São Paulo metro (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

More than 10,000 Brazilians blocked the main avenue in São Paulo to protest against the 6.7% increase of bus and metro fares late last night. The city’s police force stated 25 protesters were arrested after crowds started throwing stones and petrol bombs. Several public buses were burned down and a downtown metro station was damaged. The riot police set off tear gas and used rubber bullets to calm down the violence on the streets of Brazil’s largest city.

After last week’s announcement of higher prices in public transport across the entire country, the ‘Free Fare Students Movement’ (Movimiento de estudiantes Pase Libre – MPL) has been using various social networks to promote the protest for the last few days. The group advocates free or at least cheaper public transportation.

At the beginning of June, prices for a single ticket were raised from 3 reals (US$1.40) to 3.20 reals (US$1.50). The authorities explained that “the rise is well below inflation, which – since the last price rise in January 2011 – has been at 15.5% according to official figures.”

This is the third time in less than a week that a group of mostly young protesters has hit the streets. Tuesday’s demonstration was the most violent one so far. Besides the arrests and acts of vandalism, including broken windows of nine banks and numerous bus stops, two students were knocked down by a car but were not seriously injured.

In a post on Free Fare’s official blog, one of the group members, Daniel Guimaraes Terschitsch, accused the police of starting the violence.

The military police stated in a press release that “the protest had been peaceful until a small group tried to storm the Parque Dom Pedro II bus station.”

As well as in São Paulo, there were demonstrations in Rio de Janeiro against increases on public transport fares. Over 30 protesters were arrested on Monday.

Qom camping in downtown Buenos Aires protesting their treatment (Photo: Jessie Akin)

Representatives of the indigenous Qom community remain in Plaza de Mayo, where they spent the night, to demand an end to attacks on their community. Yesterday they delivered a petition to the Casa Rosada containing the conslusions of the National Summit of Indigenous Groups, which took place earlier this week in Formosa, in order to meet President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

One participant said that “in recent years, 60 Qom members have been killed”, and expressed “stopping of all the hostilities” as one of their biggest desires.

The vigil began yesterday afternoon and the Qom were accompanied by representatives of human rights organisations. Among them, the Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, a member of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo association, Nora Cortiñas, and Congresswoman Victoria Donda (Libres del Sur).

Pérez Esquivel gave his opinion on Gildo Insfrán, governor of Formosa province: “He is a feudal lord who represses members of the Qom community and, even more disturbingly, he is an ally of the central power.”

Protesters are demanding a special regime for the claimed indigenous lands and effective access to health and education, in addition to the ending of attacks which are, according to the Qom, instigated by local and provincial governments. They are also asking for the end of extractive policies, benefits for the owners of agricultural businesses, and for their protests to no longer be criminalised.

“This is the indigenous people’s protest! With this protest we are seeking a rebirth,” said Argentina Quiroga of Warpe village, the main spokeswoman of yesterday’s gathering, and concluded: “We do not want to rule the nation, we just want our territories back. We stand here, ready to cope with multinationals.”

The protest continues. Supported as well by the National Summit of Indigenous people of Argentina and the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights (APDH), the Qom’s protest will last at least until this afternoon, since members are still persistently demanding to be received by the president.

The last time President Fernández met with any indigenous representatives was in May 2010.

Yanacocha operations area (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Peruvian miners have announced that they will resume their protests in Cajamarca in the north of country from 17th June onwards. After nine months of relative calm, the announcement was made by Ydelso Hernández, head of the Defense Front of Bambamarca.

Hernández explained, that miners held a meeting in the town of El Tambo on Wednesday and agreed to continue their fight against the construction of a reservoir in the El Perol lagoon and try to prevent the gold mine of Yanacocha would filter its waters around the Chailluagón dam. All miners were also in favour of creating special groups, called Guardians of the Lagoons, who will protect the lakes. That order came from Hernández and the governor of the province of Cajamarca, Gregorio Santos, in coordination with union leaders.

