Your barbecue is contributing to deforestation and it’s harming some of the world’s most vulnerable indigenous people: here’s how to avoid that

The article discusses the challenges faced by the Ayoreo Totobiegosode people, an indigenous group in South America, as they adapt to life outside the forest and strive to protect their land. It highlights the lack of attention from the press and society towards indigenous issues, such as deforestation, mineral extraction, and drug trafficking. The article also touches on the exploitation of natural resources in South America by European and US companies, often leading to environmental harm and violence against indigenous communities. The viral video of the Tsapanawas' first contact with outsiders is mentioned as a rare moment of global attention to such issues. The piece criticizes the destruction of forests for products like charcoal, which is linked to companies like Bricapar and sold in European supermarkets. It concludes with a call to be conscious of product origins and to pressure supermarkets to reject environmentally harmful products.

Urban acupuncture against gang violence

A Colombian NGO is using social cartography to transform the most popular neighborhoods of Cartagena de Indias in an effort to reduce insecurity and combat the violence of gangs by intervening in deteriorated urban environments.

The town that wants to stop growing marijuana in Paraguay

In Kamba Rembe, a Paraguayan town near the Brazilian border, Abel Bernal, a 20-year-old farmer, grows marijuana on his family's land, yielding about four harvests of a thousand kilos each over three years. Despite the local youth's heavy involvement in cannabis cultivation, Bernal reveals that the community desires to cease marijuana farming. During a visit to Asunción for a colloquium, he shared insights into the local situation, emphasizing the absence of major drug traffickers in Kamba Rembe and the community's interest in finding alternative livelihoods.

I weigh 105 kilos and I am much more than my physique: why I decided to participate in the Miss Gordita contest in Paraguay

Alejandra Rojas, a 29-year-old Paraguayan journalist, despite the challenges of public exposure, chose to participate in Miss Gordita Paraguay, a beauty contest held in Asunción. Now in its sixth edition, the event aims to combat discrimination against overweight women in Paraguay, where 48.5% of the population suffers from overweight according to the FAO, and to encourage participants to accept themselves.

Flames of Protest: The Burning of Paraguay's Congress and the Fight Against Presidential Re-election

The article details a violent political crisis in Paraguay that culminated in the arson of the National Congress on March 31. The violence erupted due to a controversial move by a group of senators to amend the constitution to allow President Horacio Cartes to seek re-election, which is against the current law. The protests escalated when the police killed a young opposition leader, Rodrigo Quintana, from the Liberal Party. The article also delves into Cartes' background, including allegations of illegal activities and his eventual renunciation of re-election. The crisis reflects deep political divisions and public outrage against constitutional violations. The Colorado Party, which Cartes is affiliated with, is now facing internal conflicts over who will be the next presidential candidate.

'The atmosphere seems calm, but we know that's not the case': Paraguay calm the day after the violent day when Congress was set on fire

Following the approval of a constitutional amendment by 25 senators to allow Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes to seek re-election, violent protests erupted in Asunción, resulting in the Congress building being set on fire. The clashes between police and protesters left one 25-year-old Partido Liberal member dead, around 100 injured, and 200 detained. Despite the chaos, the city appeared calm the next day. President Cartes condemned the violence and called for reflection. The opposition's headquarters still bore the aftermath, with bloodstains from the deceased member, Rodrigo Quintana. The events overshadowed the annual assembly of the Inter-American Development Bank held in Paraguay.

One dead and the Congress of Paraguay set on fire in riots over controversial presidential re-election project

In Paraguay, a controversial constitutional amendment allowing presidential re-election was approved by a group of senators, leading to severe riots and the burning of the National Congress building in Asunción. The closed-door vote was surrounded by police and sparked accusations of institutional breakdown from opposition legislators. The violence escalated, resulting in the death of Rodrigo Quintana, a 25-year-old opposition youth leader, and numerous injuries among lawmakers, protesters, and police. President Horacio Manuel Cartes dismissed the Interior Minister and the National Police Commander, appointing new officials in their stead. The re-election amendment, which would enable Cartes and former President Fernando Lugo to run again, is seen by opponents as a threat to Paraguay's democratic institutions.

Paraguay burns amid maneuvers of its political class

On March 31, during the BID annual assembly in Asunción, Paraguay, violent protests erupted following the approval of a constitutional amendment that would allow President Horacio Cartes to seek re-election in 2018. The protests led to the Paraguayan Congress building being set on fire and a clash between protesters and police, resulting in one death and multiple injuries, including some legislators. In response, President Cartes dismissed the Interior Minister Tadeo Rojas and Police Chief Críspulo Sotelo, and the officer suspected of the homicide was detained.

Paraguay’s long battle to pass an anti-discrimination law

The article discusses the ongoing discrimination in Paraguay against women, LGBTI people, indigenous peoples, and other groups due to the absence of a law penalizing such behavior. While neighboring South American countries have adopted progressive anti-discrimination laws, Paraguay remains resistant, influenced by conservative political parties and religious institutions. The article highlights real cases of discrimination and the efforts of minority left-wing politicians and social organizations to pass the Julio Fretes bill, which aims to criminalize all forms of discrimination. Despite opposition from the Catholic Church and conservative politicians, activists and organizations like the Network Against All Forms of Discrimination are hopeful that the bill will be debated and passed in Congress in 2017.