A convoy of brightly painted buses descended from Colombia’s westernmost mountain range, heading for the city of Cali, where tens of thousands had taken to the streets demanding a shake-up of the country’s deeply unequal status quo. Along the way, well-wishers cheered on the caravan and drivers honked in approval. But as the procession approached Cali’s prosperous southern reaches, it reached a roadblock set up by men in civilian clothing,.
Colombia s class war turns hot on the streets of Cali msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
After gold miners shoot Yanomani people, Brazil cuts environmental regulation further
by Mongabay.com on 13 May 2021
With 300 votes in favor and 122 against, Brazil’s Lower House passed the draft of a bill on May 12 that withdraws environmental impact assessments and licensing for development projects, ranging from construction of roads to agriculture.
The measure, which was submitted to the Senate for its appraisal, is backed by President Jair Bolsonaro and the powerful conservative agribusiness lobby the ‘ruralistas’ who champion it as a way of slashing red tape on environmental licensing, to facilitate “self-licensing” infrastructure projects.
Congressmen, experts and activists opposed to it are convinced the new legal framework will inevitably fast-track approval of high-risk projects, leading to deforestation and the escalation of violence against traditional communities.
South America s largest country, previously renowned for demonstrating leadership during health crises, has become an international pariah amid the coronavirus pandemic. Brazil has recorded the highest coronavirus-related death toll in the world outside the U.S., is lagging in terms of vaccinations and is still without an effective and coordinated public health response to the outbreak.
An official inquiry, approved by Brazil s Supreme Court, was opened late last month to investigate the government s handling of the pandemic that has killed more than 430,000 people. The inquiry could pave the way to Bolsonaro s impeachment, though analysts say political opponents of the right-wing leader may prefer to contest the president at elections in October 2022.