Haitian rights activists, a former ambassador to the country and civil society groups are pressing the U.S. government to drop its support for Haiti’s president’s plan to hold a referendum and elections at a time of rising violence and kidnappings in the country. During a virtual hearing last week on Capitol Hill, Congressman Gregory Meeks, a New York Democrat, was blunt. “Haiti’s a mess. The people are suffering. This has to stop!”  Two members of Haitian civil society, a former U.S. ambassador to Haiti and the leader of a Haitian American nongovernmental organization working on immigration issues testified before American lawmakers Friday, saying no elections can be held because the Haitian Provisional Electoral Council lacks credibility and gang violence is rising.  FILE – Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise speaks during a news conference at the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, March 2, 2020.The panel urged officials not to support Haitian President Jovenel Moise’s plan to hold a constitutional referendum in June, followed by legislative and presidential elections in September and November of this year.   “It is difficult for me to imagine having successful elections this year in Haiti,” said Pamela A. White, who served as U.S. ambassador to Haiti from 2012 to 2015. “I do not believe right now the necessary institutions are in place to assure a smooth transition.”   Some Haitians, including the political opposition and civil society members, view Moise’s electoral council as illegitimate because it was named unilaterally and without input from civil society. Members were not sworn in by the Supreme Court as mandated by the constitution, and they answer only to the president.  Moise has largely ignored the criticism while expressing support for the electoral council. He also says he is willing to hold discussions with the opposition. “As Haitians and patriots, we need to stand together for dialogue for a better tomorrow for our people. We stand ready to engage in meaningful dialogue with the opposition for a brighter future for our children and our nation while rejecting Violence,” he tweeted on February 26.  As Haitians and patriots we need to stand together for dialogue for a better tomorrow for our people . We stand ready to engage in meaningful dialogue with the opposition for a brighter future for our children and our nation while rejecting Violence. FILE – A man throws a tear gas canister back at the police during a protest against Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Feb. 10, 2021.Lawyer Rosy Auguste, program director for the human rights organization Reseau National de Defense de Droits Humains (RNDDH), said the country needs a credible electoral council before it can hold a vote. “Stop supporting an electoral process that will lead to political instability,” Auguste said. Haiti’s Ambassador to the U.S. Bocchit Edmond did not participate in the congressional hearing, but later in an interview with VOA dismissed their complaints as political posturing.“I think this is just a group of people who want to fight a government that was democratically elected, who want to overthrow it and replace it with a transitional government because the transition will do their bidding — that’s all it is,” the ambassador said.Edmond said Haiti’s woes are not Moise’s fault and that Haitians should work together on a solution.A Haitian solution to the political crisis is one of the few things all sides agree on.So far, President Joe Biden has maintained the U.S. backing for Moise that existed during the Trump administration. The State Department and U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Michele Sison have repeatedly said free, fair and credible elections, the restoration of democratic institutions, and adherence to the rule of law are essential. The Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations have made similar statements. FILE – Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a news conference at the State Department in Washington.During testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on March 10, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was pressed on Haiti by Congressman Andy Levin, a Michigan Democrat who has been outspoken about his lack of confidence in Moise’s ability to organize free and fair elections.“I share your concern about some of the authoritarian and undemocratic actions that we’ve seen,” Blinken said, “particularly this irregular rule by decree and decrees getting into the heart of Haiti’s democratic institutions. So we’re making it very clear that for now, while we have this, decrees need to be limited to essential functions and to your point, we need to see the Haitians organize with international support — genuinely free and fair elections this year.”For all of the concern over the upcoming votes, Laurent Weil, a Latin America and Caribbean country analyst for The Economist magazine’s intelligence unit, says he does not expect the congressional hearing will have a meaningful impact on U.S.-Haiti relations.“This is the second hearing organized by Congress since the current crisis in Haiti started in 2018. It was organized by the same committee as the previous one, held in December 2019, and included the same witnesses as last time. While the previous hearing received media attention, it did not cause a shift in U.S. foreign policy towards Haiti. I don’t expect this one to change things dramatically either,” Weil told VOA via email.Weil believes the Biden approach will be similar to policies pursued by the Obama administration.“As was the case during the Obama era, the U.S. under the leadership of Joe Biden is likely to explore diplomatic solutions to the crisis by focusing its attention on efforts to organize elections,” Weil told VOA. “Given that the Haitian administration of Jovenel Moïse is committed to organizing elections, Mr. Moïse will remain part of the solution to the crisis, he will keep his seat at negotiating tables.”Vote legitimacy With dissenting voices pressing to drop a vote, it’s unclear if the referendum and elections are held, how many people will take part in voting. White, Douyon and Auguste say inclusivity is essential for credible and fair elections.“I think the entire question of a referendum to change the constitution is extremely dubious,” she said. “If we do not get minimal consensus among the relevant actors, Haiti will not be able to pull off credible elections — period.”Weil says most Haitians do not share the view that the referendum must be stopped.“Although many political actors, including those who participated in the hearing, and interest groups have echoed the view that Mr. Moïse must step down and abandon his project of a constitutional referendum, it does not represent the view of the majority of Haitians. In fact, according to recent opinion polls, the broad majority (over 80%) of Haitians agree that a referendum should be held to change the constitution,” Weil told VOA.    A local opinion survey published in December by America Elects, a poll aggregation and election analysis group, indicated some 87% of Haitians support the referendum.  Haiti, BRIDES poll:Those in favour of…A new constitution: 87.4%Abolishing the post of Prime Minister: 72.3%Abolishing the Senate: 75.1%Fieldwork: November 2020Sample size: 14,400#Haiti#Ayiti#NouvelleConstitution#JovenelMoïse#Moïse#Elections2021— America Elects (@AmericaElige) December 23, 2020
   
“Moreover, many of Mr. Moïse’s opponents are actually in favor of the referendum, but they do not trust Mr. Moïse to run the process. So, the real question is on the referendum’s feasibility amid the security crisis and deepening political polarization,” he added.Congressman Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican and ranking member of the House Foreign Relations Committee, says the U.S. will continue to support Haiti.   “No matter how difficult the situation, the United States remains committed to supporting the Haitian people. Haiti is the second largest recipient of U.S. assistance in the Western Hemisphere receiving over $180 million in FY 20 (Fiscal Year 2020),” McCaul noted.“However, given the huge challenges facing Haiti, I think it’s fair to ask how effective our assistance has been and explore how our aid can achieve the desired outcome.” 
 
