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lenaurick

2010 Human Rights Reports: Antigua and Barbuda - 0 views

  • Antigua and Barbuda is a multiparty, parliamentary democracy with a population of approximately 100,000.
  • There were human rights problems in some areas, including excessive use of force by police, poor prison conditions, some limits on press freedom, societal discrimination and violence against women, sexual abuse of children, and discrimination against homosexuality.
  • There were no reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings.
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  • Nonetheless, there were occasional reports of police brutality, corruption, excessive force, discrimination against persons on basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, and allegations of abuse by prison guards.
  • Prison conditions were very poor. Her Majesty's Prison, the country's only prison, was overcrowded, did not have toilet facilities, and slop pails were used in all 122 cells
  • Prisoners and detainees had reasonable access to visitors, were permitted religious observances, and had reasonable access to complaint mechanisms and the ability to request inquiry into conditions.
  • Security forces consist of a police force, the small Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which coordinates law enforcement and prosecutorial action to counter narcotics trafficking. The police force had approximately 750 officers.
  • The constitution provides that criminal defendants should receive a fair, open, and public trial, and an independent judiciary generally enforced this right. Trials are by jury. Defendants enjoy a presumption of innocence, have timely access to counsel, may confront or question witnesses, and have the right to appeal. In capital cases only, the government provides legal assistance at public expense to persons without the means to retain a private attorney
  • There were no reports of political prisoners or detainees
  • The constitution provides for freedom of speech and of the press, but the government respected these rights on a somewhat limited basis
  • There were no government restrictions on access to the Internet or reports that government monitored e-mail or Internet chat rooms. Individuals and groups could engage in the peaceful expression of views via the Internet, including by e-mail. There were 75 Internet users per 100 inhabitants, according to Internet World Statistics.
  • The constitution provides citizens with the right to change their government peacefully, and citizens exercised this right in practice through periodic, free, and fair elections held on the basis of universal suffrage.
  • Members of the Organization of American States observer group reported that the elections were generally free and fair.
  • There were two women in the 19-seat House of Representatives and five women appointed to the 17-seat Senate. The governor general, the speaker of the House of Representatives, and the president of the Senate, all appointed positions, were women. There were two women in the cabinet.
  • The Freedom of Information Act gives citizens the statutory right to access official documents from public authorities and agencies, and it created a commissioner to oversee the process. In practice citizens found it difficult to obtain documents, possibly due to government funding constraints rather than obstruction.
  • The constitution prohibits discrimination based on race, sex, creed, language, or social status, and the government generally respected these prohibitions in practice.
  • The Directorate of Gender Affairs, part of the Ministry of Labor, Public Administration, and Empowerment, established and publicized a crisis hotline for victims and witnesses to sexual assault, and managed a sexual assault center that coordinates responses to sexual assault. When rape cases are reported to the police, a female police officer accompanies the victim for both questioning and medical examinations at the center. Once the doctor's report is completed, an investigation commences.
  • n situations where the victim did not know her assailant, the cases rarely came to trial.
  • Violence against women, including spousal abuse, was a problem. The law prohibits and provides penalties for domestic violence, but many women were reluctant to testify against their abusers.
  • Sexual harassment is illegal, but it was rarely prosecuted. According to the Labor Department, there was a high incidence of sexual harassment incurred by employees in both the private and public sectors. However, only approximately 20 cases were formally reported during the year; the small number was believed to result from concerns about retaliation.
  • Women in society enjoy the same rights as men under the law. However, economic conditions in rural areas tended to limit women to home and family, although some women worked as domestics, in agriculture, or in the large tourism sector. Despite these limitations, women were well represented in the private and public sectors. There was no legislation requiring equal pay for equal work, but women faced no restrictions involving ownership of property.
  • Citizenship is acquired by birth in the country, and all children were registered at birth
  • Child abuse remained a problem. The press reported regularly on the rape and sexual abuse of children.
  • Statutory rape is illegal; the minimum age for consensual sex is 14. Despite a maximum penalty of 10 years to life, authorities brought charges against few offenders, and those convicted did not serve long jail terms due to lack of witness cooperation
  • Homosexual acts for both sexes are illegal under indecency statues, and some male homosexual acts are also illegal under anal intercourse laws.
  • Some LGBT persons claimed that homophobia impairs the willingness of HIV-positive persons to obtain treatment; however, there were no reports of violence or discrimination directed toward persons with HIV/AIDS.
  • Workers have the right to associate freely and to form labor unions. Approximately 60 percent of workers in the formal sector belonged to a union. Unions were free to conduct their activities without government interference
  • Labor law prohibits retaliation against strikers, and the government effectively enforced this prohibition.
  • he constitution prohibits forced or compulsory labor, including by children.
  • The law stipulates a minimum working age of 16 years, which corresponds with the provisions of the Education Act. In addition persons under 18 years of age must have a medical clearance to work and may not work later than 10 p.m.
  • The minimum wage was EC$7.00 ($2.59) an hour for all categories of labor, which provided a barely adequate standard of living for a worker and family. In practice the great majority of workers earned substantially more than the minimum wage.
  • The law provides that workers are not required to work more than a 48-hour, six-day workweek, but in practice the standard workweek was 40 hours in five days
  • While not specifically provided for by law, in practice workers could leave a dangerous workplace situation without jeopardy to continued employment.
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    This article is about common issues that countries face, and how Antigua and Barbuda deals with these issues. For the most part, it seemed that Antigua and Barbuda was a relatively developed country with a strong and fair government, rights for children, good working conditions, and unrestricted access to internet. However there were also areas where Antigua and Barbuda needed improvements. For example their prisons are overcrowded, women continue to be victims of sexual assault, and homophobia is acceptable. Overall this article helped me to get a better sense of where Antigua and Barbuda stands on major issues.
nataliedepaulo1

