Daniel Quintero requested precautionary measures before the IACHR for threats - Medellín - Colombia

As he had announced, the mayor of Medellín, Daniel Quintero Calle, visited the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in Washington to request precautionary measures to protect his life and that of his family, and his political rights.

During the visit, the president met with Joel Hernández García, commissioner of the IACHR and rapporteur for Colombia; María Claudia Pulido, Deputy Executive Secretary of the IACHR; and Fernanda dos Anjos, coordinator of the Precautionary Measures Section.

(You may be interested in: A young university student was rescued after being kidnapped for a month in Medellín)

In the first instance and urgently, the mayor told the IACHR about the threats he has received since before beginning his mandate and since he took office as mayor of Medellín.

He especially referred to the increase in these events in recent months through emails, messages on social networks and the construction of plans to attempt against his life that were revealed by human sources.

“As everyone knows, the demands and complaints that we have made about Hidroituango have put my life and that of my family at serious risk. That is why today, before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, we have exposed these threats. Unfortunately, the Colombian State continues to fail to comply with the ruling of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Attorney General’s Office has been violating the American Convention on Human Rights,” said Quintero Calle.

(You can also read: Quintero recall promoters announced demonstration)

Before the @IACHR we made known the threats against my life and that of my family. In addition, we denounce the violation of the American Convention on Human Rights by the Attorney General’s Office. We request guarantees in both cases. pic.twitter.com/hghdVFc9I5

– Daniel Quintero Calle (@QuinteroCalle) February 24, 2022

Parallel, the mayor requested that his political rights and freedom of expression be protected in the recall process that he is currently facing and which coincides temporarily with the legislative elections in the country, for which the Colombian State must guarantee balance in its decisions in administrative or judicial processes.

In this regard, it also argued that the Colombian State has not complied with what was stated by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights that no administrative authority can prevent the defense of a democratically elected authority, which states that it has not complied with the sentence of the same IACHR in July 2020 in the case of Gustavo Petro and that requires taking legal measures to prevent the repetition of violations of political rights.

On this last point, this newspaper consulted the professor at the University of Antioquia, Alejandro Gómez Restrepo, a specialist in human rights issues, and explained that the mayor of Medellín could indeed request a precautionary measure (it is requested when there is an imminent risk or a violation of a human right) before the commission for his personal security with a technical document that is raised through a system, through a web page, but he could not do the same for the revocation process because, in simple words, this has not happened, that is, the citizenry has not voted whether or not to continue in office.

(We suggest you read: Antioquia Medical College asks to respect conscientious objection in abortions)

Under this scenario, as the professor explained, the revocation could not be paused because for a precautionary measure to operate, three elements are required: urgency, necessity and irreparable damage.

“As long as the recall does not occur, we are neither in a state of emergency, nor need, nor irreparable damage. If eventually the revocation dismisses him, he could file an individual petition but he would have to first exhaust the internal resources (for example guardianships)”, explained the teacher.

MEDELLIN

More news from Colombia

-On video: driver begs members of the Eln not to burn his vehicle

-In Girardot, a man kicked his best friend to death

-The Prosecutor’s Office will investigate the causes of the collapse that left three dead in Manizales

Biden Administration Increases Sanctions on Russia Amid Calls for Stronger US Measures

WASHINGTON — 

Facing criticism that its initial package of sanctions on Russia was not severe enough, the Biden administration on Wednesday both defended its actions and announced an expansion of the penalties, which are meant to deter what appears to be an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine.

On Wednesday afternoon, in a statement released by the White House, President Joe Biden announced that he had included Nord Stream 2 AG, the company that built a controversial natural gas pipeline between Russia and Germany, as well as its senior executives, on the list of entities being sanctioned.

The move came a day after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that his government would not certify the pipeline, a necessary step in making it operational. The U.S. sanctions effectively prevent a reversal of Scholz’s decision, because it would subject any company doing business with Nord Stream 2 to U.S. sanctions.

“These steps are another piece of our initial tranche of sanctions in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine,” Biden said. “As I have made clear, we will not hesitate to take further steps if Russia continues to escalate.”

Also Wednesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a news conference that the measures the U.S. and its allies have taken will result in a “vicious feedback loop” that will damage Russia’s economy by raising interest rates, encouraging investors to flee Russian assets and weakening the Russian ruble against other currencies.

