processes that are still ongoing.
In response, the government deployed a large number of police officers near the pool-to-be. Many users on social media have pointed out that such as large police unit is rarely deployed in circumstances where “they’re actually needed” to fight crime. As television personality Silverio Pérez put it:
La Policía de Puerto Rico sabe exactamente dónde están los puntos de drogas en el país pero nunca veremos un despliegue de policías vigilando la actividad delictiva que ocurre en esos puntos de drogas. Escogen enviarlos a Rincón, a proteger una propiedad privada de una protesta. pic.twitter.com/iEhaiqJe6l
— Silverio Pérez (@SilverioPR) July 26, 2021
The Puerto Rico Police know exactly where drugs are sold in the country, yet we never see a deployment of police in those areas. They choose to send them to Rincón to protect a private property from a protest.
Journalists have pointed out familial connections between the apartment owners and key political figures, including Governor Pedro Pierluisi himself, who has remained largely silent on the issue. Some have suggested that the unusually large police presence at a private construction site is related to these personal relationships.
An example of these connections is Governor Pierluisi’s cousin, Walter Pierluisi, who was a political director during the 2020 election campaign and owns an apartment in the building, as revealed by lawyer and journalist Jerohim Ortiz Menchaca:
Es importante recordar que el primo del gobernador, @pedropierluisi, Walter Pierluisi Isern, es dueño de apartamentos en el Condominio Sol y Playa en Rincón. Es decir, el gobernador está usando a la Policía de Puerto Rico para proteger un patrimonio familiar ilegal.
— Jerohim Ortiz Menchaca (@JerohimOM) July 22, 2021
It is important to remember that the cousin of the governor, @pedropierluisi, Walter Pierluisi Isern, owns apartments in Condominio Sol y Playa in Rincón. That is to say, the governor is using the Puerto Rico Police to protect an illegal family asset.
In recent days, several instances of police aggression towards protesters have been captured on video and shared widely on social media. The Puerto Rican chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) pointed out the police's failure to live up to its promises of reform on Twitter:
Once again we witness a PR police that clearly is barely reformed. Beating and arresting environmentalists protesting destruction of coastal beach and wildlife habitat to serve private interests is not free speech. Excessive force by PRPB is once again at the forefront. @aclu
— ACLU Puerto Rico (@ACLUPR) July 26, 2021
It remains to be seen how the construction at Rincón plays out, but Governor Pierluisi's Chief of Staff, Noelia García, clarified the government's stance in a recent radio interview with journalist Julio Rivera Saniel. García said that the government will validate the construction of the swimming pool if it met all legal requirements at the time when the permits were requested, regardless of how environmental conditions may have changed over time.

author: Ángel Carrión