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Former Bolivian interim president Jeanine Anez claimed Sunday that she had the people’s support, after a judge in the capital La Paz sentenced her to four months pre-trial detention for inciting a coup d’état against her predecessor. “I have the support of the people because we defend the rule of law and of all those who believe in democracy,” Anez, former interim president of Bolivia said speaking in Spanish. “I cannot have the support of the MAS (Movement for Socialism) party because they obviously despise democracy.” MAS won the elections in October 2020 and currently controls the presidency and the Congress.Bolivia’s Socialist Candidate Seen Winner of Presidential Election  An authoritative pollster indicates Luis Arce has over 52% of the vote, so no need for run-off In a tweet later she said “[t]hey are sending me to detention for four months to await a trial for a ‘coup’ that never happened,” adding “[f]rom here I call on Bolivia to have faith and hope. One day, together, we will build a better Bolivia.” Earlier Anez told reporters that the rule of law in the country was being “undermined” and that Bolivia could become a “no man’s land.” Judge Regina Santa Cruz ruled in a virtual hearing on Sunday to send Anez, 53, and two ministers in her caretaker government to pre-trial detention after prosecutors had initially for six months as a “precautionary” measure. Anez was arrested Saturday on terrorism, sedition and conspiracy charges. The United States, European Union, and right groups, including InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights have called on Bolivia to follow due process without political interference. Anez, a lawyer and former senator for the center-right Democrat Social Movement, took power after her predecessor Evo Morales and most parliamentarians from his MAS party resigned and fled the country in November 2019 as violent protests erupted across Bolivia amid accusations that he rigged the election.  The claims were supported by international organizations.    At least 33 people were killed, 30 of them after Anez took office. Morales returned to Bolivia from exile after his former economy minister, current President Luis Arce led MAS to win the elections last October.  
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A Jamaica based armored courier service is offering a $16,000 reward for information leading to arrests in the shooting of three of its guards. Gunmen ambushed the Guardsmans Armored Ltd guards during a drop off at a financial institution in Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth a week ago, killing a 50-year-old guard and wounding two others, who were treated and released. The suspects are believed to have been wounded but managed to get away. The reward being offered expires at the end of April. Since the deadly attack, Guardsman announced it will provide bulletproof vests four all guards. 
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Authorities in Nicaragua are keeping a close watch on the San Cristobal volcano, as residents clean up from Tuesday’s eruption that showered ash over the northwestern city of Chinandega. There were no reports of injuries as a result of the eruption of Nicaragua’s tallest volcano. One witness told the Associated Press there was a single big explosion followed by 30 minutes of spewing gasses.  The ash and gasses reduced visibility in the area to nearly zero, prompting some businesses to close. The AP reported late Tuesday that Vice President Rosario Murillo asked Nicaraguans to remain calm, but there was no mention of evacuations. The San Cristobal volcano erupted nearly a month ago, sending a huge ash plume into the air. 
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Jamaica is set to launch its vaccination program against the spread of COVID-19 amid an uptick in cases. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dunstan Bryan announced Monday that healthcare workers will be the first of more than 3,280 people to get their shots on Wednesday. Prime Minister Andrew Holness accepted the first 50,000 doses of vaccines from India on Monday. Jamaica is launching its vaccination program as Holness warned there will be a national lockdown if the COVID-19 safety protocols do not slow infections over the next three weeks. During Monday’s news conference, the prime minister also said the desire of people “to party and go about not wearing your mask has to be balanced against the need against someone who will be deprived of care because we simply have no beds,” a reference to people ignoring safety protocols. So far, Jamaica has confirmed a little more than 26,026 infections and 453 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University Covid Resource  Center. 
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A Brazilian Supreme Court justice annulled all sentences against former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Monday, paving the way for him to run in the country’s 2022 presidential election.Da Silva was convicted twice for corruption and money laundering. In 2017, the left-wing former president was sentenced to nine years and six months in relation to a triplex in the beach town of Guarujá. Two years later, he was sentenced to 12 years in a similar case.Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin found the federal court in the southern city of Curitiba that issued both sentences did not have the jurisdiction to try the former president. The justice determined that both cases must be relaunched at a federal court in the capital, Brasilia.Da Silva governed the largest country in Latin America between 2003 and 2011, a period in which Brazil became one of the largest developing economies in the world. His hand-picked successor, former President Dilma Rousseff, was impeached in 2016 after Brazil experienced an economic downturn.The leftist firebrand and former union leader hoped to run against far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro in the 2018 presidential election, but due to the Clean Record law that prohibits those sentenced from running for office, the former president was forced to step down from the ticket. His substitute and former education minister, Fernando Haddad, lost in the runoff to Bolsonaro.With the annulment of the sentences, da Silva’s political rights are restored, and he is now eligible to run for office in 2022.“Today’s decision reaffirms the incompetence of the Curitiba Federal Court (and) the recognition that we have always been right in this long juridical battle,” the former president’s defense team said in a statement.
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The U.S. State Department recognized 21 women who demonstrated leadership in advocating for human rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment, giving them an “International Women of Courage Award” during a ceremony in Washington Monday.This year seven Afghan women were given the award posthumously after they were assassinated in 2020 while serving their communities during a pivotal moment in Afghanistan’s history. Other award-winners are from Belarus, Myanmar, China, Iran, Somalia, Turkey and Venezuela.Among this year’s honorees are jailed Belarusian opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova who fights for democratic movement in the aftermath of the disputed election; Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Yu who was imprisoned and now remains in China under an exit ban; Iranian chess arbiter Shohreh Bayat, who chose to be a champion for women’s rights after being accused of violating her country’s strict Islamic dress code; Venezuelan labor rights advocate Ana Rosario Contreras, who fights for the healthcare professionals; and Congolese human rights activist Julienne Lusenge who fights against gender-based violence.Watch the award ceremonyChinese Lawyer AbsentChinese human rights lawyer Wang did not take part in Monday’s virtual award ceremony, in which the State Department played a pre-taped message from Wang.”We’ve not been in regular communication over the past two days.  We are concerned because we know that she wanted to attend today’s ceremony.  