Reuters reported that Santos himself had phoned Bambamarca villagers and asked them to participate in the demonstrations and thus prevent the construction of the dam.

This week, the Bambamarca residents have hit the streets to prevent the construction of the second reservoir. The protest was suppressed by the police force and one protestor was left injured.

Roque Benavides, the president of Buenaventura, the mining company behind the project, assured that the plan to transfer the water from the El Perol lagoon to a new reservoir, has not started yet.

Since 2010 Peruvian miners have been battling against the approval of the ‘Conga’ project, since its development would require drying out four natural lagoons, that provide water to the region, where agriculture and livestock farming represent the main economic activity.

According to the Observatory of Mining Conflicts, Cajamarca is the fourth largest concessions department in the territorial sense – 2,732 licenses have been granted for exploration and mining.

In late June 2012, a wave of protests of various social movements of Cajamarca rose, prompting the government of Ollanta Humala to declare a state of emergency – five miners died in police clashes.

Protesters campaign for therapeutic abortion rights in Managua, Nicaragua back in 2007. (Photo courtesy of Sven Hansen on flickr)

Earlier today the Nicaraguan Strategic Group for the Decriminalisation of Therapeutic Abortion protested before the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ).

The group, made up of 14 organisations which defend women’s rights, also filed an appeal demanding to know what the court had made of allegations of the ban on therapeutic abortion’s unconstitutionality when it was officially passed in 2006.

The written injunction was received by SCJ secretary, Rubén Montenegro, who limited himself to saying that he would indeed pass it on to the magistrates.

The legal director of the Nicaraguan Centre for Human Rights, (CENIDH), Gonzalo Carrión, filed the appeal on behalf of the 14 organisations involved, stating it was a shame that the magistrates had yet to respond. He went on to exclaim that the criminalisation of abortion violates law 779 which itself criminalises all forms of violence against women.

María Martha Blandón, of Ipas in Central America, a global nongovernmental organisation dedicated to ending preventable deaths and disabilities from unsafe abortion claims that young girls and adolescents often die because therapeutic abortion is not available to them. She went on to state that this particular cause of death “does not appear in official statistics because they blame the death on other things”.

Despite government claims that maternal deaths have fallen by 50% to around 60 deaths per year, Blandón says this is unverifiable since the government’s health plans are missing information.

According to the Nicaraguan Strategic Group for the Decriminalisation of Therapeutic Abortion in 2011, 1,453 girls between the ages of 9 and 14 passed through the country’s healthcare system. The actual number of young girls having children is no doubt higher, given that not all of them are able to afford medical attention.

Therapeutic abortion was permitted in Nicaragua for more than 100 years, but, in 2006, the Legislature made it illegal. This was due in part to strong pressure from the Evangelicals, the Catholic Church, and pro-life groups.

Both the United Nations Human Rights Commission and Amnesty International have advised the country to engage with women’s health issues better so as to try to avoid deaths relating to complications from pregnancy.

Bans on therapeutic abortion are no strangers to controversy. In El Salvador, the polemical case of 21-year old Beatriz is still ongoing. Beatriz suffers from the autoimmune disease lupus, and carrying the baby to term carries a high risk of death. The child in turn has been diagnosed with anencephaly, a cephalic disorder, and experts have said it is likely to die shortly after birth. Despite the above the court’s Constitutional Chamber continues to debate the case, undecided as to whether or not to grant an abortion in light of the exceptional circumstances.

Story courtesy of Agencia Pulsar.

Protesters calling for pension increases have blocked roads for the fifth day running in Bolivia.

A member of Bolivia’s main workers union, Central Obrera Boliviana, protests in front of the presidential palace in La Paz. (Photo: QuilomboFotos)

Bolivia’s Economy and Finance Minister, Luis Arce, said today that the Central Obrera Boliviana’s (COB) proposal is completely unrealistic, as it would put the sustainability of the country’s pension system at risk.

The COB, the country’s main worker’s union, is demanding a rise from the current monthly rate of 70% of the last received salary up to 100%.