Initial response criticized

Biden and his administration faced sharp criticism Tuesday, after announcing sanctions on two Russian banks and a handful of wealthy Russian citizens, and imposing restrictions on the purchase of Russia’s sovereign debt.

The measures fell far short of the devastating response that the Biden administration had spent weeks warning Russia to expect and drew criticism from both Democrats and Republicans in Congress.

In an appearance on CNN, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez, a Democrat, said, “I think you should use the overwhelming amount of (sanctions) now. You may reserve something like what I call the ‘mother of all sanctions,’ unplugging Russia from the SWIFT financial system. But at the end of the day, when is it that we’re going to be clear to Putin that there are severe consequences for what he’s doing?”

Marsha Blackburn, a Republican senator from Tennessee, said in a statement, “Joe Biden has refused to take meaningful action, and his weakness has emboldened Moscow.”

Expert sees merit in both approaches

There are reasonable arguments for both the incremental approach to sanctions and a “shock and awe” approach that puts them all in place at the same time, said Daniel Ahn, a global fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington and a former chief economist for the U.S. Department of State.

On the incrementalist side, he said, the argument is that, “You may want to keep some ammunition in reserve in case of different contingencies, and also to achieve as much political consensus as possible, both domestically and internationally.”

On the side of full implementation, he said, the argument is that incrementalism weakens the signaling effect of sanctions and “gives time for adjustments to be made” by Russia.

However, Ahn said, the difference between the ultimate effects of each approach may not be as great as advocates think.

“As long as there is a sense of uncertainty, or market expectation that there could be future sanctions coming online, that already has a bit of a chilling effect on existing economic and financial activity,” he said. “The risk or uncertainty that sanctions could impose could deter a lot of private sector behavior, which is where the bite of sanctions come from. So, I think from an actual impact perspective, there’s less daylight between the two (approaches) than people think.”

More steps possible

After announcing what it described as the “first tranche” of sanctions Tuesday, the White House said that more would be coming.

In an appearance on CNN Wednesday morning, Daleep Singh, a deputy national security adviser, repeated that assurance.

“Yesterday was a demonstration effect,” he said. “And that demonstration effect will go higher and higher. Russia is already feeling the pain, and let’s remember the bigger purpose. Our purpose is not to max out on sanctions. That serves no purpose to itself. Our purpose is to prevent a large-scale invasion and … seizure of large cities in Ukraine. Our purpose is to prevent human suffering that could involve tens of thousands of casualties. And our purpose is to prevent a puppet regime from taking over in Kyiv that bends to the will of Moscow. That’s what this is all about.”

Incremental approach

The administration’s response may have been affected by the limited nature of the actions Putin took on Monday. U.S. officials have, for weeks, been warning that a massive invasion of Ukraine was imminent, pointing to the more than 150,000 Russian troops positioned on its borders.

Putin on Monday announced that Russia had recognized the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk, two Ukrainian provinces that are partially controlled by Russian-backed separatists. He also said that he would send troops, which he characterized as “peacekeepers,” into the two provinces, although on Wednesday it remained unclear whether Russian soldiers had crossed the border.

In a background briefing Tuesday, a senior administration official characterized Russia’s steps as “the beginning of an invasion” and said the first round of sanctions should be seen as “the beginning of our response.”

U.S. consulting with allies

The sanctions announced by the United States are in addition to similar sanctions being levied by the European Union, United Kingdom, and other U.S. allies. In the U.K., in particular, there have been calls to sanction wealthy Russian oligarchs, many of whom own property in London.

In a statement Wednesday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke with representatives of France, Germany, Italy and the U.K.

“The deputy secretary and her counterparts underscored that Russia’s flagrant disregard for international law demands a severe response from the international community and agreed to coordinate closely on next steps, including massive additional economic sanctions, should Russia continue to escalate its aggression against Ukraine,” Price said. “They highlighted their continuing commitment to diplomacy, while reiterating that progress can only be made in an environment of de-escalation.”

Cali takes urgent measures for the recruitment of minors - Cali - Colombia

Welcome

you have created your account in EL TIEMPO. Know and personalize your profile.