Nicaragua Releases 8,000 Inmates from Overcrowded Prisons - 0 views

  • Nicaragua Releases 8,000 Inmates from Overcrowded Prisons
  • On February 22, Nicaraguan government officials announced that 8,149 prisoners had received a conditional release since 2014, 845 of them so far in 2016. As of October 2014, the country's prison population stood at just over 10,500, according to government figures published by the World Prison Brief.
  • Nicaragua's prison system only has the capacity to hold around 5,000 inmates, and until 2010 the population remained steady at between 6,000 and 7,000, according to the World Prison Brief statistics. However, since then, the population has shot up to over 10,000, leading to appalling conditions in facilities that are crumbling under the strain.
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  • However, such a policy must be carefully and transparently implemented, otherwise there is the risk is of a situation developing such as in Venezuela -- where over 13,000 prisoners were released onto the streets with a near complete absence of oversight and control.
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    This article shows the issues in Nicaragua's incarceration and what has been done about it so far.
g-dragon

Antigua and Barbuda - 1 views

shared by g-dragon on 12 Jun 16 - No Cached
    • g-dragon
       
      Antigua and Barbuda is a diplomatic government with laws, but sometimes those laws are not followed well. Some problems are excessive force by police, bad prison conditions, sexual abuse of children, and discrimination and violence against women. There are been reports of police brutality, corruption, and discrimination against gay people. Prisoners are treated poorly by prison guards and children are held in the same prison as adults. There are not a lot of women in the government. There are 1/17 in the House of Representatives, 2/17 in the Senate and none in the cabinet. There are also no minority members in parliament or cabinet. On the bright side, both speaker of the House and president of the Senate are women. Another problem is the violence and abuse towards women. Since women do not testify against their harassers, the government has had trouble addressing this issue however they have been trying to increase women's awareness of their rights and providing a safe place for women and children.  - Daniel Lin
    • g-dragon
       
      Part Two  The few schools that the government provided often has shortages and the parents often provide the chairs, tables, and books. There is a huge problem with child abuse like rape and men having sexual relationships with young girls. Contrary to other sources, this one states,"girls and boys have equal access to health care and other public services." They also state that there are no reports of discrimination against people with disabilities considering that there is not a law that prohibits discrimination against the handicapped. - Daniel Lin
Catherine Curran

Plan Condor : prison à vie pour un général argentin à la retraite - LeMonde.fr - 0 views

  • Le centre, où ont été torturés Uruguayens, Chiliens, Paraguayens, Boliviens ou Cubains, avait dû fermer dès novembre 1976 après la fuite d'un couple de Mexicains, qui avait pu subtiliser un fusil et s'échapper après un échange de tirs avec ses tortionnaires. Le bâtiment a été exproprié en 2008 pour devenir un Musée de la Mémoire. Le Plan Condor avait été mis sur pied par les dictatures d'Argentine, du Chili, du Paraguay, du Brésil, de la Bolivie et de l'Uruguay en vue d'éliminer leurs opposants.
    • Catherine Curran
       
