Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update (As of 31 July 2023)

GUATEMALA: HEAVY RAINFALL

KEY FIGURES

+916K PEOPLE AFFECTED BY HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRONG WINDS IN GUATEMALA

Heavy rainfall and strong winds have been affecting most of Guatemala since the beginning of the rainy season in May 2023. The severe weather has resulted in flooding, landslides and significant damage. According to the National Coordination for Disaster Reduction (CONRED), as of 27 July, weather-related incidents have affected more than 916,000 people, leaving at least 16 people dead, 4 injured and forcing the evacuation of some 3,084. Working with local and municipal coordinators, CONRED has begun the distribution of humanitarian aid in the departments of Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Petén, Quetzaltenango, Quiché, Retalhuleu, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Suchitepéquez, Totonicapán and Zacapa. Distributions include family rations, hygiene kits, cleaning kits, water, blankets and mattresses.

CARIBBEAN: IRREGULAR MIGRATION

+2.5K PEOPLE DEPORTED BY THE AUTHORITIES OF THE BAHAMAS BETWEEN JANUARY AND MAY 2023

An increasing number of migrants are risking journeys across the sea to the Caribbean islands. Over the last few months, migration flows have intensified across countries like The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Cuba, and Jamaica, amid rising accounts of deportations and apprehensions. Between January and May 2023, authorities in The Bahamas arrested 2,554 people of 50 different nationalities for violating immigration laws. In the same timeframe, authorities deported 2,562 people (including 1,758 Haitians and 637 Cubans) from The Bahamas and 1,971 people from Turks and Caicos Islands. According to reports from The Bahamas Immigration Department, on 24 July a Haitian woman passed away while on board a plane carrying 143 migrants who were being deported from The Bahamas to Haiti.

In Trinidad and Tobago, a high court ruling declared that the 1951 Refugee Convention does not apply to the nation because the Government has not incorporated the international law into domestic legislation. This ruling threatens the protection of migrants and increases the risk abuse, exploitation, trafficking and other forms of ill-treatment. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has raised concerns about forced returns and the need for protection measures for Haitians on the move. There is significant concern around collective expulsions without proper assessment of individuals' protection needs, including vulnerable groups like pregnant women, newborns, unaccompanied children, trafficking victims, and those subjected to gender-based violence.

ECUADOR: SURGE IN VIOLENCE

KEY FIGURES

3.5K HOMICIDES ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2023

On 24 July, President Guillermo Lasso declared a state of emergency and evening curfews in the provinces of Manabí, Los Rios and Guayas, as well as in prisons across the nation, following a surge in violence. In the port city of Manta, a shooting resulted in the death of the mayor and a civilian. The shooting was another high-profile crime in a country grappling with increasing gang violence. According to official police statistics, there have been 3,513 homicides across the country in the first half of 2023 – a 58 per cent increase from the same reporting period in 2022. This rise is leading to estimates that Ecuador may close the year with a homicide rate of 40 killings for every 100,000 inhabitants, on par with the region-leading rate of 40 in Venezuela in 2022. Over the weekend, clashes erupted in the La Litoral penitentiary, leaving at least 31 dead and 14 injured. In the Guacharaca neighbourhood in Esmeraldas, there have been reports of clashes, detonations of explosive devices and a hostage situation at the Community Police Unit. Across all three provinces, authorities have registered cases of people setting fire to vehicles. Coastal cities like Manta and Guayaquil have been focal points for turf wars, as gangs use these areas for drug transportation. President Lasso expressed grief over the recent deaths and emphasized the need to address impunity in society.