The verification email will be sent to

Check your inbox and if not, in your spam folder.

NO, CHANGE MAIL YES, SEND

We want you to find the news that interests you the most

Follow your favorite topics in a place exclusive to you.

Remember that to see your songs on all your devices, you must update the El Tiempo App.

discover
“my news”

an exclusive place,
where you can follow your
favorite subjects . choose them!

hello!

Here you can also find “My News”
and follow the topics you chose in the APP.

Find out how it works!

the last

The fastest way to get up to date.

my news

An exclusive section where you can follow your songs.

edit favorites

Whenever you want, change the themes you chose.

Your favorite themes have been saved!

you are now following
4 TOPICS

We tell you how it works

THE LAST

The fastest way to get up to date.

MY NEWS

An exclusive section where you can follow your topics.

EDIT FAVORITES

Whenever you want, change the themes you chose.

SEE MY NEWS

I will do it later

Remember that to see your songs on all your devices, you must update the El Tiempo App.

The Secretaries of Peace, Danis Renteria, and Security of Cali, Carlos Soler.

Photo:

Mayor of Cali

The Secretaries of Peace, Danis Renteria, and Security of Cali, Carlos Soler.

They cite an urgent meeting this Tuesday for early warning. They will be articulated with the ICBF.

Select the creator of the article in the configuration of this module

s.

cali
Article publication time

Author’s name
Article publication time

AC

February 19, 2022, 07:35 AM

CB

Carolina Bohorquez
February 19, 2022, 07:35 AM

Faced with the forced recruitment of minors by gangs in the east and on the hillside, the secretaries of Cali SafetyCarlos Soler, and Peace and Citizen Culture, Danis Rentería, operating in these areas of the city with the Government Secretariat and the Police.

“We will not allow the forced recruitment of minors in vulnerable situations,” said Soler.

The official said that these cases of recruited children will be reported to the Prosecutor’s Office.

(Also read: The controversies of leaders of the Democratic Center for security in Cali)

He said that it will be requested to extend the protection of minors.

This Tuesday a special meeting will be held by these offices as a follow-up to the early warning that the Ombudsman reported at the beginning of the year for the presence of armed groups with drug trafficking in the city.

According to Soler, these recruitments are taking place in areas of the Aguablanca District, in eastern Cali, and on the hillside, with communes 1, 18 and 20.

(Also: Former Coomeva affiliates ask that dramas not continue in new EPS)

On Friday there will be an extraordinary security council with authorities to verify intelligence reports and actions will be articulated with the National Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF), thinking about the rights of minors who must be protected and are being violated by these armed actors.

CALI

AC

February 19, 2022, 07:35 AM

CB

Carolina Bohorquez
February 19, 2022, 07:35 AM

DOWNLOAD THE WEATHER APP

Personalize, discover and inform yourself.

Receive the best information in your email from national news and the world

MORE NEWSLETTERS

Congratulations! Your registration has been successful.

You can now see the latest content of TIME in your inbox

there was an error in the request

keep going down
to find more content

you arrived at content limit of the month

Enjoy the content to the fullest DIGITAL WEATHER unlimited. Sign up now!

* COP $900 / month for the first two months

We know that you like to always be informed.

Create an account and you can enjoy:

• Access to newsletters with the best current news.
• Comment the news that interests you.
• Keep your favorite items.

Create an account and you can enjoy our content from any device.

Metro de Medellín: union demanded security measures from the company - Medellín - Colombia

Through posters that were installed in the stations, the Medellín Metro Union (Sintrametro) demanded urgent measures from the company to guarantee the safety and the lives of workers.

In another of these pieces, it was criticized that the company and some media used the word “incident” for what happened on February 3, when Carlos Mario López Correa and Gustavo Adolfo Atehortúa lost their lives while inspecting the railway.

In another of the posters, which have already been dismantled, it is requested that issues such as security, equality and rights be prioritized.

According to Sintrametro, the company has not trained all workers on the new signaling system, delivered on November 30, and continues to schedule activities without implementing actions to prevent these tragedies from happening again.

We put the phrase #NiUnoMenos because it is not the first fatal accident that occurs in the Medellin Metro

“We put the phrase #NiUnoMenos because it is not the first fatal accident that occurs in the Medellín Metro. We as a union intend to raise awareness, both with employees and with users,” Claudia Patricia Montoya, told EL TIEMPO. president of Sintrametro.