We will be following up and if necessary speaking out on her case,” said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Monday.In her pre-taped message, Wang said “as a lawyer by training, I think I have the obligation to push for the rule of law; therefore, I would like to see more people stand up and speak out for the rule of law, fairness, and justice in China.”Wang added she had witnessed “judicial corruption and degeneration” while handling multiple politically sensitive cases.In 2016, the Chinese government barred human rights activist Ni Yulan from traveling to Washington to accept the International Women of Courage Award.  Ni continues to face threats and physical assault.International Women’s Day Marked with Increased Hardships for WomenAround the globe, women have suffered more loss of employment than men, according to the UNBurmese Award-WinnerThe United Nations says that in Myanmar more than 50 people have been killed in violence following a coup and the arrest of the country’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi.Phyoe Phyoe Aung, co-founder of the Wings Institute for Reconciliation, an organization that aims to bring young people together to bridge cultural and religious differences was recognized in Monday’s ceremony.”It is a time of dramatic change in my country.  There are women leaders from all walks of life… who courageously joined the anti-coup movement,” she told VOA’s Burmese service.”I feel awkward, uncomfortable, and sad to receive this award in this difficult time.  Even though I do not deserve this award compared to those who sacrificed most, I am accepting it on behalf of all courageous women who fight for democracy and freedom for our country,” she said.During the ceremony U.S. first lady Jill Biden spoke about the common struggles of the awardees.”Your fight is our fight. And your courage causes us to come together again, and again, and again,” said Biden.”Diplomacy at its best is a recognition of this connection that freedom for women in Afghanistan strengthens communities everywhere, that education in Burma creates opportunity far away, that fair elections in Belarus will bolster our own democracy too,” added the first lady.The IWOC award, now in its 15th year, has recognized more than 155 awardees from over 75 countries since March of 2007.
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Thousands of Haitians filled the streets of the capital, Port-au-Prince, again Sunday to call on President Jovenel Moise to step down and to demand a crackdown on kidnappers, who they say are holding the nation hostage.“We cannot accept this kind of society,” said a doctor, who was part of the protest but did not give his name. “We have an incapable government. We need the proper conditions to work and treat patients.”#Haiti people back in the streets of Port au Prince today protesting against dictatorship and kidnappings @VOAKreyol is in the crowd ?Renan Toussaint pic.twitter.com/02LTIMkQxS— Sandra Lemaire (@SandraDVOA) March 7, 2021Medical professionals who spoke to VOA said they are outraged over the Feb. 28 attempted kidnapping and killing of one of their colleagues. They organized a two-day work stoppage March 2 in a show of solidarity and took to the streets Sunday.Haiti has seen a spike in the last year in abductions targeting citizens from all sectors of society.  The criminals have been indiscriminate in their targets, asking for ransoms as large as $5 million from the poor as well as the rich. Protesters hold the president responsible for failing to bring the perpetrators to justice.During the first week of March, Moise took several steps to respond to the kidnappings, which have raised alarm among officials from the U.S., the United Nations and the European Union. The president held a series of meetings with law enforcement officials and members of his cabinet. Moise said a special anti-kidnapping unit of Colombia’s police force will help Haiti shape a more targeted response.“Law enforcement has been instructed to intensify their efforts against insecurity. They must better coordinate their strategies, share intelligence, launch interventions and take all necessary actions to this end,” Moise tweeted on March 2.Les forces de l’ordre sont instruites en vue d’intensifier leurs efforts pour lutter contre l’insécurité. Elles doivent mieux coordonner leurs stratégies, les renseignements obtenus, leurs interventions, également toutes les actions nécessaires à cette fin. pic.twitter.com/jVfOM4ebk0— Président Jovenel Moïse (@moisejovenel) March 1, 2021Lawyers from the legal human rights group Collectif des Avocats pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme (CADDOH) also joined Sunday’s protest, offering free legal assistance to anyone who might be arrested. Lawyer Arnel Remy decried the government’s disregard for the rule of law and had a message for the international community.“It’s important for the international community to respond to this protest. … Jovenel (Moise the president) has been here for five years, and the judicial system has not functioned properly during that time,” he told VOA.Remy took issue in particular with a communique announced this week by Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe that outlaws tinted glass on all vehicles except government and diplomatic cars. The measure outraged Haitians who have spent a lot of money to have their windows tinted as a measure against kidnappers and will now lose their investment and that protection.The prime minister defended his communique, saying it was aimed at kidnappers who ride around in cars with tinted windows, preying on victims.“Kidnapping is state-sponsored. So of course it will never be defeated,” alleged ex-Senator Steven Benoit, who marched with protesters. “Just wait, two or three weeks after Jovenel (Moise) is no longer in power, the kidnappings will stop.”The president has denied any link to kidnappers.Businessman Wolfi Hall, himself a kidnapping victim, said people need to understand that the trauma of the crime lingers long after a person is freed.“There are pains that remain with you for the rest of your life,” he told VOA. “God only knows why your life was spared. Because after you’ve been traumatized, it doesn’t go away in a day. It’s an ugly experience — I don’t wish this on anyone — and you can only understand what I mean if you’ve been kidnapped.”A blind woman who spoke to VOA said she decided to brave the possible dangers of marching to send a clear message to the president and the international community.“Jovenel Moise, you are Haitian just like me, you say you love the country, please leave us the key to the (national) palace. You can’t be pleased with the situation we are in now. You represent everything that is wrong,” she said.She then turned her attention to U.S. officials.“You say you are the friends of Haiti. Jovenel Moise does not represent us. I know the United States can’t do anything for Haiti — we know you have your own interests (to defend),” she said. “You take good care of dogs in your country, they get special care — I know you love people, too — well, we the handicapped are in the streets of Haiti today. You understand what that means.”On March 5, two men linked to kidnappings were arrested in Haiti and turned over to U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and FBI agents.Peterson Benjamin, also known as Ti Peter Vilaj, and Lissner Mathieu, also known as Ti Nwa and has used the last name of Joseph, were flown to the United States where they are wanted in connection with drug trafficking, violating terms of probation and kidnapping.Mathieu, a U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty in 2006 to drug charges in the U.S. but fled to Haiti in 2008.Benjamin has been linked to a dozen kidnapping cases, some of which involved U.S. citizens, the Miami Herald reported.US fugitive, suspected gang member tied to kidnappings in custody after arrests in Haiti https://t.co/NFH5di9qYC— Jacqueline Charles (@Jacquiecharles) March 6, 2021