“Achieving what the COB has proposed is unattainable. Their vision is too short-term, a few years from now there won’t be any funds left if the pension in increased,” he said.

His statement was made in response to the roadblocks set up by members of COB in the Department of Cochabamba and La Paz on Monday. The government also claims that the requested pension increase would decimate the Solidarity Fund, aimed at improving the pension of the poor.

Morales also dismissed the COB’s request for 30 protesters to be released in return for three low-ranking policemen who have been taken hostage. Many of the arrested protesters have been accused of destroying a bridge in Caihuasi in the Bolivian Andes.

Evo Morales, the Bolivian President, reiterated that the government will not negotiate further with the COB. “The leaders of the COB know that our the government looks to ensure sustainability in our policies,” he said.

Morales also asked for the strike to end after running into a fifth day after a reported loss of more than US$2million hit the country’s mining industry. He also criticised a number of union leaders for reportedly earning more than the president of the mining company.

Retiro train station, by Flickr user wallyg

Buenos Aires Metropolitan Police dismantled more than 20 sales stands in the Retiro bus terminal today, claiming it was due to the vendors’ illegal marketing of goods.

Beginning at 5am, agents seized toys, clothing, and electronic equipment from the location on Ramos Mejía street. The police said it was because “the vendors could not verify the origins of their merchandise.”

Dozens of outraged shopkeepers, many from Villa 31, responded by placing roadblocks down Av. Antártida Argentina, demanding the city let them keep their jobs. The shopkeepers denied police claims that they were selling counterfeit clothing.

An unidentified shopkeeper told La Nación: “We were not given any warrant, they took everything, emptied everything … What’s more, they took clothing that had no marked brand and said it was falsified.”

Metropolitan Police claimed the operation was ordered by misdemeanor court Judge William Morosi, but shopkeepers said it was unwarranted because they were not shown any notice at the time of eviction.

During the protest, a car was burned opposite the Belgrano Norte train station. Its owner was unhurt and firefighters put out the fire. Protestors claim they had nothing to do with the blaze.

Police sources say the confiscated merchandise “was taken to a legal deposit”, and that nobody was arrested during the conflict.

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and Nicolás Maduro [Photo courtesy of Casa Rosada]

After landing in Argentina with his delegation, Maduro approached reporters and took a few minutes to remember deceased presidents of Argentina and Venezuela Néstor Kirchner and Hugo Chávez, and spoke about Bolivarian love for Argentina. “We can still feel the powerful presence … from ‘el comandante’. Chávez deeply loved San Martín, the place of Perón, Evita, and Néstor Kirchner.” He stressed the governments’ responsibilities to continue their work.

Maduro’s first stop in Buenos Aires was at the Casa Rosada, where he met his counterpart President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. After the initial proceedings, behind closed doors they talked in Fernández’s office. The presidents signed a number of bilateral agreements on scientific, industrial, and cultural development of both nations.

This afternoon Maduro also honoured the late presidents Néstor Kircner and Hugo Chávez in a special ceremony that he led at the All Boys Stadium. The event was organised by a union of Kirchnerist groups.

As in Uruguay, the first country Maduro visited on this tour, not everyone was happy with the Venezuelan president’s visit to Argentina, and protests appeared as a result. “Let’s save Venezuela! Let’s save the democracy,” protesters shouted in opposition to Maduro near the obelisk in downtown Buenos Aires. The Venezuelan community in Argentina had called for today’s protests through social networks.

Maduro is still facing controversy over his election in his own country, as opposition leader Henrique Capriles has refused to accept the election result.

Presidents Fernández and Maduro will meet again around 9pm this evening, when a gala dinner at the Museo del Bicentenario is planned in the Venezuelan president’s honour.

Maduro’s next and final stop on his South American tour will be to Brazil.

The Camioneros at a CGT protest (Photo: Patricio Murphy)

The protest caused major transport delays this morning in the Congreso neighbourhood, especially during the peak hour. Another 15 to 20 trucks are expected to arrive later today to reinforce the protest and cause even more inconvenience.