Among the cases that Montoya mentions is the one that occurred on February 25, 2018, on line C, in which Santiago Echeverría Vergara, 22, who worked as a security guard for the Atlas Company in the Metro, died. Medellin and was run over by a train “while doing surveillance work on the track”.

On the other hand, there is the death of Aldeiber de Jesús Perafán, Infrastructure Operations Assistant, who lost his life on April 10, 2018 while performing maintenance work on the escalators of the San Antonio station.

“In the accident that occurred on February 3, they were carrying out some inspection activities on the roads under a system called ‘Own Assurance’ and it is evident that something went wrong. That the investigations reveal the truth, provide justice. We intend that as long as the result is not given, there are no more entrances to the roads with colleagues with this type of insurance,” Montoya detailed.

The Own Insurance Model means that the commercial service continues and the workers give the alertone of them acting as a lookout, so the union considers that this work should not be carried out by just two people.

When asked about the issue, the Metro company responded: “In the Metro we are respectful of trade union rights, their activities and their opinions. Throughout 26 years of service, the company has always had life as a priority and therefore therefore the security of the Servers and users”.

MEDELLIN

Medical College of Antioquia requested measures in the event of air quality episode - Medellín - Colombia

The Medical Association of Antioquia called on the National Government, as well as the regional and local ones, to establish long-term measures for air pollution, due to the effects on health that this represents.

As of this February 14, Medellín and the other nine municipalities of the Aburrá Valley are in the first episode of air quality, which will last until April 8.

For this occasion, additional measures such as the pick and plate for cargo vehicles and the extension of the restriction for motorcycles and cars, outside the usual, have not yet been activated. In addition, the circulation permit was not suspended either, which gives people the possibility of paying to leave on the day that the peak and license plate corresponds to them.

“The transitory measures that establish social differentiations based on the possibility of paying money or not to be able to circulate do not solve the problem and are just lukewarm water wipes (…) Taking into account the serious impact on human health, which represents the air pollution,” said Carlos Valdivieso, president of the Antioquia Medical College.

From the environmental authority they indicated that, according to the measurements and forecasts, this episode will not be as strong as the one that occurred in 2020, but not as mild as it was last year, in which there was no restrictive measure.

However, according to how the measurements evolve and external factors such as forest fires that affect air quality, strict measures would be taken.

“It is very possible that from February 21 there will be a peak and license plate for cargo vehicles, but it will depend on how the indicators are. It will be time that will tell if additional measures are taken, such as the suspension of the special circulation payment,” said Juan David. Palacio, director of the Aburrá Valley Metropolitan Area.

In any case, Valdivieso asked the authorities to issue more long-term measures.

“We invite the authorities of the national, regional and local order to seriously and responsibly address the present and the future of urban mobility. It is essential to generate regulations and incentives that will allow us, within 15 to 20 years, to replace the mobility linked to fossil fuels,” he said.

MEDELLIN

830 'house for jail' measures revoked in Cali in less than a year - Cali - Colombia

welcome

you have created your account in EL TIEMPO. Know and personalize your profile.

The verification email will be sent to

Check your inbox and if not, in your spam folder.

NO, CHANGE MAIL YES, SEND

We want you to find the news that interests you the most

Follow your favorite topics in a place exclusive to you.

Remember that to see your songs on all your devices, you must update the El Tiempo App.

discover
“my news”

an exclusive place,
where you can follow your
favorite subjects . choose them!

hello!

Here you can also find “My News”
and follow the topics you chose in the APP.

Find out how it works!

the last

The fastest way to get up to date.

my news

An exclusive section where you can follow your songs.

edit favorites

Whenever you want, change the themes you chose.

Your favorite themes have been saved!

you are now following
4 TOPICS

We tell you how it works

THE LAST

The fastest way to get up to date.

MY NEWS

An exclusive section where you can follow your songs.

EDIT FAVORITES

Whenever you want, change the themes you chose.

SEE MY NEWS

I will do it later

Remember that to see your songs on all your devices, you must update the El Tiempo App.

Electronic bracelet for house arrest.