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Canada’s postal service is trying to bridge the socially distanced gap of the coronavirus pandemic by encouraging people to send postcards to loved ones.To facilitate that effort, Canada Post is delivering a postcard to every residential address in the country that people can then send to anyone they want at no charge.The postcards come in one of six different designs with messages such as “Sending hugs” and “Wishing I were there.”Doug Ettinger, Canada Post’s president and CEO, said in a video describing the program that “everyone is missing someone.”“We want all Canadians to send these postcards to loved ones to remind them that they’re missed, they’re special and they matter,” he said.
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For more than 100 years, International Women’s Day has been celebrated by honoring the achievements of women globally.But this year, because of lost jobs and increased burdens of care at home, women have fared worse economically than men.According to data from the International Labour Organization, a United Nations agency, globally women have suffered more job losses related to the pandemic than men. About 5% of women in 2020 lost work, which could mean losing a job or experiencing reduced hours, compared with 3.9% of men.”Every time something happens in the world, women are hit with twice the violence,” Anchia Mulima, coordinator of Lemusica, an organization supporting women and girls in Mozambique, told VOA.Throughout the pandemic, the United Nations has highlighted the disparities between how women have been affected by the crisis compared with men.“Gender inequalities have increased dramatically in the past year, as women bear the brunt of school closures and working from home,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.According to U.N. Women, 58% of employed women globally work in “informal employment,” or jobs without much regulation and often without taxes or benefits. Women are also more likely to work in industries hardest hit by the pandemic, such as hospitality and child care.In the United States, Black and Latinx women faced more layoffs in 2020 and have seen slower gains in recent months than their white counterparts.A man holds a sign and the portrait of a victim of femicide in front of a metal fence with the names of other victims surrounding the National Palace ahead of the International Women’s Day in Mexico City on March 7, 2021.According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 8.9% of Black women and 8.5% of Latinx women were unemployed in February — compared with 5.2% of white women.“It’s easy for us to make general sweeping statements of COVID-19 is affecting women in the workplace, but it’s affecting different groups of women disproportionately,” Minda Harts, an author and advocate for Black women in the workplace, told VOA.“Hospitality, leisure — some of those industries have a very high concentration of Black and brown women. And so in 2020, we realized that a lot of those industries were heavily affected,” Harts said.Even as women around the world have faced economic challenges, higher unemployment, and the burden of child care as schools close, they have found ways to use their skills and inspire others.Nubia Rocío Gaona Cárdenas, a farmer in Colombia, said it broke her heart to see mothers struggling to feed their children in the capital of Bogota. She and her son had an idea.“My son told me, ‘Mom, let’s do something productive. Some YouTube channels … don’t teach anything, let’s teach them how to farm, or teach them something. Let’s give them hope,’” Cárdenas told VOA.Their channel on YouTube, which they launched in April 2020, now has more than 700,000 followers.Across the globe, women working as tailors and seamstresses answered the surge in demand for face masks to curb the spread of the coronavirus.“We believe that women are strong and can make a change. We too have abilities and can work alongside men,” Niga Mohammed, an Iraqi tailor, told VOA.With so much work shifted to remote employees, Harts sees an opportunity for industries to diversify their workforce.“I do believe there will be a lot more opportunities for Black and brown women to work at the high-tech companies, to work at the Fortune 500 companies from rural places that they might live, or from certain areas where they just don’t have the capacity to up and move to a big city,” she said.But as numbers from the BLS indicate from the past few months, those changes may be slow to arrive.This year, the theme of International Women’s Day is “Choose to Challenge.”“A challenged world is an alert world. And from challenge comes change,” according to the International Women’s Day website.For many women around the world amid the pandemic, the immediate challenge may be staying afloat economically. 
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A report coinciding with International Women’s Day on Monday finds the number of women parliamentarians globally is increasing, but so slightly that it barely dents the global male-dominated system.The Inter-Parliamentary Union reports more than one quarter of the world’s parliamentarians are women; however, at the current rate of progress, the IPU says it will take another 50 years to achieve gender parity.Rwanda, Cuba and the United Arab Emirates were the three top-ranked countries in 2020, accounting for 50% or more female members. The IPU attributes much of this success to gender quotas. On average, it notes parliaments with quotas have elected nearly 12% more women to lower chambers and 7.4% more women to upper chambers.IPU Secretary-General Martin Chungong said discrimination against women prevents them from becoming parliamentarians. In some cases, he said, governments have laws that prevent women from running for office.“We have in recent years brought to light the phenomenon of violence against women, and there is ample evidence out there that women are now refraining from entering the dangerous terrain of politics on account of harassment, sexism and outright violence, which is something we need to combat,” he said.The IPU report finds progress has been made in all regions of the world. It says the Americas once again tops all other regions with women making up 32.4% of MPs. This, the report says, was despite political upheaval across Latin America. It notes women represented nearly 27% of membership in the U.S. Congress, the highest level in its history.In sub-Saharan Africa, the report finds Mali and Niger have made significant gains in women’s representation, despite grave security risks. It says a few countries in Europe have achieved 30% female representation, while the Middle East and North Africa have lagged with 17%.The worst-performing countries are in the Asia-Pacific region. The IPU says Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea have no female representation. IPU officials call this a matter of great concern.The report shows the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on elections last year, noting that national parliamentary elections were postponed in nearly 20 countries due to restrictions.
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Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Saturday said a metal barrier to wall off the presidential palace ahead of a planned women’s march on International Women’s Day was to avoid provocation and protect historic buildings from vandalism.In a country where femicides rose nearly 130% between 2015 and 2020, critics said the decision to erect the 3-meter-high barriers was symptomatic of Lopez Obrador’s apathy toward the crisis of violence afflicting women.Ahead of International Women’s Day on Monday, barriers were also installed around other emblematic buildings and monuments in downtown Mexico City, where a year ago tens of thousands of people protested rampant violence against women and impunity.”We have to avoid provocation of people who only want to cause damage,” Lopez Obrador said at an event in Yucatan. “Imagine, if we don’t take care of the national palace and they vandalize it. What image will this send to the world?”Lopez Obrador reiterated that women had the right to protest and cited his own movement in 2006 as an appropriate form of peaceful protest.”The presidency was stolen from us … and we protested but never broke glass. … I walked two, three times all the way from Tabasco to Mexico City,” he said. Lopez Obrador has repeatedly accused opponents of electoral fraud over the years.At least 939 women were victims of femicide last year in Mexico, official data shows.Interior Minister Olga Sanchez Cordero said on Twitter that the barriers were “for the protection of the women.”Anger among women was stoked this year after Felix Salgado, who has been accused of rape, announced his candidacy for governor for the southern state of Guerrero.A representative for Salgado did not reply to repeated requests for comment; he has denied the allegations, according to media reports.Lopez Obrador has said that those calling on him to drop support for Salgado, a member of the ruling Morena party, are politically motivated.