“They should feed the fired workers who cannot send their children to school,” stressed the deputy secretary of Sichoca Pablo Moyano, referring to the main points of their claims. For Moyano, a three-month conflict around industrial laundries is the “fault” of Labour Minister Carlos Tomada.

However, on Thursday the Labour Ministry demanded the laundry companies “pay immediately” the wages owed. The national deputy at Labour Ministry, Adrian Caneto urged both sides to maintain “the best predisposition and openness to discuss topics that divide them and at the same time contribute in a way that would bring social peace and improve labour relations.”

Meanwhile the Urban Transport Workers Union (UTA) is carrying on with its own nationwide strike, paralysing long-distance bus travel around the country. The union’s general secretary, Roberto Fernández, said that they are not planning to end the strike until the government and the business chamber provide some solutions to the problems raised. Fernández added: “We asked for a wage increase and then we have found out that they want to fire people and change our working hours.”

The strike could disrupt this weekend’s matches in the Argentine football league. While some clubs in the top league could seek alternative ways to travel, other rely on the buses for longer journeys. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) already postponed all the games of Youth First Division scheduled for this weekend.

El Borda hospital (Photo: Beatrice Murch)

The clash, arising between protesters who were campaigning against the demolition of a rehabilitation workshop in the Borda hospital and the City of Buenos Aires’ police force, left dozens injured, including legislators and journalists from Clarín and C5N. The Metropolitan Police has come under major criticism this week for using unnecessary force against protesters, which included the use of batons, tear gas, and rubber bullets. The incidents led to a public outcry about the police force’s conduct and handling of demonstrations.

The Argentine press freedom organisation FOPEA took to its Twitter account this week to say that they would be investigating the “repression of journalists by the Metropolitan Police at Hospital Borda”.

As a result, today, the ATE joined forces with social and student organisations at Avenida 9 de Julio and Avenida de Mayo at 11am this morning where they marched towards the city government building. The ATE also started a 24-hour strike today.

The CTA secretary deputy and secretary general of the Borda’s Workshops Board, Marcelo Frondizi, spoke in a press conference this morning to declare that the police action taken last Friday was “absolutely illegal.”

Frondizi went on to say that the demolition in question was in fact blocked by a court injunction lodged in December 2012. He added that “a political trial must be demanded”.

Palacio del Congreso de la Nación Argentina by wallyg, on Flickr

With the support of 132 lawmakers, a critical debate in the judicial reform process has begun.

The debate will focus on three of the most controversial propositions: modifications to the Magistrates Council, the creation of new Courts of Appeal, and the proposed changes to injunctions.

The government has responded to recommendations made by the country’s Boards of Presidents of National and Federal Chambers as regards the budgetary and administrative powers of the reformed Magistrates Council. This will ensure that the Supreme Court is not divested of its powers. It will remain in control of the budget, salaries, and of the Magistrates council which is responsible for the selection and appointment of judges.

The opposition argues however that the government did not respond sufficiently to their concerns about the election of members to the Magistrate’s Council, nor did they respond adequately to worries that the government would be able to amass a large enough majority in the Council to be able to have complete control over the judiciary.

In order for the debate to take place, Congress had to secure the backing of at least 129 members. Meanwhile, leaders of the opposition waited in a white tent outside the Congress building until the results were announced, at which point they made their way back inside.

Upon hearing that the necessary majority had been met, Kirchnerist legislators leapt up from their benches and celebrated with a Peronist song.

This sentiment was not shared by all. Hugo Moyano’s workers union, Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT), Julio Piumato’s union for the judiciary, and another workers union, La Central de Trabajadores de la Argentina (CTA), staged a protest outside of the Palacio de Tribunales.

Julio Piumato offered the following point of view, “the [proposed] laws are still in violation of the Constitution”, whilst Pablo Micheli, head of the CTA proclaimed, “with the judicial reforms, the government intends to take all of the political power for itself, something which seriously weakens democracy”.