Photo:

National Police / Archive EL TIEMPO

Electronic bracelet for house arrest.

Monitoring of the Metropolitan Police detected that more than half of the defendants did not comply with the measure.

Select the creator of the article in the configuration of this module

s.

cali
Article publication time

Author’s name
Article publication time

AC

February 15, 2022, 07:00 AM

JV

Joseph Louis Valencia
February 15, 2022, 07:00 AM

From cases with the participation of crimes to the violent death of the beneficiaries themselves, they led to the Cali Metropolitan Police undertake a strategy to determine compliance with the security measures home detention.

The review and the visits revealed that only 11 percent of the defendants complied with the regulations in their homes.

(Read in context: The idea is that repeat offenders do not have a prison house)

That’s what he said Commander of the Metropolitan Police, General Juan Carlos León Montes, who pointed out that between 2021 and 2022 more than 830 measures have been revoked.

“An investigation was started when it was detected that people with house arrest were still committing crimes. To the National Penitentiary Institute (Inpec) They asked for the lists with the residences of the people who had that measure,” said the general.

Read in context: Cali massacre fugitive has been in prison for a year)

The police commander noted that “last year we reviewed more or less 800 people with house arrest. This year 473, and what have we found? that only 11 percent are complying with the house measure.”

In the inspections, it was also found that 57 percent were evaded and the remaining 32 percent appear in false addresses, the officer reviewed.

In Colombia, 22,534 people are classified as repeat offenders. 24% are under house arrest and 71% behind bars.
In Cali there are 739 under house arrest, only 26 under special surveillance. https://t.co/VnqmSViJGw

– Darschan Ocampo 🇨🇴 (@DarschanOcampo) August 1, 2021

Monday with the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (Dijín) of the Police, the flyer ‘The most wanted of Cali 2022’ was launched as a tool in the fight against crime, between the institution and the Prosecutor’s Office.

Some of them would have evaded house arrest measures.

Read more news from Colombia

Video of the robbery in a barbershop to Nelson Ramos, ex-Millionaires goalkeeper

AC

February 15, 2022, 07:00 AM

JV

Joseph Louis Valencia
February 15, 2022, 07:00 AM

DOWNLOAD THE WEATHER APP

Personalize, discover and inform yourself.

Receive the best information in your email from national news and the world

MORE NEWSLETTERS

Congratulations! Your registration has been successful.

You can now see the latest content of TIME in your inbox

there was an error in the request

keep going down
to find more content

you arrived at content limit of the month

Enjoy the content to the fullest DIGITAL WEATHER unlimited. Sign up now!

* COP $900 / month for the first two months

We know that you like to always be informed.

Create an account and you can enjoy:

• Access to newsletters with the best current news.
• Comment the news that interests you.
• Keep your favorite items.

Create an account and you can enjoy our content from any device.

Magdalena: measures of the Registry against electoral fraud - Other Cities - Colombia

the national registrar Alexander Vega He promised to pay special attention to the Magdalena, within the framework of the next electoral debate to be held on March 13.

(Also read: They denounce that a fraud in the elections is being hatched in Magdalena)

The official said that there will be strict surveillance measures to avoid any intention of fraud that is intended to be forged to obtain a place in the Congress of the Republic.

The most important thing is that we are going to have guarantees in the audit and control over the municipalities

The announcement was made after receiving in his office a series of complaints by spokesmen for the Citizen Force movement.

In that sense, he indicated that there will be no homogeneity of the voting jurors at the tables, that is, the presence of people fulfilling this task who are related to the same political movement will not be allowed at a table.

Vega also assured that he will implement a biometric system at high-risk tables in Magdalena and in the country.

Likewise, he said that he will verify if the delegates who were in 2018 made any type of irregularity.

“But the most important thing is that we are going to have guarantees in the audit and control over the municipalities so that all the tables have juries and the witnesses are previously accredited,” Vegal specified.

Citizen Force complaints

The national spokesperson for the Citizen Force and candidate for the Senate, Raphael Martinezpresented in a meeting with the registrar a series of evidence on a possible electoral fraud that would have been committed in the 2018 elections in Magdalena, by capturing entire voting positions in favor of a candidate.