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In a camp at the U.S.-Mexico border, some asylum-seekers were told by officials that the U.S. government may reopen their cases and they would eventually be able to enter the U.S. to wait out the asylum process.The new opening for people previously denied came as Mexican authorities worked to close the improvised camp along the banks of the Rio Grande that has housed thousands of asylum-seekers for more than two years.Late Friday night, an official with Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said via Twitter that the last asylum-seekers with active cases from the camp had been processed and the camp was closed. Others — about 50 people — with closed asylum cases who were told their cases could be reopened were urged to move to a shelter. But some remained in the camp Saturday.The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment Friday and Saturday.Processing beginsLast month, the Biden administration began processing asylum-seekers who had been forced to wait out the long process from Mexico during the administration of former President Donald Trump. The Matamoros camp was one of the most visible signs of a policy implemented in response to high numbers of asylum-seekers by an administration that worked in various ways to make it more difficult to access protective status in the United States.On Saturday, Juan Antonio Sierra, who runs the migrant shelter in Matamoros confirmed that he had committed to housing asylum-seekers with closed cases so that the camp could be closed.FILE – Children play at a camp of asylum-seekers in Matamoros, Mexico, Nov. 18, 2020. Some asylum-seekers were told March 5, 2021, that the U.S. may reopen their cases and allow them to enter the U.S. to wait out the asylum process.Sierra said that the day before, the U.S. consul in Matamoros, Yolanda Parra, met with officials from the U.N. refugee agency, the International Organization for Migration, Mexico’s National Immigration Institute, Sierra and some migrants. She agreed that the U.S. government would evaluate the possible reopening of closed cases for the people who remained in the camp, Sierra said.The U.S. State Department referred questions to the Department of Homeland Security.”I was going to take them to the Casa del Migrante until it was sure they were going to cross,” Sierra said. The goal, he said, was to avoid new people arriving at the camp and assure that those who were still there would cross the border only when it was clear that their cases would be reopened and that they would avoid being immediately deported.’Avalanche is already here’Asked if word of reopened cases could draw more people to the border, the Reverend Francisco Gallardo, who is in charge of the shelter, said that “the avalanche is already here. A lot of people are arriving.” He warned there were signs that a new camp would form.The shelter has more than 200 migrants staying there.By Friday afternoon, several dozen asylum-seekers remained in the riverside camp. Workers dismantled primitive shelters and hauled away portable toilets. Friday night, power was cut to the camp. But even with the promise that their cases could be reopened, many resisted abandoning the camp for fear that a less public space would allow their shrunken number to be more easily ignored by the U.S. government.FILE – A migrant walks through a refugee camp in Matamoros, Mexico, Nov. 5, 2019. Mexican authorities are working to close the improvised camp along the Rio Grande that has housed thousands of asylum-seekers.A Honduran asylum-seeker who has lived in the camp for two years with her son said that personnel from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees told her Friday that “the United States had approved the reopening of our cases and that we had to wait some days for them to authorize the crossing to the U.S.”The woman, a former police officer who requested anonymity because she did not want to jeopardize her case, said the U.S. government had rejected her case earlier. With the help of lawyers, she appealed and was turned down again in November. She has filed a subsequent appeal.”Now there’s hope,” she said.Others were informed of the same, she said. Some were told their situations could be addressed in a couple of days, others in 10 days. She said they didn’t give her a date.They advised her to move to a local migrant shelter that would provide better living conditions, but “no one wants to move because we believe they are going to forget us,” she said.’Remain in Mexico’Previously, U.S. officials have not said if people will be allowed back in the U.S. at some future date to pursue asylum claims that were denied or dismissed under the Trump administration’s Migrant Protection Protocols, better known as “Remain in Mexico.” They have described the re-entry of an estimated 26,000 people with active cases as an initial step but have not said what any subsequent measures would entail.The Matamoros camp has been an uncomfortable monument to the policy for its residents, as well as the U.S. and Mexican governments.Human Rights Watch published a report Friday that said it “has consistently found that migrants in Mexico are exposed to rape, kidnapping, extortion, assault and psychological trauma.”On Thursday, 10 Democratic members of Congress told U.S. Secretary of Antony Blinken that the U.S. government must help push for greater protections for migrants and asylum-seekers waiting in Mexico.  
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Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center has recorded more than 116 million global coronavirus cases. The U.S. is on the verge of having 30 million infections, followed by India with 11 million and Brazil with 10.8 million.Earlier this week, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro had callous words for fellow Brazilians unhappy with the president’s response to the pandemic.“Stop all this fussing and whining,” the president said. “How long are you going to keep on crying?” Bolsonaro was speaking in the Brazilian state of Goiás, where almost 9,000 people have died.Only the U.S. has more COVID deaths than Brazil. According to Hopkins, the U.S. has more than 522,000 COVID deaths, while Brazil has reported more than 262,000.Russia’s statistics agency said Friday more than 200,000 Russians diagnosed with COVID-19 have died, more than double the figure used by the government’s coronavirus task force.The figures released Friday from Rosstat, a government agency that releases coronavirus data infrequently, said it had recorded 200,432 deaths through January. Those figures include nearly 70,000 people who had the virus at the time of death, but whose main cause of death was not deemed to be COVID-19.The tally is significantly more the government’s coronavirus task force’s data, which had recorded 88,285 deaths as of Friday. The government’s task force does not count deaths in which the virus was present but is not ruled the main cause.Using the figures from Rosstat, Russia would have the third most COVID-19 fatalities in the world, behind only the United States and Brazil.Rosstat also reported Friday that Russia has recorded 394,000 more deaths since the start of the pandemic until the end of January than in the previous period — suggesting that coronavirus-related deaths in the country could be even higher.In another development Friday, the World Health Organization said investigators who conducted an inspection in China to determine origins of the COVID-19 virus would release a report on their findings in mid-March.Peter Ben Embarek, who led the mission, clarified at a regular coronavirus news briefing Friday in Geneva that an interim report would not be released as previously reported.