      France seems to be more focused on Libya than South American countries.
luckangeloja

Judge calls for harsher penalties for drug offenders | Antigua Observer Newspaper - 0 views

  • Justice Keith Thom, who yesterday jailed a woman for three years and fined her $300,000 for cocaine possession, said authorities should increase the penalties for indictable drug offences.
  • The judge said drug trafficking is “a serious thriving trade” thus penalties need to be severe to deter traffickers and drug mules.
  • In handing down the sentence on Canadian visitor Maria Cathrina Bertrand, Justice Thom highlighted that under The Misuse of Drugs Act, the court could not impose a sentence exceeding seven years in prison.
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  • The court, however, has the authority to also fine the person convicted of drug possession where the quantity of drug exceeds two kilograms (4.4 pounds).
  • In addition to being jailed for three years, Bertrand has to pay the $300,000 fine within a year or be jailed for a further 12 months at Her Majesty’s Prison.
  • The woman’s lawyer, Steadroy “Cutie” Benjamin, begged the court to show mercy to his client who is a first time offender, still a youth, having celebrated her 33rd birthday last week, and the mother of two young daughters, ages 10 and eight.
  • Benjamin said the woman is of a strong Christian background, but was forced to take a chance with the drug because she did not want her children to suffer.
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    This article was about a specific crime about a woman that was found with six and a quarter pound of cocaine. She was fined $300,000 for an amount that was value around $300,000. Even after this, the judge of the case said that consequences for drug busts should include more penalties than they already do. This woman who was found with the cocaine was a first time offender and of strong Christian background, and would be someone perfect for possible alternatives to fines and jail-time, such as militaristic or service options.
nick_gauthier

Annual Reports | Managua, Nicaragua - Embassy of the United States - 0 views

  • Nicaragua is a multiparty constitutional republic, but in recent years political power has become concentrated in a single party, with an increasingly authoritarian executive branch exercising significant control over the legislative, judicial, and electoral branches. In 2011 the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) announced the re-election of President Daniel Ortega Saavedra of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) in elections that international and domestic observers characterized as seriously flawed
  • he principal human rights abuses were restrictions on citizens’ right to vote; obstacles to freedom of speech and press, including government intimidation and harassment of journalists and independent media
  • reports the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings, many during confrontations with illegal armed groups in the northern part of the country
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  • Human rights organizations and independent media alleged some killings during the year were politically motivated.
  • rison conditions continued to deteriorate due to antiquated infrastructure and increasing inmate populations. Many prisoners suffered mistreatment from prison officials and other inmates. Inmates also suffered from parasites, inadequate medical attention, frequent food shortages, contaminated water, and inadequate sanitation
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    This is a report on Human Rights Practices for 2015 in Nicaragua. It cites the many ways in which Nicaraguan government is corrupt and that "increasingly authoritarian". It then continues on to highlight the ways in which human rights are violated.
nataliedepaulo1

OAS :: OAS Drug Commission Publishes Report on Alternatives to Incarceration for Drug-R... - 0 views

  • he Executive Secretariat of the Commission for the Control of Drug Abuse (CICAD) of the Organization of American States (OAS) today released the technical report on "Alternatives to Incarceration for Drug -Related Offenses," which was presented to members states in its recent 57th regular session.
  • The OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, said that the proposals respond to the findings of the OAS Report on the Drug Problem in the Americas, which was drafted under his supervision in compliance with a mandate from the Heads of State at the Sixth Summit of the Americas in Colombia in April 2012. "The report concluded that there is a problem of prison overcrowding in nearly all the countries of the hemisphere due to drug enforcement taking place mainly through criminal sanctions," he said. In this respect, he said "the application of severe laws for drug offenses has generated negative consequences such as overloaded courts and prisons, and the suffering of thousands of people imprisoned for small drug offenses."
  • The shift in policy in the region and the beginning of the joint formulation of proposals of alternatives to imprisonment began, relates the report, with the approval of the member states of the OAS - through CICAD - of the 2010 Hemispheric Drug Strategy and its 2011-2015 Plan of Action agreeing to "explore the means of offering treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery support services to drug‐dependent offenders as an alternative to imprisonment, and in some cases, criminal prosecution."
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    This article shows what the OAS has done so far for alternates of drug-related incarceration.
mikecoons