“We are somewhat reassured by the centralization of neuralgic issues, such as the juror draw, the guarantee for our witnesses and the presence of our jurors at all the tables, the guarantee committees that are going to be made according to the needs and the biometric points” , he indicated.

Martínez insisted that “we don’t want them to give us anything, but we don’t want them to take anything away either.”

(You may be interested in: Governor of Magdalena denies support for candidates for the House and Senate)

Although it is true that the State must reach these remote sectors, which is part of the peace agreement, it must also offer democratic guarantees

Martínez confirmed to Vega that he filed a criminal complaint for the evidenced irregularities, while alerting public opinion that the same mechanism would be preparing for a major fraud in the department in the next elections.

For his part, candidate Hollman Morris recalled that, through his reporting for the past year, he has been denouncing the reappearance of paramilitarismespecially on the Pacific coast, Urabá and the Caribbean, a phenomenon that could be affecting voting in remote rural municipalities of Colombia, where the Registrar announces that there will be 13,000 new polling stations.

“Although it is true that the State must reach these remote sectors, which is part of the peace agreement, it must also offer democratic guarantees,” said candidate Morris.

Roger Urieles
For THE WEATHER Santa Marta
@rogeruv

More content from Colombia:

– The scuffle between Gustavo Petro and Álex Char after a debate in Barranquilla

– Did Ingrid Betancourt and Alejandro Gaviria reconcile in Barranquilla?

– Key witness in the Vives case has not received the promised reward

China Invites More People to Attend Olympics, Cites Success of Containment Measures

China said Tuesday it will invite more spectators to attend the Winter Olympics because of the success of strict containment measures within the bubble that separates event personnel from the public.

China did not sell tickets to the public due to concerns over the spread of the coronavirus but chose a limited number of spectators who are required to comply with strict containment and prevention measures.

The announcement was made at a news conference at which Huang Chun, an official with the organizers’ pandemic prevention and control office, said a realistic goal for attendance at some venues before the Games are over is about 30%.

“We will bring in more spectators based on demand because the current COVID-19 situation within the ‘closed loop’ is under control,” he said.

A staff worker disinfects a hotel floor inside the Olympic “closed-loop” during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, Feb. 8, 2022.

In the southwestern Chinese city of Baise on Tuesday, no new cases of the coronavirus were reported, one day after a strict lockdown was ordered following a spike in daily infections three days earlier.

Authorities ordered residents in the city, near the border with Vietnam, to stay at home, leaving their residences only to buy essential items or to test for COVID-19. Local officials encouraged residents of the city of about 3.6 million to use delivery services rather than travel to a store when possible.

The lockdown comes as China hosts the 2022 Winter Olympics in the capital, Beijing, within a strict bubble to prevent the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Lockdowns in Hong Kong

Hong Kong announced Tuesday its most stringent lockdown measures since the pandemic began as new daily cases of infections have topped 600. Chief Executive Carrie Lam said gatherings of more than two families in private premises will be prohibited and public gatherings will be limited to two people. Places of worship and hair salons will be closed until February 24, when vaccine passes will be required to enter public places such as markets and restaurants, Lam said.

Restrictions in North America

The busiest land crossing from the United States to Canada remained closed Tuesday, Canada’s border agency said, one day after police in the Canadian capital of Ottawa seized thousands of liters of fuel as part of a crackdown to end a protest organized by truckers opposed to COVID-19 restrictions. Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency in the city on Sunday after the demonstrations entered their second week. Truck traffic has been blocking the streets of Ottawa since the demonstrations began on January 28.

Officials in the U.S. states of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, California and Oregon have announced the lifting of indoor mask requirements for schools and other public places in coming weeks, as levels of infections fueled by the omicron variant of the coronavirus subside. The decisions, mostly announced on Monday, came as state and local governments struggle with which restrictions to cancel or maintain.

The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported Monday that there are more than 399 million global COVID-19 infections and more than 5.7 million global COVID-19 deaths. The center said more than 10 billion COVID-19 vaccines have been administered.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.

Macao Measures Seen as Attempt to Head Off Hong Kong-Like Crisis

HONG KONG — 

Planned election and national security measures in Macao, including revision of its national security law, are aimed at preventing any political crisis like that in nearby Hong Kong from taking root in the semi-autonomous Chinese city, experts say.