“To clarify, there was never a plan for an interim report, first of all,” Embarek said. “It was hoped we would get a summary report out,” but “the director-general [Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus] will receive that report from the team in the near future and we will discuss the recommendations.”The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday the WHO team decided not to release its interim account “amid mounting tensions between Beijing and Washington.”Another international group of scientists has called for the WHO to conduct a new inquiry into the origins of COVID-19. The scientists calling for a new probe said in an open letter Thursday that the WHO team “did not have the mandate, the independence, or the necessary accesses to carry out a full and unrestricted investigation.”The scientists also noted in their letter that the WHO investigators in China were accompanied by their Chinese counterparts.The first cases of COVID-19 were reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019.Throughout his term, former U.S. president Donald Trump strongly suggested, without evidence, the coronavirus leaked from a Wuhan laboratory.A global team of inspectors began its four-week investigation in Wuhan in January and finished it last month.Italy on Friday surpassed 3 million confirmed coronavirus cases since the pandemic began. The health ministry reported 24,036 new confirmed cases Friday, the third straight day this week that daily new caseloads exceeded 20,000 cases.The government said it would further tighten coronavirus restrictions in three of its 20 regions after health officials warned of the increase of cases of more contagious variants.France reported 23,507 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Friday, which is down from the previous week, however officials said the number of people in intensive care with COVID-19 reached its highest level this year.Canada’s drug regulator announced Friday that it had approved Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, the fourth such inoculation to get approval. Canada has also approved vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca.Mickey Mouse may once again scamper on Disneyland’s streets, according to California officials who said Friday the state’s theme and amusement parks could open as early as April 1.There are, of course, COVID-19 restrictions on the openings. The parks would open under restricted capacity. They would also have to be in a county that is not under certain constraints, designed to slow the coronavirus transmission rate.A purple county has the most restrictions due to its coronavirus rate of infection, under California’s color-code system. Disneyland is in a purple country, but at the present rate of transmission, officials expect the theme park would likely be eligible for reopening sometime in April.
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U.S. border agents detained nearly 100,000 migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in February, according to two people familiar with preliminary figures, the highest monthly total since a major border surge in mid-2019.The figures, which have not been previously reported, show the scope of a growing migrant influx at the southwest border as U.S. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, seeks to roll back some of the restrictive policies of former President Donald Trump, a Republican. February was Biden’s first full month in office.Last month’s total would represent the highest tally for the month of February since 2006. The sources who provided the figures to Reuters spoke on the condition of anonymity.An increasing number of children arriving at the border without a parent or legal guardian has forced U.S. officials in recent weeks to scramble for housing options and take steps to speed up their release to sponsors in the United States.February’s number of detained migrants represents an increase over 78,000 in January. February’s total appears to be the highest monthly number since June 2019 during a large border surge that Trump cited as justification for a broad immigration crackdown.A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said official statistics for last month likely will be released next week.U.S. Border Patrol agents caught more than 4,500 migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in a single day on Wednesday, according to government figures shared with Reuters, a sign that illegal entries could continue to rise in March.Republicans have criticized Biden for rolling back Trump’s hard-line immigration policies, saying the shift will lead to more illegal immigration.Kevin McCarthy, the top Republican in the House of Representatives, sent a letter to Biden on Friday that requested a meeting to discuss the issue, saying he had “great concern” with the administration’s approach to border.”We must acknowledge the border crisis, develop a plan, and, in no uncertain terms, strongly discourage individuals from Mexico and Central America from ever making the dangerous journey to our southern border,” McCarthy wrote in the letter.The recidivism rate among migrants attempting to cross the border illegally increased over the past year under a Trump-era policy known as Title 42. That policy, issued on public health grounds amid the coronavirus pandemic, allowed U.S. authorities to rapidly expel migrants caught crossing. In some cases, migrants attempt to cross the border again.Biden exempted unaccompanied children from the policy in February.
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Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was among of former President Donald  Trump’s most outspoken ideological allies when Trump was in office. Now, with President Joe Biden in the White House, many in Brazil are expecting changes that some dread and others welcome.  For VOA, Edgar Maciel reports from Sao Paulo. 
Camera: Edgar Maciel   Producer: Marcus Harton
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With new cases and COVID-19-related deaths surging and hospitals reaching capacity in Brazil, the country’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, told Brazilians on Thursday to “stop whining” about the pandemic.Speaking at an event for the opening of a new rail line in Sao Simao in south-central Goias state, the far-right leader and COVID-19 skeptic lashed out at lockdown measures, saying deaths are regrettable, but questioned how long people will be “staying home and closing everything,” saying no one can stand it anymore.Brazil’s Sao Paulo state Governor, Joao Doria, holds a box of China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine at Sao Paulo International Airport in Guarulhos, near Sao Paulo, Brazil, March 4, 2021.João Doria, the governor of Brazil’s largest state, Sao Paulo, responded angrily to the comments, telling the British Broadcasting Company that Bolsonaro is “a crazy guy” who, he said, attacked the nation’s “governors and mayors who want to buy vaccines and help the country to end this pandemic.”More than 260,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Brazil, second only to the United States.Bolsonaro has consistently opposed quarantine measures introduced by governors, arguing the collateral damage to the economy will be worse than the effects of the virus itself.But Brazil’s health officials say the nation is facing its worst phase of the epidemic yet, pushing its hospital system to the brink of collapse.Despite the president’s comments, new restrictions have been implemented in the nation’s capital, Brasilia, and its largest city, Sao Paulo. Tourist mecca Rio de Janeiro on Thursday announced a citywide curfew and early closing times for restaurants. 
 
