Thousands Attend São Paulo Rally in Support of Bolsonaro
Tens of thousands of Brazilians attended a rally Sunday in São Paulo in support of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is under investigation for attempting to overturn the results of the 2022 Brazilian presidential election. Bolsonaro, who recently had his passport confiscated by authorities, is alleged to have pressured military leaders to engage in a coup to prevent President Lula da Silva from assuming office. Several of his close allies were also recently arrested. Bolsonaro addressed the crowd, claiming innocence and accusing those investigating him of political persecution.
Zambia Declares Drought National Emergency
Zambia, having only recently recovered from a deadly cholera outbreak, is now facing a debilitating drought. The drought, which is affecting neighboring countries as well, comes as unusually harsh weather conditions, attributed in part to climate change, have been exacerbated by El Niño weather patterns. The drought is impacting food production and electricity in 84 of the country’s 116 districts. Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema declared the drought a national disaster and emergency and said that authorities will redistribute food to areas most in need. The drought has destroyed almost half of the country’s land planted with the staple maize crop, and it will likely continue into March.
U.S. Airman Sets Himself on Fire in Protest Against Israel–Palestine Conflict
On Sunday, Air Force member Aaron Bushnell, age 25, set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. He livestreamed his protest, explaining that he “will no longer be complicit in genocide” and stating, “I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest, but compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it’s not extreme at all.” He then put the phone down in order to light himself on fire, yelling “Free Palestine!” until he fell to the ground. Bushnell was taken to a hospital in critical condition and confirmed dead the following day. The protest came amid growing calls in the U.S. and globally for a ceasefire as the death toll in Gaza continues to climb. Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
UN Experts Accuse Nicaragua’s Government of Abuses ‘Tantamount to Crimes Against Humanity’
A panel of human rights experts working under a mandate from the Human Rights Council released a report last Thursday accusing President Daniel Ortega’s government in Nicaragua of systematic human rights violations, describing them as “tantamount to crimes against humanity.” These allegations are the result of an investigation into the government’s crackdown on dissent following mass protests starting in 2018. According to their report, around one million Nicaraguans have fled the country since 2018. Despite working under the U.N., the experts’ opinions do not necessarily reflect the organization’s views.
Ghana’s Parliament Passes Anti-LGBTQ Bill
Ghana’s Parliament passed a bill Wednesday that, if signed into law by President Nana Akufo-Addo, would criminalize members of the LGBTQ+ community. The legislation would send those identifying as LGBTQ+ or who engage in gay sex to prison for six months to three years, as well as creating a three- to five-year prison sentence for “promoters” of LGBTQ+ issues. The “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values” bill is widely supported in Ghana and was sponsored by a coalition of Christian, Muslim, and Ghanaian traditional leaders. Human rights organizations have said that the bill violates human rights, such as the rights to equality and to not be discriminated against on the basis of sex and gender, both of which are in the country’s constitution.