The Macao government said it “will step up effort to improve governance, and optimize the city’s legal provisions regarding national security and their respective implementation,” in a Dec. 16 statement on the publication of its 2021-25 five-year plan.

Authorities seek to “complete” the national security law, push forward enactment of terrorism and communications interception laws, strengthen enforcement of entry restrictions, and “improve” the election system, according to the official plan document.. The “improvement” of the election system aims to ensure Macao’s governance “is safe and sound in the hands of patriots,” the document said.

Under the plan, Macao, designated a “special administrative region” by Beijing, will “formulate positive and negative lists of swearing allegiance to the SAR and relevant qualification examination mechanisms to regulate the way legislators perform their duties,” the official China Daily said.

September’s “patriots-only” election saw Macao disqualifying three dozen pro-democracy candidates for the first time, including two incumbent lawmakers, for not upholding the Basic Law or not pledging allegiance to the city.

The election changes are an official step to eliminate any possibility that the pro-establishment camp will lose control of Macao, according to Michael Cunningham, visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center specializing in Chinese politics.

“The existing system is already very much stacked in favor of the pro-Beijing establishment,” Cunningham told VOA. “The government wants to make sure it stays this way, regardless of how public opinion or political dynamics may shift in the coming years and decades.”

The change skewing the election law toward the pro-establishment camp follows numerous steps in recent years, according to Jason Buhi, assistant professor at the Barry University Law School and the author of The Constitutional History of Macau.

“The latest five-year plan recommits Macau to its recent project of ensuring the political loyalty of every single deputy [lawmaker], but the two goals it promotes for achieving have already been in development for the past five years,” Buhi told VOA.

Macao

He said the first goal is to “blacklist” candidates based on oaths of allegiance, and the second is to establish more formal mechanisms to supervise the qualifications of candidates. To determine whom to oust and keep, Buhi said the current five-member election committee, which approves who can run as a candidate, and is directly appointed by Macao’s chief executive, has made sure to screen out any opposition voices.

“Through this agency, Macau’s chief executive has the power to shape the entire composition of the local Legislative Assembly,” he said.

To tighten its grip in the city, authorities also plan to boost national security by legislation, education, training of civil servants, and general promotion.

Macao Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng, told a November press conference that the amendment of the 2009 national security law will mainly involve “clarifying the definition of the articles in the current law.” Work on the amendment is underway but details have not been announced.

The law now criminalizes treason, secession, sedition, subversion, and theft of state secrets, as well as activities by foreign political bodies in the city and their establishment of ties with local entities. Offenders are subject to up to 25 years’ imprisonment.

The communications interception bill, which would allow judges and police to intercept calls and gain access to people’s electronic devices, stirred debate, with critics slamming the bill for giving the police too much power and violating privacy. The journalists’ union in the city also expressed press freedom concerns.

Buhi warned that the proposal could be a new form of government surveillance.

“Who can say precisely where issues touching ‘national security’ begin and end to the authorities? … The new [proposed] communications interception law imposes significant criminal and administrative liability on telecommunications operators and network communication service providers who fail to collaborate with official requests. This will likely have an impact on the communications platforms available in the region, including encrypted services.”

The five-year plan also says the city will aim to further enforce the law for entry control to “prevent and suppress infiltration and disturbance of foreign power,” without specifying what the foreign power is or what the enhancement will look like.

The purpose of strengthening Macao’s national security is for Beijing to exert its power in Macau further, according to Eilo Yu Wing-yat, associate professor at the University of Macau’s Department of Government and Public Administration.

“The legislation against terrorism and any amendment for national security seem to be a product of fractional struggle among mainland authorities. The further infiltration of national security branch personnel in the MSAR may curb the political significance of the Liaison Office as well as the local authorities and elite,” she said.

“It is hard to say what will be included in the legal reform for national security. I believe the national security branch has been trying, through legal reform, to extend its executive arm in the MSAR formally, she said.

Macao’s national security legal provisions are more preventive measures than tools for crushing dissent, like those in Hong Kong, Cunningham added.

“The amendment will probably bring Macao’s law more in line with those of China and Hong Kong. But one important difference is that Macao’s national security law was passed by Macao’s legislature, and the same will be true of the amendment. It’s not being imposed top-down by Beijing like what happened to Hong Kong,” he said.