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Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was among of former President Donald  Trump’s most outspoken ideological allies when Trump was in office. Now, with President Joe Biden in the White House, many in Brazil are expecting changes that some dread and others welcome.  For VOA, Edgar Maciel reports from Sao Paulo. 
Camera: Edgar Maciel   Producer: Marcus Harton
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Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was among of former President Donald  Trump’s most outspoken ideological allies when Trump was in office. Now, with President Joe Biden in the White House, many in Brazil are expecting changes that some dread and others welcome.  For VOA, Edgar Maciel reports from Sao Paulo. 
Camera: Edgar Maciel   Producer: Marcus Harton
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The Biden administration has declined to comment on whether Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will be extended for Haitians.“By law, TPS designations are made by the Department of Homeland Security after consultation with the appropriate agencies,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price told VOA. “So, we wouldn’t want to comment on any sort of internal deliberations when it comes to TPS.”TPS is a designation made by the secretary of homeland security to individuals from countries severely impacted by natural disasters or armed conflicts. It allows beneficiaries to live and work in the United States for a period of time.The TPS status Haitians currently hold was enacted by the Obama administration on January 21, 2010, nine days after a massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit the island nation, killing at least 250,000 people and displacing 5 million others.In October 2020, then-candidate Joe Biden made a campaign stop in the Little Haiti neighborhood of Miami, Florida, where he courted the Haitian-American vote and promised to act on an immigration issue high on their list of priorities, the TPS program.More than 55,000 Haitians are enrolled in the program, according to the Bocchit Edmond, Haiti’s ambassador to the United States. (Twitter)Haiti’s position Haiti’s ambassador to the U.S., Bocchit Edmond, has called on the Biden administration to work with Congress to find a solution.“We do hope that the Biden administration, with the help of the U.S. Congress, will find a final resolution to this very sensitive issue impacting a number of Haitians. The human impact should be considered,” Edmond told VOA. “The Embassy of Haiti will continue to work with U.S. officials as we advocate for Haitians in the United States.”Prominent Haitian immigration advocate reaction Reacting to the State Department’s stance on TPS, the Miami-based Family Action Network Movement (FANM), a grassroots immigration advocacy group, called on the Biden administration to act quickly.“This is something FANM has been advocating for, along with other immigrant rights organizations. The time to do this is now,” Marleine Bastien, executive director of FANM, told VOA.Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holder Kerlyne Paraison, foreground, of Haiti, holds up a sign as she demonstrates during a rally for a permanent solution for TPS holders in front of the Citizenship And Immigration Services Field Office.What’s happening in Haiti?Haiti has battled political turmoil and a spike in violent crime over the past year. President Jovenel Moise is at odds with members of the opposition about when his term expires. He plans to step down on February 7, 2022, when a newly elected president takes power. But the opposition cites an article in the Haitian constitution that states Moise’s term should have ended on February 7, 2021.Moise was sworn in on February 7, 2017, for a five-year term after winning a 2016 presidential election. That vote was a re-do after the 2015 election results were annulled over fraud allegations.The U.S. and much of the international community back Moise’s claim that his term will end next year.However, both the Trump and Biden administrations have repeatedly criticized Moise for ruling by decree since January 2020, when two-thirds of the parliament’s terms expired. They have also called on him to organize elections as soon as possible.The United Nations, the Organization of American States and the European Union have expressed the same concerns.Moise defended his decision not to organize elections last year, citing the pandemic, a crippling economic crisis, a spike in violent crimes and “peyi lok,” a series of massive anti-government protests that halted operations of businesses, schools and transportation.Moise announced in February that a constitutional referendum was planned for April and legislative and presidential elections would be held in September.A demonstrator takes part in a march during a protest against Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti February 14, 2021. REUTERS/Jeanty Junior Augustin TPX IMAGES OF THE DAYNew wave of asylum seekers?Asked by VOA if the current political instability in Haiti could cause more Haitians to seek asylum in the U.S., the State Department’s Price did not give a direct answer.“What I would say is that it is the responsibility of Haiti’s government to organize elections in 2021 that are free, that are fair, that are credible,” Price told VOA. “We join the international community in calling Haitian stakeholders to come together to find a way forward. What we have said is that the Haitian people deserve the opportunity to elect their leaders and to restore Haiti’s democratic institutions.”Nike Ching at the State Department and Elizabeth Lee in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
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The Biden administration has declined to comment on whether Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will be extended for Haitians. “By law, TPS designations are made by the Department of Homeland Security after consultation with the appropriate agencies,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price told VOA. “So, we wouldn’t want to comment on any sort of internal deliberations when it comes to TPS.” TPS is a designation made by the secretary of homeland security to individuals from countries severely impacted by natural disasters or armed conflicts. It allows beneficiaries to live and work in the United States for a period of time. The TPS status Haitians currently hold was enacted by the Obama administration on January 21, 2010, nine days after a massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit the island nation, killing at least 250,000 people and displacing 5 million others. In October 2020, then-candidate Joe Biden made a campaign stop in the Little Haiti neighborhood of Miami, Florida, where he courted the Haitian-American vote and promised to act on an immigration issue high on their list of priorities, the TPS program. More than 55,000 Haitians are enrolled in the program, according to the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holder Kerlyne Paraison, foreground, of Haiti, holds up a sign as she demonstrates during a rally for a permanent solution for TPS holders in front of the Citizenship And Immigration Services Field Office.Prominent Haitian immigration advocate reaction   Reacting to the State Department’s stance on TPS, the Miami-based Family Action Network Movement (FANM), a grassroots immigration advocacy group, called on the Biden administration to act quickly. “This is something FANM has been advocating for, along with other immigrant rights organizations. The time to do this is now,” Marleine Bastien, executive director of FANM, told VOA. What’s happening in Haiti?Haiti has battled political turmoil and a spike in violent crime over the past year. President Jovenel Moise is at odds with members of the opposition about when his term expires. He plans to step down on February 7, 2022, when a newly elected president takes power. But the opposition cites an article in the Haitian constitution that states Moise’s term should have ended on February 7, 2021. Moise was sworn in on February 7, 2017, for a five-year term after winning a 2016 presidential election. That vote was a re-do after the 2015 election results were annulled over fraud allegations. The U.S. and much of the international community back Moise’s claim that his term will end next year. However, both the Trump and Biden administrations have repeatedly criticized Moise for ruling by decree since January 2020, when two-thirds of the parliament’s terms expired. They have also called on him to organize elections as soon as possible. The United Nations, the Organization of American States and the European Union have expressed the same concerns. Moise defended his decision not to organize elections last year, citing the pandemic, a crippling economic crisis, a spike in violent crimes and “peyi lok,” a series of massive anti-government protests that halted operations of businesses, schools and transportation. Moise announced in February that a constitutional referendum was planned for April and legislative and presidential elections would be held in September. New wave of asylum seekers?Asked by VOA if the current political instability in Haiti could cause more Haitians to seek asylum in the U.S., the State Department’s Price did not give a direct answer.“What I would say is that it is the responsibility of Haiti’s government to organize elections in 2021 that are free, that are fair, that are credible,” Price told VOA. “We join the international community in calling Haitian stakeholders to come together to find a way forward. What we have said is that the Haitian people deserve the opportunity to elect their leaders and to restore Haiti’s democratic institutions.”
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An Ontario Superior Court justice Wednesday found a man who allegedly used his rental van nearly three years ago as a weapon guilty of murder and attempted murder.  
 