Antigua and Barbuda | Country report | Freedom in the World | 2013 - 0 views

  • The government of Antigua and Barbuda took steps in 2012 to reform the country’s financial regulatory environment in the aftermath of the discovery of a $7 billion dollar Ponzi scheme, which had exposed deep ties between foreign businesses and the government
  • Antigua and Barbuda, a member of the Commonwealth, gained its independence from Britain in 1981.
  • In the 2004 elections, the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP), led by Baldwin Spencer, defeated Prime Minister Lester Bird and the ruling Antigua Labour Party (ALP), ending the Bird political dynasty that had governed the country since 1976.
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  • Fallout from the collapse of the Stanford Financial Group’s companies, which had been one of the main providers of jobs in the country, as well as the global economic downturn and the consequent decline in tourism, continued to impact Antigua and Barbuda’s economy in 2012.
  • Antigua and Barbuda is an electoral democracy. The 1981 constitution establishes a parliamentary system, with a governor general representing the British monarch as ceremonial head of state.
  • Parliament is composed of the 17-seat House of Representatives (16 seats for Antigua, 1 for Barbuda), to which members are elected for five-year terms, and an appointed 17-seat Senate.
  • Antigua and Barbuda generally respects freedom of the press. However, defamation remains a criminal offense punishable by up to three years in prison, and politicians often file libel suits against opposing party members.
  • The government owns one of three radio stations and the public television station. There are no restrictions on access to the internet.
  • The government generally respects religious and academic freedoms.
  • Crime continues to be a problem in Antigua and Barbuda, and the government has responded with increased community policing, the reintroduction of roadblocks, and stiffer fines for firearms violations. The United Nations Development Programme’s 2012 Caribbean Human Development Report reported that Antigua and Barbuda suffers from a high rate of property crimes, such as robberies, with a lower violent crime rate. The country’s prison is overcrowded and conditions are very poor.
  • The 2005 Equal Opportunity Act bars discrimination on the basis of race, gender, class, political affinity, or place of origin. However, societal discrimination and violence against women remain problems.
  • Women hold only 10 percent of the elected seats of the House of Representatives. Male and female same-sex sexual activity also remains criminalized under a 1995 law, and there have been cases of excessive force and discrimination of people based on sexual orientation at the hands of the police. Antigua and Barbuda serves as both a destination and transit country for the trafficking of men, women, and children for the purposes of forced labor and prostitution.
  • Antigua and Barbuda’s political rights rating improved from 3 to 2 due to a decline in corrupt foreign business influence over the government.
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    This article is a general description of the issues faced by Antigua and Barbuda, particularly political issues. This article also talks about the 7 billion dollar Ponzi scheme from 2012 that showed how foreign business and Antigua's government interacted. This article also talked about the elections, and in my opinion the government and its elections seemed fair. This article was helpful to my study of Antigua and Barbuda because it give me an overview of the countries government, and economy.
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    Political ratings have gone down in A&B.
nataliedepaulo1

Releasing Drug Offenders Won't End Mass Incarceration | FiveThirtyEight - 0 views

  • Releasing Drug Offenders Won’t End Mass Incarceration
  • But that’s not exactly the case. Serious prison reform — and shedding the dubious mantle of World’s Leading Incarcerator — will have to look far beyond just nonviolent drug offenders. Heavy prison sentences for drug crimes are only one of many reasons why the United States has by far the highest incarceration rate in the world.
  • Nicaragua
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    This articles highlights the challenges of fixing this problem, and what can be done in the future.
evanpitt14

$1.25 MILLION DRUG BUST | Antigua Observer Newspaper - 0 views

  • estimated value of more $1 million
  • (ONDCP)
  • 533 pounds of compressed cannabis,
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  • $1,066,000 and 5.6 kilos of cocaine, which was valued at $197,288.
  • $1,263,288.
  • charged with possession of cannabis, possession of cannabis with intent to supply, being concerned in the supply of cannabis and drug trafficking. They were slapped with additional charges of possession of cocaine, and being concerned in the supply of cocaine and drug trafficking
  • drug bust are ongoing
  • over 10 years in prison if they are indicted on all the charges
  • Class A drug and cannabis, which is a Class B drug, under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
  • pay more than $500,000 to the court for possessing cocaine
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    Earlier in 2016, there was a large drug bust in Antigua. This article shows how drugs are easy to access in the Islands because of the large quantities. It also shows how major charges can be for possession of the drugs.
g-dragon