Cunningham said Macao has barely enforced its national security law.

“Macao has never actually used its national security law [on dissent], and I expect that, short of an actual security threat or the kind of unrest we saw in Hong Kong a couple years ago, they will continue to apply the law rarely,” he predicted in an email.

“Over half of Macao’s population was born in mainland China, and the people are generally more obedient to the government authority and much less politically minded than their Hong Kong counterparts. …. But in the unlikely event that Macao experiences unrest, they won’t hesitate to use it.”

“Ultimately,” Buhi said, “Beijing seeks to maintain a veneer of democracy in Macau, while obscuring the realities of its tightly-held system through Byzantine administrative procedures capable of challenging the comprehension of trained political scientists.”

Premature that some countries plan to lift all measures

The World Health Organization (WHO) has drawn attention to the increase in deaths from covid that has been registered globally in the last four weeks and has warned that the omicron variant has not yet reached its peak, so He has considered it premature for some countries to plan to lift all prevention measures at the same time.

People without masks shopping at a market in Copenhagen (Denmark). EFE/EPA/LISELOTTE SABROE

Several countries in Europe plan to rescind several or all of the measures recommended by the WHO to reduce the transmission of the coronavirus in the near future, but experts have asked not to fall into overconfidence since although omicron tends to cause a less serious disease, its contagion capacity is much higher than the previous variants.

This is the case of Denmark that since this Tuesday it has eliminated all the restrictions imposed during its fourth wave, considering that the omicron variant does not imply a “danger” for its health or its inhabitants and despite the high levels of incidence, 5,000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Thus, it is no longer an obligation to wear masks indoors, restrictions on restaurants, cultural and social life have disappeared, clubs and large events reopen.

Denmark thus becomes the first country in the European Union (EU) to lift all measures against the pandemic, as happened last September, although a few months later it began to reintroduce them as a result of the spread of the omicron variant.

WHO calls for caution

In the last ten weeks, coinciding with the start of the spread of omicron, 90 million new confirmed cases of covid-19 have been registered, more than in all of 2020, and this trend has begun to be reflected in deaths.

“We ask for caution because many countries have not reached the omicron peak yet: Several still have low levels of vaccination, with very vulnerable individuals within their population, so this is not the time to lift all measures at once, but to do it progressively, little by little,” said the head of the technical team to fight the pandemic at the WHO, María Van Kerkhove.

“This virus is very dynamic and although we know a lot about it, we still don’t know everything,” he told a news conference from WHO headquarters in Geneva.

The director of health emergencies, Mike Ryan, seconded his colleague, pointing out that not all countries are in the same position in the face of the pandemic, as some have high vaccination coverage and strong health systems, while other countries are in the opposite situation.

“A country cannot blindly follow what the neighboring country is doing. Each case is different and you should not give in to political pressure either,” said Ryan, who considered that the current phase could be considered “transitional.”

Reduce excess optimism

WHO Director-General Tedros A.Dhanom Ghebreyesus, said that “more infections necessarily mean more deaths”, so he asked not to fall into the narrative that vaccination combined with a less serious variant (ómicron) makes prevention measures unnecessary, such as the use of a mask or the quarantine of contacts of confirmed cases.

He asked everyone to remember that the virus continues to evolve “in front of our eyes” and that the same will have to happen with vaccines because the variants that have appeared and the next ones that will emerge could evade the immunity generated by vaccines made from previous variants.

Tedros noted that the who is in ongoing consultation with the immunization scientific community to assess the need for a vaccine that is effective against a broader spectrum of coronavirus variants.

What is known about subvariant BA.2?

Van Kerkhove said that the evolution of the BA.2 subvariant, which arose from ómicron and belongs to “the same family”, is being closely followed, since it is not the only one, but it is the one that has attracted the most attention recently because its incidence has accelerated in several countries.

“There is not much information available on this sub-variant yet (…) but there is preliminary information indicating that it could have a slightly higher transmission capacity than the BA.1,” he said, referring to the first omicron sub-variant known.

“People need to be aware that this virus continues to circulate and evolve, so it is important that we continue to take steps to reduce our exposure to any variant,” she said.