Uruguayan president and oncologist Tabare Vazquez has publicly admitted full responsibility for not having read, but approvingly signed, delicate documents referred to alleged crimes against humanity committed during the military dictatorship, and consequently, without consultation, he sacked the Defense minister and deputy, and seven generals.
Uruguay’s president has been involved in an embarrassing incident which forced him on Monday to remove the commander in chief of the army, the Defense Chief of Staff and four other generals for allegedly covering up that a retired member of the military committed a crime during the 1973-1985 dictatorship.
Luis Carlos Diaz, a Venezuelan journalist who is an expert in networks and critical of the Nicolás Maduro regime, was arrested on Monday, without capture order, by the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN) after leaving his radio program, denounced his wife and colleague Naky Soto. On Tuesday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, referred to the arrest and asked the authorities for “urgent access” for her technical mission in Venezuela to Díaz.
Australian police have arrested a Chilean woman living in Sydney over her alleged involvement in a kidnapping during the military rule of Gen Augusto Pinochet in the South American country. Adriana Rivas worked as a secretary for the infamous chief of Chile's secret police force, Manuel Contreras.
The two-day Overseas Territories Attorneys General Conference 2019 kicked off Tuesday morning, with AGs and other delegates from 13 jurisdictions gathering in Cayman to discuss issues of mutual interest. The issues scheduled to be discussed included Brexit, anti-corruption, natural disasters, criminal justice and human rights.
Presidents from Uruguay and Argentina, Tabare Vazquez and Mauricio Macri, will be meeting on Wednesday to discuss an open agenda, but which according to Buenos Aires sources will be centered on the Venezuelan situation, where the two countries hold different positions. The meeting is scheduled to take place in Colonia, at the Anchorena Park, which is an official resting place of the Uruguayan Executive, and a twenty minutes helicopter flight distance from Buenos Aires.
On January 27, 30,000 people gathered in at Seul’s Gwanghwamun Square in a rally coordinated by the Global Citizens' Human Rights Coalition. People from civil society organizations and religious groups came together calling the Christian Council of Korea (CCK) to be held accountable for their ”unconstitutional actions and ultimately shut down,” local media reported.
United Kingdom welcomed Uruguay’s positive record in promoting freedom of expression and independent media, as well as its progressive legislation particularly in promoting gender equality and LGBT rights.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) estimated the number of deaths in clashes between protesters and security forces in Venezuela at 16.
Chile's President Sebastián Piñera Saturday announced the Carabineros' élite GOPE squad, commonly referred to as Jungle Commando, will be withdrawn from the Araucania region, but warned that security in the area will be reinforced nonetheless.