Allen Stanford: Descent from Billionaire to Inmate # 35017-183 - 1 views

shared by g-dragon on 13 Jun 16 - No Cached
    • g-dragon
       
      Right now Antigua is already facing many problems, but one that really hit the news was the Stanford Scandal. Allen Stanford gained his wealth by tricking and lying to people starting from Antigua. After his business failed, he decided to try banking in Antigua. He started with the rich people from Antigua worried about the government and sold fake CD's aka certificate of deposits. He slowly moved his business into America and was caught. The Securities and Exchange Commission did not report their suspicions when they were supposed to which cause people to loose their life earnings. The victims are happy that at least he has gotten a life sentence in prison and they are still working on returning the money stolen. This shows how bad the government in Antigua is. How could they let this slip through this affect so many of their citizens? Daniel Lin
Javier E

Venezuelan Opposition Politician Charged in Plot to Kill President - NYTimes.com - 0 views

  • The authorities in Venezuela charged a leading opposition politician on Wednesday with taking part in a plot to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro. The politician, María Corina Machado, was informed of the charge in a meeting with prosecutors but was not detained. The national prosecutor’s office said in a statement on its website that Ms. Machado was charged with conspiracy and that, if found guilty, she could be sentenced to eight to 16 years in prison.
  • Ms. Machado, who denies taking part in a plot, was a vocal supporter of widespread antigovernment protests this year. Another politician who supported the protests, Leopoldo López, was charged with promoting violence and has been imprisoned.
  • The State Department in Washington issued a statement saying, “We are deeply concerned by what appears to be the Venezuelan government’s continuing effort to intimidate its political opponents through abuse of the legal process.”
lenaurick

Children of Antigua and Barbuda | Humanium - Together for Children's Rights - 1 views

    • g-dragon
       
      There is a huge problem concerning children's rights in Antigua and Barbuda. First of all, the country does not have enough schools and the ones there are are overcrowded. Higher education schools usually require a fee AND and entrance exam. This means that if you have no money or could not go to school, higher education is basically impossible. Third, the law system there is troubling. Eight year olds can get the same penalties as adults in court and any person under the age of eighteen can be imprisoned in the same jails as adults for life for a murder. Fourth, there is a problem of discrimination in this country. Girls, children born out of non- married parents, people in poverty, and the handicapped children face great discrimination. - Daniel Lin
  • Antigua and Barbuda, a small country made of two islands, has made great efforts in the protection of children’s rights
  • Even though a number of steps have been taken, like providing free schoolbooks and uniforms, access to education remains very unequal in Antigua and Barbuda.
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  • Antigua and Barbuda must therefore continue with its efforts towards universal access to education by promoting free schooling at all levels.
  • A law on corporal punishments still exists in these islands, and it authorizes physical punishment of children at home as well as in more official locations, such as school.
  • The United Nations has thus been advising Antigua and Barbuda since 2004 to put an end to laws that authorize any form of violence against children.
  • Any child 8 years of age can be called before the court and risks the same penalties as an adult. Similarly, a minor (an individual under 16 years of age) may receive the same punishment as an adult if charged with a crime. In this way, it is possible for a person under 18 years of age to be imprisoned for life for a murder.
  • Once the minors are tried, they do not have any special conditions on retention: they are locked up in the same prisons and sections as adults,
  • Girls, children born out of wedlock, and those living in poverty experience differences in access to basic services.
  • Another source of discrimination stems from the absence of physical systems to accommodate handicapped children; t
nataliedepaulo1

American freed from Nicaraguan prison: 'It's a fight for your life' - CNN.com - 0 views

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    This article shows the issues in the incarceration issue in Nicaragua
nataliedepaulo1

The Unsuspected Dimensions of Drug Trafficking in Nicaragua - 0 views

  • The pattern of releases and penalty reductions for prisoners convicted of drug trafficking in Nicaragua give an insight into the deep penetration of the drug trade into the judicial system, which has helped make the country a legal paradise for traffickers.
  • Minister Morales' repeated statements, which show a bravery and unusual belligerence with respect to what has been called "narco releases" ("narco liberaciones"), echo other examples that clearly show that Nicaragua is transforming into something of a legal paradise for transnational drug traffickers. But it also brings to mind other indications that the penetration of organized crime may have spread to other Nicaraguan institutions.
  • hrough the efforts of the National Police and the security forces, Nicaragua has managed to project an image of being one of the most effective countries in the region in the fight against drug trafficking, particularly given that three other countries in the region have some of the highest homicide rates in the world.
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    This article shows the issues Nicaragua has in preventing drug trafficking and also their security issues.
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