Alek Minassian, who was accused of using his rental van to deliberately drive though crowds of people on Toronto’s Yonge Street, killing 10 and injuring 16 others, has been found guilty on 10 counts of murder and 16 counts of attempted murder.  
 
Justice Anne Molloy rejected Minassian’s argument that his autism spectrum disorder rendered him “incapable of appreciating the nature and quality of the act” or of “knowing that it was wrong.” Malloy ruled that Minassian understood what he was doing, despite the conclusion of experts who said he was incapable of feeling empathy.  
 
“This was the exercise of free will by a rational brain, capable of choosing between right and wrong. He freely chose the option that was morally wrong, knowing what the consequences would be for himself, and for everybody else,” said Molloy.  
 
Molloy added that when Minassian was asked after the attack how he felt about killing and injuring those in the attack, he replied: “I feel like I accomplished my mission.”
 
Calling it “one of the most devastating tragedies this city has ever endured,” Molloy read out the names and listed the injuries of all 26 victims, adding that Minassian planned and carried out the attack purposely to achieve fame.  
 
Throughout her verdict, Molloy refused to address the defendant by name, opting to call him “John Doe.”
 
The attack in April of 2018 lasted four minutes and reportedly threw bodies as far as 26 feet into the air, while dragging others under the vehicle.
 
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Scientists are warning that a variant of the novel coronavirus that was first detected in Brazil could reinfect people already recovering from COVID-19.  The P.1 variant has spread to more than 20 countries since it was first detected last November in the Amazonian region city of Manaus.  A joint study by scientists in Britain and Brazil says the variant is 1.4 to 2.4 times more transmissible than the original version of the coronavirus.  Manaus was struck by an initial wave of COVID-19 infections in April and May of last year.  According to researchers, by October almost 80% of recovering coronavirus patients should have developed antibodies that would have made them immune to the virus. Peru will Receive a Second Vaccine Wednesday to Battle COVID-19Peru to receive the first batch of 50,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine Wednesday    But 25% to 61% of those who had recovered from a first bout of COVID-19 were reinfected with the P.1 variant, according to the study, which has not been peer-reviewed.Scientists are worried that new and more infectious variants of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 could be resistant to vaccine now being distributed around the world.  But Nuno Faria, a virologist at Imperial College London who co-led the study, says it is too early to determine if the situation in Brazil with the P.1 variant will also occur elsewhere.  The release of the study on the P.1 variant coincided with official data from Brazil showing it had recorded its highest single-day number of COVID-19 deaths with 1,641.The COVID-19 pandemic has sickened more than 114.8 million people around the globe since it was first detected in central China in late 2019, including 2.5 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Center.The pandemic has also led to what the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has described as an “education emergency,” with more than 168 million children around the world locked out of the classroom for nearly a year.   UNICEF says 98 million children across Latin America and the Caribbean account for the majority of students who have missed in-person learning.  U.S. country music superstar Dolly Parton tried to inject hope and encouragement Tuesday as she was injected with her first dose of the Moderna vaccine. In a short video she posted on Twitter, the 75-year-old singer-songwriter received the vaccine at Vanderbilt University Health Center in Nashville, Tennessee.Dolly gets a dose of her own medicine. @VUMChealthpic.twitter.com/38kJrDzLqC— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) March 2, 2021Before getting the shot, Parton revamped one of her most famous songs, “Jolene,” to encourage viewers to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
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An Ontario Superior Court justice Wednesday found a man who allegedly used his rental van as a weapon guilty of murder and attempted murder.  
 
Alek Minassian, who was accused of using his rental van to deliberately drive though crowds of people on Toronto’s Yonge Street, killing 10 and injuring 16 others, has been found guilty on 10 counts of murder and 16 counts of attempted murder.  
 
Justice Anne Molloy rejected Minassian’s argument that his autism spectrum disorder rendered him “incapable of appreciating the nature and quality of the act” or of “knowing that it was wrong.” Malloy ruled that Minassian understood what he was doing, despite the conclusion of experts who said he was incapable of feeling empathy.  
 
“This was the exercise of free will by a rational brain, capable of choosing between right and wrong. He freely chose the option that was morally wrong, knowing what the consequences would be for himself, and for everybody else,” said Molloy.  
 
Molloy added that when Minassian was asked after the attack how he felt about killing and injuring those in the attack, he replied: “I feel like I accomplished my mission.”
 
Calling it “one of the most devastating tragedies this city has ever endured,” Molloy read out the names and listed the injuries of all 26 victims, adding that Minassian planned and carried out the attack purposely to achieve fame.  
 
Throughout her verdict, Molloy refused to address the defendant by name, opting to call him “John Doe.”
 
The attack in April of 2018 lasted four minutes and reportedly threw bodies as far as 26 feet into the air, while dragging others under the vehicle.
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